Rope, rope, grab the rope!
Trip Start
Unknown
1
3
Trip End
Ongoing
Brevard, North Carolina
Friday, May 28, 2010
These living conditions were not long to last though as, following our first breakfast, myself and Big Marc were whisked off on a 4 day, white water rafting course. Having never white water rafted before, I will happily admit to being a bag of nerves when faced with the thought of guiding a group of children safely down powerful torrents of potentially deadly water. Luckily for all of us though our instructors were some of the most talented, helpful and friendly people I have ever met.
Our first 2 days were spent on Section 9 of the French Broad river - a fairly technical but not too taxing stretch of water. The main topics to be covered first were safety on the water and basic paddle commands (forward, stop, backward and in). After the first 2 days, each member of our raft had "taken the stick."
The prospect of camping was not one that overly enthused me, having never been its biggest fan. Camp was split into 2 groups - those lucky enough to grab a space in a tent, and those who had to sleep under a tarpaulin. Regardless of accommodation, it seemed that a good night's sleep was had by all and spirits were high as we left for our next challenge - the Pigeon River, just on the border with Tennessee.
The "put in" (point of entry at the river) was directly in front of the hydroelectric generator placed on this dam controlled river. We managed 4 runs over 2 days spent on the river, with afternoon runs featuring significantly more water and stronger currents. This was most noticeable during the "flip drills" where the guide for each raft would flip the vessel and we would practice getting back on top of our raft.
Simply talking about time spent on the water however would only tell half of the story. Each night at camp was spent swapping stories, playing games and ultimately building the foundations for our first friendships at camp. Friendships just as important on and off the water. Especially when the rivers in this area are infested with fearsome Beaver Sharks don't you know!?
