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Infiltration Forums > Journal Index > ... > Canoe Trip or Drunken, shoeless and bloody exploration.(Viewed 1624 times)
Canoe Trip or Drunken, shoeless and bloody exploration.
entry by xrahy 
8/11/2004 9:42 PM

One fine and sunny Saturday not long ago I set out on a canoe trip with three friends and coworkers. Of course, as usual, we got off to a late start and made it to the river barely before noon. By then we were quite thirsty and set about drinking beers like our lives depended on it (maybe they do).
Now part of my reason for putting this trip together was in hope that the river would provide access to a building that I had recently discovered. I didn't tell this to the guys- it was just a trip down the river to them, maybe a little fishing and swimming etc.
A few hours into the trip we discovered that 12 beers per person was possibly not enough provisions and that we were getting hungry. We stopped at small rock island in the river and proceeded to eat some lunch and discuss the possible impending beer shortage. Just then I noticed a group of overwieght redneck tubers struggling their way back up stream towards us. Unbelievably they decided to occupy the very same rock we were sitting on, which in my opinion is very poor river etiquette. We discussed taking their beer to supplement ours, but alas they had none. Plan B; we start talking loudly about all kinds of disgusting, scary, and perverse things. Fearing an "Deliverence" style episode they quickly left and stayed well out of our way for the rest of the trip.
A few minutes after getting under way again we spotted a tower peeking above the treeline about 300yds from the river bank.
Everyone decided that it would be cool to stop and check it out. We pulled our canoes along side the bank and tied off to some trees. Climbing the bank we surveyed before us a few yards of jungle vine stuff blanketing the ground and then a cornfield. Off we went shitless and all in barefeet except for me, I was wearing Tevas.
Well the jungle vine stuff was very abrasive and spiny, the corn was about 8 feet tall and dry and scratchy but we made it through only to find about 100 yds of waist deep brambles and briers to navigate. This proved to be excrutiating and after several barbed wire fences and one creek crossed we began the ascent up the heavily wooded hillside laced with even more old rusty barbed wire fences.
Another overgrown field and finally we arrived at the building. It was breathtaking and amazingly intact. Wandering around the perimeter for a possible entrance we noticed that there was definetly a caretaker living in a little cottage near the building. and there were dogs barking. Against better judgement we decided to stick around and finally found an entry. Wandering around in awe we soon seperated and I made my way up to the bell tower. (For some reason in any exploration I feel as if I must first and foremost find my way to the highest point of any building and then go from there).
The place was very cool and remarkably undamaged or graffit covered. It used to be a school, dedicated in 1895, for Catholic "Indians and Colored Children" and closed down in the early 1970's. There was plenty to see at every turn as I made my way back down to the chapel area where I ran into R. Just then we heard the sound of a car crunching on gravel.
The two of us decided it was time to split, we didn't see the others as we headed quickly back to the entry point. A quick look to see if the coast was clear and out we went. Down the hill through the brush, across the creek, through the brambles, through the corn and over the vines. I look back and there was no one, I was entirely alone. Finally R. showed up and then 15 mins. later R2 and then after a half hour of speculation about what may have happened to him, J. shows up. We all looked at each other half laughing and half crying. Our feet, legs and torso's were covered in scratches, thorns poking out of raw skin and I had blood running down my face from a cut under my eye.
The worst was yet to come. We got back in the canoes and discovered that we only had TWO beers left for the four of us and about two hours of river yet to cover. We paddled on in grumpy silence and arrived back just before dark, cold, wet, bloodied and bruised but with some good photos and plans to return someday.


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ednothing   |  |  | ...
Re: Canoe Trip or Drunken, shoeless and bloody exploration.
<Reply # 1 on 8/11/2004 9:53 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
"Off we went shitless and all in barefeet except for me, I was wearing Tevas."

Well, that makes the trip sound even more crazy. Heh heh.

Sounds like an awesome time. Except for the beer shortage.




xrahy
Noble Donor
 
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Re: Canoe Trip or Drunken, shoeless and bloody exploration.
<Reply # 2 on 8/11/2004 9:56 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Ha ha. that's funny typo, I think I'll leave it. yeah it was a good time, I really want to go back as I didn't get to see half of the building. I've also got two more pics from one of the other people with me but I'm having trouble uploading...



Infiltration Forums > Journal Index > ... > Canoe Trip or Drunken, shoeless and bloody exploration.(Viewed 1624 times)
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