My Creekboat is Cracked

I have been going to the Ledges on the French Broad lately to attain upstream from "Shithole".  The hole would be really really good if not for being so shallow, but given the quality of water in that section I prefer to stay upright. Creekboat spins all day long. The Green ran a couple times during the week and I was able to squeak in a few laps. I love that place! I have poison ivy now, or still, or whatever, but I'm tired of being itchy. I was hanging out in a thicket of it yesterday passing boats, so I can only imagine the fun I'm about to have here in the next week or so.

Upstream of the ledges

Summer, North Carolina

Green River Narrows

Yesterday, we went out to Jackson County in search of a new creek to run. What we found was a fair bit of hiking, very healthy poison ivy populations, and a low volume creek with trees intersecting it every which way, the whole way. The whitewater was scrapey. A couple fun little sections and 1 boof/slide to vert combo thing with a possible piton ledge in the landing. Boof! But mostly just sketchy trees everywhere. The creek was flowing right through a forest enveloping us into it at times. It was quite the experience. I will continue to experience it as this poison ivy takes over my skin.

                       West Fork Tuckasegee

Arlyn flying high

                                                                     Bark burn on the cheek? A common scene.

WFT!

And speaking of that...I broke my back band, and my hip pads were all janked out, and my boat desperately needed some tlc. So, I finally got around to it, and after I had my seat out on the grass and my center bulkhead sitting next to it, I realized that there was daylight shinning through the bottom of my boat. I am not stoked about this. I devoted a portion of today to getting her seaworthy again, including welding the hull and using a top secret, maybe not so secret adhesive repair on the inside. I also fixed my hip pads, and got my back band in order.I think the old girl is ready for a float.

No, this is not a window, it is the bottom of my boat. I think I can see my neighbors fence.