2009 TE-DC Harper's Ferry tubing outing

[amithereyet]

Never been tubing before, so I would probably only contemplate flat water.
But......I have been convinced to be wild-and-crazy in my lifetime.

[Kalidurga]

I hadn't been tubing since childhood when we did the trip last year. I thought the whitewater was actually pretty easy, and there were smoother stretches in between that you could just float lazily through.

DB and I were talking about this today-- Since there is a combo trip, it could be possible to do a mix. Folks who want only flatwater could show up in the morning and do the Shenandoah. Then any folks who prefer whitewater could time their arrival for the lunch in between the two trips, so we could all hang out together as a group for a little while before the whitewater trip. And then there will be those of us who might just do both.

Or we could take a vote and go with the majority. There's plenty of time to figure it all out.

[Kelly728]

I might be interested if you don't mind a noob coming along. End of August is a great weekend as of now for me and I'm up for pretty much anything.

[7rider]

Never been tubing before, so I would probably only contemplate flat water.
But......I have been convinced to be wild-and-crazy in my lifetime.

I had never gone tubing before last year's trip, either.
"Whitewater" was really "faster than still water" but it was hardly anything too crazy. Fun, tho. Couple of WOO-HOO spots, followed by periods of "when's the next one??".

[madscot13]

Aw, Mad, why're you going to miss it?

I'm headed back to Minnesota at the end of June and then it is med school for me!

[Cataboo]

The whitewater around Harper's ferry's pretty tame.

IF anyone's interested in rafting & doing the Gauley in West VA in the fall, it's been a few years since I've done it and I'd be game.

[Zen]

We're old and this is close and relatively cheap.
I can just picture myself flying out of a raft right now.

[HillSlugger]

The whitewater around Harper's ferry's pretty tame.

IF anyone's interested in rafting & doing the Gauley in West VA in the fall, it's been a few years since I've done it and I'd be game.

I might be. I've never done rafting. Maybe I need to create a bucket list so I can put this on there and then be able to cross it off.

[Cataboo]

We're old and this is close and relatively cheap.
I can just picture myself flying out of a raft right now.

True. I might do this tubing trip, but I usually barely know what I'm doing tomorrow let alone 3 months from now.

I am planning on biking this afternoon if the scattered thunderstorms don't happen, if you want to ride.

[Kalidurga]

I usually barely know what I'm doing tomorrow let alone 3 months from now.

Ah, I used to live that way, before I grew up and began to care about whether or not I had sleep, clean laundry, or that the cats were fed on time. I miss it

[Cataboo]

Ah, I used to live that way, before I grew up and began to care about whether or not I had sleep, clean laundry, or that the cats were fed on time. I miss it

Why sleep when I can abuse caffeine? Laundry - I seem to have just bought enough clothes that I don't ever have to do it, but it does get done.

And I've made sure not to get pets. My plants don't always get water when they should, though.

[Kalidurga]

Why sleep when I can abuse caffeine?

And, again, that makes me feel nostalgic. Brings to mind the days when breakfast was a stop at 7-11 for Jolt cola and a package of mini Hostess donuts... after I'd had no sleep the night before because I'd driven all the way to who-knows-where to go hiking and exploring the countryside. Those were the days

[Kalidurga]

Let's hope the rivers recede a tad between now and the end of August...

From the Charlestown Gazette: 12 rescued from Shenandoah River during float trip. I drove across both rivers on Sunday and they were waaaay up. I was surprised to see anyone on the water, but there were a few kayaks and tubes. Crazy people, especially taking kids that small.

[Cataboo]

I've no problems with people who know what they're doing & want to risk themselves... but why the heck would you bring a 4 year old & 9 other children on that???

I read an article about 10 kayakers being rescued on the patnuxent the other day - the start of some 4 day float trip with beginner & intermediate kayakers from age 9 to 60... It sounded like the water levels rose, they got stuck in tree branches and then panicked.

Actually, my mom forced me to read the article, cause she was all worried when I went out on the potomac at Mason Neck. Water was high there, but then it was high tide, and no more choppy than it normally is down there.

[Kalidurga]

I saw the thing about the Patuxent River. It was a group of 32 or so people doing a sojourn paddle, and the trip leaders had apparently been warned by multiple sources that the river levels were too high.

There's also a new story about 2 men who're thought to have drowned on the Potomac near DC. They and some friends decided to go swimming in the river during a picnic or something. The friends were rescued but two are still missing.

I'll admit I did worry a bit about you down at Mason Neck. I'm sticking to reservoirs &/or the C&O until the levels come down.