Canoeing Feather River

On another week of Nature Day Camp being canceled, Christine and I decided to head up North to the Feather River and go canoeing. We drove to her Dads house and grabbed his old canoe. We had no idea how heavy it was going to be. We both had to call to our inner hulk's and load the old metal canoe onto her Jeep. We tied it down with a few sexy knots on the front, back and all sides. We then drove off into the sun rise, getting about 10 miles to a gallon with the enormously large and heavy canoe aboard our already giant gas guzzler. We loaded the cooler with beer and sandwiches. During this time of year the water was low and we had beta it would be a slow current. As we gently meandered down the Feather we drank beers and laughed, we were carelessly headed to the hot springs where we would camp and drink some more.
One moment we were enjoying ourselves and the next a storm was brewing just miles behind us. The sky was quickly changing and we could see the storm moving fast. We were instantly sober and began paddling with force. We reached points in the river were it was so low we had to stick our feet out and push against bigger rocks, too lazy to get out. We then reached a part in the river we had to portage, there was no way around a huge circling hole with a rapid and drop out we wanted nothing to do with. We yet again called to our inner Hulks and began scrambling across boulders, rolling our ankles wet across rocks. We were carrying a canoe way too old and heavy for transport. I was in the bow so I was caring the front meaning I had to enter the water first, once we reached it. I had to submerge my feet in water that could only have been ignored for years to turn that shade of brown. Christine hoped in the boat and chucked evilly as I continued to pull us threw the muck. I still remember the smell of stagnant, mossed water.
We finally were on deep water and began paddling like it was our authority. The storm was closing in on us. The river then began to narrow as we approached several rapids class 2 and 3 we were not ready to move through. Christine set our line and I paddled like hell. We made it past one. Then the next came and our canoe was too old and too large for us buzzed girls to steer clear. The canoe became wrapped around a rock and the paddles were headed down the river. Christine went after the paddles and I secured all items from off the canoe to the bank with much struggle. The current was fast and I was a bit shaken up from the turn over. The boat became stuck to what seemed like an impossible position. We had to get the boat free. There was no choice. Leave No Trace! No Man Left Behind! Its My Dads Canoe! SOOO We yet again called on our inner Hulks and pushed, pulled, kicked, screamed and shoved the canoe with such an awful force it had no choice but to come free. I had bruises on my ribs, and my legs were a beautiful tie die bruised purple and black for many weeks after.
We eventually reached the hot springs and were far too tired to camp. We decided to drive to Chico and stay at my friend Brendens "farm" house. We showered and set up shop, then naturally like any girls in Chico would, we headed to the bars. It only took us a few whiskey cokes to get sauced. We had been dehydrated and over worked all day. When we got back to Brendens we attempted to eat top ramen and passed out before opening the bags. The next day was Christine's birthday, we had to drive home more hung over than ever.... This trip was really interesting, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. But we had fun, we got closer and we learned A LOT on that trip... The main thing, get a water proof camera, there are no pictures for this blog because everything in the boat went under when the boat was wrapped around the rock...