The Baby Boomer Renaissance: Going Like Sixty

Monday, July 26, 2010

Going Like Sixty

My Souvenirs from 29 Miles- 2 days – on the Green River

Posted: 25 Jul 2010 03:05 PM PDT

I’m taking some crap from daughter because she says kayaking is redneck.

Meh.

Anything done by rednecks is redneck -

riding horses
golf
hiking
biking

She won’t be convinced otherwise, enjoying nature by paddling a river that runs through a National Forest isn’t exclusive to rednecks.

Some of the kayaks in our group cost $1000+ and the gear was top of the line stuff. Including the photography gear. The price of something doesn’t make it any more/less redneck… afterall, mud bogging isn’t a cheap hobby.

I know I packed my finest:

Rocks or Water – Kayak powered by Maker’s Mark Bourbon

Damn clever name if I do say so myself! And adding the logo to the side of my kayak was pure genius – because when there are 30-40 kayakers, it’s impossible to remember names. Now I’m either “that Sixty guy” or “Maker’s Mark guy.”

OK, back to the redneckness of kayaking rivers. She does have a point when she says camping on the side of the river is a pretty redneck thing to do.

And it was damn fun.

The unrednecks stay in campgrounds with running water, showers, and flush toilets. And loud music, televisions, and motorcycles.

I made some more Kayak Memories:

saw an awesome spring fed grotto that we entered by kayaking past massive sand walls. The spring was coming from below the bluffs on the back part of the grotto. Bone-chilling cold water on a 98 degree day. Breathtaking. Literally.
kayaking 30 feet back into a cave – tons and tons of rock a foot above our heads.
camping within yards of the opening of a cave.

These memories will be with me. My souvenirs: a broken nail and blister will go away. And I’m fairly certain I will be able to extend my fingers again.