Every paddler has a ‘home run.’ A favorite river section or a local creek that they know at every level, can paddle in any boat, in any condition. The My Home Run series follows six paddlers from the Northeast to their favorite local runs.
Rock Run: It’s exclusive. It’s challenging. And to run it, the stars have to align. To Scott Martin, it’s the perfect river.
“On a very personal level, coming off expeditions, there’s a little bit of like a depression time… no one can really relate to that experience of what you’ve gone through besides for the people with you. … But the great thing about coming off an expedition and coming back to your local creek is that it’s comforting. It’s kind of like going home and eating mac and cheese.” – Scott
New York paddler, Bill Frazer can’t imagine a time in his life when he won’t want to go kayaking. But, it turns out, as you grow up, have kids and, y’know, mature, ‘being scared’ isn’t what kayaking is all about, sometimes you just want to get in your boat. When Bill just needs to get in his boat, he heads to the Boquet.
“I remember being the younger guy hanging out with older guys. Now, I’m like the old guy hanging out with the younger guys boating, which is funny. …I’m definitely wiser about my decisions in kayaking. …If I’m slightly like, ‘Ahh, I’m not sure about that,’ then I won’t do it. But that’s what’s great about the Boquet because you can just go there. I know it so well that maybe that’s why I paddle it because I’m comfortable.” – Bill
Elaine Campbell became an expert on the Deerfield. When she learned to squirt boat she went back to the Deerfield. And even though she’s paddled different sections, from the Dryway to Fife Brook, thousands of times, it never gets old.
“Before kayaking…my weekends were spent going out drinking, going to nightclubs and then I learned how to kayak and it was like boom, no more clubbin’. I mean, there was partying but it was outside around a campfire. It totally changed my life.” – Elaine