WhiteWater Adventures

"Left side, Mike, back paddle, back paddle!" yells our WhiteWater Rafting Guide. In rough waters, like these though, hapless Mike, Vietnam Vet, who's positioned in the front of the craft, is completely deaf to Bob's instructions. The waves crash over and over and the raft goes circling into a tailspin lost in an eddie at the bottom of a hydraulic hole. That's rafting vernacular and today's adventure has taken me into the heart of the Adirondacks with a few fearless friends from the YMCA. There's only 3 of us plus our guide, in a boat built for 8, so we have our work cut out for us. This stretch of the Indian River has steep banks with tall cedar trees growing on each side and huge iron ore and granite cliffs. "Great for rock climbing" I think to myself as I my confidence grows tackling another huge "lateral" and "pool-drop". This river has a huge dam that lets loose tons of thousand pounds of water increasing the CFS, cubic feet per second, on steep gradients and upping the river rating to "4". Based on a scale of 1-6, 4 can be a true challenge for novices like us. I made the mistake of hurling a shovel over my head for 3 hours the day before (lawn work) so my upper body strength is a disgrace. It's still a cold time of the year to be battling 40 degree rapids so we're all dressed in matching neoprene wetsuits and polypro. Our ugly pink helmuts ruin the effect of an otherwise attractive looking bunch, but, no matter, we're there to tame the Indian, all 17 miles of her, do-able for some in less than 5 hours, it takes us 4. The best part about whitewater rafting, other than being outside, is experiencing the thrills and chills of a sport that your in complete control of. Exhausted, cold and dripping wet from head to toe, my team of 3 plus guide exit the river with a new license on life and a few more smile lines to add to our parched and weathered faces.