OCR Text |
Show much easier than going forward. I could lay on my back and use my legs to do all the work sparing my measly arms. Neither method was pretty, but they seemed to do the trick. Just as I became comfortable riding backward on the floor of the Bronc, the real action began. Ty was eddied out and yelling something about Little Pine Creek Rapid. But 1 couldnt be sure what he said, because as the words escaped his mouth I was plunged into a churning hole. I was splayed like a dead bug on the front of the Bronc. Or was it the back? I couldnt be sure, but I did manage to close my mouth as the foamy water rushed over me and filled the ball. After a brief stint on the spin cycle, I was spit out upright and writh all limbs intact. 1 quickly began to see the merit in the udo nothing approach. However, I knew the dam head was - coming soon and the do nothing approach might backfire if I was to scrape over the sharp rocks writh, say, my face plastered to the bortom of the Bronc. I began to heave my entire body against the back of the ball to make my way river left. There was no way in hell 1 was going to get hung up on river right. After several minutes of huffing and puffing, I secured my position on river left and held bank tight. I didn't onto the left-hacare if Elvis Presley himself was on river right, I was staying left. In the ready position, 1 was prepared to do battle. I passed Ty, who was of Jaramy Garcia Tha final move: Keith Kirchner corrals his Bronc after a wild ride. course eddied out right and yelling at me to do the same. 1 just gave him the thumbs up and stayed my course. However, as I crested the lip of the horizon, I realized I was a wee bit overzealous in my quest to stay left. I was so far left that I was crashing along the walls of the nd would be nothing compared to the sound of me coughing up $3,000 as I became the new owner of a slightly damaged Hydro Bronc). But, as luck would have it, Keith was still in the current and traveling at a higher rate of speed behind me. He managed to clip me enough to push me back into the main flow and I was spared the rocks of death. 1 tumbled down the falls, grateful the river gods spared me despite my utter lack of respect for them. And so went the remainder of my run. Narrow brushes with death or destruction followed by miraculous recoveries and plain old dumb luck. For the brief half hour or so I spent inside the bronc-in- g beast, I learned to appreciate the hulking, cumbersome mass. 1 learned to trust the Bronc and follow its lead rather than try to manhandle it. I learned that as long as I worked with it and not against it, no harm would come to me. But most importantly, as I hung on for dear life, wildly spinning my wheels and going nowhere, prostrate to the mercy of mother nature, I learned a whole new respect for gerbils. D For more information on Hydro Broncs, former dam that jutted out from the left contact Virtual Sports, 6644 Rippling bank. Instead of feasting on the meat of Brook Dr. SE, Salem, OR 97301, (503) www. virtualsportsinc.com. the rapid, I was about to choke on the bare bones. 1 braced for the impending collision of rubber and rock, and the sound of Missy Votel is the editor of Cross Currents magazine. Hypalon shredding to tiny bits (which 36-001- NEWiMEXI CO'S UARGESTi PARTS 3, Submitting an item 'DcuL to Happenings: be submitted in writing and received at least 10 days prior to the date of publication (Cross Currents publishes the first and third Friday of every month). Items must AHUUlty,s HW RAMNEK SINCE 1963 Over 37,000 PARTS IN STOCK RECREATIONAL MON. -- FRI. 8:00AM -- VEHICLES MAUARD Hit . Mail items to: Cross Currents P.O. Drawer A, Durango, CO, 81302 TRAVEL TRAILERS 530PM S'" WHEEL TRAILERS RV BODY SHOP SAT. 8:00AM - 1:00PM EAZ-UF- (505)1325280 3 1800I530r8728 crosscurrentsdurangoher-ald.co- HITCHES T or fax to: (970) Ron & 555 fld CD, I cl v Foreign & Domestic Great Selection nviii 1 Digital software based telephone systems Ice Cold Beer 259-501- 1 - Your Total Communicationa5 Solution . m next issue: June 16 next deadline: June 6 Judy Jennings SINCE 1963 301 S. MILLER AVE, (DOWNTOWN) FARMINGTON, N.M 87401 (Relax, I Networking Technologies "1 iU-- Computer Telephone ' ' Integration V Call center applications - ft ' Voice i rk -- We're Here 247 for Responserepmr WE CAN HELP YOU! tmlNTsRrTslf Call Us Today Durango 970-259-52- 00 Farminffon 505-327-27- 00 Rocky Mountain-TechnologieWhere Service Is The Bottom Line! s Iy I - - ' Milt i V" Large capacity sawmill Trailers to job site Earn Big Cash Income FREE INTO -- ext375 7746 have Keg8 for your big parties. Il Gift Sets Available PHASE f ' ivt SAOld or new, we can solve your Is 'fa f fiber optics Integrated voice processing 3' kV'' data and .L--' y. of Champagnes, Wines & Spirits. DO.VT DRISK DRIVE! Saw boards. planks, eheams es, NORWOOD June ?, 2000 - Cross Currents 13 |