It was the summer of ’84. I had qualified as a trip leader for the paddling group I was a member of and had organized some events. It was fun and I hungered for more.
But, the talk was of the season ending. Ending? Why? People ski, skate and snowmobile in the winter, why not paddle? You’re moving a lot slower through the cold air than with the other sports. And just who invented kayaking anyway?
Maybe winter wasn’t the most attractive option, but how could you miss with fall? I organized and posted a canoe trip in the Hocking Hills of Ohio.
A dozen hearty souls signed up. Much of the rest wrote it off as folly.
The weather toward the end of October is a crap shoot in Ohio. You can either get Indian summer or cold winds driving snow or sleet. We lucked out. The weather was gorgeous. Ensuing word-of-mouth was that it was a blast. I planned another the following year and the number doubled. I’ve done one almost every year since and, except for a few when the weather forecast was severe, sold out every one. It’s hard to beat fall for paddling.
Last year we went down into Kentucky and had a lakeside campsite. It was a great time and this year’s event sold out almost a month ahead of time.
It’s one of my favorite trips of the year and that’s saying something. I’m leaving on a pretty sensational trip of another kind tomorrow and still have the fall trip in the back of my mind. The brilliant color, smell of the campfire and laughter of many friends around it. It’s hard to beat fall for paddling.
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