Sometimes, my anti-social streak comes through strongly...I almost didn't go on this trip today, just because I'm always frustrated by how tough it is to get things off the ground with a group. Today was an example of that. I was the only person starting on this side of the mountains, and the only one not making an overnight camping trip of things. By the time everyone got tents set up, and we got all the tubes and rafts pumped up, and we dropped a truck off down at the exit point, it was already 2:30. We were uncertain how long the float would take because we had never started as far up the river as we did today...all we knew is that it was going to take at least 4 hours, meaning we were cutting things close on time.
Too close, since it actually took us about 5.5 hours to float 18 miles, which is a long time to have a cold soggy butt, although truthfully, after the first two hours in 58 degree water, it was pretty numb. Which was more than I could say for my stomach.
On the way to meet my friends, I had time to kill, which I decided to use by stopping at Claar Cellars in Zillah, a winery tasting room I had never stopped at before. It's good stuff, and I ended up picking up two bottle of their 2006 Corneauxcopia, a Bordeaux blend.
None of this is bad. What was bad was that I then topped off the 11+ wine samples I had had with two very fizzy. very lukewarm beers, while sitting in cold water, under a warm sun, bobbing down a canyon.
I was sick as a dog. Ick, Ick, Ick.
Even being sick, I was able to enjoy most of the trip. The Yakima River Valley is very pretty. I didn't risk my camera, but, thanks to the internet, I don't need to!
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| picture from the Yakima County Development Association
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Brrrr...and I'm glad I'm sleeping at home in my bed instead of a tent tonight like my friends.
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