The gentle navy water flowed smoothly under our metal boat. I stood on the rocky shore, staring at the small abandoned beehive. Creamy yellow in color, it reminded me of cold and fresh butter. For a minute, I thought about poking it, but before I could find a stick, my mom told me to come farther up on the shore. I stepped onto another rock, and ran toward her. It wasn't long before I had to get back in the boat, watching the kayakers ride toward the rapid. I was on a three-day river trip on the Rogue River, with my mom, step-dad Jon, and some family friends. Before I knew it, Jon started pulling the paddles through the water, and our boat started gliding forward. We rounded a corner, and I saw the rapid, Blossom Bar, for the first time. Huge waves sprang up with a whoosh in front of a large rock that stuck out in the middle of the river. I watched in admiration as the kayakers avoided the rock with great skill, and flew through the waves. As we neared the rapid, butterflies of excitement soared in my stomach.

At last, it was our turn to attack the rapid. Slowly, we advanced toward the rock that seemed to loom above us, even though it was only rose about a foot above the violent waves. Suddenly, our boat turned sideways, and smashed into the rock. I felt perfectly calm because I knew that Jon would free the boat from the rock easily. However, when I looked to my right, the side upstream, I was shocked to see water pouring into the boat. Jon couldn't push our boat away from the rock, so he jumped up, and scrambled onto it. He grabbed my hand, and I was hauled onto the rock with him. I panicked at the sight below me. All I could see was certain death. Blue and white water churned below me, waiting to drown anyone who fell in.
I was too focused on the water to notice Jon's friends shooting toward us in their raft, so when they were almost right behind our boat, Jon got ready to lift me into the air. I was barely aware of someone telling me that he would throw me into the raft. Then it happened. With one big thrust, Jon threw me into the air, and I saw his friend Stephanie below me, holding out her arms and waiting to catch me. Strangely, all my fear disappeared the moment my feet left the ground. In reality, I was probably only in the air for a few seconds, but it felt much longer than that. The waves seemed far below me, and gravity felt non-existent. For that short time, I floated in the air, and nothing else felt real. But then Stephanie caught me, and we hurtled down the rest of the rapid, thankfully missing the rock. Although gravity brought me back down to earth (or rather, to the boat), I know I will never forget my adventure on the Rogue River, at a rapid called Blossom Bar.