Kayak4Ever

Yesterday was the second weekend in a row I’ve paddled the Ocoee. That makes seven times I’ve paddled it this year. Every time Tim and I go, I’m happy to be headed to the river, but every time we’re about 15 miles from the put in I start feeling anxious.

Then we stop at the Whitewater Center to use the indoor bathrooms and I still feel anxious.

Then when we pull into the parking lot - at the top of the middle section to unload our gear - and I feel like I don’t want to paddle at all. I tell Tim I don’t feel well or maybe I’ll just hang out for the day.

This has developed into a pattern since I started whitewater boating. From the first riffles I saw on the Big Darby in Ohio, I thought…ummm…maybe I’ll walk around this…

When I went to the Lower Yough for the first time I felt the same way. I walked off to the side of the parking lot by myself and had a little cry. Crying seemed appropriate at the Yough compared to just having butterflies at the Big Darby!

The first few times I ran the Ocoee this season, I was beyond crying…I felt like I was going to throw up.

The good thing about all of this is that Tim and I are getting a handle on this drill. When I say I don’t feel like putting on (this is when we’re pulling into the put-in parking lot), Tim says, “Do you really not feel well, or are you nervous? It’s okay to be nervous.”

I say, “I’m not scared, I just don’t want to paddle.” At this point Tim and I both know I’ll be fine as soon as I’m in my boat on the water. He tells me, “Why don’t you take Charley (our dog) for a little walk and I’ll get our gear together?”

So I take Charley for a walk. When I get back to the car, Tim has all of my gear unloaded and tucked in my boat waiting for me. He’s ready to run shuttle while I wait with our gear at the put in. Usually this is when we run into some friends and we all decide to paddle together. This is also where I start to relax because I’m committed now to actually getting in my boat. I know the car is gone – with Tim driving it to the take out - so I don’t have anywhere to put my boat and gear even if I wanted to back out of running the river.

I start telling myself all I have to do is paddle down to Staging Eddy - and if I want to take out there I can.

Yesterday at the put in we saw our friend Jody and her friend Bill. I am always happy to see Jody. She’s a really good boater and she and Tim have paddled harder stuff together a bunch this past winter and spring.

When I took a lesson on the Ocoee in May with Jeff West, Jody and Tim were hiding at the bottom of Table Saw to watch my run (they didn’t want me to see them in case it made me nervous to have an audience). That was my first time to run Table Saw and I was already nervous without knowing Tim was watching. I cleaned it, though, and when I got to the river left eddy at the bottom I asked Jeff if it would offend him if I cursed. He said, No, it wouldn’t…so I screamed, “Fuckin’ A!” and then, “My husband is going to be so proud of me!” That’s when Tim and Jody jumped up from behind their rock and cheered for me. That was awesome!

So, yesterday, it was really nice to get to paddle the whole river with Jody. And have such a good day on the river with Tim.

I love kayaking – even though I still feel a little freaked out at the put in.

Giving my Nomad some love after a clean run at Table Saw.

Watching for rafts.

All clear - time to peel out to head down through Diamond Splitter.