Date: 2013-06-09
From: Raceway/Trail Campsite

To: Campsite with house trailer
Miles today: 20.0

Day 89: Ok so do you remember we were hearing rapids just around the corner yesterday? Well it was almost the first thing we came to this morning. The kayaks went first with the canoe to follow. I went first and made it around the first turn but as I was trying to turn left the current slammed me into a wall with trees and roots. One of the first thing in my lesson yesterday was do not drown and the second was DO NOT LET GO OF MY KAYAK PADDLE. So as soon as I flipped, all I could hear was Bluegrass telling me not to let go of the paddle. So as the current was pinning me to this wall, I had a hold of that paddle and the kayak. I could hear Bluegrass telling me to float down the river with the kayak and paddle of course and that is what I did. I turned around to see how everyone else was doing and within a few minutes, I saw Coach flipping her kayak at the same place. She too held on to the paddle and was able to float down the river with her kayak. So here comes the canoe. I could hear Bluegrass telling Twix what stroke to use and like professionals were able to maneuver through the turns and rapids without any problems. Shortly after, I heard Bluegrass complimenting Twix on how well she did. So our first big challenge, one that capsized a canoe that was still on the bottom, was over and I must say successfully.Being on the canoe is a huge responsibility because it has all of our gear. Most of the gear are in several huge, super duty, dry sacks and the rest is tied in. If anything was to happen to the canoe, it would be devastating. On the other hand, Coach and I who are on the kayaks are a little more expendable. Oh well, we made it and I was glad we had our first flips as it wasn't that bad...in fact it was fun and it also just built our confidence a little more.We stopped at this bridge for lunch where some people were hanging out with their kids. They told us that there was a gas station just .5 miles down the road. So Coach, Bluegrass and Twix decided to go get some water jugs and beer. They came back with a pizza! It started to rain (again) so we enjoyed our pizza under the bridge. Rain wasn't going to stop so jumped back into our kayaks/canoe.A little down the river, we met two other thru-hikers (one from Ireland and one from the Netherlands) who were in a canoe. Fortunately, they had a map so Twix copied the map on her iPhone. They told us that there was another set of rapids coming up that the map suggested for canoes to take out and that some kayaks may be able to get through. The maps are terrible in telling you good information but regardless we were on the look out for these rapids and the pull out. We have gone through several rapids but they were bad, so where are these horrible rapids that the guide told them about?As I mentioned we were going through some rapids so another one was coming up that appeared to be harmless. There was quite a bit of tree debris in the middle of the river. It looked like a very small opening to the left so I was in front so I decided to go right. I went past the first debris which had a current that was going sideways and I flipped. Within seconds, it had me pinned to the side of the river in some more tree debris which were mostly branches. My feet were getting tangling up with the branches and it was getting very hard to hang onto the kayak. Oh of course, I still had a hold of the paddle! As I was battling freeing myself from the branches, Coach kayaked by and made it through those sideways currents. She made it a little more down river but then was wedged in front of a down tree with a huge trunk which was on the right. She was just sitting there and was telling us that there was not any way down the river...we were boxed in by tree debris. Soon the canoe went past me and made it to the middle part of the debris and was sitting there sideways (Bluegrass and Twix were between me in the branches and Coach wedged on the down tree). I finally had to let the kayak go...I couldn't hold on to it any longer. My kayak made it to where the canoe was sitting so once I got myself free, I decided to try and float towards my kayak. As I was doing that, Bluegrass was telling me to float down river to Coach and not my kayak. He was afraid that I would get lodged under either the kayak, canoe or worse yet the tree debris. So in my head, I could hear Mark telling me to always float down river with my feet in front of me. That worked out pretty good and I eventually made it to Coach. Next thing I know is Bluegrass coming around the tree debris with my kayak. He put my kayak on one side of the tree debris and then he took Coach's kayak and put it on top on the other side of the tree debris. As we climbed on both sides of the tree debris, he went around to go get Twix and the canoe. Soon you saw them bringing the canoe around and parking it on top of the big tree that was boxing us in. So we were all together again.   So now we have to get all our boats over this big tree. We first position the canoe so we could put most of it over the tree. Then Coach's kayak was hauled over to the other side where she got in and went down river. Next it was me and then the canoe was pushed over this rest of the tree with both Bluegrass and Twix in it.   We all made it again (with relatively only a few scratches on me). Thanks to Bluegrass for telling us what to do, we all made it safely including the kayaks, canoe and gear.It was shortly after this incident, we saw the Irish and Dutch on the side of the river. They didn't make it and ended up with a hole in their canoe. So if we were keeping track of flips, it would be: Coach 1 and Salsa 2. We have been on the river for just over a day and I just have to say that we have seen more wildlife on the river than we have since Georgia. We have seen beavers, bald eagles, owls, snapping turtles, mud turtles, slider turtles, ducks, geese, turkey and blue herons. Bluegrass has also been catching fish and so far he has caught Brim, Small Mouth Bass and Carp.So later in the afternoon, we came across another set of rapids. This time the canoe was first, Coach second and I was last. It kept going around a couple of turns and wasn't too bad. All of a sudden, I see the canoe take a quick left. I could hear that they were talking to a couple that was fishing on the right. I didn't hear this but the couple warned them of upcoming, intense rapids. I finally get up there and make the left but as I looked down river, I didn't see the canoe. I was with Coach at that time and all we could see were boulders all over the place. She decides to go next and all I remember saying was I don't want to go down this! Anyway, I only could see was a possible route to go with a huge rooster tail after some boulders. One thing that Bluegrass has been teaching along the way was how to read a river. Well this was telling me that there were a lot of boulders underneath and you needed to navigate around them. The only thing I saw was Coach going around these boulders and then where the big rooster tail was she flipped it. It happened to be right in front of this old fisherman. When she tried to stand up...well let's just say that the old man got a free show. She quickly recovered and went on her way but the only thing was I couldn't see where she went. So as I watched I was actually had my kayak sitting on a rock. I decided to pull over the kayak on the side and to see if there was a trail on the side so I can bypass. All I could think of was that I was going to damage this kayak going over these boulders. So I bush wacked and couldn't find a trail at all so I was back in the water just standing there trying to decide where to go and to get my courage. Within a few minutes, I saw Bluegrass cutting through the rapids i.e. swimming, climbing, etc trying to get to me. He finally made it to me where I was standing and said...so how is it going? I just had to laugh and said I don't know how to do this but am glad that you are here so you can take the boat down safely. He said that, "no, I am going to do it and that is how I learn." I said that I didn't want to hurt the boat and he said that these boats are made to go through this. So he told me to go around these boulders and to cut in front of that big rooster tail. The river goes left and then the rapids continue to as the river turns right. He said that I will get down by that rooster tail and catch your kayak if needed. So I walked upstream with the kayak to get a good start. I did exactly what he said and made it with not too much problem. When I made it down to him (and almost ran into him), I was so excited that I started to celebrate. He then said you have much more to go and directed my kayak down river. I couldn't believe that I made it but even more so, I can't believe once again the canoe made it. As the canoe made it by that one fisherman, he was giving them a thumbs up due to once again their expertise in maneuvering around those rapids. It wasn't till 8pm when we found another nice mowed campsite. We are now at the fork where the South Fork River merges into the Shenondoah River. Yeah! What a day it has been and we are loving it on the river.Salsa