LOCALadk Magazine

26 LOCALadk Magazine Spring 2014 myriad of other river features as if they are conscious and malicious forces actively targeting river users, but in truth, they act as tools to those that dedicate themselves to learning the language of the river. For example, undertows merely refer to the increased power of the current beneath the surface due to reduced friction when compared to the surface of the river. With this understanding, undertows can be used to propel yourself farther with each paddle stroke by digging deeper into the heart of the current. Likewise, whirlpools on the river are rarely large enough to pose a threat to a boat, and are created at the interface of fast and slow moving water. Need to stop moving downstream? Look for mini whirlpools to point out eddies where the current slows or stops completely. Even after years of dedication, there are still boundaries to overcome. Horizon lines and unknown corners replace the uncertainties of individual river features, maintaining the mystique of life on the water. Perhaps it's the dense, heavy snowflakes falling silently and dissolving in the Boreas, or the first ray of morning light slicing through the mist on the Bottom Moose; the river always has something to reward those who have set forth across a boundary only the adventurous choose to cross. As we follow these thin blue lines through the woods, past tranquil lakeside villages and across other borders like state or international lines, we find ourselves in the presence of the beautiful, the surreal, and the unknown. It is here we find our true boundaries, and there is no better place to start following these thin blue lines than within the Blue Line of the ADK.,

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