Re: [Paddlewise] Ring of Repugnance--A Trip Report

   Great trip report Mark, and sounds like a lot of fun.
   But no kayak trip report is complete without the essential
   element...the fish count. You must have seen some pescados
   in that gin-clear water.

  Brad

Subject: [Paddlewise] Ring of Repugnance--A Trip Report


> If you like to read, here's the trip report I wrote for my club. They
> got to have photos inserted to make it more exciting.
> If you're just a photo person, you can head straight for my album, but I
> warn you, I took a lot of photos!
>
> http://www.sandmarks.net/BC/Black%20Canyon%20Thumbs1.htm
>
> *Black Canyon Paddle* *2010*
> How could I use such a title for such a great trip? Well, perhaps it
> just has a nice ring to it, but really you just had to be there!
> Sometimes the silliest things become the center of conversation and it's
> hard not to associate them together! Call it the antithesis of our time
> at Black Canyon where 23, 24--28?? folks showed up at various times to
> circle-mingle around the canyon to share talk, food and music--and to
> enjoy the awe inspiring beauty of the river below Hoover Dam.
>
> I was all set to miss this trip with my car's transmission going out
> earlier in the week, but Santa Barbara offered me her Turbo Subaru and I
> couldn't say no (I was a bit upset when I learned the car lacked an 8
> disc CD changer!). I had to fight the clutch and rush hour traffic on
> the way out to Lake Mead, so when I showed up, it was the cue for
> everyone to head to bed after listening to Steve, or Fearless Leader,
> sing around the camp fire. Barb and Debra had already set up my tent and
> inflated my giant air mattress, so after a couple quick dogs for dinner,
> I was off to bed.
>
> Some folks headed for the casino in the morn for breakfast, but most
> seemed to want to get an early start at Willow beach. We were somewhere
> near the low 20s in number when we took out. My unofficial and surely
> incomplete list: Steve W. and H., Ken & Barb, Debra, Lenora, Tim, Des,
> Bob & Meri, Win & Carole, Dave O, Bill W., Pete, Cartographer Kirby &
> Karen,  Chuck & Lori, John and Elijah, Cheryl & Bill???,  Me and ?????.
> We all got staggered starts on the water, but we were all about off by
> the 8am.
>
> It was a beautiful paddle against a small current and I hugged the
> cliffs to keep in the shade as I paddled. The Lollygagger was loaded top
> to bottom with a small cord of wood in the front hatch for the communal
> firestorm. I was amazed by the crystal clear water with the green
> grasses flowing under me as I paddled. It was a great time of year to be
> on the river with a lot of greenery on the cliffs. It was about 8 miles
> to the Hot Springs camp, but the pace was leisurely so we could enjoys
> the sights. The early folks hit Hot Springs and hurried to scope out a
> tent site, but there was plenty of room and soon we were all down on the
> beach helping everyone get their boats up to be safe from any rising
> tide. We were pretty much all present or accounted for when out of no
> where paddled up somebody in red Point Bennett to join us! Duane had got
> the time off from work at the last minute and left home at 3 in the
> morning to try and join the group. He was quite impressed that under
> Steve's leadership, we were all on the water before he hit Willow at 8:30!
>
> Setting up camp isn't usually the highlight of any camping trip, nor was
> it for us with the rapidly increasing heat off the water. I was lucky to
> get a quick, cold margarita from Bob to ease my burden. Soon we were all
> spread out in groups, sharing what ever shade available. It didn't take
> too long, though before everyone meandered down by the water to hang out
> and enjoy the much cooler breezes. Duane, being so close to Vegas, was
> in a betting mood and challenged anyone to swim to the rock with an eddy
> swirling around it that sat right off our beach. Little did he know
> Cheryl is a trained Lifeguard, so she swam out and back and made him
> cry! Later, he did it as well just to show it was a feat in the realm of
> mortals!
>
> K&B, Debra and I seemed to be the unofficial hosts on the night, as
> everyone brought their assorted chairs to eat hors d'oeuvres and many,
> to cook their dinner right there. If our group wasn't already unwieldy
> enough we were happily joined by JeanDrew and her friends Ed and
> Louise??? Some one had the audacity to ask the perpetually smiling
> JeanDrew why she smiled so much and she said, "what else are you
> supposed to do with your face"! Excellent point!!!  Sadly, we were all
> tired from out trip and the night was quite hot, so nobody wanted to
> light a fire with the ton of firewood we'd all hauled up river. And to
> go along with all the native desert critters, it turned out a somewhat
> more domestic pest had stowed away on the back of my kayak--La
> Cucaracha! To all our delight, Steve was able to tame it and make it
> sing and his voice literally filled the canyon and had the whole
> campground joining him in song! Since La Cucaracha had found its way
> there on my boat, I felt obligated to wrestle it for a while and Barb
> joined me on one song for a tag-team match. Lenora was adding upturned
> Tupperware percussion and later was persuaded to sing La Bamba with her
> and Duane showing off their dance moves!
>
> Later, a group headed out for the hot spring, but with the heat and the
> brain feasting amoebas, I wasn't really interested. But then I thought I
> should at least go check them out, so Barb, Debra, Carole and I made the
> short trek through the water and up the ladder to say hi. Carole say the
> others having so much fun, she ripped off her cloths and joined them! I
> assume that was a suit she was wearing beneath her civies! That jaunt
> sent me off to bed, but I was serenaded in my tent by Steve who stayed
> up in our camp playing for a while more.
>
> Morning saw us all mingling again and it was in some reference to
> camping life that Bob brought up the term Ring of Repugnance! Perhaps we
> should just assume it refers to how the ring of people talking gets a
> little bit wider in deference to others as the camping experience goes
> on with no showers available! It mattered little, as we got an early
> start on the water to head up to the dam for more sight-seeing.
>
> The paddle was amazing, the bridge was amazing, the dam was amazing and
> no one was in a hurry to head back to camp. Duane was heading up to the
> Sauna Cave and told me to come, but I'm really not a sauna fan. Still, I
> decided I oghtta go and joined Debra, Lenora and Duane. Debra and I went
> in just a bit and both of of us thought that was enough, but I decided
> to endeavor to persevere and made it to the bitter end. We sat there in
> utter darkness, although Lenora thought she could see the shadow of her
> hand in front of her face. It was one of many eerie experiences for me
> on the trip.
>
> Out of purgatory, I headed for another Ring of Repugnance--a rock
> jutting up near the surface in the strong current and creating an eddy
> to repel any boat that came near.  But if you came up right behind it,
> you could sneak in and ride the small standing wave with very little
> effort. I know Duane, Debra, Lenora and Chuck all took turns and I'm
> sure more did while I wasn't watching.
>
> Heading home, I sadly ran into a real ring of repugnance. A rafted group
> of canoes with about 20 young people who couldn't seem to utter one word
> without a cuss word modifier. I chalked it up to youthful exuberance,
> but as I flowed down river with them, it became too much to take. I know
> a lot of people thing nothing of cursing--it's only words right?!? But
> to be in such a majestic area and to have it sullied by so much
> profanity was obscene. Latter, I arrived back at camp and the same crew
> was on the beach with whiskey bottles mostly drained and I watched the
> drunkards actions on the beach. There was a rather burly man attached to
> another canoe group who looked like he was made up for a Geico
> commercial. He was walking down to the beach with a rather shapely young
> lady and this other group was actually mocking him and his walk and his
> companion. Knowing cave men aren't always so accepting of criticism, I
> though there could really be some trouble from a group that looked too
> eager to provide it, but nothing came of it. With this crowd already so
> drunk, a few of us were considering leaving the camp that night, but
> providence intervened and it turned out our camp was only a drinking
> spot on their way to Willow Beach, where I'm SURE they'd hang out to
> sober up before driving home!
>
> Soon the CKF 2010 Black Canyon Regulars were back hogging the shade and
> breezes of the beach. We would have been happy to share the shade with
> this nicer canoe group, but they were sun worshipers clearly defined by
> their beet red tan lines on their bodies. At one point though, it got
> too much and a few of the more sober members brought down some instant
> shade for the beach. They enjoyed their beer and had a rowdy good time,
> but never bothered anyone else at the camp.
>
> Duane had won and lost a few bets on the day, but gave up on betting
> anyone on the rock swim again. But just to show off, he decided to give
> the swim another go. The current seemed like it might be a little
> stronger on this day, but it was hard to tell. Duane headed out and
> whether it was  a poor ferry angle or the fact that his pants were
> falling down his butt, he ended up getting swept in behind the rock. He
> kept trying for it but it was a lost cause and rapidly tiring, he
> decided to concentrate on survival! He looked at us with a look of
> resignation, and it was hard to tell if he was in real trouble. Our
> Lifeguards jumped into action, but Duane was able to make it over to a
> rock just downstream from the beach. He took a while to catch his
> breathe there before rejoining the group to tell us what flashed across
> his mind before his near death! I think it was something about the irony
> of having a website called "Roll or Drown"! Never a dull moment!
>
> Soon, with the setting sun and the tall canyon wall lending some shade,
> it was back up to the camps for snacks and dinner. We were determined to
> burn at least some of the wood we'd brought and with everyone one
> joining us, the Ring of Repugnance was quite wide around the searing
> fire! It was another night of fun, food and music. A great last night at
> Black Canyon!
>
> In the morn, we all loaded up for the paddle home, once again enjoying
> the beautiful scenery. Besides the beautiful canyon, we were treated to
> some big horn sheep/mountain goats??? some four legged animals running
> around like the sheer rocks were solid ground! I paddle most the way
> alone, then Steve W. and I caught up together for the last few bends. I
> enjoyed some rather surreal moments paddling this beautiful water. It
> was a fantastic trip! I'm sure I'll remember more to say later, but now
> I just want to say I'm so thankful to Steve for organizing it and  Barb
> for lending me her car so I could make it and everyone who came and made
> it such a great time!
>
>
> Mark Sanders
> www.sandmarks.net
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