trying to take a video with my phone.
Last week, the Campfire Queen and I decided we needed some outdoor therapy. More specifically, the kind of therapy that involves kayaks and whitewater rapids. So we did a little research and found a hidden gem just a ‘hop, skip, and a jump’ away called Frog Bayou (pun intended).
We floated an 8 mile stretch from the Lancaster Bridge to the Hwy 282 bridge in Rudy. With spring in full swing, the water was up, and there was no shortage of greenery. We passed under 3 old railroad bridges, one of which gave us surprise options for rapids.
I chose poorly. I got stuck.
Overall, the trip was awesome… mostly. The first hiccup came when I tipped my kayak less than 10 minutes into the float and lost my Captain America water bottle (and almost lost the kayak). The reason, it turns out, wasn’t my lack of kayaking skills, but because I had taken on too much water after the first surprise drop. You see, I’ve gained a little bit of weight over the last few years, and now I need a BIG boy kayak. This is also the reason for the second hiccup. Because of my personal-weight-to-kayak-capacity ratio, I dropped a little harder than most at nearly every set of rapids, resulting in my kayak taking on water. So at every 2-3 set of rapids, we had to pull ashore to empty out.
So much fun.
The third hiccup came when we had pulled ashore (luckily the last time) to once again empty my kayak after a particularly gnarly set of rapids. That particular area just happened to also be very scenic, so I decided to take some photos. I got a great shot of the rapids and the obligatory shot of Yona Trailbear. It was in my attempt to get video of the rapids that I came to the sudden and painful realization of just how slick and loose the rocks beneath me were.
I fell. Hard.
By the time we loaded up, I honestly thought my wrist and/or hand was broken. I was in pain, and I couldn’t even move my arm without my hand lighting up. There was swelling, bruising, and no short amount of whining. Luckily, a combination of ibuprofen, tylenol, and an ice pack helped tremendously. Today, the swelling has mostly gone down, and I have enough functionality in my fingers to at least type.
Despite the hiccups, we had a blast. There were plenty of smiles to be had. I even designed a new Frog Bayou t-shirt to commemorate the trip. You should get one.
Laters gators…