That’s Trip and Jill in Canoe #1 trailing Frank, one of the two men in our little rag tag team.__________________________

I feel like I just completed a triathlon.  We canoed down Bear Creek – somewhere around Muscle Shoals, Ala., for more than five hours, then we walked for what seemed like 10 miles up and down steep terrain at a natural landmark called Dismal Canyan wearing soggy flip-flops.  More about that later…

If you throw in the late night partying, that makes three favorite sports we completed – all in one exhausting 26-hour period.  I’ll have to tell you about the drive home later – that could be considered a fourth sport.

Bear Creek offered a delightful, leisurely float trip for canoeing and kayaking plus a few rapids thrown in to keep the heart pumping.

I’m the only one to take a spill and that was while the canoe was standing perfectly still. As I tried to climb aboard, I got a little nervous and flipped the canoe with all our gear and my camera.  Luckily I had doubled bagged it in Ziplocks and it survived better than I did.  I spent the rest of the day in a soggy coma.

There were seven of us in all to make the trip down Bear Creek. We had four canoes  and enough food for the Confederate army.  Of course, when my canoe flipped, we lost the vittles, but thankfully, it was after we had taken our lunch break along the banks of the river.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about The Dismals – you must see this if you live anywhere near Alabama. But right now, I can’t move my left arm, and I think I may be on the verge of delirium.  I’m going to wash off the creek scum and go to bed.