From Everest to the Mariana Trench Part 2

Land Ho! 

My nerves were so thin sparks flew freely upon contact. One of the boys at the head of the raft was trying to ruin a much-loved Disney film, by repeating the same section of a song from Moana with the same skill as a record player. The reasons were pilling up for us to find a campsite and soon! 

To understand, reader, you need to realize this adventure was taking place in Alaska during the summer. The sun graced the horizon after midnight and stayed hidden for only a short time. Technically, it was early the next morning before we spotted a large enough flat area to spend what was left of the night. However, seeing and stopping are two different things.  

The passenger raft was ahead. We spotted the largest stretch of beach, went as far left as the water would take us, and dragged along the rocky shore for several feet. We were nearing the end of the eddy, so those at the front of the raft had to jump onto the shore. All understood that the raft needed to stop now! Relief came when the river’s power was overcome by the land’s hold. We had made it, but it was too soon for victory.  

There was no wake-up time required, as we all were extremely exhausted, so it was around noon when the camp started to dissolve. A sufficient breakfast and the possibility of escaping the river fired a desire to enter into the river’s frigid waters yet again. The target was now the originally planned campsite which was on the right side of the river. More importantly, the right side of the river was the side the road was on.  

No sooner had I started directing the teens to take the cargo down the beach in search of a campsite, than the cargo raft came around the bend. This time we were not as fortunate. A rope was thrown to the one-maned, mountainous cargo raft but it continued out of the eddy, scraping the bank the entire way. A group struggled with the rope and soon disappear as they fought the current.  

The last of the passenger raft’s cargo and crew made it to the end of the beach, a heaven of sand. We were meet with the cargo raft and the last glimpses of daylight. Food was prepared enough to be eaten by dinner’s hungry participants, and it was 4 in the morning when the camp finally turned in for the night.   

There was no wake-up time required, as we all were extremely exhausted, so it was around noon when the camp started to dissolve. A sufficient breakfast and the possibility of escaping the river fired a desire to enter into the river’s frigid waters yet again. The target was now the originally planned camp site which was on the right side of the river. More importantly, the right side of the river was the side the road was on. 

We were off, but the first part of the second day was no different from the day before. The water was the same and we had to get out often to push. Soon cliffs grew on the left side of the river and the rafts were cruising down in a broad cannon. As one of the best parts of the trip, teens and staff alike soaked the experience in. 

The cliffs gave way as we neared our stopping point. The passenger raft was again in the lead with the inflatable kayaks scattered around it. A split in the river was developing so the leader motioned for everyone to take a right. However, one kayaker was too far left. As she struggled against a developing current pulling her left, her kayak flipped, and she was swept to the left and out of sight. We hurried to the beach on the right, hoping to catch a glimpse of her coming out at the other end, but there was no sign of our missing staff member.  

While that cinematic moment took place, another group ran with the cargo raft on a rope down the beach until it finally came to rest on the shore. A team headed out to search for our missing kayaker, and the rest of us collected the supplies in a pile next to the road. It was not long before the search party returned with the missing kayaker. She had made it to ashore and had been waiting to be picked up. We had one last problem to solve. 

A rescue plan was hatched, and we beached the cargo raft. The teens were so excited to make it to their final shore they poured out on all sides. Two girls had hoped out river side, which wouldn’t have been much of a concern because the water was shallow and the current was merely a slight swirl. What the girls did not see was the cargo raft billowing towards them. Without concern for the attempts of the oars, the raft slammed into the girls at full speed. One girl was grabbed by someone still in the boat, but the other had no one near her. As she fainted from the blow of being squished between two rafts, I saw something straight from an Indiana Jones film. The leader jumped from the shore onto the raft, the laws of physics were disregarded as he landed on the raft’s cylindrical seats, reach into the water, and pulled the girl to safety.  

While that cinematic moment took place, another group ran with the cargo raft on a rope down the beach until it finally came to rest on the shore. A team headed out to search for our missing kayaker, and the rest of us collected the supplies in a pile next to the road. It was not long before the search party returned with the missing kayaker. She had made it to a shore and had been waiting to be picked up. We had one last problem to solve.

Our entire experience was unknown to those at headquarters, and we had no way of communicating with them where we were. Thankfully it was not long after our leader set off in search of a phone that he was able to reach our ride. We were grateful for the dinner that greeted us upon our arrival that evening.