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Go Paddle 4 Fun LLC
Newsletter V.1 Issue 1 April 21, 2003
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Paddling: A New Way to See my World (Rebecca White)
Unlike David Klinger, who was hooked on kayaking “thirty minutes into it, ” a real love for the sport has taken me more than two decades. But, like most loves, passions that warm slowly may outlast falling in love at first sight! And, after a trip to the beautiful lakes and rivers in upstate New York, I am definitely hooked on this sport.
I grew up around one of the most famous rivers in the United States, the New River, in southeastern West Virginia. My first paddling experience was not until I was a senior in high school, when my friends and I went on a rafting trip on the New. It was definitely a blast and I had a great time, but one thing kept me from a commitment- fear and lack of confidence. (Actually that sounds a lot like some men I’ve known in my life J).
Even though we had several beautiful rivers nearby my family had never really been engaged in water sports. Other than learning to swim and a few random boat and river experiences, this rafting trip was the extent of my experience in and on the water while I was living at home.
During my college years I lived in three towns that boasted beautiful outdoor opportunities, including rivers and lakes. Concord College in Athens, WV was located near the Bluestone and Greenbrier Rivers. West Virginia University is home of the beautiful Monongahela. Virginia Tech, where I received my graduate degrees, was listed by Outside magazine as one of the ten best towns to live in if you like the outdoors. Yet, I did not take the opportunity to explore the beautiful rivers that surrounded me and only rafted again a couple of times before I moved to the Greater Cincinnati area.
Why would I not see the opportunities that were available to me? Was it fear or was it the busyness of life in graduate school and parenting? In retrospect I see that my life at this time was almost totally focused on achievement. Even the sports I chose were competitive ones where I could measure my success. I got very involved in road running and concentrated on collecting t-shirts and medals.
When I moved to this region I continued to be engrossed in work and raising two children as a single parent. I found little time to really experience the beauty that surrounds me here in Northern Kentucky. UNTIL, I met Giles. He first took me on the water shortly after we met in the fall of 1999. That experience was my first on a personal watercraft. The following summer I had my first taste of a kayak on Eastfork Lake. That experience mostly consisted of learning to do a wet exit and relaxed lake paddling.
Since that time we have paddled at Eastfork several more times and on the Ohio River twice – once at Augusta and another time during the Ohio River Paddlefest here in Cincinnati. I enjoyed the time with him and was beginning to feel a bit more confident on the water. However, I still wasn’t hooked.
This past October, however, I experienced the outdoors like I never had before. It was a life changing experience for me. Giles and I drove to the Adirondacks with two kayaks and our bikes and a van full of camping equipment. We had a blast and saw some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever experienced.
During the trip we had three kayaking excursions. The first was on the Ausable River. Mid-October in upstate NY is unpredictable and we had experienced several days of cloudy weather as we drove from Old Forge at the southwestern end of the Park to north of Lake Placid on the northeastern side. We were headed for Lake Champlain and a visit to Burlington, VT.
We found a great campsite on the Ausable River (no one else was camping since the temperatures that night were supposed to be in the low 30s), and decided we would explore the river the next day. We were blessed with a warm day and lots of sunshine and that was the day I started to fall in love!
I had never seen fall colors of such intensity – the reds and yellows were incredible and the reflections on the river looked like a watercolor painting. (I have attached several pictures). Giles told me that the smile on my face could not have been any bigger! It was a lazy and relaxed paddle we took that day and I had a blast!
Not surprisingly, if you are a paddler, our second experience was quite different. We were in Burlington, VT and wanted to paddle in Lake Champlain. The day was cloudy and drizzly, yet we were determined to get on the water. We paddled around the bay for about an hour when a significant wind began to blow and we found ourselves in a fairly large (at least to me) wake. The waves threw off my paddling and I got scared. Giles talked me through it and we managed to get  back with being dumped into the frigid water. This was a different experience indeed.
Our third paddling encounter on this trip was somewhat serendipitous. We were on our return trip home driving back through the Adirondacks on a more southern route and found ourselves in Inlet, a small hamlet on the Fulton Chain of Lakes that run from Old Forge to Blue Lake. Giles had previously stayed at an Inn there and we drove off of the main road to try to find it so that we could stay there that night. We had decided not to camp and simply relax on our last night in the park.
We happened upon two gentlemen walking on the road and Giles (unlike many men I’ve known J) asked for directions. It was a father and son from Utica, NY who owned two camps and it happened that they were visiting to check on their properties. When we told them about our objective to find this Inn, they asked if we would like to rent one of the camps. We agreed since the price was incredibly reasonable and found ourselves spending the night in a lovely wood cabin with a beautiful stone fireplace. The best part of the entire event was that the camp was on the Seventh Lake and it was early enough to get in a paddle that day!
This was another beautiful experience. The sun was shining and then setting before we finished and during our paddle we were visited by a lone duck that choose to keep us company. He did not have any fear and continued to follow us or even lead us on our exploration of his lake. Again, I was in love with exploring the water.
If you have an article you would like to submit, email the article or your request to info@gopaddle.com .
copyright 2003 Go Paddle 4 Fun LLC and Rebecca White, All Rights Reserved
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