Snake River Memories

Floating down a winding river while asleep in a tandem kayak isn’t the most common way for a 2-year-old to spend her weekend. But this was my reality as a toddler whose family loved to paddle.

It all started with my dad’s kayaking journey. In 1998, my parents purchased a cabin on the Snake River in Pine City, about an hour north of their home in St. Paul. Dad’s first paddles were in a recreational kayak on high water, which is not recommended, especially for a beginner. During one frigid April evening on the Snake, he and his kayak were held up underneath a tree. Luckily, he was able to thrust himself free. This frightening experience convinced him to join a club and learn about kayaking safety.

Flash forward to 2005, and it was my turn to join the family kayak brigade. As a toddler riding down the Snake River in my dad’s tandem kayak, I would try to examine every plant and animal we passed. Painted turtles, water lilies, northern water snakes, and white-tailed deer were a few on my extensive list of favorites. I often fell asleep, though I would inevitably wake up if we hit a stretch of rapids.

After a few years as a passenger, I got the courage to hop into my own boat. Overcoming my fear of independent paddling was not easy. From a young age, I knew about the immense strength of the Snake thanks to my dad’s incident with the tree.

I paddled a one-person kayak for the first time when I was 7 years old. In the moments leading up to the trip, I pretended to be confident, though I was scared beneath my smiling face. Once I was in the boat, however, my fears eased as the water guided me along. Joining me on the paddle were my aunt, cousin, and dad. I chose an orange whitewater boat, my cousin and dad used the tandem, and my aunt piloted her own kayak.

The trip began at my cabin and ended at the confluence of the Snake and St. Croix rivers. It was 11 miles and took about three hours to complete. This route was my favorite section of the Snake. It had an even amount of calm water and swift waves along with many sights to see, including a sandstone cliff pocked with hundreds of swallow nests. At one point we glided by a pool of water off the main channel that was filled with painted turtles. Halfway through the route, we passed my grandma’s house on the edge of the river. (Growing up, I loved being able to paddle downriver to Grandma’s.)

The trip was peaceful until we reached an island. All but my aunt paddled to the left of it; she went right. After two minutes, we reached the end of the island and saw my aunt swimming next to her overturned kayak. Though she was able to right her boat and get back in, her accident reminded me about the importance of water safety.

I’m in college now, which has limited my time on the Snake. Though I no longer visit the river as often as I’d like, it’s still a magical element in my life. I cherish the time I do spend there far more than I did when I was a kid. Today, when I return to the river, I feel at peace, knowing that there’s a lifetime of memories left to be made there.

The Snake’s power goes beyond its current. Even as life pulls me further away from family and friends, the river will always bring me home.