River Races

Didn't quite finish that last post.

Then, the Hock river race is two weeks from sunday. This one has only one set of decent rapids, very close to the beginning. Unfortunately the water level was slightly low, so most of the boats as we approached seemed to grinding to halt on the rocks, and then having the current push them sideways until the rolled over the drop and tipped over. So as soon as we started to hit bottom, Dave jumped out of the back of the boat, lifted the rear, and ran us through the whole set of rapids. It actually worked, and we passed a half dozen boats that were struggling not to flip over. From there the river opens up to Union Pond, which you can easily burnout your arms trying to race across, arms you are definitely going to need later. At the end of the pond is a portage around the dam. Not quite as adrenaline pumping as the Scantic portage, it is just a long concrete stairway, dropping a total of about fifty feet. Then back on the river where for the middle third of the race it winds pretty tightly through forest, without rapids, but spots where it splits around tiny islands and you have to try to figure out the faster side, as sometimes one side is very shallow and beaches your boat, while the other side has most of the current. Then the last third it basically meanders very slowly and wide through a marshy swamp. Here is were you really need arm strength and endurance, as you basically don't move unless you paddle, and you are closing on the finish line, hoping to stay ahead of or pass other boaters in your class.

So, needless to say, I have been amped up for the past couple of weeks for these races to happen, and now they are only a week away. So hopefully Dave and I can get out Saturday and shake off a year's worth of rust, so maybe we won't tip at all in the race. Although that was part of the fun I guess, in a screwed up sort of way.