Extreme Paddleboarding
Have you ever had an adventure that went from a lazy river to an extreme sport? A few years ago, I went on what was supposed to be a leisurely 10 mile paddleboarding trip down the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia with my best friend who had always talked about how fun paddleboarding was. She and her husband had taken this trip numerous times and knew where to start and where to park the car at the end. That morning we briefly looked at the little boat launch and stairs at a secret fishing spot in the middle of nowhere where we would exit the river. We hopped back in the car and headed to the launching spot where her husband was dropping us off. When we got our gear out, she and her husband remarked at how high the river seemed to be after the recent rains. Boards, paddles, inflatable life vests, cellphone pouch (me), and camelbacks were ready. We were ready for a few hours of paddling down the river and catching up on life. With 7 kids and 115 miles between us, time alone together was rare. We sat on our boards to start and after a…
