The water had already started to seep through my clothes when I finally realized how cold it had gotten. My cousin next to me was curled up into a ball in an effort to keep warm. The dark clouds continued to rumble above us now our makeshift shelter was beginning to collapse. The downpour of rain didn’t subside, and now all of our gear was soaked. Our annual canoeing and kayaking trip on the Buffalo River brings my family and cousins together every summer. Besides my father and I, my Uncle Ron and his two children came, along with my Uncle Glenn. It is always great to reunite with my cousins, Jacob and Chase. We carried two canoes and two kayaks filled with camping gear and food . On our trip, we paddle down the river all day, stopping
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Tall mountainsides surrounded us, their multicolored sides gleaming in the sun. Trees enclose both sides of the river, with numerous beaches enticing us to stop. Besides the swift moving rapids, the rest of the river is relatively calm, offering a peaceful time while we weren’t trying to flip each other’s canoe. It had been a fantastic first night, and everyone was ready for another day. After a refreshing breakfast, we packed up our tents and supplies into the boats. We reluctantly left the cool sand of the beach to another hot day on the river. The rising sun beat down on us as we first set out. Because we slacked off on our first day, we decided to work hard on this day. It was getting later and my dad, eager to find the perfect camping spot, forged ahead of the group. He and Jacob were in a canoe so I decided to follow them in the kayak. The first cool breezes of the day came in, seemingly caressing our scorched skin. Thinking this was a good omen, I looked up into the sky only to see dark clouds coming from the distance. I ignored it thinking that it would just pass over. Now our separate group had completely left behind the others. We were deciding whether or not to stop and wait when the first echo of thunder traveled past us. At that point, my dad was yelling for us to go to the nearest beach. After pulling the boats up onto land, my dad ushered us inland. We clambered up …show more content…
Luckily, my dad had his backpack holding my raincoat and his. He handed Jacob his, the excess material billowing in the strong wind. The only we could do now is wait. Once the weather started to calm down a little, my dad ventured out to spot the rest of the group. In about 15 minutes, they came around a bend in the river and into our sights. There was still some rain and the occasional flash of lightning in the distance so we decided to wait it out. With some tarp and rope from the boat, my dad and uncles crafted a small sheltered. They threw the tarp on branches above us and tied ropes through them onto tree trunks. Almost everyone was standing, except for those who chose to sit in the soaked, fold-up chairs. Just as we thought we could finally leave, the wind and rain picked back up. With this horrible combination, we were now being drenched with water. Not only that but now water was collected on the tarp, making it bulge above us. The cold wind and rain soaked through our clothes, making us even colder. Once the rain finally stopped, we dragged ourselves away to the dreaded effort of packing up, getting on the river, and trying to make it to our next
Tall mountainsides surrounded us, their multicolored sides gleaming in the sun. Trees enclose both sides of the river, with numerous beaches enticing us to stop. Besides the swift moving rapids, the rest of the river is relatively calm, offering a peaceful time while we weren’t trying to flip each other’s canoe. It had been a fantastic first night, and everyone was ready for another day. After a refreshing breakfast, we packed up our tents and supplies into the boats. We reluctantly left the cool sand of the beach to another hot day on the river. The rising sun beat down on us as we first set out. Because we slacked off on our first day, we decided to work hard on this day. It was getting later and my dad, eager to find the perfect camping spot, forged ahead of the group. He and Jacob were in a canoe so I decided to follow them in the kayak. The first cool breezes of the day came in, seemingly caressing our scorched skin. Thinking this was a good omen, I looked up into the sky only to see dark clouds coming from the distance. I ignored it thinking that it would just pass over. Now our separate group had completely left behind the others. We were deciding whether or not to stop and wait when the first echo of thunder traveled past us. At that point, my dad was yelling for us to go to the nearest beach. After pulling the boats up onto land, my dad ushered us inland. We clambered up …show more content…
Luckily, my dad had his backpack holding my raincoat and his. He handed Jacob his, the excess material billowing in the strong wind. The only we could do now is wait. Once the weather started to calm down a little, my dad ventured out to spot the rest of the group. In about 15 minutes, they came around a bend in the river and into our sights. There was still some rain and the occasional flash of lightning in the distance so we decided to wait it out. With some tarp and rope from the boat, my dad and uncles crafted a small sheltered. They threw the tarp on branches above us and tied ropes through them onto tree trunks. Almost everyone was standing, except for those who chose to sit in the soaked, fold-up chairs. Just as we thought we could finally leave, the wind and rain picked back up. With this horrible combination, we were now being drenched with water. Not only that but now water was collected on the tarp, making it bulge above us. The cold wind and rain soaked through our clothes, making us even colder. Once the rain finally stopped, we dragged ourselves away to the dreaded effort of packing up, getting on the river, and trying to make it to our next