PADDLING — As Bob Whittaker of Republic ran his kayak down the Kettler River Gorge between Orient and Barstow, last weekend, Andy McConnell shot a series of photos. 

Then McConnell “stitched” them together with a photo software program to create this fascinating panorama that lets you look up and down the river in one shot.

The finished product shows Whittaker three times — at the top, middle and bottom of the falls —  as he made a single pass.

Incidentally:

• The Kettle's flows have dropped down to the boney flows of summer.
• The river private-property-rights tyrant, Mr. Honeycutt, is still hassling paddlers as the put-in their boats in some areas, regardless of whether or not they're on the public right of way.

TRAILS — A $100,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation will help put railings and other safety features on a 770-foot trestle — one of the jewels in the rough of the rail trail that runs 33 miles from Republic to the Canada border.

The Ferry County Rail Tail Partners group, which received the information this week, is planning a small celebration to be held in conjunction with Rail Tail Ski Day, set for Jan. 15 in Curlew.  Activities includ free ski clinics and gear us, along with snowshoeing.

These types of state transportation enhancement funds will be vital for developing the trail into a facility the communities can enjoy and will also draw much needed recreational tourism dollars to the area, said Bob Whittaker, FCRTP president.

The trail runs along a scenic route past Curlew Lake State Park as well as along the Kettle River.