Monday, July 14, 2014

Belly Up

Today, we spent a couple of hours on the Snake River in a raft and a couple of hours on Jackson Lake in a kayak. Even though we are not on a beach/ocean trip, I like being on the water. We knew this wasn't a big-time white-water rafting trip (although we want to do that some day as well), so we figured a slow, easy float down the Snake was in order. While there were no rapids, the current moved swiftly. There was power even in the calm water. Our guide, Jess, was an Indiana native who made Jackson Hole his home base. He was laid back and well-versed on the Jackson Hole area and the natural wonders of the park. He started by giving us our safety talk and explaining what we would need to do if we fell in the river. Jess explained to us how the life vest was designed to float us "belly-up" to keep us safe (with our faces out of the water) until he could get to us. He told us how we had to keep them on and strapped tight so that should he have to rescue us, he could pull us up by the shoulder straps of the life vest. If the straps weren't tight he may pull the vest and leave us in the water. Not a good thing. While the river provided the locomotion for the trip, Jess did the steering. He knew when to paddle and what obstacles to avoid. He pointed out the wildlife on the river and gave us just enough information to keep our interest while not overwhelming us. I felt safe and content on that raft.


In the afternoon, we rented a kayak to take out on Jackson Lake. Being on the water in a lake is quite different from being on the water in a river. On the lake, there is no current to move you along. Someone or something has to provide the energy to move the boat. In this case, Tim and I were the energy. Not only were we the energy, we had to steer as well. The guy at the marina handed us a map, pointed to the red line and said, "You don't want to go past this--it's out of bounds. There are big fines to pay if you go out of bounds." There are lots of coves and islands on Jackson Lake, and with no scale on the map coupled with little experience maneuvering in the water, it was really difficult to tell where we were sometimes. In fact, there were a couple of moments when Tim and I thought we might have gone "out of bounds." If we decided not to paddle, even though there was no strong current, the wakes of the boats and the wind on the water sent us drifting in directions we weren't planning on going. 

Kinda like life, huh? Sometimes, we're in the kayak, paddling like crazy using our own strength. When we stop paddling, we drift. The map can be unclear, and after a while, your arms get really tired. Steering and paddling can be exhausting.

But on the river, with a guide, you can be along for the ride. He's done it a thousand times before. He knows every bend and sand bar in the river--even the ones we can't see. He knows how much information to give us. He's the rescuer when things get hairy. We move under the power of the current that flows strong and mighty.

We want to be in control, don't we? We want to paddle and steer. But it's so much more difficult. I think I'd rather ride on the river. Sometimes you get to enjoy the calm, other times you hit the rapids. And there will be times when I fall in--no doubt. But when I do, I'll be floating "belly-up"


2 comments:

Melody Knollhoff said...

What beautiful, descriptive words. I think you are missing your calling. Looks like fun, enjoy!

Tim and Amy said...

Thanks, Mel!