Collinsville II
Where: Collinsville, CT
When: 7/20/96-7/21/96
With: Chip, David, Seth
When: 7/20/96-7/21/96
With: Chip, David, Seth
Sometime back in June, Chip called to say that Wendy was urging him to go camping, or at least asking him when he planned to go next. We agreed to set the weekend of July 20/21 aside for "something" and Chip made calls to Dave and Seth. Remarkably, everyone was available. The activity was still undetermined however. A camping trip seemed like the best way to get as much of what we wanted into the time available. That still left us a lot of latitude though. A long hike or a short one? In New Hampshire, Connecticut, or Massachusetts? We started investigating various options and destinations. One idea that popped up was a water trip. We'd had fun on the Farmington River the previous year and a river expedition seemed like fun. Chip latched onto the idea. It was something new for us and seemed a good bet to meet our usual demands for adventure, solitude, physical exertion (though not too much), and general enjoyment.
Both Dave and I had guidebooks for waterways, so we started checking the various possibilities. I tried to find places near Seth and found two possibilities; the Connecticut River below the entrance of the Farmington River (possible camping on the shore or on islands), and the Farmington River between Hogback Dam and Collinsville. On the Thursday before the trip, Dave called me at work and started to describe the Farmington River section. We'd both found the same place! A good sign. About 15 miles long, a mix of flatwater and Class I-II whitewater, with camping possibilities at the beginning and in the middle. Best of all, the end point was about 1/4 of a mile from Seth's house! Dave had maps of the area and was pretty excited about the route. He'd already told Chip about it and Chip was psyched too.
Things now swung into high gear. Dave gets most of the credit for the planning on this one. His kayak experience meant he knew what to do and what needed to be done. Besides getting maps for the area, he made phone calls to outfitters in Collinsville to reserve a boat for Seth (Dave's two kayaks and my Keowee would serve Dave, Chip and me) and to get info on the planned route. There was a bit of "dancing" when he asked about camping possibilities on a whitewater portion of the route. Their insurance liability wouldn't allow them to rent us a boat for use on whitewater. Dave quickly explained that he was just curious about that section of the river and of course we wouldn't be taking the boat in there. That apparently satisfied the legal issues and Dave was able to reserve the boat.
At last all was set. Plans were made to rendezvous at my house at 9AM on Saturday. Dave arrived first with his two kayaks atop his car and Chip followed soon thereafter. We loaded up Dave's car with our gear and my kayak, and were on our way by 10:00. The ride to Seth's was straightforward and uneventful and we arrived right on time at noon. Seth gave us a quick demo of his latest animation work and then we got going.
There was a brief discussion of the put-in logistics. The plan was to load Seth's rental boat onto his car, drive both cars to the put-in, drop the boats and the gear, drive both cars back to Collinsville, drop Seth's car back at his house, and then drive Dave's car back to the put-in. Chip thought we should put Seth's boat on Dave's car, with the other three boats, to eliminate the return trip to Collinsville. For a number of reasons, we decided to stick with the original plan. First, the trip was only 15 miles each way, so the round trip should only take 40 minutes or so. Second, we were concerned (paranoid?) about the reactions of the folks at the rental place at seeing us trying to attach one more boat to Dave's car. And finally, WE were concerned about trying to attach a fourth boat to Dave's already overloaded car. Two cars seemed best.
Our plan now in place, the first stop was the Collinsville Kayak Center to pick up Seth's boat. Dave had reserved a sea kayak, similar to the two he owned, figuring that the storage and stability would be good to have. Seth was a bit concerned about his ability to control such a large boat, but Dave convinced him it was the best choice so that's what he got. While Seth and I finished up the paperwork with the boat, Chip and Dave went off to do some food shopping. All chores completed, we made a few more stops for alcohol, lunch, and gas and started driving upstream.
The ride up took a bit longer than expected, but gave us a nice view of the river we'd be travelling. I was pleased to see only minor riffles - well within our abilities - and noted a number of possible camping places. We found our spot without too much trouble and had lunch on a rock overlooking the rushing water. A stiff breeze and lots of clouds made things a bit cooler than we'd expected, but it wasn't too bad. After eating, we unloaded the boats and most of the gear and sent Seth and Dave back into town to drop off Seth's car. Chip and I did some preliminary loading of the boats and played Frisbee to pass the time until the others returned.
While we waited, Chip showed me a possible camping spot he and Dave had discovered. We'd been discussing a number of areas, but they were all near populated areas or roads and we wanted some isolation. Chip and Dave had found another spot on the map that seemed to fit our needs perfectly. About halfway down, a section of state forest came down to the river's edge. The map showed trails but no roads. I agreed that it seemed like a worthy goal. We figured we could at least shoot for it and if we didn't make it, there were plenty of other places to stop.
After about 50 minutes, Seth and Dave returned and we set about getting under way. As we packed up, Seth realized he'd left his sleeping bag in his car (back in Collinsville). Fortunately, Dave had a couple of blankets in his car, so those were packed into one of the boats. Pretty quickly we were ready to go. I launched from a spot upstream of the rock where we'd had lunch, while the others put in below. I went first, negotiated a few initial waves, and then turned in front of the others to head for a quiet eddy on the opposite shore where I planned to wait for everyone else to get going. As I crossed the current, I hit a submerged rock. Unprepared for the sudden bump, I almost capsized, but recovered quickly and made it to the quiet water. That bump turned out to be an omen of things to come.
Seth was next into the water and he was almost immediately in trouble. He got turned sideways and then backward, but managed to make his way over to where I was. He was already regretting the choice of boat, finding the long sea kayak difficult to turn. As always though, Seth was still willing to give it a go. One thing that helped was a repositioning of the foot braces in his boat, to move them to a more comfortable position. Chip joined us and made his own footbrace adjustments and finally Dave paddled over. All assembled and on the water at last, we set off. The time was about 3:30.
We went slowly at first, stopping in each available eddy to assess our progress. I led a good bit at first, scouting the way with my more maneuverable boat. The river was mostly Class II ripples in this section, though there was a splashy little drop of a foot or so soon after we started. I heard it before I saw it and by the time I saw it, it was too late to do anything but run it straight through. Recalling some advice I'd heard David give, I paddled hard as I went through and that worked well. I went a short way downstream and turned to the others behind me. "Run it straight through," I yelled, pointing to the spot I'd run. One by one, Seth first, they came through just fine. We'd survived our first challenge. There was hope for us!
Now confident, and mindful of our late start, we decided to try to put some miles behind us. We set as a goal a bridge near Riverton and started paddling. Small rapids alternated with flatwater and it was pleasant going, except when we struck bottom, which we did often. The water was just a bit too low and we constantly found ourselves either bumping or stuck on rocks. It became a challenge to find the route with the most water as the river wound its way along. We also had to contend with a large number of fly fishermen in the water. They all seemed somewhat irritated at our presence as we wove our way around them, trying to disturb them as little as possible.
We made it to the bridge and soon after, the Still River joined on the right. The added water raised the river level nicely and we had better going after that, though we still continued to strike bottom occasionally. The river widened a bit and there were more stretches of flatwater now, but still plenty of small rapids to keep things interesting. We pretty much just paddled along, often with Seth in the lead, sometimes spread out, sometimes regrouping, looking for landmarks to indicate our position as we continued to head for our camping spot. The chief landmark we sought was a bridge, the third we'd pass under, which crossed about a mile above where we thought we might stop.
It was in this section that one of the trip's more memorable incidents took place. Actually, there were two incidents, which turned out to be connected. I was in the lead, and passed three young men who were struggling to get into a canoe in a section of small rapids. They were all big boys - looked like football players - shirtless, caps turned backwards, sunglasses. I said hello as I passed by and continued downstream. A section of flatwater followed a bit later and I pulled up to await the others. Chip came first and then David, but Seth was nowhere to be seen. David told us that the guys in the canoe had basically run Seth off the road and he'd almost capsized twice as his boat got turned around in the churning water and thrown against rocks. As it was, he got swamped and had a lot of water in his boat.
Eventually Seth arrived and confirmed the story as he bailed out his boat. The guys in the canoe apparently had no idea of what they were doing. As we floated together and talked, we found ourselves drifting to a spot where we'd have to make a choice of routes. The river passed around an island. The route to the left passed through a forested area, while on the right, the river flowed along a busy road. The entrance to this route was guarded by two stone structures, bridge abutments for a long-gone span, which we dubbed the Gates of Doom.
As we pondered which way to go, we couldn't help but notice a curvaceous young woman in a bikini standing by the route along the road. She was stunning, and we quickly elected to go to the right, for the scenery (!). Then we realized that the woman was calling to us. "Did you see three guys in a canoe?" she asked, as we paddled over, hardly believing our good fortune. We related Seth's encounter with them and said they were grounded up-river. She asked how far back and Seth told her that they'd grounded immediately after they started. "Good!" she called. Apparently, the woman and her friends had tried the canoe earlier and had trouble, and the guys had given them a hard time about their difficulty. Happy to hear the men had fared no better (if not worse), she ran up the bank to tell her friends the news. As she disappeared from sight, we passed through the Gates of Doom and descended into a stretch of rapids, smiling from the pleasant encounter. The Bikini Woman had become a part of Mutually Stupid lore.
Shortly afterwards, the two forks of the river rejoined and there was the third bridge. We paused a moment at the convergence and then passed under the bridge and began to watch the shoreline for landmarks to guide us to our intended camping spot. Unfortunately, we'd arrived during the prime evening fishing time and the river was full of anglers. Wanting to be discrete, we kept paddling, looking for somewhere we could stop without being noticed.
Finally, the crowds thinned out and we found a good spot to land. I pulled to shore and did a quick scouting trip. Discovering some paths just a few yards in, I went back to call to the others. We hauled all the boats into the tall weeds and Dave, Seth, and I walked up the path to look for a campsite. We quickly found a nice, flat, open area on a bluff above the trail, overlooking the water. It offered some privacy yet still gave us quick access to the river. Chip thought we could just set up the tents down by the river, but we convinced him that the site we'd found was better, so we carried our gear up in a couple of trips and set up camp. It was about 5:30.
After setting up the tents (we found out at this point that Seth had also left his tent behind, so arrangements were made for him to sleep in Chip's tent), we relaxed and puttered around the campsite. Chip and Seth began making some arrangements for a fire, with Chip gathering wood and Seth assembling a fire pit. Chip managed to cut down a sizable log and came running into the campsite with it, nearly hitting me as I sat on the ground. Next, Chip and I tried to play some Frisbee, but the close quarters and surrounding trees made it difficult. Several times, Chip tripped over tents or gear as he tried to make a catch and finally, I called a halt to the game. Finally, we all just sat and rested and enjoyed the peace.
About this time it became apparent that Chip was pretty toasted. Near as we can figure, he'd been working on a 750ml bottle of citrus-flavored vodka all day and had nearly polished it off. He wound up just sitting and staring into space. Seth did a drawing of him there and then just burst out laughing at how out-of-it Chip was. In a departure from the past, Dave had taken on the cooking duties, and he set up his stove and went about making dinner (tortellini with tomato sauce). We offered some to Chip, but he wasn't interested - a first! Finally Dave suggested that a purging was in order. Chip agreed, walked into the woods, and hurled. When he returned, he said he felt much better, but he was still a zombie. He sat for a while longer and then stumbled to his tent and passed out, sprawled facedown.
The rest of us finished eating and then Dave and I went exploring on the trail. We stopped at one point for a smoke and I noticed we were standing in front of a massive tree with some interesting features. I was first drawn to the general shape of the limbs and then I noticed what appeared to be a man's face high up. A Jesus tree! Then further down, I noticed two knobby protrusions. Breasts! But the area surrounding them didn't continue the female form until we envisioned it upside down. We found a head at the bottom and legs extending upwards and spreading and between the legs, the man's face! While we stood there, smoking and discussing this pornographic image, a middle aged woman suddenly appeared on the trail and passed us. It was suddenly very awkward. We could only imagine what she felt - a woman alone in the woods at twilight on a remote path encountering two strange men getting stoned and discussing obscene images. I think we both regretted having possibly caused her any discomfort.
We returned to camp just as darkness fell. Seth was still up and we joined him for some conversation and relaxation. Regrettably, he had lost a contact lens while we were gone. He'd taken it out and had it on his finger when a mosquito landed on his hand. Reflexively, he blew the bug away and with it, his lens. He'd searched for quite a while, to no avail. We offered to search some more but he'd already given it up for lost, so we just sat in the darkness and enjoyed the evening. We decided to forego a campfire, though Seth and Chip had gathered wood and cleared a fire spot. I think we all realized we would be going to sleep sooner than later and just weren't up for extending the evening. I read a folk tale from a book I'd brought and then we called it a night around 9:30. Seth managed to rouse Chip enough to join him in his tent.
The next morning, Chip and Seth were up early. Dave and I remained in our tents a good bit longer, but eventually we all got up and going. We started with a breakfast of coffee, tea, oatmeal and bagels. Chip, feeling the need to atone for the sins of the previous evening, offered to wash the breakfast dishes. Afterwards, there was more coffee, plus cigars, shots, and a general discussion of...things.
There was no hurry to pack up and leave, but after a while we did break camp and headed down to the boats. Back on the water, rested and ready, we were set to face the next set of challenges. The most difficult spots on the trip were still ahead, but first we had some easy paddling as the river flowed past the remains of the state forest we'd camped in. We encountered a number of small islands, sometimes choosing one fork, sometime the other, and sometimes splitting the group. We took the smaller left fork on one and found ourselves in a beautiful area with a small pool. A good possibility for another campsite. At another split, Dave and I went right and followed a great blue heron as it flew ahead of us downstream.
It should be noted that, considering his state the night before, Chip was in amazing good form, showing no sign whatsoever of any aftereffects. What a guy!
We also encountered another form of wildlife in the stretch...tubers. Vast numbers of folks floating downstream in bright yellow innertubes. It became an interesting exercise to steer around them as we paddled past.
The peaceful prelude soon ended as we passed under the US 44 bridge that marked the entrance to an area known as Satan's Kingdom. Just beyond this bridge was the biggest drop of the trip, a short but very turbulent stretch of Class III whitewater. We pulled the boats out on the left to scout a route and watch the tubers bump their way down. Lifeguards on the opposite shore kept watch on things and were kept busy throwing ropes out to folks who capsized as they went through. We found a route we thought we could do, though it would be tricky. Seth was concerned about his ability to get through without causing great damage to a) himself and b) his rental boat, but he resolved to try anyway.
Dave went first, and got into trouble. He made it through the upper section, but got turned sideways down below and had a hard time getting out. Chip went next and made it through without much trouble at all. While Seth and I waited for a break in the tuber parade, Seth began to have second thoughts. He was spared possible injury when Dave came up and volunteered to take his boat down for him, mostly to get a second chance at running the rapids successfully. As they exchanged the boat, I paddled out, turned and headed into the rapids. I got further out than I'd wanted and found myself in the midst of huge waves. As the water crashed across my boat, I dug in with my paddle and managed to actually control my boat somewhat. I wound up making several quick turns and crashed my way down through the rapids in one piece. Pretty cool.
I pulled over by Chip to watch Dave descend a second time. As we waited, a tuber capsized and their tube started floating downstream as they were pulled to shore by the lifeguard. Both Chip and I headed out to retrieve the tube. Just as we approached, Chip leaned too far over and flipped. At last, one of us had dunked! I made sure Chip was okay, then corralled the tube and brought back before rejoining Chip as he dragged his boat to land and emptied it. He'd lost his hat and small bit of dignity (from dunking in front of an audience), but otherwise he was fine. Wet, but fine.
Having now survived the worst the river had to offer, we continued on. One more serious rapid lay ahead, the Rooster Tail rapid. This one we didn't stop for. We slowed a bit at the top, but then just ran on through. It wasn't as bad as the big drop, but it was still a very nasty rapid. We all made it through though, with no problems. Afterwards, Seth noted that the Rooster Tail was the spot where we'd stopped to fish the previous year.
After the Rooster Tail, things calmed down considerably. The river flattened out, the tubers departed, and we had the place to ourselves. In an isolated spot about a mile above the end of our trip, we stopped one last time. Chip, Seth and I all went for a swim, stroking hard to keep up with the rushing current. The cool water was refreshing and a nice way to clear our heads (and cleanse our bodies) before we rejoined the world. After a bit, we got back in the boats and completed our journey. We returned Seth's boat without incident [Seth was concerned that the boat had been seriously damaged by all the groundings and a) he'd be chastised for taking the boat into whitewater and b) he'd be forced to buy the boat. The folks at the rental didn't even inspect the boat when we brought it in though, so the fears turned out to be unfounded.], retrieved Dave's car, packed up, said our good-byes, and headed home.
We all agreed that we'd do this trip again.
Afterthoughts:
- This was a nearly perfect trip. The weather was great, the route was just the right length and just the right degree of difficulty, the camping site was ideal, and everything just went well. Sure, improvements could be made, and that's the fun. We could make this an annual event, getting better each year.
- I gained a lot of confidence in my abilities in my little Keowee. That little boat and I can handle some pretty interesting stuff! I also learned that my boat can hold all of the gear I would normally take on a camping trip. Maybe there's a solo kayak trip in my future.
- In hindsight, perhaps Chip was right (!) about taking all the boats upriver on one car. It certainly would've saved us time (though time was never an issue) and perhaps Seth's gear might not have been left behind if we'd known we were just making the one trip.
- Sea kayaks are NOT the boats for this trip. While they did great in the long flatwater stretches, their lack of maneuverability was an issue in the rapids.
- We could've brought more food. One of the best parts of boat camping is the ability to bring luxuries. Our meals were far too simple and basic. Also, more toys. Goggles, snorkels, fishing gear.
- Keep Chip away from the vodka!
More pictures
Both Dave and I had guidebooks for waterways, so we started checking the various possibilities. I tried to find places near Seth and found two possibilities; the Connecticut River below the entrance of the Farmington River (possible camping on the shore or on islands), and the Farmington River between Hogback Dam and Collinsville. On the Thursday before the trip, Dave called me at work and started to describe the Farmington River section. We'd both found the same place! A good sign. About 15 miles long, a mix of flatwater and Class I-II whitewater, with camping possibilities at the beginning and in the middle. Best of all, the end point was about 1/4 of a mile from Seth's house! Dave had maps of the area and was pretty excited about the route. He'd already told Chip about it and Chip was psyched too.
Things now swung into high gear. Dave gets most of the credit for the planning on this one. His kayak experience meant he knew what to do and what needed to be done. Besides getting maps for the area, he made phone calls to outfitters in Collinsville to reserve a boat for Seth (Dave's two kayaks and my Keowee would serve Dave, Chip and me) and to get info on the planned route. There was a bit of "dancing" when he asked about camping possibilities on a whitewater portion of the route. Their insurance liability wouldn't allow them to rent us a boat for use on whitewater. Dave quickly explained that he was just curious about that section of the river and of course we wouldn't be taking the boat in there. That apparently satisfied the legal issues and Dave was able to reserve the boat.
At last all was set. Plans were made to rendezvous at my house at 9AM on Saturday. Dave arrived first with his two kayaks atop his car and Chip followed soon thereafter. We loaded up Dave's car with our gear and my kayak, and were on our way by 10:00. The ride to Seth's was straightforward and uneventful and we arrived right on time at noon. Seth gave us a quick demo of his latest animation work and then we got going.
There was a brief discussion of the put-in logistics. The plan was to load Seth's rental boat onto his car, drive both cars to the put-in, drop the boats and the gear, drive both cars back to Collinsville, drop Seth's car back at his house, and then drive Dave's car back to the put-in. Chip thought we should put Seth's boat on Dave's car, with the other three boats, to eliminate the return trip to Collinsville. For a number of reasons, we decided to stick with the original plan. First, the trip was only 15 miles each way, so the round trip should only take 40 minutes or so. Second, we were concerned (paranoid?) about the reactions of the folks at the rental place at seeing us trying to attach one more boat to Dave's car. And finally, WE were concerned about trying to attach a fourth boat to Dave's already overloaded car. Two cars seemed best.
Our plan now in place, the first stop was the Collinsville Kayak Center to pick up Seth's boat. Dave had reserved a sea kayak, similar to the two he owned, figuring that the storage and stability would be good to have. Seth was a bit concerned about his ability to control such a large boat, but Dave convinced him it was the best choice so that's what he got. While Seth and I finished up the paperwork with the boat, Chip and Dave went off to do some food shopping. All chores completed, we made a few more stops for alcohol, lunch, and gas and started driving upstream.
The ride up took a bit longer than expected, but gave us a nice view of the river we'd be travelling. I was pleased to see only minor riffles - well within our abilities - and noted a number of possible camping places. We found our spot without too much trouble and had lunch on a rock overlooking the rushing water. A stiff breeze and lots of clouds made things a bit cooler than we'd expected, but it wasn't too bad. After eating, we unloaded the boats and most of the gear and sent Seth and Dave back into town to drop off Seth's car. Chip and I did some preliminary loading of the boats and played Frisbee to pass the time until the others returned.
While we waited, Chip showed me a possible camping spot he and Dave had discovered. We'd been discussing a number of areas, but they were all near populated areas or roads and we wanted some isolation. Chip and Dave had found another spot on the map that seemed to fit our needs perfectly. About halfway down, a section of state forest came down to the river's edge. The map showed trails but no roads. I agreed that it seemed like a worthy goal. We figured we could at least shoot for it and if we didn't make it, there were plenty of other places to stop.
After about 50 minutes, Seth and Dave returned and we set about getting under way. As we packed up, Seth realized he'd left his sleeping bag in his car (back in Collinsville). Fortunately, Dave had a couple of blankets in his car, so those were packed into one of the boats. Pretty quickly we were ready to go. I launched from a spot upstream of the rock where we'd had lunch, while the others put in below. I went first, negotiated a few initial waves, and then turned in front of the others to head for a quiet eddy on the opposite shore where I planned to wait for everyone else to get going. As I crossed the current, I hit a submerged rock. Unprepared for the sudden bump, I almost capsized, but recovered quickly and made it to the quiet water. That bump turned out to be an omen of things to come.
Seth was next into the water and he was almost immediately in trouble. He got turned sideways and then backward, but managed to make his way over to where I was. He was already regretting the choice of boat, finding the long sea kayak difficult to turn. As always though, Seth was still willing to give it a go. One thing that helped was a repositioning of the foot braces in his boat, to move them to a more comfortable position. Chip joined us and made his own footbrace adjustments and finally Dave paddled over. All assembled and on the water at last, we set off. The time was about 3:30.
We went slowly at first, stopping in each available eddy to assess our progress. I led a good bit at first, scouting the way with my more maneuverable boat. The river was mostly Class II ripples in this section, though there was a splashy little drop of a foot or so soon after we started. I heard it before I saw it and by the time I saw it, it was too late to do anything but run it straight through. Recalling some advice I'd heard David give, I paddled hard as I went through and that worked well. I went a short way downstream and turned to the others behind me. "Run it straight through," I yelled, pointing to the spot I'd run. One by one, Seth first, they came through just fine. We'd survived our first challenge. There was hope for us!
Now confident, and mindful of our late start, we decided to try to put some miles behind us. We set as a goal a bridge near Riverton and started paddling. Small rapids alternated with flatwater and it was pleasant going, except when we struck bottom, which we did often. The water was just a bit too low and we constantly found ourselves either bumping or stuck on rocks. It became a challenge to find the route with the most water as the river wound its way along. We also had to contend with a large number of fly fishermen in the water. They all seemed somewhat irritated at our presence as we wove our way around them, trying to disturb them as little as possible.
We made it to the bridge and soon after, the Still River joined on the right. The added water raised the river level nicely and we had better going after that, though we still continued to strike bottom occasionally. The river widened a bit and there were more stretches of flatwater now, but still plenty of small rapids to keep things interesting. We pretty much just paddled along, often with Seth in the lead, sometimes spread out, sometimes regrouping, looking for landmarks to indicate our position as we continued to head for our camping spot. The chief landmark we sought was a bridge, the third we'd pass under, which crossed about a mile above where we thought we might stop.
It was in this section that one of the trip's more memorable incidents took place. Actually, there were two incidents, which turned out to be connected. I was in the lead, and passed three young men who were struggling to get into a canoe in a section of small rapids. They were all big boys - looked like football players - shirtless, caps turned backwards, sunglasses. I said hello as I passed by and continued downstream. A section of flatwater followed a bit later and I pulled up to await the others. Chip came first and then David, but Seth was nowhere to be seen. David told us that the guys in the canoe had basically run Seth off the road and he'd almost capsized twice as his boat got turned around in the churning water and thrown against rocks. As it was, he got swamped and had a lot of water in his boat.
Eventually Seth arrived and confirmed the story as he bailed out his boat. The guys in the canoe apparently had no idea of what they were doing. As we floated together and talked, we found ourselves drifting to a spot where we'd have to make a choice of routes. The river passed around an island. The route to the left passed through a forested area, while on the right, the river flowed along a busy road. The entrance to this route was guarded by two stone structures, bridge abutments for a long-gone span, which we dubbed the Gates of Doom.
As we pondered which way to go, we couldn't help but notice a curvaceous young woman in a bikini standing by the route along the road. She was stunning, and we quickly elected to go to the right, for the scenery (!). Then we realized that the woman was calling to us. "Did you see three guys in a canoe?" she asked, as we paddled over, hardly believing our good fortune. We related Seth's encounter with them and said they were grounded up-river. She asked how far back and Seth told her that they'd grounded immediately after they started. "Good!" she called. Apparently, the woman and her friends had tried the canoe earlier and had trouble, and the guys had given them a hard time about their difficulty. Happy to hear the men had fared no better (if not worse), she ran up the bank to tell her friends the news. As she disappeared from sight, we passed through the Gates of Doom and descended into a stretch of rapids, smiling from the pleasant encounter. The Bikini Woman had become a part of Mutually Stupid lore.
Shortly afterwards, the two forks of the river rejoined and there was the third bridge. We paused a moment at the convergence and then passed under the bridge and began to watch the shoreline for landmarks to guide us to our intended camping spot. Unfortunately, we'd arrived during the prime evening fishing time and the river was full of anglers. Wanting to be discrete, we kept paddling, looking for somewhere we could stop without being noticed.
Finally, the crowds thinned out and we found a good spot to land. I pulled to shore and did a quick scouting trip. Discovering some paths just a few yards in, I went back to call to the others. We hauled all the boats into the tall weeds and Dave, Seth, and I walked up the path to look for a campsite. We quickly found a nice, flat, open area on a bluff above the trail, overlooking the water. It offered some privacy yet still gave us quick access to the river. Chip thought we could just set up the tents down by the river, but we convinced him that the site we'd found was better, so we carried our gear up in a couple of trips and set up camp. It was about 5:30.
After setting up the tents (we found out at this point that Seth had also left his tent behind, so arrangements were made for him to sleep in Chip's tent), we relaxed and puttered around the campsite. Chip and Seth began making some arrangements for a fire, with Chip gathering wood and Seth assembling a fire pit. Chip managed to cut down a sizable log and came running into the campsite with it, nearly hitting me as I sat on the ground. Next, Chip and I tried to play some Frisbee, but the close quarters and surrounding trees made it difficult. Several times, Chip tripped over tents or gear as he tried to make a catch and finally, I called a halt to the game. Finally, we all just sat and rested and enjoyed the peace.
About this time it became apparent that Chip was pretty toasted. Near as we can figure, he'd been working on a 750ml bottle of citrus-flavored vodka all day and had nearly polished it off. He wound up just sitting and staring into space. Seth did a drawing of him there and then just burst out laughing at how out-of-it Chip was. In a departure from the past, Dave had taken on the cooking duties, and he set up his stove and went about making dinner (tortellini with tomato sauce). We offered some to Chip, but he wasn't interested - a first! Finally Dave suggested that a purging was in order. Chip agreed, walked into the woods, and hurled. When he returned, he said he felt much better, but he was still a zombie. He sat for a while longer and then stumbled to his tent and passed out, sprawled facedown.
The rest of us finished eating and then Dave and I went exploring on the trail. We stopped at one point for a smoke and I noticed we were standing in front of a massive tree with some interesting features. I was first drawn to the general shape of the limbs and then I noticed what appeared to be a man's face high up. A Jesus tree! Then further down, I noticed two knobby protrusions. Breasts! But the area surrounding them didn't continue the female form until we envisioned it upside down. We found a head at the bottom and legs extending upwards and spreading and between the legs, the man's face! While we stood there, smoking and discussing this pornographic image, a middle aged woman suddenly appeared on the trail and passed us. It was suddenly very awkward. We could only imagine what she felt - a woman alone in the woods at twilight on a remote path encountering two strange men getting stoned and discussing obscene images. I think we both regretted having possibly caused her any discomfort.
We returned to camp just as darkness fell. Seth was still up and we joined him for some conversation and relaxation. Regrettably, he had lost a contact lens while we were gone. He'd taken it out and had it on his finger when a mosquito landed on his hand. Reflexively, he blew the bug away and with it, his lens. He'd searched for quite a while, to no avail. We offered to search some more but he'd already given it up for lost, so we just sat in the darkness and enjoyed the evening. We decided to forego a campfire, though Seth and Chip had gathered wood and cleared a fire spot. I think we all realized we would be going to sleep sooner than later and just weren't up for extending the evening. I read a folk tale from a book I'd brought and then we called it a night around 9:30. Seth managed to rouse Chip enough to join him in his tent.
The next morning, Chip and Seth were up early. Dave and I remained in our tents a good bit longer, but eventually we all got up and going. We started with a breakfast of coffee, tea, oatmeal and bagels. Chip, feeling the need to atone for the sins of the previous evening, offered to wash the breakfast dishes. Afterwards, there was more coffee, plus cigars, shots, and a general discussion of...things.
There was no hurry to pack up and leave, but after a while we did break camp and headed down to the boats. Back on the water, rested and ready, we were set to face the next set of challenges. The most difficult spots on the trip were still ahead, but first we had some easy paddling as the river flowed past the remains of the state forest we'd camped in. We encountered a number of small islands, sometimes choosing one fork, sometime the other, and sometimes splitting the group. We took the smaller left fork on one and found ourselves in a beautiful area with a small pool. A good possibility for another campsite. At another split, Dave and I went right and followed a great blue heron as it flew ahead of us downstream.
It should be noted that, considering his state the night before, Chip was in amazing good form, showing no sign whatsoever of any aftereffects. What a guy!
We also encountered another form of wildlife in the stretch...tubers. Vast numbers of folks floating downstream in bright yellow innertubes. It became an interesting exercise to steer around them as we paddled past.
The peaceful prelude soon ended as we passed under the US 44 bridge that marked the entrance to an area known as Satan's Kingdom. Just beyond this bridge was the biggest drop of the trip, a short but very turbulent stretch of Class III whitewater. We pulled the boats out on the left to scout a route and watch the tubers bump their way down. Lifeguards on the opposite shore kept watch on things and were kept busy throwing ropes out to folks who capsized as they went through. We found a route we thought we could do, though it would be tricky. Seth was concerned about his ability to get through without causing great damage to a) himself and b) his rental boat, but he resolved to try anyway.
Dave went first, and got into trouble. He made it through the upper section, but got turned sideways down below and had a hard time getting out. Chip went next and made it through without much trouble at all. While Seth and I waited for a break in the tuber parade, Seth began to have second thoughts. He was spared possible injury when Dave came up and volunteered to take his boat down for him, mostly to get a second chance at running the rapids successfully. As they exchanged the boat, I paddled out, turned and headed into the rapids. I got further out than I'd wanted and found myself in the midst of huge waves. As the water crashed across my boat, I dug in with my paddle and managed to actually control my boat somewhat. I wound up making several quick turns and crashed my way down through the rapids in one piece. Pretty cool.
I pulled over by Chip to watch Dave descend a second time. As we waited, a tuber capsized and their tube started floating downstream as they were pulled to shore by the lifeguard. Both Chip and I headed out to retrieve the tube. Just as we approached, Chip leaned too far over and flipped. At last, one of us had dunked! I made sure Chip was okay, then corralled the tube and brought back before rejoining Chip as he dragged his boat to land and emptied it. He'd lost his hat and small bit of dignity (from dunking in front of an audience), but otherwise he was fine. Wet, but fine.
Having now survived the worst the river had to offer, we continued on. One more serious rapid lay ahead, the Rooster Tail rapid. This one we didn't stop for. We slowed a bit at the top, but then just ran on through. It wasn't as bad as the big drop, but it was still a very nasty rapid. We all made it through though, with no problems. Afterwards, Seth noted that the Rooster Tail was the spot where we'd stopped to fish the previous year.
After the Rooster Tail, things calmed down considerably. The river flattened out, the tubers departed, and we had the place to ourselves. In an isolated spot about a mile above the end of our trip, we stopped one last time. Chip, Seth and I all went for a swim, stroking hard to keep up with the rushing current. The cool water was refreshing and a nice way to clear our heads (and cleanse our bodies) before we rejoined the world. After a bit, we got back in the boats and completed our journey. We returned Seth's boat without incident [Seth was concerned that the boat had been seriously damaged by all the groundings and a) he'd be chastised for taking the boat into whitewater and b) he'd be forced to buy the boat. The folks at the rental didn't even inspect the boat when we brought it in though, so the fears turned out to be unfounded.], retrieved Dave's car, packed up, said our good-byes, and headed home.
We all agreed that we'd do this trip again.
Afterthoughts:
- This was a nearly perfect trip. The weather was great, the route was just the right length and just the right degree of difficulty, the camping site was ideal, and everything just went well. Sure, improvements could be made, and that's the fun. We could make this an annual event, getting better each year.
- I gained a lot of confidence in my abilities in my little Keowee. That little boat and I can handle some pretty interesting stuff! I also learned that my boat can hold all of the gear I would normally take on a camping trip. Maybe there's a solo kayak trip in my future.
- In hindsight, perhaps Chip was right (!) about taking all the boats upriver on one car. It certainly would've saved us time (though time was never an issue) and perhaps Seth's gear might not have been left behind if we'd known we were just making the one trip.
- Sea kayaks are NOT the boats for this trip. While they did great in the long flatwater stretches, their lack of maneuverability was an issue in the rapids.
- We could've brought more food. One of the best parts of boat camping is the ability to bring luxuries. Our meals were far too simple and basic. Also, more toys. Goggles, snorkels, fishing gear.
- Keep Chip away from the vodka!
More pictures
