Date: 2003-07-30
From: Luray, Va.

To: Compton Campground
Miles today: 17.5

start Luray ,Va.destination,Compton CampgroundMudbutt again was awake before me. Even before the alarm went off. We pack our gear and get another fine breakfast at the motel restaurant. At 8:30 am Keith with Down River Canoes picks us up at the motel. We pile into the van and down the road we go. It is not too long before we are at the beginning of our trip. He gives us 3 waterproof bags to put our gear in. I go through my pack trying to figure out what to take and what to leave. My food bag, sleeping bag, clothes bag, stove, thermarest and tent get stuffed down into the bag. I put my camera in my shorts pocket. Keith helps us load the canoe, gives us some instructions and a map then shoves us off. We will be on the river for two days. It does not take long for Mudbutt and I to get our paddling rhythm together. But I do get tickled thinking if anyone was to try to track our progress, it would be a zig zag back and forth from one side of the river to the other! However, we are having a blast and enjoying the scenery. There are enough clouds to keep us from roasting. I have brought my water filter to filter my drinking water from the river. We pass a herd of cows standing at the waters edge. Water covering them up to their bellies. One of them just out of the water lets loose with, well just use your imagination. A pile builds at water's edge. I am not thirsty at all anymore. I will ration my water until this evening when we get to the campground. The brochure warns us not to eat more than one meal a week of the fish caught in the river. The mercury level in the fish is too high. I wonder about the level of e-coli in the water from the cows. I find it disgusting that cows are allowed that close to the river. Talk about pollution. We drift along manuevering the small rapids as we come to them. The average depth of the river is 3 feet. The bottom is strewn with rocks and shale. The water temperature is in the 70's There is very little traffic on the river today. Some people floating in innertubes, and a couple of other canoes. Some fly fishermen are along the banks, hoping to catch some of those mercury ladened fish. We drift along until our stomachs reminds us it is lunch. Off to the side of the river we go and pull up at a boat landing. We sit on the bank of the river and eat lunch. I am very careful to ration my water! Of course, Iam dying of thirst! I dream of gallons of cool clean water to drink. The afternoon came and went as we floated down the river, occasionally stroking a paddle to keep us going straight. This is great. It will be our longest milage day and the shortest time! We are floating parallel to the trail. Blue blazers that we are, we will count these miles. After all we are still under our own power heading north! By late afternoon we were pulling up to our campsite. The class two rapids we were anticipating turned out to be just that, anticipation. We made the whole 17.5 miles without turning over one time. We whoop it up big time. We pulled the canoe up the bank and unloaded our bags. This is a private campsite for the canoe business, so there is not a lot of campers here. We pick out a site for our tents and set about putting our tents up. As I pull my tent out of the bag, the thought strikes me. I have no tent poles. I use my hiking poles for my poles and I saw absolutely no reason to bring hiking poles on a canoe trip. I tell Mudbutt I have no poles, she offers to let me use some of her spare stakes, then realizes I need poles and so does she. We have some good laughs over this. But true to the women we are, we create a support of some kind for our tents using the picnic tables. I fare better that Mudbutt simply because of the design of my tent. She says hers is more of a bivy sack kinda, sorta. I have to climb under the pinic table to get into my tent. I pray that we do not have any highwinds or rain. I am certain the other campers that are here wonder about our funny looking set ups. We turn in very early. There is not much else to do. I did not bring my book to read. The bugs are making their presence known but not totally obnoxious. Life is still good. total miles 17.5