August 29, 2005

• Topic: Tripping the Life Fantastic

  
  

  Well…this past weekend was the first weekend that I genuinels smiled, laughed, and was worry-free, since around March.

  
  

  I came to work Fri. w/ my ancient backpack ready for camping, since my new pack is now in Peru, where my sis is using it for her 3-week trip to the Inca Trail and the Galapagos.  I skipped work early, took a train to Mahwah NJ, where I met Neval, a friendly Turk who met me and drove me up to Charlemont, Ma. up in the Berkshires for some bad-ass white water kayaking.

  
  

  Friday night we got in late, set-up camp, and got up early on Sat.  A group of about 8 met from breakfast, before heading out to the river.  The released the dam at 11am…before that the river is just a pile of rocks.  I had all the gear I needed loaned to me, kayak (Dagger RPM), paddle, spray skirt, pfd, and helmet.  I couldn’t find a cheap wetsuit beforehand, but the water and air temp. were actually pretty good, so I got away w/ polypro shorts and t. 

  
  

  We shuttled our boats to the put-in, and did some quick intros.  Out of the group of 8, the ages were approximately 24 (me) 24, 32, 35, 38, 47, 50, 53.  Pretty all over the place. 

  
  

  Within 15 sec. of being shoe-horned into my boat, which was a bit too small and leaves me now w/ some funky inner thigh and ankle soars, I managed to flip upside down.  It was my first time kayaking in a strong current, and my first time in a kayak in over a year.  I panicked, quickly pulled my skirt, and was quickly acclimated to the water.

  
  

  For most of the morning I was tentative, tight, and nervous.  We reached a nice big eddy (a calm, non-moving section of water), where I was able to practice rolling my kayak, and gaining some confidnece.  From there, the other group members who weren’t all that experienced but had been partaking in instructional clinics, helped me to pracice peel-outs, (re-entering the current from an eddy), ferrying (angling the boat to move lateral or upstream through moving current) and surfing waves (catching ”holes” or sections where fast moving water flows over a rock, and then re-circulates backwards, so your boat kind of hovers over the rock and gets held in place). 

  
  

  Throughout the day, there was much chatter about the Zoar Gap, a class 3 rapid at the very end of the section we were on, called the Fifebrook Section.  Lots of people would take-out just before the Zoar, and walk their boats to their cars.  I didn’t really know what there was to worry about.  Then, we all get out to scout the rapid from above, and nerves began kicking in.  We watched as over 50% of the boats who ran this rapid flipped, and it’s not a pretty place to flip, w/ several 4-5 ft. dropps and deep re-circulating holes that you don’t want to get stuck in upside down.

  
  

  If you click on the Zoar Gap link, you’ll see there was a long tounge (a “V” created by the current) that you could follow down, but had to aim just to the right to avoid getting sucked into those giant holes.  Ken, who runs the KCCNY and at age 52 or so, has been paddling since he can walk, was there to give us some advice. “If you flip, make sure you lean forward and keep your head tucked.”

  
  

  Turned out to be good adivce.  On Sat., I managed to run the red route, about 3/4 of the way, camping out for a bit in the micro eddy, (the calm patch of water just above the red line, or all the way river left, just before the red line angles down).  I was pretty proud of that run, only flipping at the end.  Running this yesturday, I tried to run the gree route.  I found myself quickly being turned hard to my right hip at the initial rapid.  I tried to brace myself upright, but was quickly upsidedown in an extremely fast current.  As you can see, it’s a long ride upside down.  My first thoughts were, “oh shit,” I thought about rolling, but my thought process was a bit panicky, didn’t know which way was up, wanted to get my head above water, but you’re locked into your kayak so it’s not a matter of simply surfacing.  Then I felt rocks w/ my hands and quickly remebered to lean forward as the boat rocketed downstream and into several large boulders.  I luckily skimmed over them, pulled my skirt, squirmed out of my kayak, felt my butt bang into a rock, tried to grasp some air, was still underwater, panicked a bit, and then managed to swim to the surface.  Yes…the Zoar Gap was mighty.

  
  

  So, the weekend turned out to be the success I hoped for.  Met great people, learned a ton about kayaking.  The dinner conversation at any end of the table was either about Zoar Gap, or some other rapid on some other rives, usually accompanied by napkin diagrams to show the pre-requisite rocks and eddies.  Should keep me busy will winter.

  
  

  Oh yeah…and one guy in our group, introduced us to the expression, “tripping the life fantastic,” i guess it’s 20′s for having a grand ol’ time.  5 more days will the weekend!

  
  

  -dan

  • 11:28 am
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