This past weekend was another troop camping weekend. We left Northport around 6:30 pm and made it to Grimes around 11 pm. Grimes provided tents, so we didn’t have a lot of work to do to set up our site — a good thing in the middle of the night after a long drive. I chose my tent, unloaded my personal gear, and settled in for the weekend.

We were up early Saturday morning to prepare for 17 miles on the river. After a quick breakfast, we gathered what we needed for the trip down the river. I packed my GPS, first aid kit, cell phone, sunscreen, and water bottle. Then, we walked to the trading post to get our paddles and life-jackets.

I was a little bit nervous; this trip was my first time to paddle a kayak. The camp’s proprietor had already warned us that the water was about a foot higher and moving quickly in some spots because of recent rains. So, my only fear was that I would run against a downed tree and swamp my boat.

The folks at Grimes loaded us in their vans and took us to the drop-off point. My heart was racing as I stepped into the kayak for the first time. I just didn’t want to embarrass myself (or my sons) by tipping over into the water while I was sitting on the bank. How amateurish! I mean, I’m a total amateur, but I didn’t want to look like one. Know what I mean?

Everything was wonderful, though! We had a safe float down the river both days. We saw all kinds of animals: snakes, a beaver, a bald eagle, geese, turtles, cows. Without a doubt, the eagle was the unexpected highlight!

I was able to take a few pictures Sunday morning.

The pictures below show where we stopped to have our Sunday morning scout-led devotion time. After playing around in the water, one of the scouts shared a verse about Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and led us in prayer. Then it was back down the river.

The water was pretty cold — about 60-65 degrees — but Noah looks like he’s enjoying throwing himself under the surface for the first time.

This was my second trip to Grimes, so I am now the proud wearer of a patch denoting my accumulation of 50 miles.

So much fun!