Canoe Trip

Hiking Buddy's B-Day was yesterday.  I had to work today and Hiking Buddy actually likes his family and wants to spend time with them.  So I arranged an early b-day present for him.  Hiking Buddy really likes canoeing, but taking Hiking Buddy's canoe out is rather difficult.  Hiking Buddy is tall and I'm short.  Getting his canoe on his Yukon is work.  I've also discovered that Yukons don't get good gas milage.  Yukons with canoes on them have even worse milage.  Then there's the other problem.  If Hiking Buddy and I go down a river, how are we supposed to get back to the Yukon?  He said something about paddling upstream....  That sounded like work...not fun.

So I had the brilliant idea of going on a float trip for his b-day.  He kept mentioning someplace called Eminence.  Needless to say, I got the hint.

I have to say, before I met Hiking Buddy, I was absolutely terrified of canoeing.  Previously, every time I had gone canoeing I ended up in the water.  Not on purpose either.  The last time I went on a float trip, I nearly died.  The canoe flipped over and I ended up with my legs pinned under a log.  I remember the water rushing over me and people yelling at me to get out from under the canoe...  <shudder>

Anyway.  I had been canoeing with Hiking Buddy and nothing bad had happened.  Other than no water in the lake.

So I get Hiking Buddy up and out of the house and we get to the canoe place in time.  I get the snacks and drinks out of the car and he's like do we need all that?  No...we can leave your food...  It all came with.  We get everything tied up in the canoe and off we go.  We make it about 20 feet and get stuck on a rock.  And I'm in the water.  And there goes the sunscreen.  And the Powerade.  Some nice guy helped Hiking Buddy unswamp the canoe.  I'm pretty useless.

Hiking Buddy then had an awesome idea.  I should be in the back.  Steering.  That lasted all of 15 feet. Probably because I have no idea what I'm doing.

So we are floating along.  We get stuck in a whirlpool.  We get turned around.  We find the sunscreen! The southern part of Missouri is in a drought.  The river, although spring fed, is really low.  So we are trying to find the deepest part without obstacles.  At one point we decide to go left.  I don't remember what happened next.  I was wet.  The sunscreen was floating away.  And the paddle.  We need the paddle.  I start chasing it.  The river's current is really strong and pushing me.  I lose my balance and fall in and end up swimming.  I get the paddle.  Now I have to get back to the canoe.  Except I can't manage it.  I was about to call for Hiking Buddy but then the life jacket floated by and I grabbed it and it was all okay.  I did spend the next 15 minutes shaking.  I don't know if it was from fear or the cold water....  We lost sunscreen and a bottle of propel.    I stuck my hand in pocket and realized that my little point and shoot camera is there instead of in the waterproof otter box.  The camera is a loss...

So we continue after a snack break.  I'm starting to get the hang of it.  Things really go better after we pass a spring that is putting lots of water into the river.  The river deepens and there seems to be less obstacles.  And I start having FUN!

It was totally awesome.  I'm trying to convince Hiking Buddy we should go again for my b-day.  I'm thinking we should tube and then go visit all the different springs.