Why I like to kayak and canoe

Several years ago now I was blessed with the gift of a canoe. Then the next year I was surprised with the gift of a kayak. While I enjoy them both, I probably use the kayak more than the canoe.

I have often reflected on why I like to kayak and canoe. I thought the canoe would be a fun thing to have for my grandchildren. We could spend time together and I could teach them to canoe and enjoy the water. I have taken Tiernan out several times and take the Meesters out when we go to the beach. In fact, the first year I took it down to the beach I found this pond or canal, a body of water between streets (we go to Edisto Island, SC). It looked real quiet and easily accessible, so we all piled in the canoe and had a blast! The very next day a fence was begun to block the pond. I guess they didn’t like the idea of people having fun in their pond!

I like kayaking because it is quiet and peaceful. I was excited when I discovered the river. And the lake is best when I get into the creek areas, areas where nobody goes, especially the boats. The river is awesome for this reason. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river… Just sitting by a river has the same affect. It is similar to going hiking in the woods. But the river has a soothing effect that the woods do not – unless you come upon a creek!

Related to this is the relationship between the kayak/canoe with the water. “Canoes, too, are unobtrusive; they don't storm the natural world or ride over it, but drift in upon it as part of its own silence.” I like that. No motor and very little noise.

Another reason is getting away and being alone. The same man, someone named John Graves, also said, “The river's aloneness was on me and I liked it.” Now I hasten to add that while I like going out by myself, I am excited that Mary now has a kayak and we can go together. Even though there are two of us, there is still the aloneness of the river. Dave and I always have a great time when we go out. I've taken Anne and Mary k out in the canoe. It is the getting away that is great.

I like to get out on the river because then it is just me, creation, and the Creator. It is a wonderful time to bask in the beauty of creation, feel the natural rhythm of the water and the wild. My spirit soars to the Creator and is filled with praise and wonder at His power. And early on I realized that part of trusting God in every thing was casting the care and outcome of my trips on Him. As I set out toward the water I’m trusting the Lord to help me enjoy Him and get back.

Another reason, and a strong one for me, is when I’m out on the water it is just me and the water. If I’m gonna make it, I have to do it. If I get stuck, I have to figure out how to get unstuck. I like that. One of the first times I was out by myself, I got stuck on some rocks. There was a small moment of slight panic, “Who is going to help me get unstuck?” I quickly realized no one was coming. No one was available. I had to get myself unstuck. And I did. I think this builds strength of character.

A friend of mine once asked me if I could take him and his wife down the river in my canoe. They had never paddled before but he was interested. He asked me, “If you take me down once will I be able to take her down by myself after that?” I replied, “You probably want to develop some paddling skills first. And keep this in mind, when you set off down the river, it is just you. There will be no one ‘passing by’ to help.” What a personal challenge that is! Do you feel it? I do.

One time Mary and I decided to canoe down a portion of the Broad River. You start in North Carolina and paddle down to the Gaffney (SC) area. We found a takeout spot and parked one car and drove up to the put in. It was beautiful! It was on this trip that I learned to paddle away from a dam, not toward it. The river turned into a lake and a lot of work. We reached the dam and had to portage around it. That canoe got heavy as we went up the hill and through the woods. But we made it and put back in at the “shoals.” This was also the trip I learned what shoals were, because on the other side of the dam were the Gaston Shoals. They are rocky areas too shallow to paddle! So we carried the canoe some more. Then it was smooth paddling down to the take out spot. Well, the river was flowing and the take out spot I had chosen was the confluence of Bowen Creek and Broad River. And both were full and surging! Try as we might, we were not able to paddle against the current to the take out spot. What do we do? There is no one coming to give us help or advice – it’s just me, Mary, the canoe and the surging river. Well, I did the only thing I could think of, I got out, steadied myself against the current, and literally hauled that canoe up river to a spot I could drag it on to the bank. Carrying the canoe, then fighting the current to lug it on to the bank wore me slap out. But it was great!

There is a beauty and peace, fulfillment and communion with the Creator that comes with kayaking. This is hard to put into words, but when you are on the river it is tangible. The same is true of paddling the marshes of Edisto Island. I cannot tell you how awesome it is. And the time I paddled up the Edisto River and just when I was ready to turn around I saw dolphins. I was so close I could hear them blowing!! I tried to get closer and they disappeared. So, strange as it may sound, I asked them to forgive me for trying to get too close and told them it would be ok to reappear. I turned around and headed back. Then, there they were again! Awesome!

That’s why I like to kayak and canoe.

Rivers hardly ever run in a straight line.
Rivers are willing to take ten thousand meanders
and enjoy every one
and grow from every one.
When they leave a meander,
they are always more
than when they entered it.
When rivers meet an obstacle,
they do not try to run over it.
They merely go around
but they always get to the other side.
Rivers accept things as they are,
conform to the shape they find the world in,
yet nothing changes things more than rivers.
Rivers move even mountains into the sea.
Rivers hardly ever are in a hurry
yet is there anything more likely
to reach the point it sets out for
than a river?
James Dillet Freeman