Sometimes change is a good thing. Our original plans were to
start in Lynchburg, however due to high water levels we drove up to Gala
campground and put in some practice before truly setting out. This morning we
got up and ate breakfast before heading out to the cowpasture River. Throughout
the Cowpasture we witnessed extraordinary scenery and water clarity. At the end,
where the Cowpasture meets the Jackson, begins the headwaters of the James. The
really cool thing when two rivers meet is the fact that you can see the exact
line where they meet.
Finally
on the James, we paddled for a while just taking in the sights and sounds
around us. We stopped for lunch on a beach side inside an eddy. After surviving
the slanting landscape and almost losing the hummus everyone jumped in for a
swim only to find the water freezing. Shortly departing from lunch we came
across a class 2 rapid that left me speechless. After conquering that, I wanted
to go again. We continued to paddle our
boats and found another spot to rest and reflect. While there we practiced
rescuing techniques with throw bags in the situation that your canoe might flip
and you ended up in the water. Not too long afterword’s we arrived at Gala yet
again. The entire paddle was 16 miles.
Once
back at camp, the team came together to get the gear packed up and the canoes
back on the trailer. Even though everyone was tired and hungry, the moral never
seems to diminish. Even during a lecture about macro invertebrates and 4 ways
of determining water quality including atmospheric, chemical, physical, and
biological everyone managed to stay alert and retain the information. After
dinner was consumed there was a beautiful sunset against varying clouds and a
energetic river. Talk about a photo opp. Soon we will enjoy Kyle and Garrett’s
fire and then it’s off to bed in preparation for an early morning. To end, I
send you off with the quote for today, given to us by our tech guy and amazing
staff support Bray, “get your throw bags ready.”
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