The tools of the trade were varied this weekend.
It all started with tropical storm Hanna - the rare "perfect storm" for 7 lucky kayakers - warm weather, tropical rains, and high water on the Brandywine all on a weekend afternoon! We scrambled around 4:00pm and were splashing the kayaks shortly after 5:00. The scramble was ambitious as it entailed pulling a few guys off the couch (PSU game), dropping two trucks at the downstream takeout point, collecting 8 kayaks and gear, and staging all that equipment down at the creek....all in a little more than 1 hour. The ensuing ride was wet and wild (and windy) and swept us into Downingtown in just 90min. We capped off the ride with the obligatory stop by Chelsy's for post adventure debrief. You know it's home when they have dry clothes waiting for you (yes, one paddler got a free - but most importantly dry - shirt as a gift from Roy the bartender). A couple of honorable mentions:
- One kayaker in full wet suit, bicycle helmet, and work boots;
- Another kayaker navigating very tricky rapid, ran aground, and then shoved off without setting down a paddle or spilling a drop of his cocktail;
- Our rookie kayaker attempting an Eskimo roll toward the end of the ride.
But most of all, thanks to Dave Burdick who put this whole kayak idea in play with an offhand remark last week...
Sunday as you know cleared up nicely for a bike ride, where we picked up an extra rider who was busy "catching air" off the teeter-totter by the boat ramp.
And finally on the way home, one of the "Lucky 7" from Saturday was sighted shooting the rapids in a kayak, again, solo this time. Apparently enough is never enough.
Revised ride schedule this week, weather looks great:
- Tuesday morning 6:30am
- Thursday evening 6:30pm - note proposed time change, trying to catch sunset mid-ride.
Chris
"Paddle solo, sleep tandem"
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