Shenandoah National Park, WV

The Hillside Motel is very close to the Thornton Gap entrance of the Shenandoah National Park (SNP). After checking out of the motel in the morning, I drove into the SNP for a vsit. The America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Pass lifetime pass for seniors (aka Interagency Senior Lifetime Pass) got me in for free, otherwise I would have to pay $30 for a 7 day pass. The senior pass is good for all national parks and federal lands (national forests, Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds) and all campsites are 50% off for the cardholder. My $80 pass has paid for itself many times over! Also, making reservations online is pretty easy on https://www.recreation.gov/. This is one federal website that appeared to have gotten the concepts of user experience right. Or, perhaps I had gotten used to the quirks of the website, having used it so often the past two years.

I have been to SNP many many years ago and could not remember much about it. Had thought about camping there for the kayaking trip, but the few campsites with electric hookups were sold out. Stopped at the visitor center, then drove around one part of the huge park only since I wanted to get home before dark. However, I did take the time to hike one of the many trails to a small waterfall. It was good exercise on a beautiful sunny day.

Kayaking Down the Shenandoah River, WV

This trip, with the Hiking, Kayaking and Cultural Adventurers Group, was postponed from a year ago. I was rather nervous since I'm a novice kayaker. I was also told there will be rapids, but Bob, the group leader assured me that he had never lost anyone in the years he organized this trip (twice a year, in June and July) and that he will be close by to throw me a rope if I capsized. No, that did not calm my fears! We were with Shenandoah River Outfitters (SRO) who provided the kayaks and gear as well as transportation to the launch and pick up at end. SRO also provided lunch and dinner for the day.

Since it was about a 2 hour drive from Bowie to the SRO near Luray, WV, I decided to stay nearby a night before the trip and a night after. SRO offers a few cabins for rent, but those were quickly taken by our group members. Fifty members had signed up for the paddle, although some had planned to drive up early and leave right after the kayaking. I reserved a room at the Hillside Motel not far from the SRO

The drive to Luray was uneventful, I started at about 3 pm, and arrived just in time to meet up with Bob and some group members for dinner at an Italian restuarant in town. We had a nice relaxed meal and got to know each other. I was worried about sitting too long on a hard kayak seat, and the others suggested buying a seat pad in the local Walmart. That turned out to be a butt saver!

On the way to the SRO the next morning, I stopped by a McDonald's and got breakfast and coffee to go. Checked in with Bob, got my gear (paddle only since I brought my own life vest), ate my breakfast and waited for the bus.

It was pretty exiciting to meet fellow kayakers, and a relief to know that there were other first timers in the group. I was ready for a long day of kayaking: wore my sunblocking long sleeved rash guard, brought kayaking gloves, seat pad, hat, sunglasses, sunblock, water, and snacks and phone in a dry bag. We were told to leave our car keys in the SRO offce, to ensure they didn't get lost in the river. The water level was pretty low; the SRO had to change the put in and take out locations, plus the route was going to be shorter than usual (good news to me).

After a short bus ride, we got to the launch site and we were off. It was an easy paddle down river, not a lot of effort needed initially. It was fantastic being on the water during a hot and sunny day, chatting with other kayakers as we pass each other, a sense of adventure and comradery.

And then we encountered faster moving water, aka rapids, although they were quite tame to the seasoned kayakers. Since the water level was so low, there were a lot of exposed rocks. It was a challenge to figure out how to use the water to move the kayak quickly over the rocks. Some people got stuck, a few had to get out to push their kayaks off the rocks. Fortunately I was able to get through most of the rapids without a problem, except towards the end. And, nobody capsized on this trip!

We got out of the river for a break at the halfway point. Lunch was catered by the SRO: fresh grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, potato salad, chips and fruit. Everything tasted so good after a hard workout.

Then it was time to get back on the river to paddle towards the pick up location. The rest of the paddle was just as restful and scenic, with the occasional fast water; I wish I was able to take more photos, but I had my hands full steering the kayak to avoid exposed rocks.

After another hour of leisurely paddling, we reached the take out location. I had a hard time getting to the banks from the center of the river because of the moving water over exposed rocks in that area. That was the place I got stuck. A fellow kayaker pushed me forward so I did not have to get out of my kayak and then figure how to get back in. It was quite a relief to finally get back on terra firma! We got on the bus that took us back to the SRO. I changed (some people showered at the campground), and went to the pavilion where SRO grilled steaks and chicken, served with baked beans, salad, etc. as well as desserts. Lots of food! We even had live music with the dinner. Great way to end the day. I was really pleased to have overcome my fears and survived a rather strenuous adventure. I spent another night in the motel, tomorrow I plan to visit the Shenandoah National Park nearby.