Hey folks
Well, today marks the return from yet another camping excursion, again to the quasi-autonomous republic of Adygea, camping on the shores of the White River. Steve took the kids first of all to “The Screaming Rock” named so because of the 25 foot or so drop to the flowing river below. Apparently it’s been a really rainy season, so the river was about 12 feet higher than normal, and about twice as fast. So with this comforting knowledge given by Steve, his kids (Madi, Cady, and Aubrey) all jumped in, followed by Rachel Fisher, Tasha Wilson, and Analea Thielke. Now, we guys were off course being chivalrous in letting the girls go first (it had nothing to do with hesitating about jumping 25 feet into a fast moving glacial river, I assure you). Once everyone else had gone, Caleb, Steve, and I all braced and jumped in.
I have swum in a lake on top of a Colorado Mountain. I have splashed in the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of December. I have been buried in a snowdrift above my head. I say all this to explain to you that I’m no wuss and that I have a very firm grasp on the concept of “cold.”
THAT was cold.
For a brief instant, I’m almost sure that my SOUL separated from my corporeal form and I could see my own body in the water. Then it came rushing back, with this intense feeling like a thousand needles were being jammed into ever square inch of my skin. Then I erupted from the water, gasping for breath, and attempting to swim to shore, as the current was taking me downstream and my hands were clenched into fists that refused to release themselves. I heard a voice screaming a battlecry that would have done the Mighty Thor proud. I suddenly realized that it was my own voice. So within a few moments of jumping into this river, I lost all sense of feeling, my motor skills, my breath, and my voice (I was hoarse for the rest of day).
So we pitched our tents and the next day, Steve and the rest of us set off on the rafts to go along the river. They were not HUGE rafts, only big enough for about 3 people, so I think the term “inflatable canoe” might be a better one. But Caleb, Jonathan Fisher, and I got in one, and Steve, Mr. Fisher, and Timothy Fisher were in the other. We rafted with fair ease, until we came upon one tricky part of the river, that had it been any other, drier season would have been no problem.
But it had not been dry and this was a problem.
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| Caleb with the two Fisher boys... looking Awesome. |
We dodged certain and possible pointy death at every turn. Trees with branches sharpened by the rushing water stood on the sides of the banks, which the rocks and currents endeavored to throw us against.
Well anyway, that’s what it seemed like… :P but there about Class 2 rapids with about two choke-points in the river that I put as a Class 3 rapids. It was a LOT of fun and you really had to stay on your toes to keep from tipping over. And everytime you hit a bump, FREEZING x20 water sloshed into the boat, drenching all passengers and sending us into the throes of hypothermia…. But we loved every minute of it!
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| Steve & Christine Hayes , Terri and Matt Fisher |
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