Roy Tennant's Whitewater Resume

Trained by Outdoor Adventure River Specialists (OARS) in 1978 on the Stanislaus and American Rivers in California. Took a boat (Havasu) down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon that summer. Worked full-time the summer of 1979 as a guide and head guide for OARS on the Stanislaus, American, Merced, East Carson, and San Juan Rivers. Worked part-time in 1980 for Zephyr River Expeditions on the Stanislaus and Merced. Worked part-time since then for OARS, ARTA, Zephyr, and Wet Dreams (I'm not kidding). Currently in semi-retirement, but the boat (fully-outfitted Avon Mark V Professional) is in the garage, awaiting put-in...

Stanislaus -- Guide and Head Guide on numerous one and two-day oar and paddle trips on the Camp Nine section, prior to flooding by the New Melones dam. I participated in a group guide trip in the pouring rain when the river was at 25,000 cubic feet per second and rising. There was at least one flip and one tube stand (boat becomes vertical on its side and dumps everyone out), but no one was seriously injured. I experienced my first (and so far only) wrap on Widowmaker rock on the Stanislaus. Most importantly, the Stanislaus brought my wife and I together when she worked for Friends of the River one summer running the letter writing table in support of protecting the Stanislaus from the New Melones Dam project. The Camp Nine section of the Stanislaus lives on in my heart as it once was, as it does in the hearts of all the people whom it touched.

South Fork of the American -- Numerous trips as guide and head guide for both commercial and private trips -- oar and paddle.

North Fork of the American -- Several trips as oar and paddle guide, both private and commercial.

Tuolumne -- One of the premiere California rivers. Several oar and paddle trips, commercial and private.

Clavey Falls

North Fork of the Yuba -- This run was to some degree pioneered commercially by Mark Helmus of Wet Dreams, with whom I worked off and on for a while. Here I experienced my first flip, in the rapid called "Two Pair." I portage the rapid on this stretch called Maytag.

Flip in Two Pair

Merced -- Several trips as oar and paddle guide, both private and commercial. Quarter-mile remains one of my favorite rapids -- certainly one of the most dramatic.

Trinity -- Several trips as oar and paddle guide, both private and Friends of the River.

Klamath -- Several trips as oar and paddle guide, both private and Friends of the River.

Upper Klamath (Hells Corner) -- Several trips as oar and paddle guide, both private and commercial. A private passenger fell out of my boat once at the top of the first rapid, which forced me to row backwards through the entire rapid, with her hanging on to my bowline. She was a trooper.

California Salmon -- Several trips as oar and paddle guide, both private and commercial. A very technical and challenging run. Watch out for the "keeper" hole just before turning the corner into one of the worst rapids on the run. If you swim there, lord help you.

Kings -- Two trips.

Scott -- One trip with Mark Helmus and a boat load of trainees in the rain. This is so far north you think you're in Oregon.

South Fork of the Eel -- One trip with Mark Helmus and a boat load of trainees in the rain. One of the hairiest trips I've ever done, with the water rising fast on an extremely technical river with a very small riverbed.

The Rogue -- One private trip through the Wild and Scenic section.

Hells Canyon of the Snake -- One private high-water trip where the flow reached 100,000 cfs (flood stage) when we joined the Salmon. A kick in the pants and the scenery wasn't bad either.

Colorado River through the Grand Canyon -- By far, the best river trip experiences I have ever had were discovered between these walls. The beauty and the power, the thunder and the silence, the timelessness of floating down through millenia cast in stone. A bit of my heart is there still. I've been down something like eight times, six as trip leader of private trips (one with my own permit) and one trip as a commercial trainee (O.A.R.S.).

Lava Falls

The Green (Gates of Lodore) -- One private trip as trip leader.

San Juan -- The Mexican Hat to Lake Foul (Powell) run. One commercial trip. Like a mini Grand Canyon trip in terms of scenery (not rapids). The sand waves are a trip in high water!

SKILLS

Training in Swiftwater Rescue, CPR, First Aid, and Environmental Injuries (including hypothermia).

Document maintained at http://roytennant.com/whitewater.html by Roy Tennant.
Last update 6/17/96.