The snow falling while we quietly paddled down a river, looking up at the cliffs and listening to the hawks and eagles above, it was incredibly beautiful and incredibly peaceful!
I was a good swimmer and a certified life guard so summer trips were fun and easy for me, even if we did tip over. Winter was a different story, winter canoeing was dangerous! On one occasion I was canoeing with my dear friend Jeff Gammill. We were with the Sierra Club on a class 4 river around the first of April. It was snowing off and on all day long. It was very cold to say the least. The group was small, only 5 kayaks and one other canoe. The kayaks and the other canoe all contained only one person. The river was running fast as a result of the melting winter snows. Jeff and I traversed down the whitewater rapids, shooting the V between the submerged boulders. We were following a kayak through what was a 45 degree 8' drop. He made it, no problem.
We didn't! We were much heavier and lower in the water with Jeff up front of the canoe. We hit a hidden rock and it stopped us dead. I was in the back and was suddenly looking
181
Powered by FlippingBook