True story!

[Heath]

Some time after noon this amazing thing happens, clouds build high in the sky and thunder starts clapping.

As the storms build and sweep across the plains, the clouds grow higher as they fill with rain! For a small group of people known as kayakers, this is what they wait for as if nothing else matters.
Its now about midnight 12 hours later, your still glued to the radar while calling in favors. Your spouse, or significant other is calling you to bed, but the thought of c...lean drops and adventure fill your head.
As the clock ticks its now about 4, your double checking your gear while running out the door. Making calls and checking gages, getting out the guide books and flipping through pages. The decision is made to meet at a certain place, pedal to the floor as if its a race.
When you finally get to the desired location, familiar faces appear even without communication. You see when the creeks are running its like a kayakers magnet, its like a junkie who needs a fix, you just got to have it.
After shuttle is set and you have made the hike in, everyone there has a chit eating grin. What happens next most would not understand, when the boat enters the water your mind becomes totally clear, and all of a sudden that grin is from ear to ear.
Your not worried about work or what bills need to be paid, your taking in the beauty that was so gracefully made.
Moss covered boulders,
Cascading falls,
Towering old growth forest,
Gorges that look like narrow halls,
Emerald green water
That flows and crashes turning white,
And for something different try it during a full moon night.

As you make your way down boofing and surfing, the group is starting to flow, the chemistry is working. From one eddie to another stoping on occasion, getting out to scout and checking the situation, if the person on the rock says its good to go, you peel out without hesitation.

This is a bond that most will never now, taking someones word on where you should go. When running creeks this happens a lot, going where pointed and not giving any thought.

Its just after dark and your finally of the creek, everyones hungry and ready to eat. A local dinner or mom and pop shop is normally first choice, somewhere you can sit and still here each others voice. The events of the day are recapping all across the table,everyone is drawn in as if being pulled by a cable.
Although you dont want to, you know the time has come. Time to go back home and wait for the next run.

Wait for the next cloud to do that amazing thing, to make a small group of people really happy (when it rains)!!!!

[magicmike]

Cool! -M-

[okieboater]

Heath,

Very well written post and covers what makes our sport so important to those of us who have been blessed to make many runs, with many good people for many years.

Solid rain here in Tulsa, hope it holds for Arkansas!

dave

[paddledog]

I have always associated us with desert flowers,
We only come out after the rains..........

[RobM]

Could not be better said !

[hollohead]

Really enjoyed this

[Fish]

Nice river poetry, sir. Let's meet soon for a "poetry boof" (like a slam only boofier)!

[riptide]

Sweet! Hopefully this story repeats itself again and again and again

[magicmike]

Roses are red, violets are blue. I love whitewater, do you too?-M-

[magicmike]

Drop the mike. Bam!-M-

[Heath]

Thanks for the comps!!

Fish i hope to do that se day soon!!

[tomOzarkVideo]

Sweet! Hopefully this story repeats itself again and again and again

Oh…. It does, my friend… It does.

[arkansas-santa1]

Oh my!! This is so true. I've been blessed to relate to this for over 36 years. The faces have changed over the years but the feeling remains the same. Ain't it GREAT!!!