Kaine enjoys canoe for two in the James River

In a canoe in the James River, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine made an easy paddle stroke and recalled how he landed in Richmond.

In the mid-1980s, Kaine and his wife-to-be, Anne Holton, decided to settle here to be close to her family, or in Kansas City, Kan., to be close to his.

Holton already lived in Richmond, and she took Kaine on a picnic to Texas Beach, a rocky spot along the James near Maymont. Kaine said he was amazed to see paddlers, anglers and great blue herons.

"I couldn't believe this was in the heart of Richmond. That set the hook pretty deep."

The couple moved to Richmond in 1984 and plan to remain after Kaine leaves office in January.

Kaine and Holton spoke of their attraction to the James and to nature in general during a 3½-mile paddling trip Saturday that included some mild, but cold, white water.

Their party of 16 gathered shortly before 9 a.m. at Riverside Outfitters near Pony Pasture Rapids in South Richmond. The air temperature was about 40, the water temperature about 50.

It was cold.

Most people donned wetsuits, but Kaine was good to go in khaki shorts, a blue L.L. Bean rain jacket and a white ballcap. Holton's outfit included blue jeans and toe warmers.

The group would paddle from Pony Pasture to Reedy Creek in South Side, just east of the Boulevard Bridge. Kaine, who has paddled rivers across Virginia, said he used to do the stretch yearly, often with Holton, before the demands of the governor's office reduced his outings.

"This stretch, we've done a bunch," he said.

The group set off in nine boats. The flotilla included members of Kaine's administration, some veteran paddlers and two law-enforcement officers.

The boats immediately shot through small rapids, then drifted in flat water.

Kaine said the main change he has seen in the James during his time here is an increase in people using it -- on foot, on bikes and in boats.

A key development, Holton said, was the opening in 1991 of the footbridge to the wild and rugged Belle Isle. Now, on a warm day, the island draws a diverse crowd.

"It's a mini-United Nations," she said.

Kaine said his entire family -- they have three teenage children -- enjoy visiting and paddling the river.

"We kind of consider the James River the family backyard."

The group glided past sycamores, hickories and other trees in muted fall colors, mostly yellow-brown, with some green. The sky was light blue, the water gray-blue.

As if to tweak a couple of paddlers serving as guides, Kaine stood up in his 16-foot boat and asked, "Is this recommended?"

He started to sing "O Sole Mio," when Holton told him, "You can swim, but I'm not."

The governor went back to paddling.

Much of the James has been polluted for years by bacteria from human and animal waste. But a 13-mile section that runs past Pony Pasture and ends at the Boulevard Bridge was declared clean about a year ago. That included most the stretch Kaine's group was paddling.

The James, like many other rivers, has been helped by tough federal and state pollution laws. "I think it's getting healthier and healthier," Kaine said.

Still, the James remains contaminated from the Boulevard Bridge to Hopewell. The state is devising a plan to clean the river.

Just west of the Powhite Parkway bridge, Kaine and Holton maneuvered through some small-but-challenging rapids called the "Powhite ledges."

Holton raised a fist as they emerged and cried, "This is great!"

Kaine has declared his last year in office the year of the environment. Among other things, he has pushed to preserve nearly 400,000 acres of open space. And his administration is developing regulations cracking down on the amount of pollution that can run off of new developments such as subdivisions.

"I think there will be an effort in the General Assembly to weaken" the runoff rules, Kaine said.

Kaine said he gets a recharge from nature. "Being outdoors is the one thing I can do where I don't think about work."

After leaving office, Kaine will teach part time at the University of Richmond while continuing as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Holton said she wants to work in some way to help children who need stable families. Each is 51.

The group reached the takeout spot at midday. Several people had gotten wet, but the temperature had reached the 50s.

"Everyone's upright," said Greg Velzy, an expert paddler who helped lead the trip.

"I'm a little surprised," said Chris Hull, another river veteran.

Holton said she had a ball. "I let it be too long between trips."

Maybe, in a couple of months, they will have more time to return to the river that has affected their lives.

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or .