Paddling, Mudding, and Hiking

 

After Jem got back from Cliff Diving, he wanted to go canoeing or kayaking, as did most of the other Boy Scouts who had been diving from off the Heron Lake Dam.

Crazy! He looks so grown up, but only 14 years old and already 6’2”!

The group headed out in an armada of boats. There’s Jem in the front of the white canoe.

And Jax is in the front of this orange canoe.

See that blue shape in the water, among the center of the boats? That was a German Exchange Student that came along with one of the Boy Scout families for the camping trip. His name was Marcus and he wanted to swim the entire mile-plus distance from the shore to the little island. He was wearing a safety vest, but he did swim the entire distance all on his own. Wow!

While they paddled (and swam) to the island I hung out at the beach taking some pics of some of the Scouts playing on the beach……..in the mud.

It was amazing how deep they managed to bury themselves.

They seemed to be enjoying their own Mud Spa experience…..a little too much.

Swamp Monster!

 

Jem switched places on the way back from the island and was able to kayak back instead of canoe.

And then someone asked me if I wanted to take a turn with the paddles. Oh yeah! I love boating!

I got someone to keep an eye on Jen and Dobbie. And I was surprised that Jax volunteered to go with me, because he had been out on the canoes and kayaks all day by that time.

So Jax hopped into the canoe with me and we headed out to the island with two other parents in kayaks and another kayak with a couple of younger Boy Scouts.

Jax and I were a well-oiled rowing machine and we kept having to slow down to wait up for the younger Scouts, who were already tiring out half-way across the lake. One of the kayaking parents, was smart to pack a rope, because, after we reached the island, he used it to tow those two tired Boy Scouts back to shore.

I was surprised at how strong and effortlessly I was able to power across the lake. I felt alive and elated. It felt great to get out and explore and have fun with my son. We talked and laughed the entire way. It was truly a highlight of our weekend.

Dobbie missed me terribly while I was gone. If we had had a doggie safety vest, I would have taken her with me. But she sure was happy when she saw me paddling back to shore!

What a sweet reunion!

Next time you get to go out, too, Dobbie. I love my little Chiweenie girl!

As the sun started to drop lower in the sky, we gathered together with the Boy Scouts for a Potluck meal and after dinner, the kidlets and I decided we wanted to check out the Rio Chama Trail and the old Suspension Bridge, while the Boy Scouts had made plans to attend a Ranger Talk at the Nature Center about Rattlesnakes. Our hope was to hike the beginning of the Rio Chama Trail and place a letterbox near the old Suspension Bridge, and then join up with the Boy Scouts at the Nature Center. Pretty ambitious plans considering the sun was almost on the horizon.

And I might not have chosen our plans if I had known how rugged and steep that first 1/2 mile of trail really was as it traveled down the stairs along the cap rock of the Chama River Canyon.

(This is the platform and stairs leading down from the top)

And switch-backed down to the river.

It was totally worth it, of course, and I’m so glad we took on the challenge, because the old, swaying, rocking, bouncing, wooden Suspension Bridge is slated for replacement by next summer with a brand new, boring, safe metal bridge. (Now why do they have to go ruin a great piece of history and adventure?)

Such a great old bridge, too.

After placing the letterbox on the other side of the canyon above the bridge we headed back across the river, our destination: The top of that cap rock along the canyon wall.

(See the platform and stairs leading down the wall across the canyon? That was our destination. It was much tougher hiking back up that steep, switch-back, cap rock canyon wall, than it was coming down. That’s for sure! Whew!)

But we made it just as the sun dipped below the horizon, and even caught the last half of the Rattlesnake Ranger Talk, too! Wooo! Awesome day!