Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408190004
SECTION: DISCOVER PAGE: 16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Long
Without it, he'd have no business.
But it's not the lure of big money that enticed Rose into starting the James River Basin Canoe Livery 16 years ago. There isn't much in it, he says.
From his small, thriving canoe rental business just outside of Buena Vista, Rose - a fit, suntanned, teacher-turned-river runner - describes his life.
"I can think of a lot of things to do that wouldn't be as much of a hassle, but the work is varied and I like the independence," he said. "Of course, when I finish work in the afternoon, I don't just go home and forget about it until tomorrow. This is my home."
Rose's business, a collection of 44 canoes and six keowees (a type of open kayak) which he rents out for day, weekend and weeklong float trips, is located in a coffeepot-shaped building just off Interstate 81. With shiny vertical, silver siding, a handle-shaped structure on one side and a spout on the other, the structure was built in the 1950s to attract travelers to its diner food and, of course, hot, black coffee.
"People call it a teapot - it's not a teapot," Rose said. "But it's been a good place, and a good location. I've repaired the handle a couple of times. I'm glad nothing's happened to the spout."
Rose's business also is his home. He sleeps upstairs (where the percolator would be), in a small, efficiency apartment. A shaded porch and an inviting lounge chair are where he spends most of his free summer hours, sipping a drink and taking in the sights. He also teaches canoe classes at nearby Washington and Lee University.
"I live frugally, sell a few boats, but this is what I like," he said.
Rose got into the livery business after a stint working at a big canoe livery in Front Royal, where shipping up to 80 canoes onto the Shenandoah River every day was commonplace. Rose found the work rewarding but too crowded.
"There were three canoe liveries within three miles of each other and they were all boating 30 miles of river," Rose said. "I came here because not only is it smaller, but there's not the metropolitan draw there was in Front Royal." All of Rose's boats are spread out on two rivers, the Maury and the James, totaling more than 80 miles of river.
The promotion of eco-tourism, concedes Rose, would help his business, but he is happy with the way things are now.
"I could get by with less, maybe 36 canoes," Rose said, "but I could still grow a lot, too." Rentals are up 20 percent this year, Rose said, and last year his business grew by 10 percent.
"The tourism industry is good because people come in, spend money, then they leave," Rose said. "But the more pressure you put on something, whether it's hiking or rivers or whatever, the more it's going to suffer."
Rose said he is "militant" when it comes to littering, the one sign of human populations overtaking a natural habitat. To deter litterbugs, he repeatedly informs his customers, via signed contract, mandatory videotape and verbal instructions: "Do not litter the river."
He even goes so far as to offer a free canoe trip for anyone collecting two bags of bona fide river trash - old beer bottles, tackle buckets, fishing lures, soda cans, candy wrappers and other junk found along the banks and in the rivers.
"Unfortunately, we don't get many takers," he said.
However, Rose said most of his customers seem responsible in disposing of their trash.
"To be honest, the most trash we see on the river is the kind that is dumped because it's a convenient spot to dump it," he said. Rose recalled a time when a landowner finally was cited for littering. The man was routinely dumping trash, waiting for the river to wash it away. He also noted that popular fishing spots seem to attract people, and therefore trash.
Rose offers trips of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty on both the James and Maury rivers. He provides the canoe, paddles and life jackets. All the customer needs is something to eat and a hankering for a good time.
Following are Rose's suggestions for successful canoe trips:
Novice canoeists might enjoy a lazy, low-key float anywhere between Gala and Buchanan on the James River. These floats range from 11 to 13 miles with flat water and a few small rapids. Call ahead and have enough people for a four-canoe party.
Expert canoeist could try an exhilarating 81/2-mile ride down the James River from Natural Bridge to Snowden. This three-hour trip includes continuous rapids, ranging from Class I to Class III rapids (Class VI is the toughest).
On the Maury River, the accomplished canoeist may ride from Rockbridge Baths to Beans Bottom. This fast-paced, 14-mile whitewater adventure includes continuous Class I and II rapids, and several Class III rapids before slowing down to a relaxed pace for the last six miles.
Screening is required for both of these trips, and at least four canoes are required for each trip.
Romantic getaway? Take a dreamy float along the James from Alpine to Glasgow. With mostly easy water and lots of places to swim, this trip is one of the most popular that Rose offers.
Overnight and weeklong canoe trips are available ending in Glasgow or Snowden. Weeklong trips are popular among fishermen, Rose said.
For further information on the James River Basin Canoe Livery, call Rose at 261-7334. The livery is open year-round, all week.
Also open year-round is the New River Canoe Livery in Pembroke. It offers canoe and keowee rentals for trips ranging from one day (16 miles) to five days (63 miles). Shuttle service is provided. Rapids range from Class I to Class III, and flatwater fishing is a customer favorite. Costs range from $20 per person for a one-day trip to $65 per person for the five-day. Call 626-7189.
by CNB