Bay Area Reporter - April 27, 2001
Jim Provenzano

If you're a person with AIDS, and you want to give those sporty models a run for their money, take an outdoor prescription with Healing Waters, the nonprofit that's been sponsoring free and low-cost wilderness adventures for immune-suppressed folks and their families and friends.

But this is no poz-only group. All are welcome to the mostly lesbian and gay-guided treks, but the purpose of Healing Waters' HIV groups is to provide an adventure with a supportive environment, where people with AIDS concerns don't have to make apologies, excuses, or worry about their kayak partners' potential fears and misconceptions.

Founder and Executive Director Cale Siler had a special mission to form the group. When he had an unsafe sexual experience, it so traumatized him that he became determined to help others get over the fear of having AIDS take over - and limit - their lives.

After several tests, he remained HIV-negative, but "that experience was so powerful for me, I took stock of what I could do, and thought, well, I can take people out and give them a weekend where they feel empowered and loved."

Started in 1996, Siler, who trained to be a sea kayaking guide, has led trips around the world.

Siler's mother is an outdoorsy mainstay on many trips (his family is from Tahoe), providing the support along with a few employees and several volunteers. The group started to grow. "Funders started coming out of the woodwork without our even soliciting," said Siler.

Starting with a meager two trips a year, they have expanded to leading adventures each weekend.

Snow flaky

Nature trips come in a variety of difficulty levels and settings. "Some people have never slept outside. And those are my favorites, bringing this experience to them," said Siler. Healing Waters has sponsored trips for up to 2,000 participants.

"For folks who want a really low-impact trip, the cross-country skiing trips are really popular," he said. "You can hang out at the cabin, build snowmen."

Trips usually are managed to avoid excess traffic or unpleasant situations, like one trip inland through snow-bound traffic. One man, Randall, arrived with the group at an exhaustingly late 5 a.m. While most collapsed to bed, Randall was found snapping pictures of snow drifts in the dark, simply happy to enjoy the pristine beauty.

Those looking for an active weekend will be happy. "The next step up includes snowshoe trips. After that would be the whitewater trips," Siler said. More mellow, yet environmentally interactive, are the kayaking trips. You don't even have to row if you prefer to ride in a two-person kayak. Just sit back and enjoy the nearby wildlife as you paddle along the Point Reyes shoreline.

Campy

In the past year, Healing Waters has doubled its number of trips, with adventures taking place each weekend. They offer both "benefit" trips, where guests pay to cover their costs and support the group, and "participant" trips, where PWAs and people with cancer can experience the sort of adventure they might never dare alone.

Whitewater rafting trips are very popular with Bay Areans. Few thrills beat the rolling excitement of paddling down a refreshing stream. The South Fork of the American River is a Class 3 river, perfect for first-timers and seasoned paddlers. Dates in 2001 include June 1-3, July 27-29, and August 24-26. The $265 cost includes lodging, equipment, and hearty camping meals.

Want to kayak within yards of orcas, dolphins and eagles? Join the June San Juan Islands trek to Washington. To pay, the trip is $765, or for PWAs or people with cancer, free.

For an even more exotic adventure, you can partake of Healing Waters treks to Nepal, where Katmandu offers mountain-high views from the top of the world. Another far-off journey goes to Costa Rica, where you can do your "Just Jack" impersonations for the howler monkeys.

Fun funds

How can they afford it? Private and corporate funding. Healing Waters' "Touch More Lives" campaign raised over $100,000 resulting in the purchase of a van, rafts, wet suits, skis, life vests, and other equipment. They also receive a number of in-kind donations from ad companies and outdoors equipment dealers.

SMMILE, Saatchi & Saatchi, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and the Moonwalk Fund are some of the big donors. The Moonwalk Fund was created by two gay men who died of AIDS and wanted to focus their legacy on activity-oriented PWA activities.

Trips for all people include a backpacking guide school for $285 that teaches how to become a skilled backpacker and support person for groups trips.

As to the perception that only those on certain over-advertised medications can climb every mountain, Siler prefers to limit his promotion to his trips, "I would definitely put more faith in our program than in Crixivan. I mean, it's advertising. Putting on Nikes isn't going to make you Michael Jordan."

No matter what your level of experience - or medication - volunteers are invited to help out on trips, organize fundraising and administrative activities and, if you qualify, go on trips as well.

For more info, call (415) 296-6178, write Healing Waters/Tides Center, 735 Battery Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94111, or visit their Web site at http://www.hwaters.org.

Toro!

Famed Front Runner author Patricia Nell Warren will read from and sign copies of her new novel, The Wild Man about a gay bullfighter, this Saturday, April 28, 2 p.m. at A Different Light Bookstore, 489 Castro St. (415) 431-0891. For more info, visit http://www.adlbooks.com or http://www.wildcatpress.com.

Uniformation

Team San Francisco is hosting a mandatory sport rep meeting at the Gym at 150 Oak Street on Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. This meeting has an aggressive agenda for organizing member organizations for the Gay Games in Sydney in November, 2002. Each athletic organization that has members in Team San Francisco is to send two representatives - one female, one male - to coordinate the different sports' uniforms with the Team San Francisco uniform. Team SF uniform is navy blue and gold. Also up for discussion are local events leading up to the Games. "We want to encourage membership and event participation by those members," said Anne Ludwig of Team SF. "Team SF also wants an opportunity to get suggestions and comments from our members so that we can be more useful to them as Gay Games liaisons. We want all clubs represented.

"This is their opportunity to learn the latest news on the Games and to provide their members with answers on updates." For more info call or e-mail Ludwig at (415) 668-3771 or anne@fullbloom.com, or visit http://www.teamsf.org.

May flowers

Sunday, May 13 the Bay Area Distance Runners (BADR) is sponsoring the only half marathon oriented to gays, lesbians, and friends that we know of in the country, here in San Francisco. Age group divisions in both running and race walking. Flat fast course around Pac Bell Park, the piers, the Embarcadero and Fisherman's Wharf, and the Hyde Street Pier. All levels welcome. For info, visit the BADR Web site at http:www.sfbadr.com or call Dave at (415) 626-1380.

From Friday, May 25 through Sunday, May 27, there will be a wrestling and martial arts clinic and tournament sponsored by the Golden Gate Wrestling Club and the Bay Area chapter of the International Association of Gay & Lesbian Martial Arts (IAGLMA). The event will include introductions, light practice, workshops, technique clinics, tournaments, and awards dinner. This event will be instructional, informative, and a great intro to the sports. Several out of town athletes will be participating as well. Hosted housing available. For information, contact Johnny Almony (GG Wrestling Club) at (415) 487-8902 or via e-mail at captain@ggwc.org or Andy McGuire (IAGLMA) at (415) 566-6121 or via e-mail at tkdusa@aol.com.
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