Kayaking - Current River

 Today was our final—and by far the most exciting and nerve-wracking—paddling day of the trip. Originally, we had planned to paddle the North Fork of the White River, but high water levels forced us to change plans. Instead, we decided to launch right from our campsite at Round Spring Campground and paddle to Two Rivers Campground—a solid 18 miles. We made incredible time, covering the distance in just 3 hours and 40 minutes, averaging over 5 miles per hour.

We launched into a heavy downpour, thinking it would pass quickly. It didn’t. The rain kept pouring for nearly two hours as we paddled. At one point, it felt like the temperature dropped, and everyone began to feel the cold. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, it was a stunning paddle. Mist clung to the water, mountains lined the riverbanks, and waterfalls poured down from the cliffs all around us—it felt surreal.

We stopped for lunch on a gravel bar, only to realize the water was steadily rising. We had to keep pulling our boats farther up as the river crept toward them. Between the constant rainfall and the torrents from the waterfalls, the river was swelling quickly. That’s when William started getting concerned about our takeout—worried that the rising water might flood the parking lot and make it difficult to get the cars out.

We picked up the pace, paddling faster than we had all week. I paddled back to check in with Scotty, who reassured me that everything was fine and he wasn’t worried. That message got relayed to William, and we could see the tension ease from his face.

As we approached the takeout, we stayed on high alert. The ramp was completely submerged—impossible to see—but we spotted the road that led to it and took out there instead. We were a group of soaked, cold, but very relieved paddlers. I finally understood what it means to be “soaked to the bone.”

After loading up the kayaks, we headed into town for gas—and couldn’t resist one final stop at Dairy Shack for our last ice cream of the week. A sweet ending to an unforgettable day.