rick stoehrer Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 well, okay class II isn't exactly roaring or gigantic....but hell, it was my first time. this past weekend ken c offered to take me up to the piscataquog in goffstown to run the river with jed and he and to offer up my first feeble ww attempts to the river gods. seems that ken and jed were curious to see what sea skills tranferred to the river in an absolute new, raw river running recruit and hell, i've never been all that bright. we launched from the base of the dam there and my first impression was "holy &^%&) !! this water is cold...the ocean never gets this cold...this was like liquid ice! the experience was....different. i can paddle a sea boat and had been in a WW boat (okay, the pool apparently does not count) but this was something. i was so nervous the first run down the river...it's funny how everything you know really comes from teh experience of where you know it from....since i had never been on a river before, it's like i "forgot" how to paddle at all....i was very, very nervous. ken and jed both cautioned me repeatedly about placing the paddle up river...but no, that didn't take and over i went....into the ice water...there wasn't a gasp reflex but i held my breath for all of, i dunno, half a second? was freaked out a bit, blew the roll and outta the boat i came. ken was kind enough to help me sort that out in an eddy and we continued down. i was mortified.... the last rapid of the river (running at 2 and a half times it's normal flow) is a class III....you head toward it and BOOM....it's in your face and all around and then it's over and your through it....and you just GRIN. by the time we finished the run, i was feeling a little better....starting to get the hang of it by doing that one pathetic run and seeing ken and jed peel out a little more effortlessly into the current and back into the eddies....these were not strokes i was unfamiliar with....just an unfamiliar venue.... so the second run went far better! i understood better how the water was goingt to push my little boat around and how to peel into those eddies and then back out in the current....again, same strokes, just a different application. still managed to place the paddle upriver though and while i went over, at least rolled up....instant ice cream headache! that water was COLD! it was great....by the end of the run, i was feeling 100% better and would have liked to have spent all day on that learning curve....surfing a wave created by a rock or in a hole after a drop off was exciting as hell....even in this little stuff! thanks to ken and jed for helping a WW newbie take those first steps! it was pretty exhilirating! i think i'm hooked boys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 "I was mortified” "Was freaked out” But talk like that doesn't help recruit the next victim. The mighty Piscataquog http://h002078d2c808.ne.client2.attbi.com:...es/100_0033.jpg the put-in http://h002078d2c808.ne.client2.attbi.com:...es/100_0031.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Gwynn Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Wow...sounds like fun! I haven't really considered trying WW, it's hard enough to find the time for Sea and Surf Kayaking. I bet that the skills learned in WW will directly translate to better skills on the Ocean when in conditions/tidal rips etc. Good for you for taking the plunge into the "Liquid Ice" and WW Kayaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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