TE-DC goes tubing!

[divingbiker]

Several of us in the DC area went whitewater tubing on the Potomac in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia this afternoon. I think it was more exhausting than any of us expected, and we were greeted by a thunderstorm midway through the ride. We also didn't expect that once we got on the water, we'd never see each other again since the current just did what she wanted with our tubes. F8th637's tube was punctured fairly early in the day, so MDHillSlug and her daughter shared a tube and the day was not lost.

We're all nursing our tired muscles this evening, but it was a fun afternoon. Someone told me it sounded like an a$$-scraping good time, and it was--I've got the bruises to prove it!

Those who were along for the ride were MDHillSlug and her daughter, 7Rider and her husband, Kalidurga, Zen, F8th637 and her friend, Madscot, my neighbor, and me.

I took along my camera in its underwater housing, and got a few pictures of those who were in my vicinity.

Just starting out, the water is still flat
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing007.jpg

MDHillSlug and her daughter, before they had to share a tube, with 7Rider's husband
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing012.jpg

A turtle's skull (lots of other bones and the shell were intact also)
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing022.jpg

F8th637 dragging her flat tube and the cooler tube
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing048.jpg

7Rider in the rain
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing044.jpg

A heron observing all the crazy humans
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing051.jpg

One of the more treacherous rapids near the end of the ride
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/te%20tubing/tetubing057.jpg

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

That looks so FUN! How great!! Thanks for sharing the photos. :D

[Kalidurga]

Great shots, DB. I'm glad you got one of the heron, I wasn't quick enough to get Zen's camera out of my bag before I floated out of range. It was very cool to see it out there watching all hundred or so of us float by.

[madscot13]

I can't believe you already uploaded these! I just got home. That was a good time. thanks for inviting me.

[HillSlugger]

Great pictures. Did you get any from when Sammi and I were doubled up?

[F8th637]

Great pictures! Can't wait to see the rest! Yes, I don't think any of us really realized how exhausting it was going to be. The water was great! The tube is another story. :rolleyes:

[divingbiker]

Great pictures. Did you get any from when Sammi and I were doubled up?

I didn't get any that were very good, but I think there might be one when the weather was bad. I'll check tonight. PM your e-mail address and I'll send what I've got to you.

[rachael24]

I always wanted to go tubing down a river...this looks like an absolute blast!

[dingster1]

Glad you all had a blast. I don't swim well so I wasn't taking the chance.

[Zen]

I wish I'd had a camera :rolleyes:

I really like the one of 7 in the rain.

The only part of me that's really sore is my xyphoid process from having water bottles stuffed into the pfd.


I can't believe you already uploaded these! I just got home. That was a good time. thanks for inviting me.

You there !
Get back in your box ! ;)

[HillSlugger]

Zen,

It was really great to meet you. You look so much younger IRL.

[Zen]

Thanks!
The accordion adds ten years :p

You need to come out more often.

[Kalidurga]

I wish I'd had a camera :rolleyes:

The only part of me that's really sore is my xyphoid process from having water bottles stuffed into the pfd.


You did have a camera. Now get that stuff developed so we can see if anything turned out.

And what's a "xyphoid process"?

[Brandy]

Cool pictures, that looks like fun!

[HillSlugger]

xiphoid process
n.
The cartilage at the lower end of the sternum.

[Aggie_Ama]

Looks like a great time, I love toobing! That river looks really wide though, no wonder you got separated.

[MrsB]

Looks like you all had a blast! Ive been wanting to do the saco river here in Maine for the last couple weeks but we have had so much rain here that they are not letting anyone on the river. Thats a first. Usually around here this time of summer the water is really low.

[Zen]

Now get that stuff developed so we can see if anything turned out.



What stuff?
You were taking pictures of clouds ;)

If I had the camera I would have taken a shot of that common local bird, the Rednecked Yahoo. There were a whole flock of them on that rock :p

[Kalidurga]

What stuff?
You were taking pictures of clouds ;)

If I had the camera I would have taken a shot of that common local bird, the Rednecked Yahoo. There were a whole flock of them on that rock :p

You got in a few shots before you shoved the camera at me and said "Here, you take this for a while". Besides, the clouds were way prettier than those Rednecked Yahoos, anyway. Aaaaand, I did get a couple shots of the Pink-toed Zenbird, don't you wanna see those?

[Zen]

I took photos of my own feet :o

[madscot13]

I'm happy we have such good pictures to remember the epic day.

[Zen]

More photos when I finish the roll on the disposable :)

[7rider]

More photos when I finish the roll on the disposable :)

Finish it this Saturday!

[Tuckervill]

Hey, that was great! Do you rent those tubes? What river is it? How far did you go?

A large group of families tube/float/kayak on the Buffalo National River in Arkansas every year, but this year we all had crazy schedules and none of us were available on the same weekend. I'm so JEALOUS!

The Buffalo is really remote. I'm wondering what river you were on and how remote it was to civilization, and will it be cold in September? (We're going to be in DE camping and a side trip might not be out of the question.)

Karen

[7rider]

Hey, that was great! Do you rent those tubes? What river is it? How far did you go?
Karen

Karen,
We used a commercial outfit called River Riders (http://www.riverriders.com/RRMain.asp?Option=List&Activity=Tubing). They are out of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and we tubed the Potomac River. From put-in to take-out was a few miles (maybe?). They say it takes anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on how often you stop. In true TE-DC fashion, we were rather casual in our adventure, and it took us about 3 hours! :p

[Zen]

We rode the canal at Harper's Ferry last October and they were still tubing then.
I'm pretty sure it was October.
DB?
Kal?

[Kalidurga]

We rode the canal at Harper's Ferry last October and they were still tubing then.
I'm pretty sure it was October.
DB?
Kal?

According to Regina's link above, River Riders does their tubing trips from May through September. And, according to my bikejournal.com, we rode on 10/6/07. Either you saw kayakers on the river that day, or a bunch of late-season Rednecked Yahoos must have been out on their own.

Karen, that area's semi-rural, but definitely not remote. It'd be quite a drive from Delaware, though. If you look on a map, it's the point where MD, VA and WV meet. Check the little inset state map below the topo map here (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=39.3210555555556&lon=-77.7191666666667).

[Zen]

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb14/zencentury/Floaters2copy.jpg

Nope, not tubes but it was definitely October.

[Kalidurga]

Thank goodness it was warm that day! :D