Dropped in the drink!

[Hikngrl]

I went out and ran an 8K yesterday morning. I ran it in just under 50 minutes. Not record breaking time but not bad for a ?? year old grandma who really doesn't run. We used the technique we used when we ran the half marathon a month back. We ran for six minutes then we walked for one minute. I had a six min stop watch and my friend David (chaplain from work) had a one minute stop watch. This worked a lot better than just me watching my watch like we did last time. Last time it was just decided we would run like that cause we were getting bored walking so it was kind of impromptu but this time we planned to do it so we had the stop watches set! Any way it was a great time!

The rest of the day was incredibly interesting! I was to go kayaking for the first time. I was excited! After I got done with my race I went to a friend's house to clean up and met my partner in crime at the local Basha's and off we went driving up to Canyon Lake. We went in and rented a kayak and went out to step into the kayak and as it turns out it was not a traditional kayak they had rented us but a totally different style that looked more like a big bath toy. It rode only inches off the water and water spilled over the top and washed over it completely as we got in. Thank goodness I had some quick dry clothes on...That water was cold and in this vessel we would be soaking wet the entire time we were out there! So a compromise was quickly formed and we put the kayak back and we got a canoe instead. I had never been in a canoe either so it was all good!

We got in and took off around the lake. We were having a great time site seeing and checking out all the nooks and crannies of the lake. The motor boats would whip past us and we would roll in the wakes. It was fun! I was having a great time. We had to have to canoe back by 3:30 and it was 2:50 so we decided to start heading back to the dock. We got turned around and headed back and had stopped to admire some of the rock formations along the edges of the lake when two motor boats headed for us at a pretty good clip. They saw us with out and trouble and split their paths one going on one side of us and one going on the other side of us.

OK, now get this picture in your head. Wrap your mind around it... what do you suppose happened next? YEP! That's right! Boat number one rocked us up on one side which would have not been a problem if it weren't for boat number two which then sent a wake rolling at us and filled our little canoe with frigid water! My friend and I looked at each other with surprise in our eyes as our little canoe started going under and we were in the water! All of our stuff was every where and I was instantly colder than I have ever been!

My friend went under completely. I did not. I had my life jacket right there and had a good hold on it. I was thinking about slipping into it but just kept one arm through it as I tried to right the canoe. I was not even aware that my friend had gone completely under. He quickly surfaced again and began working on righting the canoe as well. We could not get the canoe righted and empty enough to hold us so tipped it over again and climbed up on its bottom and just got afloat to gather our thoughts and come up with a plan. My friend was worried that I was not up far enough as I am sure he could see the scared look on my face so he started urging me to pull myself further up on the canoe. As he was doing that I had visions of Kate Winslette (I think that is her name) in the movie "The Titanic" entering my head as she climbed up on her life saving door or what ever it was she floated on till the ship came by and saved her. I don't know how long we were actually in the water as I was so cold I couldn't even think straight!

I am sure it was only a matter of a few minutes before the two boats that had created our problem noticed we had dropped in the drink and came back to help us. I was so thankful for them I could have cried! I didn't of course as one can not shiver as hard as I was shivering and cry at the same time! The family that helped us onto their boat was very kind and they kept asking us what happened. Well, they were in every sense of the word saving our lives at that moment so I was not about to tell them that they were the reason we were in the water! The other boat came back and started trolling for our stuff. All that mattered was gathered and the one boat took us and our canoe back to the drive in where boats loaded and unloaded and helped us get the canoe dumped and up on the dock then took off to play. We were safe if not warm.

We were however quite a ways away from where we needed to be to turn our rented canoe back in so we had to load it back up and drop it off the dock back into the water and paddle it back to the rental shop. We got there right at 3:30 as promised! All rented gear present and accounted for!

It took me hours to thaw out! I was cold until probably 8:00 last night! I drank numerous cups of hot tea and coffee. My friend fed me dinner wrapped in a big fat blankie.... I could not stop shivering! All the while we laughed! Needless to say I slept like a rock last night!


How was your weekend!?
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~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!

[Matt Hoffman]

Holy Cow! I'm glad you're OK! That is an intense story! Good job on the run too.
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"Your day-glo ballet days are over." Ancient chinese proverb.
http://web.mac.com/climbingsponge/Matt_Hoffman_Images/Welcome.html

[azbackpackr]

Ok, so how could the people from the two boats not have known they had caused the problem? I am glad they were kind enough to help you, but hey, most boaters know that wake waves can pose a real problem for canoes.

[paintninaz]

ok, knowing first that you are alive and well, I must now say...




too bad the water was so cold, otherwise you probably would've welcomed the dunk!
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~Tracy

“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.”

[Davis2001R6]

I'll be sure to tell Jen about this, she said she wanted to go cayaking, but doesn't want to get wet

Glad you made it out ok though!

[Arizonaheat]

Glad you didn't go hypothermic, also glad you didn't sink.

You should have had your life vest on young lady
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Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.

[evenstar]

[PageRob]

Its a serious shame that most boaters in our state (probably nationwide) don't know basic boating rules about wakeless areas, right of way, etc. They just plunk money down on a powerboat (or rent one!) and just take off, feeling like they can do whatever. People are getting killed up here every year on Powell because they have no idea about basic navigation rules.
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Anywhere is within walking distance if you spend the time.

[ck1]

Wow, now you do have fun on the weekends, don't you!
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-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[wrongway]

I'm glad you're both ok. So..in short you went out on the lake with the chaplin and almost got baptized. Who knew? I hiked Canyon Lake TH yesterday and got back to the parking lot at 3:45p. Late as usual.
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YLLAW

[Cholla]

[azbackpackr]

River kayaking, on the Salt, Gila, etc., you'd need some lessons, but there'd be no motor boaters!

There are a lot of canoes & kayaks on the lower Colorado, too, but I think weekdays are best there, there are motor boats there.

Hope you don't come down with a cold in a day or two!

[Sande J]

Of course you could think of this as practice for any future West Fork Wades or other canyoneering type trips where you might HAVE to swim. Then you can refer back and say " been there done that, can do it again!"
Glad it turned out good for you. I think someone here said recently an adventure is not an adventure until you think about it afterwards!
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And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stone, good in everything..
-William Shakespeare-

[Davis2001R6]

[Suz]

Fun!

Glad you are okay. Canyon Lake can be a nightmare on the weekends....I thought I told you.

Now you're ready for The Plunge!

congrats on your run!