It’s 6:00 AM on Friday morning and it’s incredibly difficult to pry my body from the warm bed and put on cold paddling clothes. I ask myself, “Why do I do this?” I grab a Clif bar, bottle of water and head out the door.
After a short drive to the river, I unload my kayak and then try to wake-up. Thank God the other guys start to show up, because BED sounds pretty good right now. It’s all the usual suspects, the “Friday Morning Up-River Paddle” crowd. We launch our kayaks and start to paddle like tired, stiff middle-aged guys. “Wait a second, we are!”
After a few paddle strokes I start to notice the mist on the water and smell the river, very distinctively fresh and fishy at the same time. Finally, I’m waking up and the old body is starting to feel good! Just a few strokes more and “slap,” a large beaver gives us the warning sign. We all point and try to find him when he surfaces. Now I’m feeling observant, like a hungry trapper in the 1800s. I notice the Heron to my right, the flock of Geese, Ducks and Mergansers to my left. The Cormorants drying their wings in the branches above deserve a careful look, because they usually poop as we paddle by. “Look at that!” one of the guys yells. A huge Salmon gives us a wonderful show as he leaps and splashes next to the boats. Every time I’m on the river the animals put on a show, this is the kind of stuff you just can’t see anywhere else.
As a small boy, I wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau the ocean explorer. My favorite TV show was National Geographic, I also loved any zoo and marine show, but all of my dreams and interests seemed so unattainable, far away and make-believe. Now here I am, a married adult raising three children in Redding, CA and the dreams of being a world explorer seem very far away. Or are they? Perhaps God wanted me to explore this part of the world first and get some practice. After all, would I notice everything in the outdoors somewhere else if I didn’t notice things here? I think most people have lost the true meaning of the outdoors. It means: OUTSIDE YOUR DOORS.
The guys and I continue paddling up the river, challenging the current and rocks, and then we make it to the dam. I feel miles away from civilization, although houses are close enough to hit with rocks. Here on the river, I am an explorer, after all, who has seen exactly what I have today? We paddle back to our cars feeling different than two hours earlier. I have a clear mind and my thoughts are silent. My eyes are sharp and muscles worked-out. I am hungry, alert and happy. We load our boats, B.S. briefly about the mornings adventure and then head off our different ways.
I remember why I do this; adventure, wildlife, discovery, destiny, health, life and God’s creation, that’s what the outdoors means to me!
Garth Schmeck (Captain Penguin)
