A Float Down Memory Lane (Part 2)

RiverRat Aaron Johnson Retells his Journey in a Kayak from Charlottesville to Richmond

September 19, 2006 (Day 2)

We woke up a few hours after dawn to break down the camp and prepare our boats for our first long day.  Day two found us leaving the Rivanna and entering the expansive James River at Columbia.
    
In its day, Columbia was a bustling city having the advantage of prime real estate at the intersection of the two busiest shipping lanes in that area of the state.  Batteau carried goods to and from Charlottesville on this route. A system of locks, canals, and dams were built to accommodate the boats. In some areas of the Rivanna the ruins are still visible, including an aqueduct that actually crossed the river at one point.


It was in the James that we started noticing strong vegetation growth in the water.  Paddling was difficult in some areas because we were plowing through grass beds, even in deep water. Underwater grasses are great for water quality, but not for paddling!

Thunderstorms had been forecast for this day for about a week.  We got hit hard for about twenty minutes with barrels of rain.  Soaked and tired, after covering 30 miles we made camp on an idyllic island. 

Idyllic until the sun went down and we realized we weren’t going to get any sleep…    

To follow:  A sleepless night, a man with a story, and a disaster that threatens our trip.