Whitewater...

This story is a bit old... last October I had gone whitewater rafting in the New River Gorge in West Virginia. It was one of the best trips I ever had. Its about 6 hour drive from State College. New River gorge is a really scenic place with lots of hiking trails and other opportunities for adventure sports.

The Gauley river and new river have some of the best class 4 and 5 rapids in the Northeastern US. There were 6 of us in the raft and our guide (or captain I should say) Carl. Carl gave us a few rudimentary lessons in paddling in the beginning. Then after asking us to hold on for our dear lives...started yelling commands at us...like "all forward".... "Stop" to align the raft and make it go the right way into the rapids... within minutes we were totally drenched with water. I even had a chance to get out of the raft and swim (rather try to swim) in a rapid for a while... after the initial shock and panic subsided... that experience seemed very amusing... I even wrote a little poem on it.

Here it is ...

"WHITE WATER"

There's a mix of anticipation and fear..
Along the banks we check our gear...
We push the raft into the river....
Climb up n' hold-on to paddles dear...
"All forward" yells Carl....and off we go...

We learn a few tricks.. early in the trip..
Lean forward to paddle....hold the T grip..
The currents are swift n' the water is cold...
Paddle for your dear lives we are told...
The rapids are waiting for rafters adrift...

We pass the "insignificant"...
A little class four....
Everyone's still on board...
Soaked wet and cold....
But our little success..makes the heart grow bold

We are passing another rapid...I forget its name
As the raft turns and tilts through the current...
"Stop"...I hear Carl shout..paddles are out
One moment I am in there.....
And then I am OUT....

"Whitewater" all around me.....
I am not in my saddle....
Floating free with the river...
I have lost my paddle...
Panic first..n' later I grab hold of the rope....

I struggle...n' my mates
Pull me up...out of the water....
I've gulped a bit of the Gauley....
And seen its might....
Tasted adventure...but up for the fight...

I am ready again....
Many more rapids await...
we hunt for my paddle....
Going down with the flow....
"All forward"...there's Carl again....and off we go..

I like going out into the nature.... in fact most of my hobbies are kind of built up around the outdoors... adventure sports, hiking are a good way to get out... photography is a good way to record your adventures and capture the beauty of nature... skygazing or amateur astronomy is a great way to spend a night beneath clear skies...

I look forward to going to New River gorge this summer and fall...