The River Wild

When my friend Andrea emailed last week with 2 weekend options and asked for my vote between exploring a new state part and tubing...without hesitation I responded with tubing. I envisioned floating down a cool stream, the sun warming my skin, a cool drink in my hand, chatting with my friends. My first clue should have been the multiple recommendations at the tube rental shop for helmets and life jackets, and the waiver we had to sign when we declined them.

We walked over to Boulder Creek. Rushing water. No other tubers. Suddenly aware that this would be no leisurely float on the river...I said nothing about the fear starting to build within me. Thinking the 'creek' was slightly too fast for us at that location we walked a bit down stream. It was inevitable that we would be getting in somewhere along the stream so we finally picked a spot. Looked just as fast in that spot as the one we thought was too fast, but not wanting to stifle the fun I put on my brave face and offered to bring up the rear of our train of three tubes. The woman at the rental shop told us we should be able to stand whenever we needed to stop...how bad can it be then?

I don't remember what caused me to flip the tube over the first time, but I do remember knocking my knee on a rock, hard, and my tube dragging me down stream till I was able to get my footing and get to the side. I didn't feel I had hurt myself too bad and truthfully had enjoyed the wild ride. I jumped back on the tube.

After one particular rapid, I sort of floated in place for a few seconds and then I could feel the water pulling me back toward the rapid. My tube got caught in that space where the water rushing down meets the water shooting out. I was stuck. I started to panic a little. I possibly could have avoided what happened next if I had thought the whole situation through a little better...but my panic won out and I followed previous instructions to 'lean forward'. Instantly the tube flipped forward pushing me under it into the strong, rapid water. My sun visor was pulled off immediately. I fought to get my face above water, trying not to let go of the tube and feeling the tube and the water dragging me down stream. I knew there was another rapid very close to this one and was pretty sure I didn't want to go down it under my tube. I kicked and faught my way to the side of the stream. I was panicing now...I couldn't seem to stop myself from being pulled down stream. I pulled the tube up and over my head and pushed it toward the edge so it would stop being pulled down stream and finally braced myself on a tree root and some rocks right before reaching the next rapids.

My friend Lisa saw the first part of this unfold as she had gone through that rapid before me. I thought she had seen the rest of it transpire and would know how unruly the water was being but when I turned back to tell her I was needing a break...the water had sucked her back toward the rapids into that same special spot where water coming down and water spraying out meet. I knew her fate was identical to mine. I looked away to see where our 3rd cohort was as she had just passed through and when I turned back around toward Lisa I saw her swimming to the side of the creek her tube still bouncing around in the dead spot. After the rapids spit it out and it started floating down stream I had a split second to try to decide if I could 'save' the tube or if I should just let it go and continue to save myself. I tried to save the tube and lost both of our tubes in the process.

I felt like I was ready to be done. Lisa actually said out loud that she was done. Andrea was able to grab one of our stray tubes as it passed her farther down stream and the other was gone. We all climbed out...told our stories of survival and started to walk down the path, hoping we'd find the other tube and not have to pay more money for it. About 2 minutes into that walk a runner lady comes jogging up with the tube. I recognized her from the bridge above where all this had happened. She had stood there watching the whole thing...I assume to make sure we were okay and when we lost our tube she ran to go find it. She said she had nothing better to do.

We walked quite a ways then...Lisa and I definitely afraid to go back in. I didn't want to make Andrea cut her trip short though as she was still having lots of fun. Andrea and I did end trying once more much farther down stream. While the water had slowed this part of the stream was permeated with branches on both sides and I literally thought I was going to poke an eye out. A few run ins with the branches and no control over whether I ran straight into one or not I was officially done. It took us a while to get ourselves out of the water at that particular spot where I said 'no more' and then a 2 mile walk back up the trail before the whole adventure was over.

While I don't regret trying the rapids on a tube...I do regret the damage it did to my legs and feet. I have bruises like you wouldn't believe, scratches and for the last 4 days it has felt like both feet/ankles have stress fractures. Not great timing since the next 3 weeks will involve lots of walking. I'm still proud of how well we did when walking back to the rental shop we saw several boys walk around rapids we had done. But I'm not sure I should be so proud or whether I should feel embarrassed by my stupidity...