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Craig was a very enthusiastic person and squeezed as much enjoyment out of life as possible. When he couldn’t find anyone to join him on a river that he wanted to run, he'd load a little motorcycle in his all- wheel drive Sienna van, go by himself, and run his own shuttle. He was well-known for running two rivers in particular, Pine Creek and Sideling Hill Creek. For many years Craig organized a 3-4 day trip that included a 17-mile paddle on Pine Creek (in what is known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania) on the first day. The other days were a combination of paddling (different sections of Pine Creek or other rivers), biking, and hiking. I (Rich) joined Craig on three of these trips, and that’s when he introduced me to the Cedar Run Inn, a great B&B right on Pine Creek. The logistics of the trip were difficult, but Craig somehow made it easy. Sideling Hill was another favorite river of his; he led many trips on it and its tributaries. On one of those trips I learned that he frequently carried an electric chainsaw in his canoe to cut out strainers as we encountered them. I fondly remember Craig standing in the river, running his saw to remove a strainer on Sideling Hill Creek.
Most paddlers probably have no idea that Craig LOVED to dance! Many years ago, when his partner, Vonnie, was still alive, they often went out country and line dancing and had a great time! I'm unsure when Craig was introduced to ballroom dancing, but it might have been when he met his girlfriend, Phyllis. She is an avid ballroom dancer, and together they attended social dances at several venues including the Promenade Dance Studio in Windsor Mill, MD. That is where I (Betty) used to see them dance. Craig and Phyllis were serious dancers, so in addition to attending social dance parties, they took group classes and even private ballroom dance lessons. In partner dancing, men often tend to move minimally and instead put most of their effort into leading their partner, keeping her spinning and doing intricate steps. But not Craig! He even liked spinning himself (and he was good at it!), which is unusual for a man. No matter which dance it was (waltz, cha cha, rumba …), Craig always put his heart and soul into it—he REALLY danced, not just led, so it was always great fun to dance with him!
—Rich and Betty Conde
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Over the last 35 years, I paddled with Craig on rivers and creeks in our local mid-Atlantic states, plus several western trips to Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana organized by Roger Corbett and his successors. Additionally, there were trips to the Missouri/Arkansas Ozarks and two to Wisconsin.
Craig's enthusiasm will be a lasting memory. His favorite exclamation was "Holy guacamole!"
He was old-school in some ways. I picture him in blue jeans and a wool-plaid jacket, as opposed to modern, high-tech synthetic clothing for the river. A nudge might be necessary to get him to put on a helmet; I can recall him donning a bicycle helmet for some of the more serious rapids in Wisconsin.
He loved the outdoors and had a great eye for spotting an animal in the woods, an eagle in the sky, and wildflowers between the rocks and on the hillsides. Exploring a new creek would bring great joy.
—Bob Whiting
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We first met Craig either on Smoke Hole or Sideling Hill in the mid '90s. Craig collected rocks and his canoe would often end up a few pounds heavier by the end of a trip. His yard was adorned with rocks collected from around the country. He often ran small streams alone and used his scooter to shuttle. He would always call to let us know his itinerary, in case he disappeared, and would call at the end of the trip A-OK. Craig especially loved the Ozarks and talked at great length about his journeys. By the way, did we say he talked a lot? It was pure passion! We miss being in nature with him.
—Dean and Lori Geis