Our Spring.Break mountainside cabin getaway is a five-minute, steep 4WD climb from the banks of the north fork of the Shenandoah River, specifically in the area of the seven bends. When you look at the map, it looks like someone was bored and took a blue pen and squiggled across it.
You can see several bends of the river from the cabin, and it had been beckoning us since we arrived Monday afternoon.
The kids were far from disappointed when we told them we were going kayaking without them. They felt strongly that they had earned an afternoon off after a two-hour hike that begins with a very steep .75 mile climb out the back of the cabin. They were about an hour into one of the Captain America movies when we hopped in the truck and rolled down the hill.
The icy water washed over my toes as I slid my kayak into the water. I carefully lowered myself into the seat as two girls with fishing nets smiled shyly and observed our little production. I paddled into the rushing current and waited for Chris to catch up after securing his seat and poles on his fishing kayak.
We paddled hard against the current to get around the first set of mini rapids, and then made our way around the first few bends. We spotted bigger rapids in the distance and had a feeling we were nearing our turn-around point.
I decided to give it a go. I plunged ahead and dug in hard against the current. I was slowly, but surely making progress until I ended up smack in the middle of the rapids. Knowing when to admit defeat is wise.
Chris surveyed the banks, looking for a path to carry our kayaks and put in the other side of the rapids. I reminded him I was barefooted. After a few seconds, he, too, saw the wisdom in admitting defeat.
We turned around and let the current carry us back around a bend before I anchored (yes, Chris has an anchor for the kayak- he’s a gear man). As he paddled around and fished, I lay back in the sun, gently rocked by the river instead of fighting it. It’s so much more peaceful when you know who’s boss.
My Corner of the Village 