Attention all water sport enthusiast, now is the time to dust off the canoes and kayaks. The Breakfast Rotary club of McMinnville just completed a clean up of part of the Barren Fork, from the dam to the River Watch next to the Water Treatment Plant off of 56.
Literally, a ton of trash was combed from the banks, the river bottom, and trees by Rotarians, Interact, and additional volunteers who embarked in thirty plus canoes, kayaks and rafts last Saturday from the dam concluding at the River Watch.
This section of river is very pretty with small rapids, fish, bird watching; 2 big cranes live in this area! Both sections of the river have easy area for loading and unloading. The start is at the park at Route 55(S. Chancery St) and Old Morrison Road. One take out is at The Rotary Club’s River Watch Park. To get there by car, take Route 56(Beersheba Highway), making a left on East End Drive. Drive straight at the stop sign and this gravel road will bring you to the ramp after passing the baseball field and playground. Floating to this take out from the dam is approximately 1 hour. For a much longer float, you can continue down the Barren Fork River for approximately an additional 3 hours, arriving at the Ramp of the VFW, located on the East Side of the 70S (Sparta Highway).
Paddling sports, particularly kayaking, can really work the muscles of the trunk and upper extremity. Not using trunk muscles during this activity decreases the ability to transfer power to the arms. Also in the kayak, the hip portion of the trunk helps balance and change "center of gravity" when going through rapids and "digging" into turns, so you may be surprised to find sore hip muscles after this activity.
Obviously there are some safety items that are important to use to prevent injury or death such as life jackets, a whistle, sunscreen, and drinking water. The humidity of the summer is still among us and this will cause us to sweat even when paddling in the water, so remember to stay hydrated!
Another risk for injury that can be prevented is the slumped positioning that can occur due to the design of most boat seats, or lack there of design. Just as couch potato slumping can lead to herniated discs, so can slumping while paddling. Always try to position yourself with good posture at the beginning of the trip, before you being to feel pain from the prolonged poor posture. If you wait until pain presents itself, some damage and/or irritation has already occurred.
If you already have bulging disc issues, consider adapting a backrest with lumbar support on the canoe. You may be surprised that may kayaks actually have very good lumbar support and support for the trunk.
Another position which is common for whitewater canoeing is to kneel on pads with your bottom resting on the edge of the seat. Lowering your knees below your hips naturally places your back in a good posture.
Taking frequent standing breaks on the banks every 30 minutes or so can help as well by getting into a standing or extended position.
Thanks again to all the volunteers led by The Breakfast Rotary. Happy paddling!
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