Tips In Planning A Harpeth River Canoe Trip

By Matthew Barnes


According to many people experienced with the great outdoors, there is no way to enjoy it more than a canoe ride or expedition. Very much like the old adventurers of yore in the New World, you can get this same experience if you plan a Harpeth River canoe expedition of your every own. Read on in this article for some tips on how to make a success at planning your very own expedition on this great river.

Before anything else you must come prepared with a checklist of things to do and prepare, and to know. Checklists, although very simple and scoffed at by a lot of people, are great management tools in making sure you leave no stone unturned in arriving at a solid and informed decision.

On top of the list that you will make will be the destination that you wish to go to. In this case of course it is already the Harpeth River. Remember that this river is a main tributary river to the Ohio and Cumberland rivers, which in turn feed the Mississippi River. Being of importance, it pays well to study it ahead also.

Identifying major whitewater areas is next to do on your list. These areas occur in junctions of main and tributary rivers, and in the case of the Harpeth, usually in areas where the Little Harpeth and itself meet. Do avoid these areas unless you are already a seasoned kayak rider or canoeist at the start.

In general once you do paddle out on this river, it is generally smooth sailing, but it has quite a lot of twists and turns. Due to this, the currents will change occasionally along the curves, in both direction and speed. It is also a good idea to ask a seasoned guided regarding the locations and directions of strong currents along the course of the entire river so that you can be more prepared.

An important next to do on your list will be to get a good and responsible guide. You can gauge responsibility not only by the amount of years experience, but the track record of safety he or she has in going out with expeditions similar to yours. Do take the time to interview your prospective guide.

The important items to bring will be the next thing to determine. This is the best time to go online and ask in forums from more experienced canoeists. They should be able to tell you what is not needed or needed as the case may be and where best to procure these items that should fir well within your itemized budget.

Make a list of all the things that you want to do and experience on this trip. If possible discuss this with your group mates so that you can all be on the same wavelength on what is fun and what is not. And also try to fit in most if not all of your activities within a two or three day span, as long trips can be quite exhausting especially for those just trying it out.




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