When it comes down to it, life is full of some really hard decisions. I recall my senior year of high school and trying to decide on what college to attend. To be honest I was overwhelmed; my dad, realizing my dilemma, stepped in and offered some of his great fatherly wisdom and together we decided on Clemson University. By far this is one of the best and most important decisions I ever made, and my parents supported me 150%. Clemson prepared me in so many ways for life and it was a downright awesome place to learn. Just about every weekend after football season my friends and I were in the mountains; mountain biking, camping, hiking, and of course fishing.
My sophomore year my college roommate and I decided to go up to the Chattooga River to try catching Trout on fly tackle. It was mid-February and we knew we would need some waders. We were both on a college budget and opted to purchase the cheapest waders we could find at the Wal-Mart in Seneca. Our chest waders were really nothing more than a thin vinyl stocking foot, they literally looked like a bibbed set of vinyl rain paints with a foot attached.
We knew we would definitely need some insulation under our waders, so we put on a couple of layers of socks plus our thermals and jeans before donning the waders. We then put on an old pair of tennis shoes to keep from tearing the foot of the waiters and hopped into the icy trout waters. Even with the extra layers of clothing I noticed my feet going numb, shortly thereafter my feet and lower legs were actually aching they were so cold. I kept asking my roommate if he was cold, he said yes a little bit but he was too consumed with his casting and trying to catch a fish. I was enjoying the new experience, but soon I was so cold I was no longer having fun.
I started making my way over to the bank where we had our tents set up. My legs were so numb I could barely walk. I lumbered up onto the shore, got together some fire wood, and started a nice size blaze, but my legs were still cold. I peeled off the wader