Crew Kayaking '05

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CREW:

Wow, what a weekend!! We arrived almost on time at Lake Lanier after a bit of a late start from the church and settled in quickly for our gear check out with Jim. Michael looked distressingly comfortable modeling a skirt but without much mayhem we got everyone situated in time to head out to Johnny's for some super pizza. Early Sat. morning brought a bagel breakfast with a hook up with our late arrivals, Chris and Matthew x 2. Let them tell you about calling for directions about 3 blocks from the turn off. Much fun was had by all in our Saturday training session on the lake. Curiously, your humble advisor was the last one floating during the dunk 'em contest despite being ganged up on by Travis, Jake and Michael. That water sure was fine, wasn't it boys? Matthew S. smoked the field on the Great Race. When it came time for Eskimo Rolls, Crew 149 set a new world's record for folks hitting their rolls. Travis and Matthew S. turned them like they had been doing it their entire lives while Lily and Matthew C., incredibly, did it on their first day on the water in a kayak. Unbelievable!! I believe John turned one and Sam was oh so close. If I have missed anyone, claim it. Everyone made it off the lake unscathed only to have Sam attacked by the picnic table when we returned to camp. Saturday night's feast drew a crowd even if it did take half a millennium to prepare. (Nothing like great food to make your instructors stick with you.) Likewise breakfast but the stove running out of gas right in the middle of cooking the home fries certainly threw things behind. Still, everyone managed to eat and pack and still get to the kayak barn in good time. Ah, the river! We started off with the option of walking our boats 7 or 8 feet down some stairs, taking a side trail to a shallow put in, or loading up in our boats and doing a drop in to the river down the stairs with a hearty shove by one of our crazed guides, Tom. Of course, everyone dropped!! Way too much fun to start the day. Lots of adventures down the river with many tales to tell. Just ask. Almost everyone did some swimming along the way, some intentionally, some unintentionally. Somehow Sam managed to perch his kayak on a rock some 3 feet above the surface of the water and hung out there, apparently quite content. I took a particularly energetic shoot upside down. Just for variety, of course. Michael treated one section like the spot in Splash Water Falls where you get stuck and fill up your boat. Matthew S. and Travis practiced combat rolls at every opportunity and Lily even snuck one in before the day was done. Chris just laid back and cruised like it was Main Street USA. Everyone had much fun surfing at lunch beach and several even got in some body surfing. Matthew C. kept finding it tough to resist "cutting the bagel" while Jake, thankfully, did resist spending the day floating behind his craft. Special thanks to Jim, Scott, Billy and Tom for their fine instruction and good time approach to the day. Kudos to Susan for stepping in as adult accompaniment and then doing a fine job on the lake. Amazingly, Chris managed to do some terrific kayaking while devoting an incredible amount of time on his science fair project, the Rolling Ant Farm. Who is up for hitting the water again soon?

Don W.
Advisor, Crew 149

Participating youth: Matthew C., Lily D., Michael F., Chris M., John O., Matthew S., Travis T., Jake W., and Sam W.
Participating adults: Don W., Susan W.  

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