Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

With all of the water in and around Minnesota, I can say with absolute confidence that the St. Croix River is my favorite body of water. At over 160 miles long, with the lower 120 miles splitting Minnesota from Wisconsin and eventually ending when it connects to the Mississippi River, the St. Croix is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This beautiful spring-fed river is protected by the National Park Service and interestingly, Minneapolis and St. Paul both get portions of its power from a hydroelectric plant along the St. Croix. If you are ever in the region, this is a must see/experience.

Last weekend I headed up to the northern part of the river with Mike, Molly and Pete. We rented four kayaks and mapped out a thirty-mile stretch that we would paddle over the course of two days. Our gear was all bagged up and water-tight and shoved into the dry storage compartments of the kayaks. It was a chance to get out of the city, away from our phones, and exist with nothing but our own thoughts. And that's what we did.

Heading down river, despite the high water-levels, was not as easy as it might sound. It was a great ride when we could catch the current and easily maneuver down-river. Other times we were paddling into a head-wind that was just strong enough to make paddling less easy and more like a workout. In fact we had a solid day of core and upper body work. But with that we also had the most perfect weather for a camping trip. The last month we've had some pretty oppressive heat and humidity. But not this weekend. We enjoyed low to mid 80s and virtually no humidity. For the majority of the trip each of us paddled in solitude, within sight of one another, but with enough space to enjoy our surroundings. I can't remember having any epiphanies or serious contemplations about anything, it was more like a great day of meditation.

The majority of our travels were through the picturesque state park. Along each stretch of shoreline there were rows of turtles sunning themselves on rocks or logs. We saw eagles and hawks, some sort of water mammal that we couldn't agree on, but sadly, quite a few mosquitoes were massacred along the way.

With only a handful of campsites available, we were well aware that once we were ready to stop paddling, we'd need to fine an unoccupied site. Travelers can't reserve these campsites, its first come first serve. We passed a few sites that were already taken, and quite honestly I was concerned that we'd have trouble finding a site at all.

After several hours of hard work and sun beating down on us, we found a site that was empty. The trouble turned out to be fighting the current with enough strength to actually get to the site! I don't think I can quite describe how tough it was to paddle sideways across the current to a narrow embankment about two feet wide. One person landed as the rest waited for our turn. We had to keep the boat aimed, but waiting to land, fighting the current. The target was very small, finally we paddle madly with the bow of the kayak aimed for a tiny spot of shore and praying that the boat didn't turn backwards and send us flying down the river. Or worse that it helps even less when you lose all muscle control from hysterical laughter. It was a ridiculous site to get to and a ridiculous sight to see, but eventually all four of us were beached and ready for a hefty cup of boxed red wine.

By this point we realized, or at least I did, that I had not slathered myself with nearly enough sunscreen. I am a white woman with blonde hair and sitting on the water for several hours, even with 70-90 spf sunscreen, is a recipe for a painful sunburn. Its now a few days later and I'm still feeling the wrath of Ra.

All said and done, it was a magnificent way to spend the weekend and I couldn't be happier that we went. By Sunday evening I was sore, sun burned, dirty and wiped out... always a sign that a good time was had!