San Juan Madness

For the next three weeks we’re sharing the finalists from the Paddling Kids Story Contest. Read their stories and vote for your favorites to crown a winner! Comment below, or like and comment on Facebook and Instagram to register your support (maximum one comment per week per user). Voting for “San Juan Madness” is open from now until 5pm ET on Thursday, October 30.

San Juan Madness

By Asa McCallum, age 9, from Weybridge, Vermont

The water flies into my face. I hear cheering from the shore. I feel like I am going down a roller coaster.

Right, left, right, left.

Then I feel the boat hit something huge. We lurch to a stop.

“What is going on?” I hear Pinky yell over the roar of the water. Grampa looks at me.

Twenty minutes before:

I get out of my kayak. I walk over to the rocks where Grampa is standing.

I start to hear a roar. It sounds like a dragon.

“That’s it. The Government rapids.”

When I first see it, I am surprised. The water is low like it has been the entire trip, but I expected that the main attraction of the trip would be a little more… I don’t know. Main attraction like. It is pretty spectacular though. I watch as Grampa shows everyone the safe routes, and the routes that you should not take.

“First, Max will go down, then he will take Erin’s boat. After that, I will take it down with Asa. Then I will go down again with the one raft left. Asa if you want to come again, you can.”

Max gets in his kayak and pushes off. He starts to paddle. He doesn’t have to, though. The current sucks him in. He starts down. He takes a hard left, then goes straight until the end, where there are rocks. He goes right, and water flies into his face. He lets off a “whoop!” as he gets off the rapid. Then Max takes down Mom’s boat. After he finishes with that, it’s my turn.

Everyone helps push us off because ours is the first big raft. Grampa starts to paddle. We pick up speed. Then it happens. Water flies into the front where I am sitting. We take a left when I see a huge rock in front of us. Max had taken a right at the rock. That is what Grampa does. At least tries to.

I feel the boat stop. “What the” are Grampa’s first words. Everyone is confused. Grampa is paddling as fast as he can. It is no use. After about two minutes Pinky yells something. We can’t hear her over the roar of the water, but then she uses her hands to show what she is saying.

“I think she wants to bump us,” I yell over the current.

“No,” Grampa shakes his head. A minute later Grampa starts to pile stuff on the front of the boat so the weight shifts to make the boat move.

Weight starts to pile on me. I try to endure it. I imagine the boat tipping, then try to get the image out of my mind. Grampa starts to paddle. He tries to catch the paddle on a rock. Finally, the oar hits bottom.

He leans on the paddle with all his might. We don’t budge. Soon, he starts to make progress. I get a good feeling, then we break free.

We start down. Then the back of the raft gets stuck AGAIN.

Water pounds the boat. Now we are at a new angle, so the water is pouring right in the part of the boat that I am in. It is being flooded. Water is pounding against me. I make a shield with my arms, but the water breaks over the wall onto my head.

All I can do is sit there. I think about what could happen if the boat does not make it. Will it tip, leaving Grampa, and me in the water? Will the boat ever move? I hope so. Thoughts swirl through my mind.

I see my mom on the shore. Max and Pinky are getting a rope below.

They all look worried. I just don’t get it. How did this happen? It worked for Max. Twice!

Grampa puts down the paddles. He probably needs a rest. I can’t blame him. He pulls out something from his pocket. A Coke! At this time he drinks a Coke. He puts it back in his pocket after taking a sip.

“Okay. You got this,” I hear him whisper to himself. He stacks more things in the front. I wedge myself in a corner to give him more room to put things.

I want to help, but what can I do? I can barely get out of this cramped place.

All I can do is stay quiet and not interrupt.

All I do is listen. The roar of the water. Pinky, Max and Mom yelling on the shore, trying to ask Grampa things.

All Grampa does is shake his head no.

I hear him groaning as he pushes on the oar. I hear the oar pushing on a rock, trying to break free.

Then in one final lean. With all his might, Grampa moves the oar.

We move down the river. Water splashes in my face. I hear cheers from the shore. Best of all…

Mom got it all on camera. We get to the shore, and everyone is coming down the hill to greet us. “That may have been the longest two minutes of my life,” I say.

“Two minutes! That was fifteen!” My mom says.

“What!” I exclaim!

“Well then, that was the shortest fifteen minutes of my life,” I emphasize shortest, and fifteen just to make a point.

My mom laughs. I hear Grampa telling Pinky and Max about it. He was saying how good I was on the boat, and that I was calm, understanding, and able to go with the worst flow of all time. I don’t get how he thinks that, though. I was not calm at all.

I was freaking out all over. I mean ALL over. Still, it feels good to get the compliment.

We walk over to the boats. I got a lemonade. I did some kid math to figure out I could get two every day. I sat down next to Mom. All I can think is O.M.G. That was really awesome.

Vote for your favorite Paddling Kids finalists to crown a winner! Comment below, or like and comment on Facebook and Instagram to register your support (maximum one comment per week per user). Voting for “San Juan Madness” is open from now until 5pm ET on Thursday, October 30.