White Water Rafting 2008

Every year my family and friends go on a white water rafting trip to Ohiopyle PA State Park. I haven't been able to go in the past four years because I usually have a wedding the weekend that they go but when Tony died I decided that life is to short and you need to make all the memories you can, while you can! So this year I made a point to be able to go!

Usually I would only camp, but again, after Tony died I decided to enjoy my life more, step out of my comfort zone and do what scares me. Let me tell you, this scares me, but I did it!!!

When you go to the outfitters you sign a form saying you are aware you could die, then they give you your life jacket and a paddle and they suggest you take one of the helmets  (most people didn't). After you have your gear, a guy gives you a crash coarse on rafting, how to sit on the raft and what to do if you get knocked out of the raft and last but not least, summer teeth! Summer teeth is what you end up with when you play around with the paddles, somebody  whacks you in the mouth and sum-er your teeth are in your mouth,    sum-er in your hand and sum-er at the bottom of the river! I was most afraid of the summer teeth!

You have to carry your raft and all your stuff to the launch site, I was with my husband Tom, my brother Rick and my brother Johnny and they are all a foot or more taller than me (Tom is 6'5''!!!). Rick and Johnny said its easier to carry the raft up on your shoulder, O.K...., they put it up on their shoulders and it sat right on top of my head! Not really that comfortable!

Anyway, we get to the launch site and off we go on this great big adventure! Rick and John have been rafting every year for 12 years and they were full of stories about the rapids at dimple rock and the hydraulics which are the big rapids, we hit the first rapid and it was a blast!!!! I loved it!!! I couldn't wait for the next.

After the rapids you just kind of float around and squirt people with squirt gun and swim, then you make your way to the next rapid. All the guys that go every year have this "gang" called The Regulators, not everyone gets to be a regulator, its really quite an honor. All The Regulator make it their job to take all the newbees  out of the raft at one point or another. Now Tom is a big guy, like I said he'd 6'5" and he weighs about 250, but he was no exception and Rick took him by surprise and tossed him out of the raft. After several minutes of struggling to get Tom back in the raft a new rule was set down in the rule book - Anyone who knocks Tom out of the raft gets Tom back in the raft! Tom never needs to worry about getting knocked out again!

Rick wanted to make sure that when we get to the rapid at dimple rock we remember to lean into the rock, even though everything in you says lean away!! you must lean into it so the water goes under the raft and not into it, filling it up and flipping it over. So we finally get to dimple rock and Rick is yelling " lean into it, lean into it!" so I'm leaning in and thinking "well this is the end of me, I'm going to get smashed on this huge rock!", the next thing I know, Rick is falling forward on to me and knocked me into the water. It was so crazy, I could see the rock, the raft and my arms and legs trying to hold on, then water, lots of water!! All I could think of was how the heck am I gonna get back in the raft? I could hear Johnny and Tom yelling "put your feet up", this is what your supposed to do so you don't get your foot jammed in between the rocks and have a lovely view of the bottom of the river when the white water pushes you under. Let me be the first to tell you that is not an easy thing to do!

It seemed like I was in water forever and I kept trying to tell myself it would be over soon. At one point I caught a glimpse of Johnny's blond hair in the sun and then the next thing I knew Tom had me by the back of my life jacket and plucked me right out of the water just like it was nothing! MY HERO!!!

After I calmed down, I realized Rick was not in the raft! Then I was really sacred! Johnny and Tom pulled me out about halfway through the rapid but Rick had to ride the whole rapid on his back (and knees)! He was so siked when he got back in the raft, he's an adrenalin junkie, me, not so much!

But this was not the end of our adventure on the river, we still had the hydraulics to contend with, and you guessed it, I was ejected right out of the raft! This time I road it out to the end and then was rescued by Charlie and Liz, Thanks guys!!!

So if that wasn't enough, after you exit the river and go to the pick up point I find out you have to carry the raft about a quarter of a mile up the side of the mountain, thank God for Johnny, he not only carried his part of the raft, he reached back and helped me with mine! Thank you Johnny!!! 

It was the most terrifying, most fun thing I have ever done!! I am so proud of myself and so much in love with my husband, my brothers and my friends! It was a wonderful experience and I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I can't wait until next year!

Oh yeah, because I am such a hard core rafter that I do the rapids without a raft, I was given the great honor of being the first and only female Regulator!!!!  

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

REGULATORS RULE !

 

Tom, My Hero!

The big guns!!!

 

This is Rick, I wish I did video because he's so crazy!

 

Wendy, Kira and Debbie just hanging out.

This is Frank, he make a killer roast pork, ON A CAMP FIRE!!!!

Tom hanging out by our tent, we were very comfortable here!

 

Boys and their toys!

 

My beautiful sister-in-law Lauralee.

 

My favorite picture of Johnny, when Lauralee saw this picture she said she fell in love with Johnny all over again!

 

Charlie and Liz, they're getting married next year, guess who their wedding photographer is :) (TeeHee)

Mike is definitely the king of the fire.

 

Do they ever stop kissing?

OMG!

 

This is Kira, Mikes long time girlfriend, she is like the mother of us all! She was always cooking something or cleaning something, taking care of something. When we got back from rafting we found out she was visited by a bear, I wish I could have seen it, I would have taken a picture (from the inside of my car!).

Tom and Rick getting the big guns ready.

 

Lots of kissing going on!