Duck River Canoe Trip

I'm embarrassed to admit we didn't do a single river float last summer. Time just seemed to slip away and we never got around to it.

This year, we were determined not to let that happen again, so we made sure to get ahead of things and do a river trip down, what we call, the "Upper Duck" on Memorial day. The Upper Duck begins at Hopkins Bridge and gets out at Henry Horton State Park.

 We like this stretch because it's a little faster than the Lower Duck, which goes from Milltown to River Rats, and has a couple mini-rapids and good places to swim.

Here we are, getting ready to depart from the gravel bar at Hopkins Bridge. As you can see, it's a popular place to hang out on holiday weekends. (Suz is off to the left, sitting in the river)

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It was also great to get to do something with Sammy again. With her being gone most of last summer it had been a long time since we floated together. As usual, her high energy and bubbly personality kept us all entertained.

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Sawyer has grown so much since last time we floated the river. We had many trips where he was the littlest guy, struggling along in the rear, trying to keep up. He's not so little anymore and buzzed down the river like he had an outboard motor.

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In fact, all the kids have grown so much that they don't really fit in their tiny, little, kid kayaks anymore.

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Seth, as usual, was taking care of business. He's such a good helper and knows all the tricks of river running inside and out. Once we get him trained on backing the truck and trailer in, he'll be experienced enough to be a guide.

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What's a river trip without good friends. Jody, Doug, Sarah and Garret joined us and were a ton of fun. It was great to reunite on the Duck after a several year hiatus.

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Since it was a patriotic holiday weekend, someone had enough forethought to bring a flag. Here we are doing our best patriotic poses

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We looked like a kayaking gang going down the river. It was great day and hopefully not the last one of the summer.

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