Canoeing authors Josh Lindell, Tataboline Brant, and Piper Lindell on Saturday sign their first canoeing book, "Allegheny River Paddling Guide," for a fan at the Allegheny Book Mart in Warren. Photo by Chris Lareau, Copyright 2008
Most writers have to call their sources to get detailed information, but for this trio the sources call them. As long time operators for Indian Waters canoe livery in Tidioute and now as the new owners of Allegheny Outfitters on Warren's East Side, the Lindells kept getting calls for specifics on how to paddle the Allegheny River.
The answers to their questions filled a book and Saturday they were signing the first print run of it in downtown Warren at the Allegheny Book Mart. The teamwork to produce it came naturally. Brant is Piper's sister and Josh is Piper's husband. You might call it a home-made book by these lifetime area residents, but don't call it amateurish.
Brant, pictured above in the middle signing her book, is a former award-winning military journalist for the 80,000 daily circulation Anchorage Daily News. The Lindells are both ex-servicemen and earn their living by selling the virtues of one of the best flat-water paddling rivers in the country. All three grew up here, but when they came back they were impressed with the serenity and natural attractions of Kinzua country. All three agree that when they were younger, they took the area for granted, but leaving home and returning gave them an inspiring perspective.
The production quality of the book makes it easily marketable in bookstores in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo, but the authors are starting small with an initial print run of just 500 copies. Piper is a professionally trained computer graphics artist and the layout and readability are flawless--something important to its readers as they are drifting downstream. And don't worry about getting the "Allegheny River Paddling Guide" wet--the darn thing floats. Each page is encased in plastic.
Piper Lindell has matured as a computer graphic artist, which a glance at the web site she designed will show. All our Warren area web sites should look so good. If you think I am singing praises too much, all I can say is I write what I see.
The details revealed in the short book, 34 pages, seem to answer all the questions that paddlers could possibly have called in. Topograhical maps, GPS coordinates for every landmark, where to eat, stay overnight, even the anatomy of canoes and kayaks. A section on safety on the river should give the Glade Volunteer Fire department a sigh of relief--if they can get visitors to read the book.
If you are looking for detailed river maps, historical info, photos and descriptions of common trees and wildlife, adjacent hiking trails, and where to get provisions, the price of the book will be more than made up for in the time alone it saves.
And this is not just another of those books you read and never look at again, whether you plan to set foot in a canoe or not. It's something to show your neighbors and visiting relatives--even those who can't visit. But make sure you get it back. You might want to read it again and again. I've already done it three times.
"Allegheny River Paddling Guide" is pretty much only available locally at Indian Waters in Tidioute, Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, and at The Allegheny Book Mart downtown. In Starbrick you can get a copy at Dream Marina and in Tidoute at the Wildwood Inn and at the Trading Post. It surely deserves to be on Amazon.com, but the authors passed this up because the profit margin wasn't large enough.
For those of you not living in the area, you can get a copy at their online store. It costs $28.30.
I guess they know what they are doing because they are already working on a second book, "Volume II, Tionesta to Emlenton." If you get a chance to look at this book or their next one, you just might know what you're doing too.
There's a lot of hard work and expertise that goes into a product like this and it serves the area well. Brant and the Lindells don't get every bit of info from just answering the phone. Sometimes they have to go so far as to float down the Allegheny. Bon voyage I say.
--Chris Lareau
About The Allegheny River Paddling Guide
Canoe and Boat Carrier
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