Through Desolation Part 2: 82.1 to Above Cedar Ridge

6/11

Day 2

Monday

We left 82.1 at 8 in the morning. After a breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, and smoked salmon. The winds were calm, which let the miles of flat water float on by. 

Margo getting a Quick Dip

We saw a few groups of private boats and a large commercial group getting ready for the day. One of the private groups caught up to us, which was rather impressive, and we spent a few miles chatting together. (Some of the people you meet on rivers are rather interesting).

A few class II wave trains popped up towards the end of our mileage day. They might have been small, but they did break up the sluggish flats. It was kind of nice to feel a little bit of sloshing water in the bottom of my canoe. And, it gave me a chance to put my bailing sponge to use, besides just cooling myself off. (yeah, I had a bailing sponge).

After a while, my knees began to hurt a lot. I had been sitting on a rope bag to elevate my seating position throughout the day. But, that may have caused my knees to set a bad spot. So, I tethered the canoe to Mom’s raft. And, I sat on the back of the raft, letting my legs stretch out. Some distance was covered like this, but I hopped back in my canoe before the last rapid of the day. And paddled it to camp. 

Hitching a Ride from Mom

We made camp (Above Cedar Ridge) around 2pm, before we had lunch. A ‘build our own’ smorgasbord. 

Lunch Break (Mom, Toni, Bob)

Camp (which was situated on a sweeping left bend in the river) had a large, slopping, sand beach, guarded by a large eddy on River right. To reach the beach, a boat would have to enter the bottom of the eddy and use the eddies current to travel to the beach. Any attempt made on the top of the eddy would result in the boat being pushed back into the main current, or a very tired oarsman. The eddy is large enough to swim in but ropes may be required to keep kids from drifting to far out. The camp itself had a collection of open areas, for tents and the kitchen, scattered around the brushes and some large cotton wood trees. A rapid sat just downstream from camp.

Boats at Camp (Mom and her Camera)

The Kitchen

I set my hammock up between two of the trees. (Later, I was happy that is was a warm night). And, the rest of the afternoon was spent napping, swimming, telling stories, and trying to launch Noah off an inflatable couch. Which, popped on my first attempt.  

My Hammock

Dinner was curry with flat bread, and Dutch Oven blueberry cobbler afterwards.

Tomorrow promises faster current and more rapids.