Day 116: Where are my pants?

Hiked 0.0 miles.  Camping at Tripoli campground.

I woke at my usual time which of course was way before anyone else.  So I just relaxed in my tent for a few hours until people started moving.  I headed over to Lincoln with a few people for some breakfast.  Having a car makes things so much easier doesn't it?  Afterwards we went back to the pond for a morning dip.  By the time we got back to the campground most people were awake and moving about.  The river float is an afternoon thing so everyone just relaxed around camp and chatted.  It takes a while to get 30 hungover and tired people motivated and coordinated to get going so although around 11 some people started to get going it was almost 1 before everyone was in the cars and our little convoy left the campsite.

We drove to the river and got dropped off.  The drivers then took all the cars downstream to where we planned to get out.  Everyone brings their own flotation device for the river float.  Most people have your normal run of the mill inner tubes, but there were a few outlandish inflatables.  Srocket and Hotdog went for outlandish and it backfired on them when they were unable to stay atop their giant inflatable animals.  Luckily someone had brought extra and they were able to switch.  

The river was running very high and fast this year.  I guess usually it takes about 4-5 hours to meander slowly down the 1-2 mile stretch.  The river was moving so much faster that we spent a lot of time taking breaks every so often, otherwise we would have been done in only an hour or so.  On the plus side we got some fantastic rapids, supposedly the best that they've seen in all six years that they've done this.  The water was cold but once you got in it was fine, especially once the sun came out.  One of the places we stopped had terrific cliff jumping into the river.

When I got back to camp someone was making a town run and I decided to tag along.  It was then that I discovered that my pants had gone missing.  Now before anyone reprimands me about drunken shenanigans I should clarify that I was still wearing my swimsuit, don't worry I was not walking around naked.  I had left my pants, with my money and cell phone in them, in a car before the river float and they had been moved by someone else when we got back.  I spent the next half an hour searching through the 11 cars involved in the convoy to the float and tracking people down to find out where they were.  I finally managed to find them and the crisis was averted.  But the bottom line of this story is that I had a couple drinks and realized I had lost my pants.  Aren't you proud mom?

The cool surprise happened when Kevin and Amanda suddenly showed up along with my friend Johnny.  I was not aware that they were coming and it was awesome to see them suddenly stroll up.  The funny part is that Kevin and Amanda weren't aware that Srocket and I were going to be there either and were just as surprised to see me.  Amanda couldn't stay but Kevin and Johnny camped with us and joined in the festivities.  The evening was similar to last night but I didn't make it super late.  Between lack of sleep and being in the sun all day I quickly started dozing around the fire and decided I should call it an early evening.