June 16, 2004

I canoed 24 miles today, with Bear, in a gorgeous section of the SouthFork of the Shenandoah River.  Forty percent of this section on the left bank is National Forest land.  We found an awesome rope swing left above the river  and enjoyed climbing the tree to take our jumps.  My annual 10 meter tower jumps prepared me for this feat.  We spent some time in a great swimming hole at the base of a beautiful rock formation.  We passed an old millrace which paralleled the river for half a mile.  We were getting ready to portage, the low water bridge ½ mile from our campsite destination, when Mike, an employee with the DownRiver Canoe Company, helped us load our gear and canoe into his truck and drove us to the store for us to pitch our tents under a canopy.  This was great because it was raining again and our gear was damp from camping in Tuesday's downpour.  The Shenandoah River is incredibly pretty and clear in most spots.  The mountain views, farmlands, rapids and ripples, all contributed to another unique day in the wilderness.  And...I saw a beautiful rainbow just before sunset...my second since day one.  God is with me on the Shenandoah!