I tend to be the kind of person that thinks whatever awesome thing is in front of me is “the best ever”. Example–if I’m eating an incredible Italian dinner, you might hear me exclaim that Italian food is the best and my “favorite”. You could catch me saying the same about Mexican, Thai, etc the very next day. So I’ll spare you the “best” bullshit but will say I had an incredible time on the very short but enjoyable paddle from Trout Creek to Harpum last weekend.
There was a crew of about 12 of us…coordinated as a staff trip but ultimately we had about as many “friends of the shop” (a legacy Tumalo term) as staff. The paddling community tends to share a “come one come all” everyone welcome, kind of attitude. This can create a dynamic where many personalities, abilities and river-experience intermix. Many a time, that can cause drama, especially when river trips are also known for imbibing a little…or a lot…or a shit-ton (an official measurement that lies between “crap-ton” and “fuck-ton”). This trip everyone was basically a river guide. Everyone adores one another (ok, everyone gets along/likes one another but with enough party-favors we all adore one another…ha!) And, almost everyone had been on at least one if not countless river trips together. We were efficient and no one needed hand-holding (not that that’s bad…we all learn somehow) but it can be nice to just flow.
The weather was predicted to rain. It didn’t. Not even a little. It was gloriously beautiful. So we set out at a leisurely but reasonable start from Trout with laughs and good vibes already going. I sat on Otis’s boat (long time friend and great guy). I brought my paddleboard but I’d already determined that the trip was more about socializing than paddling for me, especially since the Lower D is a higher-volume river versus the low-volume, “creeky” style of paddling I prefer. With that said, when I was on my board I was able to paddle around and chat with the various rafts that also had different genres of music playing, from Bluegrass to old-school rap (can you guess which I spent more time around?).
We camped at Davidson campground which is a fabulous group site. The kitchen was set up high and I was able to set my tent right next to the river near a small rapid that could lull me to sleep, eventually. First, I was able to cold plunge/river bath which is my favorite to re-energize after a day of paddling and camp set-up. Then, let the festivities begin! It was Lauri’s birthday, so there were boas and a huge cake-compliments of Otis’s fine Dutch oven skills and my “overseeing the project” to determine the best combination of cakes and frostings. Spoiler alert, we did ALL of them. Yellow cake layered on German chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting filling and caramel pecan frosting on top. Yum! The wine and beer and tequila and gin were flowing. Dinner was fabulous prepared by all the men, lead by Geoff. The women stood around the fire sharing drinks, dirty jokes and ultimately doing nothing but being “fabulous”… a dynamic all the men and women laughed about as it seemed a role reversal if you’re talking about historically stereotypical gender roles. PS, there were two lesbians and one bisexual woman on this trip. Let’s just say there was nothing stereotypical about this group or the conversations throughout. It was awesome. And of course, there was a dance party which eventually became just three of us dancing around the fire because DJ Hannah (in the h-ouuuuuse) continued to play the best songs and we just couldn’t stop. At some point in the night I stumbled down to my tent and slept like a baby…river song enhanced.
The following morning I woke early…hours before anyone else…and went for a hike up to a viewpoint. It was deliciously beautiful and a great reminder about life and all the rad things to experience out there. Great breakfast, paddling, wind, yadda yadda… we all packed up and drove back. You know the drill. What the key element was for me on this short but delightful trip was this…a big reset. An infusion of so much laughter and friends and joy that it ushered out any heavy or stressful thoughts. My life stands ahead of me in its full glory. With friends, community, rivers and revelations. It was, the perfect trip.
Frisky Ripples 