A Hayley Vacation: Day Six

Saturday I wake up amazed that it’s already Saturday. It’s surprising how time still flies when you aren’t really doing anything.

There’s not much time to sit and think about the passage of time. There’s a hearty breakfast to prepare, waterproof bags to pack and sunscreen to apply before we leave early mid-morning to float the river in inner tubes.

One very bumpy car ride to a nearby bridge to drop off our car and another very bumpy van ride later, we’re at the reregulation dam, our set-in point. I ask Stacie to get in the river first to demonstrate proper form, quickly learning that there is no graceful way to plop into an inner tube.

I also learn that we aren’t exactly floating. There are ping-pong paddles tied to the tube’s handles to help move the tube along in a slow current, redirect the tube when you float off course and…to help you avoid the rocks and cypress knees as you pass through rapids.

No one had warned me about rapids.

In the 30 minutes that it took us to go the first 1/8 mile, my inefficient paddling causes me to fall behind the group. Kelly tells me to float backwards and paddle, saying it will give me better purchase in the water.

That advice definitely helped and I finally moved with more speed. However, floating backwards brings its own series of risks – namely, you have to keep turning around to see where you are. As John noted, it would really help if they installed rearview mirrors on these things.

In a particularly unfortunate series of events, while we were still very near the dam, an eddy sends me into the rocks. I was stuck in one rock outcrop after another while the rest of our group floated merrily past. Only with extreme effort and moves that would make a yogi proud was I able to free myself and float, exhausted, to the rest of the group.

Thankfully, I’ve learned my lesson early on and successfully navigate fun rapid after fun rapid. Kelly and I are disappointed to discover that only the upper part of the river have rapids – we’ve become a little addicted to the bumps, slides and quick turns. Ah well…we’ll have to go on a white water vacation sometime.

We paddle, float, and paddle some more the rest of the way down the river. Midway through, Kelly stops at a little island. He climbs to the top and shouts to us, “I hereby declare this: Pagan Island!” (Pagan refers to a favorite pronouncement of a former college professor – he and our friends went to university together.) Kelly tops off his pronouncement with a backwards jump off the island into his tube. Very dramatic.

Our floating cooler (which somehow navigated the rapids very well, thanks to John) kept our snack lunch cold and at the ready.
All too soon we’re at the bridge where we’ve left our car. The boys take a celebratory leap off a rope swing and then we’re back to the cabin.

Though we returned early in the afternoon, we only have energy to grill one meal and then collapse on the sofas. We all agree that we’ll likely skip the next scheduled arm and chest weight routines at the gym and then compare sunburns before heading, exhausted but happy, to bed.