Some how, I’ve missed whitewater rafting. As a kid I used to climb the rocks and dive into the creek and whenever I was around water I lost my fear of heights. At age 12, I used to dive from a 3 meter board at a pool and it took them 3 years to figure out I didn’t know how to swim. I mean I would dive when it was my turn and then swim under water to the nearest ladder and get out of the pool and get in line again. It never occurred to me that there was a reason to swim on top of the water and yes, I can still swim 25 meters under water. Years back, I even dove off a 15 meter board and went in head first. I’m told it looked perfect and I was treated like a stud, but my aching back knew the truth.
As a Boy Scout, I learned to canoe and since moving to the Virgin Islands have taken up open ocean Kayaking. I’ve been in both a 16 foot boat and 11 foot Kayak when I had to face 10-12 foot swells. It is quite a thrill when you survive.
Tubing down the Delaware (now that it’s clean) is a lot of fun but not very challenging. My mother-in-law went along with my wife and I when she was 65 (I used to think that was old!). Years earlier, my wife and I took a house boat up the Rideau Canal through all 47 locks and I’ve spent time motor boating on the St. Lawrence River, the Delaware River, Barnaget Bay and St. Croix. I’ve been sailing in the Chesapeake, the St. Lawrence, St. Croix and Sandy Hook in the Atlantic.
Obviously it’s not fear of water that has kept me from whitewater rafting but lack of opportunity. I made up my mind that if I ever visit my nephew Michael and his new wife Anna in Colorado, I am going to take some time to do whitewater rafting. People who have done it all tell me I’m nuts. They all loved it for the thrills, but they know how much I suffer below 72 degrees and told me I would never survive the chill of damp and wet 50 degrees in the shade without bawling like a baby.
Once again, it was my wife to the rescue as she read an article in the Washington Post about an artificial course in McHenry Maryland, the very western part of the state. I tried researching the course but there was very little information and there web site is not overwhelmingly informative on the adventure side.
Seems this is a do good-er venture where the founder is also the founder of a adventure tourism program at the local community college and the 24 million dollar venture is a non profit corporation with only four permanent employees and a seasonal staff of 30. They brag about sustainable Eco-Tourism and the synergy of the artificial pond being used to water grass and and provide a cold water source for artificial snow making great energy savings. The course opened in May 2007 right before the June Washington Post article and in August they held the National Slalom Kayak Championships.
Famous Last words!
What could be safer than an artificial course and I chose the weekend of October 15th to go so I could feel the chill of real white water rafting.
Tags: dream, family, Fear, health, Kayaking, life, lifestyle, longevity, parenting, seniors, sports, travel, Whitewater, Whitewater Rafting
