Watertribe North Carolina Challenge

This coming Friday my daughter-in-law Emily and I will begin the Watertribe North Carolina Challenge.  This is also called the NC Ultra Marathon Challenge since there is now also a longer Blackbeard Challenge. You can track us from my SPOT site directly by clicking HERE.  Or from the Watertribe site Tracking map where you would see us with all of the other boats. For that click on

Tracking Map  but you have to make sure you have the NCC2014 and regenerate the view. My paddling name is Passaic Paddler and Emily is Northern Light.

Here is a map overview of the North Carolina Challenge. We begin at the tip of Cedar Island and paddle west. (going left on the map) We can either go around the outside of through the bay and canal into the Neuse River. From there we go into Clubfoot Creek and the Harlow Canal. The Harlow Canal is always a profound and reflective time for me since it was built by slaves. From there we paddle to the town of Beaufort, along Taylor Creek, and then north up the Core Sound. its a wonderful paddle. Hopefully it will take us just 2 days with one night out. 

 It's been a week since the NCC. Conditions were tough with 15 - 20 knot winds on Friday up to 20-25 on Saturday. Emily and I made our goal of reaching Philips Island on Friday night at Midnight after an exhausting day. I even flipped once when I discovered I was over a sandbar, recovered from one breaker only to meet another.

Emily in West Bay - it looks alot calmer than it was

This is MZEE going out from Turnagain Bay into the Neuse River. Note the breakers coming in.

God's gift to us at sundown on Friday was the sun dropping into the one crack of open sky that we had seen all day

Ready to leave Philips Island on Saturday morning (it is for sale by the way)

As Emily and I left Philips Island for the checkpoint at Beaufort we had modified our plan to ready Atlantic by nightfall and camp there to finish on Sunday morning. After the check point we enjoyed a wonderful paddle down Taylor Creek along the Rachel Carson Nature Preserve. But that was the end of the "wonderful paddles" for the day.  As we entered the crossing over to Harkers Island we began to feel the full fury of the wind. After stopping to regroup Emily decided to go back to Checkpoint 1 and call it a day. I decided to press on for Atlantic. Once I entered the Core Sound I felt even more of the fury of the wind and waves. I was paddling NE with a 20 - 25 knot wind coming out of the NE. The waves had built up and seemed about 3-4 ft. every 5-6 feet. Paddling all out I was moving about 1.5 mph. Once I reached Davis Island I decided to call it a day as well. Emily had just caught a ride back to the campground. I called her and paddled up Wade Creek to Willison where she came to pick me up.  We ended the day cheering in other paddlers and sailors and enjoying a great seafood meal at the driftwood. We will both "live to fight another day" and felt good that we had given it our best shot.

MACRC Paddling the Passaic

 Thursday night we went out on our Third Congregational Paddling Night. With help from Eric White and Rick "Riverman" Rodriguez we had a total of 20 paddlers. Rick used two of his SeaEagle inflatable kayaks and we had our 11 kayaks and 2 canoes. We had some brand new paddlers as well as some well seasoned one. We began encouraging everyone to take the time to read God's "Big Book" of creation as we paddled.

Rick, Nancy, Terry & Collette 

Paddling in sync can be quite a challenge

We enjoyed watching the sun go down.

We paddled to just below Rick's Island and gathered together as Pastor John recited Psalm 8. It is a wonderful celebration of God' creation and the special place he has given us as human beings in taking care of it.

Go Taj go!

The MacCracken family

 After a visit to Ricks Island we paddled back to the Elmwood Park Marina and loaded up as it was getting dark. A good time was had by all and we thanked God for safety and the ways He revealed himself to us.

Tim and Al'lena. Oh, did I mention Tim took a bit of a swim.

Los and Al'lena

River of God Kayak Kamp: Day 4 & 5

 Thursday we launched at River Barge Park on th Hackensack River and paddled across the river to the Meadowlands by Mill Creek Park. The tide was going out so it was a bit slow going up the river but everyone made it. There was alot of mud showing from low tide and we reflected that we can experience God even in the mud. It is actually full of life and is an environment that allows all kinds of life to live and grow.  The meadowlands is an amazing place to paddle because it is such a wilderness to paddle in while looking at the Empire State Building and Freedom Tower

 The Hackensack River is pretty "big" water and can get quite rough if the wind picks up and wind and tide collide. After lunch Mr. Angelo of the Meadowlands Commission spoke to the kids and allowed them to go swimming off the dock. We ended the day with Ice Cream at Guernsey Crest.

 We began or final day with devotions from Revelation 22 about the River of God flowing from the Temple. Pastor John reminded us of the 4 words that will help us understand the Bible and live. CREATION - FALL - REDEMPTION - RESTORATION.  God created the world perfect and good. The fall into sin has polluted and corrupted us as people and the entire world. God send Jesus to Redeem and Save us from sin to live for him on earth and in heaven. Jesus is coming back to Restore all things and make them new. This is the good news of the Gospel.
We launched on the banks of the Delaware River about 5 miles north of the Gap. We would have gone further but the river road was closed due to a downed tree and power line.

 As we lauched we paddled upstream a bit before turning downstream. There was a good current so paddling was easy.

 Mrs. Patti MacCracken joined us today as our female leader. We were grateful for all of our leaders this week including her, Mrs. Englehard and Mr. Eric White. Without them we could not do Kayak Kamp.

 We stopped for lunch along the banks of the river and after eating everyone enjoyed swimming, floating with the current, paddling around or playing with the seagrass.

 A few kids floated away but those in kayaks towed them back. Fun was had by all.

The Matthews Family

The river grass was a big hit. Here are Justice and Naomi with new hairdos.... It may become a style...who knows?

 Our group for today in our last float before the final rapids into the gap. It has been a wonderful week where we have read God's "Big Book" of creation, learned to help each other and work together, and learned how to push ourselves beyond what we think we can do.

 Since we were a bit early we paddled past the beach at the Delaware Water Gap to the actual "Gap". This falls between a mountain in NJ and another one in PA. There was a time they hoped to put a dam here for drinking water. We're thankful that they didn't so we can enjoy the beauty of floating down a river created by the hand of God.   Psalm 8

Th

River of God Kayak Kamp 2014

This week we began the 4th year of our River of God Kayak Kamp. Mr. Eric White & Mrs. Alisa Englehard are our volunteer instructors and we have 12 young paddlers. Day one after devotions and some safety training we went to the Monksville Reservoir. It was a beautiful day to paddle and even our brand new paddlers did great. On the way to the pirates island we discovered a brush fire. After trying to put it out with a water bottle we called 911 to report it. On our way back the Forest Fire Fighters were working on it to put out all that was still burning underground. We believe that if we had not called it in it could have become a major forest fire.  

 After lunch everyone enjoyed swimming on Pirates Island. We also practiced "tipping" by dumping the paddlers out of their kayak so they have experienced it if it should ever happen.

 Tuesday morning we went to the Passaic River. We paddled all the way to Dundee Dam and then back up to Rick's Island for lunch.

 Rick "Riverman" Rodriguez cooked hot dogs for everyone and we enjoyed the chairs and picnic area on the island. We collected alot of bottles that were one the river to recycle. After we got back Pastor John explained how the storm drains in the street flow to the river. When people put bottles and trash in them it all ends up in the river. We also had Ice Cream at the new Ice Cream shop at Great Falls Pizza on 12th & E. 19th St.

 Wednesday we went back to the Monksville Reservoir but launched on the North side on Beach Road. It was a beautiful day as we paddled over to the Pirates Cove, under the power lines and then back to the North boat launch for swimming. Everyone enjoyed getting wet on a warm day.

After lunch by Long Pond Iron Works Mrs. E. and Mr. E took the group to look at the Iron Works and hike up to the waterfalls on the Wanaque River. Unfortunately so many people have been going up there drinking and doing other things that they have closed off the trail and made it an area of "No Trespassing". We learned about how sin breaks the goodness of God's creation and this is just one more example of it.

 We paddle back through the flooded forest with plenty of time for running and diving off the dock.