How To Plan A Harpeth River Canoe Expedition

By Matthew Barnes


Many outdoors enthusiasts and experts at that will almost always remark that there is no complete outdoor experience if no canoe ride is included in the package. And many of the great adventurers and explorers of the New World in the past always factored in the canoe experience in their travels. You can also do the same by booking a Harpeth River Canoe trip if you are so inclined, and this article will attempt to show you how.

It would be a great start in the beginning to prepare a checklist. In this way you can make sure that you have all bases covered in terms of information and things that need to be done. By having a checklist, you can arrive at a more informed decision.

On your checklist, the first thing to tick off will be the destination of your planned expedition. In this case your destination will be the Harpeth River in the state of Tennessee. This is a major tributary of the Cumberland and Ohio rivers, and one that needs to be studied well.

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.

Once you do go canoeing on this waterway, it will be smooth and without incident most of the way. Be prepared however for a lot of meanders, which basically means turns, along the river. These meanders make for the variety of currents that change speed and direction while you travel, and it will be a good idea to identify them beforehand with the help of an experienced guide.

A next thing on your list will be to get a reliable guide for your trip. Get one that not only has the requisite experience, but has a good track record as well, in terms of safety that is. Do ask plenty of questions from your prospective guide so you can determine if he or she is the right fit for your adventure.

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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