Sunday, July 8, 2012

A Cool trip down Memory Lane

Today is going to be hot, hot, hot!  Could be over 100 today, a good day for a dip in a lake or river.  Our favorite place to swim is the river above a small dam which makes a great beach and quiet swimming area.  However this year the dam spill ways are still open since we have had so much rain and runoff from the mountains.  

So, I'm taking a trip down memory lane.  To a cool trip I took a few years ago.  Every adventurous person I know has taken a river rafting trip and it definitely was on my bucket list.  So I talked a friend into going with me to Montana to the Clark Fork River.  I kayak so I thought it would similar, however the stroke of the paddle is different.  I spent the first half of the trip unlearning my kayak stroke.  Fortunately, the first part of the trip was mild so I had time to adjust and get comfortable paddling .   So of course we bought the pictures to document the trip.

Getting the feeling of rowing

We had an older lady on her first trip (in the middle on the left).... every time we hit a bump she feel into the middle of the boat.  On one such bump she nearly went overboard.  Thank goodness for the life vests, I grabbed her vest and she plunked into the middle, again.  But at least we didn't have to fish her out of the river.  I am in the back of the boat on the right in front of our boats captain.


Everyone got cooled off here!

It was a very hot day so the water felt shockingly refreshing. There is nothing like a dip in cool water.  So of course I have pictures to document my trip.  So this is my cool memory on a hot day. 

So do you have white water memories?

I think this afternoon we will go on a scouting trip to find a cool place for a dip



5 comments:

  1. I LOVE the Clark Fork. One of my fav places is a freeway exit called Jens (between Missoula and Butte), which takes you to a cattle ranch on the Clark. Where did you put in and take out?

    I can't swm, but I've still enjoyed rafting, but on gentle stretches of river.

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    1. We put in at Alberton and out at St Regis. It's on I-90 between Coeur d'Alene and Missoula. I love to swim and it's a good exercise for previously injured backs. It really works your core muscles which need to get much stronger to protect your back.

      Looking at my second picture..... I don't think it qualifies as gentle. Do You?

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  2. Oh, yes! Great memories. Funny about the lady who kept falling into the middle.

    We took our two boys on guided river rafting 1/2- day trips on the North Umpqua in Oregon a number of times. Talk about a blast. One point on the trip everyone had to sit on one side of the raft to tip the raft sideways so we could slide through between two big rocks. Awesome. We talk about it to this day.

    Susan
    travelbug-susan.blogspot.com

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  3. Oh that does look so cool and refreshing after my 95 degree heat day. I have lots of cool memories from living one block from the Atlantic Ocean on the North end of Virginia Beach Virginia for several years and then of living close enough to the James River in Virginia to go tubing which is a lot better than kayaking in the serious heat. Gets your bottom wet and cool doncha know! :-) I love water. Have to be near it or I'm sad.

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    1. Oh yes, I love the water too. I prefer fresh water over salt water. I like the kayak but in a little cooler weather.

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