Black River New Comer |
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| Anne Schofield Roger Harrod Kim Wojnowicz | ||
It started out nice enough. The noonish launch was smooth and just slightly late. Aneta & Robert made it to the site on time to take off with the group. They were up at an unspeakable hour that morning to be volunteer safety boaters for the Cazenovia Triathalon along with Hugh (latecomer) & Jim Hunter (nocomer). Good for you!! Hugh had to stop home first for a mouthful of food (and, just maybe, a little earful from Jody). By the way, Jody has set the date for her watercraft debut. She will be with us at Lakeview dressed in PFD and almost-decided-upon outfit which might match the kayak. That's the spirit!!
The smell of the chicken BBQ at the nearby firehouse was pleasing. Yum. It was almost good enough to make you forget the remarkably tangy smell of the outhouse. When "it" gets mere inches from the top of the seat, there is no hope for any nose to make it out unscathed. Gagging, bulging eyes, half-buttoned shorts upon exiting ...
Okay, let's talk about the beauty of that River. The rock formations were spectacular in the canyon. A few willing victims posed under some loosening overhangs for Phil's photoshoot. Dave L made some "constructive" comments about how easily he could loosen the rocks, but the victims were brave. The blackwater was just 68 degrees, a good 4 degrees cooler than our last waterway. It looked like we paddling in a river of iced tea. When a boat created waves, you enjoyed bonus waves which bounced from side to side on the high walls. A blue heron flew back & forth, staying just ahead of us. It's easy to see why this is one of our favorite places.
We took a quick break on the Brownville weed-ery just past the whirlpools where the whitewater folks get picked up in their rafts. Today we saw 3 groups (of 4 rafts each) tied to a party barge returning from their adventures to awaiting buses. Tish mingled and found out it's $62-69 per person. Maybe 8-10 in a raft .. nice bundle of $$ for an overcast day. A few playful kayakers tried to paddle up the rapids, but as soon as they stopped paddling they were given a ride right back to the beginning. The kayakers on the weed-ery snacked briefly on multicolored twizzlers shared by Patty, who was anxious to try out the delicacy she bought because she "never saw anything like them". They were tasty, too. Just as Dave G made it out of his kayak without a speck of mud on his whiter-than-white socks, the thunder began. Bob listened to his radio for a minute, jumped in his boat, and so did everyone else.
Drenched and back at the launch site, people scattered. The Barracks in Sackets Harbor hadn't opened yet, so some just stopped on their way home to eat.
Many thanks to the RV-poolers Gene, Tish, Dave G, and Patty who contributed subject matter for this short trip's report. We were so grateful we didn't have to change in the outhouse!