Kayaking After The Spring Storms

                         



                          

The morning sun glistens on tree and grass, remnants from last night’s storm.   After two days of rain, the swollen waters of the river beckon.   Siobhan and I heed its call—we throw our kayaks in the back of the truck and head upstream...  

 The water is high and fast-flowing, its sound a distant roar.  By the river’s edge, we burn sacred sage on a flat river rock; the smell is crisp in the cool morning air.   Wispy tendrils of sweet smoke waft around us as we silently ready our kayaks.  We stow a water-proof first aid kit behind my seat, and an emergency kit behind Siobhan’s.  Both kayaks are equipped with spray skirt, emergency throw-rope, and an extra paddle--just in case.   I have a cooler with bottled water.  Siobhan has a cooler with lunch.  We are ready.

Eagerly we push off the bank into the roiling water.  Paddling is frantic, fueled by adrenaline and fear.   The pace is furious; shrieks of laughter erupt from Siobhan as cold water splashes her face.  Our exhilaration matches the river’s mood--wild with rapids, rushing and raw, spewing whitewater with its turbulence.  The waters are swift and often perilous, littered with fallen trees.  Our kayaks slam into rocks with bone-crunching violence. There is no conversation--only concentration--on this wild and glorious ride…

 

 Finally the river widens and the water begins to slow. We slow as well; now we laugh and talk as we paddle. Lunch coolers are opened; we eat our sandwiches with ease as we steadily float downstream.  Too soon, our destination is in sight—an old wooden bridge, where the banks are low and the water is shallow … Slipping and sliding, we drag our kayaks up the muddy bank where another truck awaits to take us home…

Siobhan and I love the river-- in every season, and in all its many moods. For 10 years now, we have paddled this 14-mile stretch of ever-changing water; we know it like an old friend, and it has taught us much.  The river has taught us courage, and to face our darkest fears.  It has taught us to have faith  in ourselves, to trust in others, and the importance of a helping hand.  And no matter if the water is meandering or swift, our beloved river always fills us with the sheer joy of being alive...