August Paddle

I did paddle in July it just wasn't a trip worthy of note.  It was on flat water for skills practice.  August, though, was a nice, short trip with friends.

One of the common ties among my paddling friends is Boy Scouts.  More to the point it is WoodBadge.  So with a closing WoodBadge luncheon with a river near by it was only natural to combine the two.

Four of us (all former course directors) met at Sam A Baker to camp for the night before a Sunday morning paddle, and then to the luncheon.  We arrived before sundown to find one of the crew sitting around a nice little fire.

The campground was nice and quiet so we enjoyed an evening of conversation around the campfire.

Sunday was up and on the water after making the shuttle run.  The water is slow and easy.  I have paddle this section more times than I can remember while teaching young scouts to canoe, but had not been on it in a few years.

The power of a flood is truly amazing.  Downed trees not only dotted the riverbank, but also the middle of the river making some areas a challenge to get through.  At the biggest strainer we met two guys from Arkansas who were finishing up an overnight.

They liked to paddle into November and backpack through the winter.  The conversation around shared passions was amazing.  They asked about our paddling club and were given club bling.

Overall it was a nice morning on the water with friends.