Apr 17 - Kern River excursion, Part 2**

Monday, April 17, 1972 - Page 108
LOCATION: Kernville & Newport Beach, California

Note on the Back Written by Mom:
Me & my son, Charles, on Kern R., Apr 23, 1974

[This is a continuation from the previous page describing a river trip on Sunday, April 16]
...about 35 seconds. Cliff, though weaker, went through faster and cleaner than Chunk. They both got tired and went to Upper Ewings to practice. I found a small snake, pro'ly a garter snake. There were also thousands of lizards that darted around when you walked through bushes and rocks. I stayed on the big rock at the end of Ewings soaking sun, and Chunk and Cliff returned for a few more timed slalom runs. Cliff left, and Bob got in the Musky Mongoose to learn how to do the Eskimo roll with Chunk assisting, and me taking pictures with Bob's camera. He gave up after about a dozen attempts.

Chuck, at right, with paddling friends at the Kern, 1968

Then I got Glenn's boat (Chunk wasn't so wary of me using it) and Chunk & I went to Upper Ewings to run it. I went through, with Chunk following, without flipping, just letting the water carry me along. It was easy, so I decided to do it again -- and that time the water carried me into a bunch of rocks at the side where I stayed. I pulled myself out, and continued down stream BACKWARDS, and almost made it but ran into a big rock with a strong current that succeeded in flipping me. So I tried again, got hung up in the same place, went down backwards, and got flipped by the same rapid, but at a point higher up this time. I decided not to give it another try. The score, then, was 4 flips for me, 3 for Bob. I won!

This art by Lu Lyda shows Chuck with a partner in a slalom run, 1969

We started packing for the trip home, putting Patch & Glenn's kayak on the Barracuda. Left by 2:30. Traffic was heavy but fast enough, got home at 7:00, dropping Bob off at his place on Lido Isle. The moon had a bright object on the top of its crescent. Chunk said he din't know there was a star there, and I knowingly, guessingly said it was Venus. My theory proved correct when the radio mentioned having a lot of calls from people who thought it was Apollo XVI (impossible to see, of course). They said Venus got that close to the Moon twice a year. Chunk and I reached home, and unpacked the boats and car. Chunk stayed a few minutes to eat butter cups (Reeses) and talk. Taco has been busy -- a dead gopher was in the cabaña, and there was a gopher's head on my window sill. In both locations the cat had thrown up, so maybe she won't eat them any more.

KFI's fiftieth anniversary was on and I listened to that till midnight, after reading the comics, eating candy & a T.V. dinner. My knee, which had bled some after the last Ewing's flip, hurt and gave me a limp. My feet which had been cut up in back bay, were as painful as ever (I have ten big cuts and a dozen minor nicks and slices on both feet). I slept with Vitamin E on my feet, with socks over them to keep it from staining the bed.

MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1972 -- My leg is okay now, and my feet itch a little but are fairly okay. I took a bath after waking up at 9:40 A.M. Mom came by while I was walking home after going for the mail (there was none), because she forgot her close-up glasses. That was at noon. It is now 1:23:13 P.M. -- Finis, till next entry 2-day.

11:21:31 PM
Did dishes today while watching T.V. Mom went out for her night with the girls at about 6:00. Tis now 11:22:59 P.M. -- Tha's all.

P.S. -- I'm getting my room cleaned up -- got magazines, books, & paperbacks where they belong. Will get them organized soon. Double finis.