September 2010, we went to the Current River for our first overnight canoe outing. I know I was more excited than my wife or daughter! I can't imagine anything more exciting than introducing our daughter to a new adventure and using new gear at the same time!
We scheduled 16 miles of river over the course of two days from Baptist to Akers. Sophia had been car camping many times but this next step was another adventure! We filled her with anticipation about the stars that light up the night in special places, hot cocoa and stories around the campfire. This was also the inaugural voyage of our (new to us) 17 ft. Wenonah Spirit II canoe. Although I had a map of the area it wasn't clear where an acceptable riverbank would be found. I wanted to get past the halfway point (cedar grove) and make camp at the first acceptable gravel bar. Once again finding a "safe" camp on the water was paramount, we sought an area that had ample room above water level, and would allow for an escape route should the water rise.
Snug as a bug in a rug. We all slept quite well, with the September chill visiting the evenings it made for pleasant conditions. The only concern I had was Sophia's sleeping bag. We had a brand that was obviously made for kids, maybe for "camping" in the living room, but was it good enough in this situation? Luckily Sophia sleeps warm and with three people in the tent we all did well. I was amazed at the sense of solitude we were able to find on the water once September rolled around. The time as a family was precious and the shared experience of an overnight outing can't be beat.
We scheduled 16 miles of river over the course of two days from Baptist to Akers. Sophia had been car camping many times but this next step was another adventure! We filled her with anticipation about the stars that light up the night in special places, hot cocoa and stories around the campfire. This was also the inaugural voyage of our (new to us) 17 ft. Wenonah Spirit II canoe. Although I had a map of the area it wasn't clear where an acceptable riverbank would be found. I wanted to get past the halfway point (cedar grove) and make camp at the first acceptable gravel bar. Once again finding a "safe" camp on the water was paramount, we sought an area that had ample room above water level, and would allow for an escape route should the water rise.
Snug as a bug in a rug. We all slept quite well, with the September chill visiting the evenings it made for pleasant conditions. The only concern I had was Sophia's sleeping bag. We had a brand that was obviously made for kids, maybe for "camping" in the living room, but was it good enough in this situation? Luckily Sophia sleeps warm and with three people in the tent we all did well. I was amazed at the sense of solitude we were able to find on the water once September rolled around. The time as a family was precious and the shared experience of an overnight outing can't be beat.