Whitewater: East Coast and West

Washington Post writer Angus Phillips spent $100 on a shocking pink Pyranha kayak and drove out to the class III rapids of the lower Gunpowder River, where, he tells us, he came very close to getting a high opinion of himself. That was before the nose of his boat dipped into a hole and he suddenly found himself looking up at the river bottom. Phillips piece makes the roar of the river sound like the song of the Sirens, and he suggests that whitewater wannabes contact the Canoe Cruisers Association, or the Monocacy Canoe Club to learn more about where and when to take their chances.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, the Fresno Bee and the Modesto Bee are warning white water rafters that the largest snowmelt in seven years could push many rafting excurions into the danger zone. The Modesto Bee highly recommends that rafters choose between drinking alcohol and rafting, and don't even think about doing both at the same time.