River O

When I was growing up my parents put my sisters and I on swim team. We did it all; private club teams, high school teams and anything recreational that had to do with water. For this reason being in water always seemed as natural as being on land. When I took my first ever white water rafting trip two years ago with paddling club I realized my love for water extends beyond that of a 100 meter chlorine filled swimming pool.

There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of falling into ice cold rapids and figuring out a way to be rescued. Remembering all the fun times I had playing around on rafts and duckies last summer helped me in my decision to sign up for this trip. Each time I rode a ducky down the rapids or guided a raft I felt an adrenaline rush. My heart would start pounding a little faster and my mind would clear up. All thoughts would dissipate as my mind and body focused on one thing: getting through the rapids and having a great time.

We learned so many things on this trip I never would have thought of. I didn’t realize how much wild life depends on the riparian habitat and how small and delicate it is. For those of you who don't know the riparian habitat is the area at the bank of a river. A majority of wildlife uses it on a daily basis.

We also had an interesting mini lesson about how the state controls the water flow. Basically whoever has the oldest deed has the highest priority when it comes to water. That part upset me because damming water and controlling its usage just doesn’t seem natural. Although we were right there with nature I felt like knowing these rivers are controlled by mankind took away from that a little bit.

My greatest challenge was learning to oar. Oaring is a lot harder than it looks. It takes a lot of strength and coordination. Although I’m still not that great at it I’m happy I had the opportunity to practice.

Overall it was a great trip. I think the group bonded really well and the instructors were great at balancing fun and learning. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.