Canoeing the Current
by Nathaniel Bluedorn, Copyright September 24, 2005, all rights reserved. 192 views
The canoeing event last weekend went well – until the hurricane hit. More about that later.
We arrived at the Pulltite campground around 7:00 pm and set up our tents. An uneventful night awoke into an excellent day for canoeing. The discussion around breakfast centered on how some people wake up like fluffy bunnies and want to hug everyone, and others are like wolverines and want to be left alone until the brain juices get moving.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
The general consensus was that silence in the early morning is most judicious for keeping the peace.
We entered the water at Akers Ferry around 8:30 AM and made our way leisurely down the river.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
We decide who goes in a canoe and who gets a kayak.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
Some of us put on life-jackets.
When we met the first rope swing hanging above the river, most of us had to test the temperature of the water, which was cold and invigorating. (I am speaking from anecdotal evidence on this, not personal experience.)
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| From Misc Images |
Jumping off rope.
We canoed into Cave Spring Cave, where the water was much colder and crystal clear.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
Adam paddling into Cave Spring Cave.
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Greg inside the cave.
We met several other caves along the way, including Rock House Cave and Welch Spring Cave. One had a lot of cool air blowing out, but we didn’t have the time to explore it.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
Johannah outside a small cave.
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Adam and Johannah in a cliff cave.
We eat lunch halfway along our trip at our Pulltite campsite.
By the time we got back in the canoes and kayaks, we realized we only had three or four hours to make it to Round Spring landing by 5:00 pm.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
Some of us lagged behind and had to speed up towards the end.
Little Gem Cave (also called Merritt Rock Cave) was one of the most decorated caves I’ve ever explored. And, we looked like amateurs without helmets or proper footgear exploring this cave.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
Joanna climbing around a formation.
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| From 2005-09-24 Current River Canoeing |
Ripple stone.
We made it to our destination having canoed twenty miles of river in eight hours. Back at our campsite, we cooked sausages and eat around our campfire.
Then, at 8:00 pm, it began to sprinkle. And we continued to eat. We opened the marshmallows, and rain began to come down harder. And we started playing “Crossed or not Crossed” around the campfire, and rain began to pour. We continued to play annoying logic games until the rain was so loud we could hardly hear each other. Some of us were soaked and some were dry, depending on who had an umbrella. By 9:30 pm someone mentioned a hurricane and suggested this might continue though the night and morning. This thought was shelved and everyone climbed into to his or her dry tent while the rain continued to pour.
The next morning, it was still raining. We cheerfully packed up our dry sleeping bags and our wet eating utensils from last night and our soaking tents and our even wetter bodies into our cars. We have no photos of this since it was dark and very wet, but if you can imagine smiling faces and waterlogged hearts, you will get the picture.
McDonalds provided a warm breakfast to fifteen wet adventurers. And we voted to hold our Bible study at the Reynolds house where it was dry.
At 2:00 pm, we disbanded after Mrs. Reynolds cooked us a warm meal. We were already saying the rain wasn’t all that bad and how we would remember this fondly in the future – even though we might feel a trifle damp now.
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