This is especially for my fellow adventure seekers and river rats living in, or planning to visit Richmond.

After a fun and successful work float trip, my partner and I decided we wanted to get our own tube and try our luck at planning a float trip. We both are avid hikers, nature, and water adventure lovers so felt we could handle it. My partner turned to the ¨Friends of the James River Park¨ website* which stated that “A leisurely trip is a put-in at Huguenot Flatwater and take-out at Reedy Creek.”

The website also goes on to say that “it is mostly flatwater with the added excitement of a few small rapids toward the end.” The friends of the James River Park help manage the park system so we felt this was credible and planned to float this section of the river.

In preparation, we packed sandwiches, electrolytes, water, and a wet bag to hold keys. Our tube thankfully had a cooler section where we were able to store all the items so we were over prepared for what we planned to be a 3 or 4 hour trip. This is key especially when planning a trip without a guide, it is always better to be over prepared than under prepared. When we parked my car at the take-out point, we made sure to go down to the water and look at our surroundings (identifying landmarks, features, etc.).

We also made sure to leave my phone in my car so we'd have a phone at both locations. Then, the last thing we did before we set out was text my partner's mom where we put in and where we were taking out . It was our first time using the wet bag and we didn't want to risk our phones, so we especially wanted to let our location and route be known. We always do this as it is life saving (spoiler alert) for any adventurer.

The first surprise of our adventure happened before we even got the tube in the water; At the Huguenot Flatwater access point there was a sign warning about the Z Dam ahead, but that there was a portage on the left side. For those that don’t know,(we ourselves had to google it before deciding to continue) a portage is a path around an obstacle in the water.

Making sure you are aware of obstacles, and not just read , but actually understand all signage you see along your journey is another vital part of adventuring. Because of this, we were able to stay toward the left side of the river and spot signage telling us that we needed to exit and use the portage trail, which we wouldn't have if we just got in and stayed on the right side of the river.

Our second surprise came up as we approached the Powhite bridge. There was no clear path to tube through, so we had to hike with the tube over rocks. It was at this point that we knew we were in over our heads. The trip was taking longer than expected, we could tell that the sun was about to start setting, and we didn't know exactly where we were. After we made it over those rocks we finally began to recognize landmarks , but trusting our instincts was key. We saw a yellow marker that we felt had to mark the entrance to the river access at Reedy Creek.

At this point we had almost gotten separated ,beat up by rapids, and were extremely tired so we decided to deflate the tube. We didn't expect that it would be another 200 ft to Reedy Creek, only know this because we got rescued and the first responders told us. My partner’s mom had called when she didn’t hear from us, so in the end that is what I credit our survival to the most.

I hope our close call is a lesson and helps others take more precautions. As always if you want any travel tips please reach out and be safe!