Every trip on James River carries risk of death
Every outdoor enthusiast at some point encounters that something that gives them an unexpected thrill or rush of excitment, and sometimes that comes from the risk of dying, according to Andy Thompson, the outdoors columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. From a recent Andy column headlined “Outdoors thrills can heighten senses”: Andrew Trivizas and I had struck […]
Every outdoor enthusiast at some point encounters that something that gives them an unexpected thrill or rush of excitment, and sometimes that comes from the risk of dying, according to Andy Thompson, the outdoors columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
From a recent Andy column headlined “Outdoors thrills can heighten senses”:
Andrew Trivizas and I had struck a boulder broadside near Mitchell’s Gut, an area of rapids in the James River. The water was high — about 7.2 feet at the Westham gauge — but it wasn’t raging. We’d made it here from Huguenot Flatwater in my 16-foot canoe just fine. We were only a few hundred yards from our take out at Reedy Creek.
In a canoe or kayak, there’s an added element: fear.
While extremely unlikely, every trip through the falls of the James carries the risk of death. Subconsciously, anyone who’s paddled it knows that. The risk might be one in a million, but it’s not zero.
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