NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/683373
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 37 than they seem— even the quiet ones. O Generous, beautiful, adaptable, powerful and enduring – these are qualities that may personify rivers in poems and songs, and also qualities that I admire in many of the women I know. Every summer, I kayak with a group of women. I know them through work – most have worked with Game and Parks at one time or another and we get along because we share similar experiences and interests, and we are all outdoor women. I don't mean to sound special, but to make it in the outdoor industry as a woman, you must possess certain qualities. It's no secret that our line of work is dominated by men, and most of the time, it's fun and awesome. We are fortunate to be able to work with so many supportive, passionate and intelligent people. And there are many days when I thank my lucky stars for all the things I've learned and seen as an outdoor photographer for NEBRASKAland that my girlfriends back in California cannot. I don't doubt that my female kayaking companions/ coworkers feel the same way about their jobs. We get to play with snakes, work with snapping turtles and ride in boats during the summer and call it work – our office is the great outdoors. But to earn and maintain respect as a female outdoor professional from a day-to-day basis means that we have to be "one of the boys." We sort of live double lives. At work, we're even-keeled, strong women whose wardrobes seemingly comprise of only hiking boots and jeans, and we can handle dead animals without a flinch. But at home, we're moms, wives, girlfriends or content single women, who like to sip wine, enjoy art, wear frilly clothes once in awhile, and get upset and cry over things that we desperately hide at work – though don't expect any of us to master walking in high heels anytime soon; years of playing and working in hiking boots have resulted in a permanent ogre-like sway. So kayaking is our escape. Being on the river with each other and sometimes alone allows us to take stock in who we are to ourselves, the people we love and the world around us. It's something only outdoor women understand, because going to the mall and getting our nails done together just doesn't do the trick. In 2002, Marilyn Tabor, a Nebraska Environmental Trust employee and avid participant in our yearly kayaking expeditions, had her first kayaking experience on the Missouri River. "I was terrified," she said. "It was incredibly windy and freakin' cold. But I had a blast and loved it. I don't think I've missed a year since." Conquering her fears, Marilyn then worked up to kayaking solo from Mulberry Bend to Ponca into a horrific headwind in 2006. For her, kayaking and floating on the river is empowering. Marilyn's favorite things about floating are sharing the experience "with other powerful women, both physically and spiritually;" feeling the sun while lounging on the cool sand during breaks; jumping off the boat dock by Standing Bear Bridge; being outside and seeing all the colors. "But when my daughters, Danielle and Kelli, can come with me, it is the best." Bekah Jessen got her first taste of kayaking while assisting a Beyond Commission wildlife biologists Bekah Jessen (left), Jamie Bachmann and Cassidy Gerdes float down the Niobrara River along breath- taking rocky bluffs near Niobrara State Park. JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKALAND 37