Canoeing 36 Miles in the Delaware Water Gap

Today I got back from a trip I took with my class down the Delaware Water Gap. Our itinerary was a total of 36 miles, which is much farther than any of us have ever canoed before. On the three-hour bus trip there, we were all very anxious. We were afraid! We knew we would have to canoe four miles the first day alone.

When we got out of the bus, we were antsy to get on the water. My friends and I had already chosen partners. I had chosen Kyra, one of my best friends since Kindergarten. We unloaded the group and personal gear from the bus and lugged it down a muddy bank into canoes. Kyra and I got into our canoe and shoved off. I was in the front, working as the engine of the canoe. She was in the back, taking the difficult job of steering.

We didn't begin our long journey on a high note. When everyone got off shore and into the water, Kyra was having a problem keeping out canoe straight. We kept veering across the river. She began to get upset.

After a mile, the group had stopped. We were the last canoe to arrive, and the group leader, Tom, told us that if we held up the group again, we would have to trade partners. Kyra and I promised that it wouldn't happen again. It didn't.

Kyra and I had a hot start. We hit the ground running and were soon at the front of the group. Kyra had gotten the hang of steering, and we were staying perfectly straight. Tom was leading the group. He was the strongest canoer, and his partner, Marlough, was also pretty good. We passed them, made faces at them, and pushed their canoe off course. They were the last to arrive at the end of the two mile leg.

With only a mile to go, Kyra and I were exhausted. We stayed with the middle of the pack and held out own. We chatted with Kyra's friends, Ali and Quinn, as well as my friends, Max and Swoosh (that's his nickname).

When we reached camp, everyone in my class was tired as hell. We knew we had to lug all the group gear a quarter mile to the camp site, but we were reluctant to lift a finger. After an hour we had reached camp and set up our tents.

The next morning, I decided to canoe the longest leg of the trip with my best friend Max. I have known Max since I was one and a half years old (longer than my next brothers). We had always worked well together, and we hoped that we would be able to improve our friendship over the sixteen miles we would have to travel today.

After loading the gear into canoes, we set out. Immediately we were at the middle of the pack. I liked the middle, considering I had tasted what it felt like to be at the end.

We had covered about eight miles when we stopped for lunch. We were starving, and our salami sandwiches were delicious. We talked about what we could do better to make us more efficient. Max, who was the engine today, figured out that the straighter line we took, the less distance we would cover. I was the steering, and I was only learning, so I was having a bit of trouble with this.

Once we got back, I took more care in keeping us trim. We quickly sped up to the near front of the pack and stayed there for the remaining eight miles.

The third day marked that we had completed half of the trip. We had to do fourteen miles today, and we were all still tired from the day before. We were sluggish to load the canoes, and it took over ninety minutes to complete this task. Once we finally did get on the river, I had chosen on of my friends William (we call him Floyd) to canoe with. Floyd was not one of my best friends, but he is now.

We got out there. Floyd was steering and I was the engine. It was a great day. The weather was seventy and sunny, and the wind was minimal. We were ripping down the river when we struck a rock in a fast moving section. Floyd and I tried and tried to get unstuck, but we couldn't! I hopped out of the canoe. The water was up to my chest. It was cold, and when I say cold, I mean COLD. I almost passed out when I jumped in. I regained my control on my body and pushed the canoe off the rock, but because the canoe was in fast moving water, it was speeding away from me! Luckily, I had grown up by the sea. I am an exceptionally strong swimmer, and it only took me a few minutes to catch up to the canoe. Floyd was paddling in reverse, but it really wasn't doing anything.

When I reached the boat, Floyd pulled me in. I was freezing, and was the only person who had to use the emergency blanket. I was embarrassed, but it made a great story to tell my friends who didn't see it. We arrived only an hour later. It was our most efficient day so far.

The fourth day was only two miles. I did it with my friend Brett. We finished first and felt very strong, having canoed over thirty-six miles.

The trip was worth the stress. We had to set up tents every night. We had to wake up and put on wet clothes in the morning. But being with our friends made it worth it. I had never been with my friends longer than one nights, and I felt like I knew them a lot better because of this trip.