July 17, 2008
Rolling on the River
It’s always good to be able to find a vacation that is easy on the wallet. During the first weekend in August, Kristin and I are teaming up with another couple to go whitewater rafting. We’ll be tackling the Nantahala River, located in the far west of the state. I believe the cost to go down the river is something like $26 per person, and the campsite is $8 per person. Add in a rental car and gas and it’s still very affordable.
I have enjoyed rafting at a variety of skills levels, and as far as rivers go, the Nantahala is rather tame. Rapids of level 2 to 3 are the standard with one larger one at the very end. My most extreme rafting experience was several years ago on the Upper Gauley River in West Virginia. That one was no joke. Plus our guide was a little too adventurous and would flip us over at random and slam us into rocks to send me flying from the front to the back of the raft. It was great, but scary. I remember one daredevil stunt in which there was a small, flat rock in the middle of the river which was sticking up out of the river by four-five feet that our guide wanted to tackle. His plan was to turn our raft to the side right before we hit it and have the people closest to the rock jump out and drag our raft up on top of it. I think it would have worked better if he had explained this plan to the rest of us. As we fell out, the water sucked me down and I found myself struggling to reach the surface. As I swam furiously against the current, I noticed that the sun looked both peaceful and beautiful shining through the water as I used the last of the oxygen in my lungs. Ah, nature.
But this trip will be much calmer. As a child, I’m been down the Nantahala. This time it will be different as I will be the guide, but I’m excited to take on this responsibility. I think it will be a good test, and if we pass with flying colors, I would like to consider something more challenging where I could still function as the raft leader. I think eventually I would like to be able to kayak through rapids, but that seems like a fiberglass death trap if I flip over and can’t reverse my position.
One of the best parts of the experience is the sights you can take in. It’s not just two hours of physical strife, there are calm parts where you can relax and enjoy nature. I love the view from the river, nestled between the mountains and all you can see are hills and trees, and it goes on for miles and miles.
Posted by ed at 12:39 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
State Of Fear