Kayaking advice from a three year old

Hey Isaac, I'm gonna go kayaking





(sticks head out from shower curtain)
You got your paddle!?




It's right here buddy (waves paddle)





You come back?






I'll be back later




Okay! (goes back to showering)






(kayaks the Big Sandy. returns home. )




Hi Daddy!





You fall in the river?






Nope, I stayed in my kayak.





OKAY! (wanders off to toys)

Staying Engaged

Whats going on around here? A move back across the state, a sorely needed kitchen renovation, and the beginning of my wife's fourth year of doctor school. Plus a little whitewater.
Creeking season ended a long, dry time ago, so it's been maintenance paddling mostly. A trip on the New with my Dad, a few runs on the Upper Yough. Enough to remember how and why I do it, and enough to finally wear through the hull on my Burn. I had good luck with that boat, a surprise Father's Day gift,- I never had to swim out of it. I suppose that might be because I boat quality over quantity, or I haven't been pushing myself, but I prefer to attribute it to the good luck of a thoughtful present.

Dry times are a good time to do creek maintenance too. Adam Johnson and I got out on Deckers creek twice for some log removal.

Someone else had already done some work just above here, thanks whoever you are! This one was in the run-out of the creek, just above the old takeout slide.

Moving and busy schedules made us late for our annual Father's Day paddle. We did get out there eventually, and did a Lower Yough trip with our family of four + my Dad, and two other friends with their kids as well.
Five adults, six kids, and a teenage safety boater made an entertaining flotilla.
Isaac with my Dad in the doldrums. Every wave that crashed on our duckie was met with a gleeful "Do it again!". Just like his big brother.


Patrick tried out a Thrillkitty in the doldrums, and liked it enough that his Grandparents ordered one a few days later.


He was not nearly as big a fan of the thunderstorm that rolled through during lunch at Swimmers.

We picked up the brand new boat from Custom Inflatables a few weeks later, and got right out on the water. We are very pleased with the boat; incredibly stable and light. Perfect for a kid to learn in. Dad and I chose an upper mile of the Arden section of the Tygart Valley River for the shakedown cruise. Low water at 180cfs, friendly geology, road side access, and a swimmin hole where we took out made for a great run.


The big one of the day.

I commented to a friend that taking my family out on the water puts joy back in river sections (or levels) that I had written off for MY pursuits. The changing priorities of taking the whole family out is actually going to get me on a lot of river stretches I've rarely, if ever, seen. I'm looking forward to it as much as I am the next steep creek run.

Almost everyone looking at the camera.

Its A Family Tradition

My Dad and I have been doing whitewater trips together for about 15 years. He helped me learn this sport, and we have had some fun adventures over the years. We got into the habit of doing a river on or around Fathers Day to make sure we got on the water together at least once a year. I now have kids of my own, and these trips are even more special.

The first trip was with Patrick, at 18months on the New River:Fire Creek Pool between Thurmond and Cunard

He enjoyed the trip, and giggled when we went through the waves, but I don't think he really got the river until next year, when we went out in duckies on the same stretch.

In 2008 we did the Cheat Narrows in duckies, his third time down that river. He had a great time, yelling directions to hit waves and insisting on having a paddle.

This year I was on a trip to California, which I will get all written up soon, so we did our Fathers Day celebration in July. This year, we had a new member on our team:

Isaac joins the Seay Family New River Rafting Team. I look forward to years of trips and memories.