oh my jimmy james its almost fall break (INTRO WHITEWATER KAYAKING)

OVERVIEW

oh hey!! you, yeah you!! its almost the 21st night of september and you know what that means… time to go for a paddle down the mighty mighty james… i think uva must have made a typo when they put “reading days” instead of “paddling days” on our academic calendar, classic autocorrect… whether it will be your first time on the river or you’re a crusty old river rat who has dyed their hair blonde and/or seriously considered getting a mullet in the last couple weeks we are so very excited to get in some kayaks and do some paddling down the upper james with all of you.

WHAT
this trip is an introduction to whitewater kayaking. we will go over basic outfitting of whitewater gear, basic paddle strokes, reading and running rapids, and perhaps even exciting activities such as surfing! this trip is more geared toward instruction so please come stoked to learn!

WHERE
we will be paddling a section of the James river near Richmond commonly known as the Upper James. this is a great learning section with class I-II rapids, a nice flatwater section for learning, and wonderful rocks to chill, snack, swim, and explore off of. It stretches about 4.5 miles from Pony Pasture Park to Reedy Creek Park, right within a stone’s throw of downtown RVA. Check out this link to see what it’s all about: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/1951/main

WHEN
11:00 – meet at corner of echols, confirm boat and gear sizings, hit za road.
12:30 – arrive at reedy creek park, drop cars for shuttle, do any needed changing/dry clothes distribution
1:00 – arrive at pony pasture park, unload and gear up, quick gear and outfitting seminar as needed
3:00 – chill mid-river on super secret river chill spots, mad snacking and potential roll instruction ensues
4:30 (at latest) – arrive, having paddled our little hearts out, at reedy creek, take out, load up, dry off, reset shuttle
5:30 – on our way back to cville!
7:00 – back at echols
*** these times are in an attempt to be conservative but as always the jangle is real and the river and us humans are unpredictable and things may run over ***

WHAT WE BRING
– kayaks and paddles
– PFDs, kayak skirts, and helmets
– maybe some dry/splash tops depending on how the weather is looking
– extra water and a couple dry bags

WHAT YOU BRING
– you!
– clothes that can get wet and that you can swim confidently in. weather dependent, some warmer neoprene/fleece layers
– shoes that are cool with being in the river
– sunscreen/maybe a hat if you want
– water + snack if you want
– change of clothes and a towel for after
– maybe a plastic bag or your own version of a dry bag for your stuff you want on the river (snack, sunscreen ect.). we have dry bags but this can be your bag within the bag (bagception)

NOTICE
whitewater sports are inherently dangerous. we lead trips at a level where we feel confident about our ability to keep people on our trip safe. your safety also depends on YOU, your honest communication of your abilities and state of being, as well as respect towards any safety advice.

paddling level descriptions:
“expert” participants: have strong knowledge and practice of the kayak roll.
“experienced” participants: have some knowledge and practice of whitewater kayaking skills and/or the kayak roll. They should be comfortable performing a t-rescue or wet exit.
“beginner” participants: have little to no kayaking experience.

WAITLIST DISCLAIMERS: we will be taking people off the waitlist in a manner to ensure that there are enough experienced paddlers coming on the trip. participants who attended a similar previous trip within the last three months will have lower waitlist priority than those who did not. and! participants, especially those at the expert level, willing to instruct or give advice to others will receive priority over others at their level. so, unlike some other trips the waitlist may not function directly as first come first serve. IF YOU ARE ON THE WAITLIST you are COMMITTED TO COMING ON THIS TRIP

DRIVERS
drivers, especially those with roof racks with crossbars or with a truck are wanted! drivers will get gas reimbursed and a 50% tip up to $20

thanks for reading the logistics and stoked to be on the river with you all