tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371861372024-03-13T13:56:34.996-05:00Along The WayAdventures here and there.Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-9838710617498752532015-06-27T17:29:00.000-05:002016-06-05T19:40:48.008-05:00Kayaking the Lofoten Islands<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(If you want to skip the words, jump straight to the photos <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/118363594507705500694/LofotenKayaking2015" target="_blank">here</a>. They were taken by Ed, Caroline, and myself.)</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It all started last November with an email from Ed, whom I'd recently met at John Carmody's Mid Coast Rendezvous in Maine. "I'm working on a trip to paddle the Lofoten archipelago next summer, including a crossing from Moskensøya to Værøy and Røstlandet (weather permitting). I'm looking at the 15 - 30 June 2015, and have been in contact with someone who rents kayaks. The thought is to paddle west and east coasts, and to spend some days hiking / climbing to take advantage of a really spectacular location."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While grateful to be invited, I knew nothing about the Lofoten Islands. But I'm half Norwegian, and I thoroughly enjoyed one prior trip to Norway, so I was predisposed to say yes. A bit of research confirmed that this would be a wonderful opportunity: an archipelago north of the Arctic Circle, midnight sun, mountains that drop down to the sea, fjords, fishing villages... Wanting more would just be greedy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before long a group of 6 had committed. Ed and Heidi from Maine (Heidi speaking fluent Norwegian), Caroline from Connecticut, Alice and Ansgar from Scotland, and me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the next few months we figured out logistics and learned more about where we were going. Ed worked with Jann Engstad of <a href="http://www.lofoten-aktiv.no/en/" target="_blank">Lofoten Kajakk</a> to rent boats. Based on boat availability, we eventually settled on launching on Friday, June 19 and returning on Thursday, June 25. First quarter moon would be the 24th. A couple of us started learning some Norwegian. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Lofoten islands form the southern part of the archipelago that marks the outer edge of the Vestfjorden -- a large fjord or bay that is home to a major cod fishery during the winter months. Norwegians have fished these waters for hundreds of years. There's some farming on the islands in valleys, but their aspect is mostly mountainous. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tidal range is about 2 meters or 6 feet. The main tidal flows are between the islands in the archipelago. As the tide rises and falls in the open sea, it starts flowing into and out of the Vestfjorden any way it can. Although all of the passages (straumen) have currents that vary with the tidal cycle, our main concern was the Moskenstraumen, between the southern end of the Lofoten Islands and the island of Værøy. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the Moskenstraumen that inspired Edgar Allen Poe to write <a href="http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/eapoe/bl-eapoe-descent.htm" target="_blank">The Maelstrom</a>. Poe's story took quite a bit of poetic license, but the real world current can exceed 10 knots, and there are whirlpools (the largest of which is reported to be between 40 and 60 meters in diameter) and standing waves. Definitely a place to treat with respect.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Detailed information </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in English</span></span> was difficult to find. There were some blog posts (see References at bottom of post.) There was an article about a couple of BCU Level 5 coaches doing the crossing and finding it a bit challenging. There were definitely some uneventful crossings, but the information I could find seemed contradictory. I attempted to translate the Norwegian Sailing Instructions (Den Norske Los) for the Moskenstraumen, which includes a diagram of the direction and and relative strength of the currents every 90 minutes of the tidal cycle, along with a detailed description. The fact that my translation attempt came up with results like "power snow drift" didn't inspire confidence (did they mean overfalls?). There was also one term ("Strinna") that I couldn't find a definition of anywhere. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking at the diagrams, there was never a time when everything went slack, so the trip would have to be planned around the whirlpools and Strinna, and use the ever present currents to one's advantage. Timings for the current flows in the passages between other islands were inconsistent from source to source, and were very general. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talking with Jann after we arrived seemed like a good idea.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I left for Norway on a Saturday morning and arrived in Oslo on Sunday morning. A long wait in Gardemoen Airport, a somewhat groggy flight to </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bodø, </span></span>and arrival in the rain. A hunt for dinner after checking into my hotel. May I always remember how much I appreciated the simple friendliness of the server at The Cup restaurant as I tried out my very limited Norwegian.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Monday I tracked down fuel for my camp stove and got a ticket for the ferry to Svolvær. I also spent some time with the charts planning possible trip routes. I saw several cars in Bodø with kayak racks and/or kayaks, but never saw any of those kayaks' people. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Monday evening I took the daily express boat to Svolvær. (<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/819335620" target="_blank">GPS track</a>) The ferry worked its way north along the mainland, stopping at half a dozen small village
ports, then cut across the Vestfjorden to Skrova and then Svolvær. We
weren't long into the trip when I spotted a beautiful rainbow, and I spent
most of the rest of the journey outside on the aft deck, looking at the islands and hills and
distant mountains.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The black and white cairns on top of the islands are called "varde". Many have been in place since Viking times. Their silhouettes show up well in daylight, which is useful in the land of the midnight sun. Jann said they don't turn the navigation lights on until mid-August, when it starts getting dark at night again. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tuesday and Wednesday were mine to explore, hike, take photos, and get groceries for the trip. </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Caroline arrived on Wednesday night. We had dinner and did some more wandering to take the edge off of her jet lag. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thursday morning we met Ansgar and Alice to start trip planning. They had found some information from a 1950s Admiralty pilot that was much more detailed about currents in the Moskenstraumen and other passages. It also had a definition of Strinna: "violent turbulence with swirls and steep heavy breaking seas which occurs at different times in different parts of the channel." Good to know.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We passed the notes around, transferring the information to our maps and charts. Later in the day we headed to Kabelvåg to find Jann's place. It wasn't hard to spot "Camp Chaos" (Jann's term) once we got close. Jann was off working, but it was good to have found where to go the next morning. We had a treat in Kabelvåg at the Pr</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">æ</span></span></span></span>stengbrygga (notice someone's Tahe Marine on the dock in front of the restaurant in the photo). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We still hadn't connected with Ed and Heidi, who had spent a few days in Oslo before coming up north. Caroline and I were within sight of the express boat we thought they'd be on when it arrived that night, and I went to look for them, but apparently they went left when I was looking for them to the right and we missed each other. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So it wasn't until Friday, the morning of our departure, that our full group gathered at Jann's. We had the chart and maps out on the hood of Jann's van to discuss trip options. Jann was marking possible campsites on the map as we sorted out weather, boats, paddles, sprayskirts, and other gear. Camp Chaos indeed, but it all worked.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The forecast was north winds force 3 to 4 Friday - Sunday, building to force 4 - 5 on Monday and Tuesday. The swells (longish period - 10 to 13 seconds) were around a meter or less, but Wednesday and Thursday would build to over a meter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We came up with a plan of Jann dropping us off at Ramberg on the west side. We would paddle south down the west side of the archipelago, round Lofotodden on the southern end on Monday morning, and would then be on the more protected east side and heading north before the winds and swell picked up. <br /><br />The west side of Moskenesøya where we would be paddling is a fairly committing place. No cell phone coverage, no roads, no towns south of Ramberg. The lovely big ocean-facing beaches would have dumping surf if the swell was of any size, so the reliable landing spots were Mulstøa, Horseid, Stokkvidmulen, Revsvika, and possibly Ertnhelvika. Assuming we were at Revsvika by Sunday night, we would have to be on the water at 8:00 AM on Monday morning to catch the favorable current around the southern end.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After working with us on our route, Jann left to drive a group of biking clients to their destination with their guide, so we had some time to get our gear and boats sorted out and breathe a bit. Route selection had been a big unknown for us, with no local knowledge and a group that hadn't paddled together before, so it was good to have a plan.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then we and the trailer headed off to Ramberg -- a bit over 30 miles as the crow flies, but much farther in this land of islands, mountains and fjords. Jann, a born and bred Lofotian, shared a bit of Lofoten and Norway with us along the way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/830216809" target="_blank">Day 1</a></b>: (days are hyperlinked to GPS tracks if I have one.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We launched from the beach at </span></span>Ramberg,
after filling up our water bags at the adjacent campground. The day
and the scenery were lovely. Actually, that could pretty much be said
for every day, so just assume that for the rest of this blog post.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A couple folks needed a pit stop at Kvalvika Beach, which was indeed dumpy and well over the heads of the landers as we watched them go in. Someone else chose to get out on the rocks on the side of the beach. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of our group was getting a little seasick in the following wind/following swells, and two of us stayed close to her. (Just goes to show how being seasick can pop up with experienced paddlers who don't normally get seasick.) After a while, she said she was starting to feel dizzy. Caroline rafted up with her and I clipped in to tow. We were within a couple of kilometers of our destination on Horseid Beach. After towing by myself for a while, we tried adding another paddler in front of me, but with the swells, the second paddler, despite being a strong paddler, wasn't helping. It was a bit of a learning for me -- towing in swells is not the same as flat water. Fortunately, as we got close to the destination our seasick paddler recovered and was able to proceed on her own.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paddling into
Horseid -- the big beach surrounded by mountains, a stark shadow from the
peak to the right -- was one of those paddles you just want to slow
down, stretch out, and savor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After settling into camp and having dinner, we had a discussion about what to do tomorrow -- whether to go forward or to turn around and head back to Ramberg, through the Sundstraumen, and down the east side. We agreed to think about it overnight and decide in the morning.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/830227083" target="_blank">Day 2</a></b>: In the morning, we continued the discussion. Our intended campsite was 14 nautical miles down the coast, with the first definitely reliable landing spot about 10 miles away. The conditions would be about the same, so again a possibility of sea sickness from anyone. We were all new to paddling with each other. Folks with 3 season tents were cold camping in the wind on the west side. We had a range of skills and comfort in landing on surf beaches. Nobody in the group had first hand knowledge of what the currents would be like as we went around the Lofotodden, and the group had no experience paddling together in moving water. We didn't have any history of being packed and on the water by 8:00 AM. There were other concerns, and I think that each of us came to the same conclusion for different reasons, but in the end we decided to head back to Ramberg and over to the east side. In some ways it was an easy decision -- the east side of the island was equally inviting. We were all a bit sad not to get the chance to see the rest of the west side, but we had at least spent a couple of days there, and camped on one of the magnificent beaches. Clearly another trip is needed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So ... back we went.</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It seemed like a whole new route to be seeing the mountains and headlands from the opposite direction. This time we stopped for lunch at Mulstøa, surrounded by sheep who completely ignored us. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We paddled past Ramberg and through the Rossøystraumen, trying to line up the information we had on current flows through this passage with what we were experiencing. Hard to tell, given what seemed to be some good sized eddies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we passed under the bridge, we were starting to think about where to camp. In Norway, Freedom to Roam access rights are codified in an <a href="http://www.fjordnorway.com/en/WHERE-TO-STAY-IN-FJORD-NORWAY/Camping/Freedom-to-roam/" target="_blank">Outdoor Recreation Act</a>. On uncultivated land, you can walk, ski, or picnic wherever you want. You can also camp if you're not within 150 meters of a house/cabin. If you're planning to stay for more than two consecutive nights, you need the landowner's permission. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, access rights are one thing; physical space on which to land 6 kayaks, get them above the high water mark, and set up 5 tents is another thing. We spotted an island soon after crossing under the bridge and paddled around its steep sides looking for a place to land. A small islet became separated from the main island at high water, and as we paddled between the two, two rams bolted off the islet as fast as they could and swam back to the main island in front of us. They kept an eye on us until we left.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mfFskG1jOtg/VaFZSWlnnLI/AAAAAAAAO-I/nRWoLnRIViA/s1600/IMGP2133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mfFskG1jOtg/VaFZSWlnnLI/AAAAAAAAO-I/nRWoLnRIViA/s320/IMGP2133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alice was scouting ahead and soon found a rocky beach on the south side that we could land on. Debris had washed up on it, and we were able to build a ramp out of driftwood and slide the kayaks up above the high water mark. Splendid trick, ramp building.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being back in the vicinity of roads and villages, we had cell phone coverage again, and took the opportunity to update our weather forecast. (I had listened to one of the scheduled VHF weather radio forecasts when I was in Svolv</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">æ</span></span></span></span>r, but my Norwegian was nowhere near good enough to rely on it. Heidi's would have been, but the Yr weather app on my smart phone was much easier.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/830231392" target="_blank">Day 3</a></b>: Sunday we continued through the Sundstraumen, and this time we did get a lovely </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPLwn5cQzto/VacDkjxJ_pI/AAAAAAAAPG4/jPiRBWPvbFU/s1600/GPS%2BDay%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPLwn5cQzto/VacDkjxJ_pI/AAAAAAAAPG4/jPiRBWPvbFU/s320/GPS%2BDay%2B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">current assist as expected. As we approached the open coast on the east side, we could look across the Vestfjorden to the snow covered mountains on the Norwegian mainland.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We turned south towards Reine, a lovely fishing village located by a string of islands at the mouth of a fjord, surrounded by stunning mountains. We found a rocky ledge to land on in one of the villages adjacent to Reine. One of our alternate plans had been to paddle into the Reinefjord, land at Vindstad and hike the trail over to Bunes Beach on the west side as a day hike, but we never ended up doing that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After lunch we paddled on to Å. As we approached this small village at the end of the road, we also caught our first view of the islands of Værøy and Mosken.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UTBXbT3gNVc/VaFZ39wS8zI/AAAAAAAAO-Q/nThH2LbALHg/s1600/IMGP2152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UTBXbT3gNVc/VaFZ39wS8zI/AAAAAAAAO-Q/nThH2LbALHg/s400/IMGP2152.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'd been keeping our eyes open for landing spots for the last hour or so. Not having spotted much, we were planning on staying at the campground in Å that Jann had told us about. When we got there, the folks at the reception desk told us that the campground was now limited to vehicle camping only. They said that some people did tent camp to the west, but that the campground facilities were not available for public use. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yf0gG60aAqk/VaFaL3Fyf4I/AAAAAAAAO-Y/UYAb-5DUw64/s1600/IMGP2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yf0gG60aAqk/VaFaL3Fyf4I/AAAAAAAAO-Y/UYAb-5DUw64/s200/IMGP2157.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To the west of the campground seemed to be a perfectly fine option. We carried the full boats up onto the rocks and found some lovely campsites above. Other tenters were doing the same thing. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The bus station, which we eventually tracked down, was the only public "facility" we found. (When it was unlocked.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Four of us took a break from camp food and walked into town for dinner that night. Did I mention that all of the restaurants we ate at served wonderful food? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After getting a weather update, we decided to paddle down to the end of the island and back the next day (Monday), which would be the nicest day for paddling, then take the ferry to Værøy and back on Tuesday, and start back north on Wednesday.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/819335963" target="_blank">Day 4</a></b>: Monday's first
order of business was to get some of the famous cinnamon buns from the
local bakery for today's breakfast and also for tomorrow's, when the
bus to the ferry in Moskenes would leave shortly after 7:00 AM. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We eventually got on the water and headed south. More mountains, more beautiful scenery. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IGgOhHVIwEw/VacERMrWOlI/AAAAAAAAPHA/hl46G2b9oRg/s1600/GPS%2BDay%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IGgOhHVIwEw/VacERMrWOlI/AAAAAAAAPHA/hl46G2b9oRg/s320/GPS%2BDay%2B4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmcRV2l_v_o/VaFfpKA7ssI/AAAAAAAAO_Y/LWH-CsTSUnU/s1600/IMGP2165.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmcRV2l_v_o/VaFfpKA7ssI/AAAAAAAAO_Y/LWH-CsTSUnU/s320/IMGP2165.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span>We paddled through some crystal clear, calm, shallow water and stopped to float along looking at the kelp and small fish and jellyfish in the blue water. If we stayed out of the water and ignored our dry suits, we could have been in the tropics.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continuing on, we spotted some paddlers camped at Anstadvika, which Jann had pointed out as a possible campsite. (There was a house there, so one would need permission from the owners if within 150 meters.) We had seen this group paddling past Å yesterday, so we stopped in to say hi. I did my best at "Hello, where are you from?" in Norwegian. Turned out that the other group was British and delighted that we could also speak English. They were a group of friends who paddled Feathercraft at home and periodically packed them up for trips abroad. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We continued south and landed on the beach by Yttertuven, and stretched our legs while taking a look at the area and what we could see of the Moskenstraumen. All agreed that it would be lovely to come and watch a tidal cycle from a good vantage point. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ansgar found six fishing floats washed up on the beach -- one for each of us to take back as a souvenir. We headed back north before the current was expected to turn to the south and west.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in Å, we had a couple hours on our own. Some of the group went to the fishing museum. I had some puttering to do, then chatted with some other campers and watched a pod of orcas off shore. We all met up in town and had a beer, then dinner back in camp, and after that we read Poe's The Maelstrom aloud. I believe that this was the night that Ansgar generously introduced us to some lovely peaty Scotch whisky, 12 year old Caol Ila. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day 5</b>: In the morning we got up bright and early and caught the bus to Moskenes, where the ferry stops. The ferry dock was a pretty industrial area with no place to find coffee anywhere in sight, but the day old cinnamon buns were still very tasty. Once we got on the boat, we managed to get front row seats and hot coffee, and enjoyed both while we took in the view.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tu4g0DsoqjQ/VacFctVyWQI/AAAAAAAAPHM/oTFPzVG5Etc/s1600/Day%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="465" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tu4g0DsoqjQ/VacFctVyWQI/AAAAAAAAPHM/oTFPzVG5Etc/s640/Day%2B5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ferry goes well east of the Moskenstraumen on its way to </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Værøy</span></span>, so we didn't get a close look at the straight line route between Lofotedden and Mosken. On the return trip, though, those with good eyesight and/or binoculars could see standing waves in the Moskenstraumen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After getting off the ferry in Sørland on Værøy, we got a tourist map that showed some hiking options and set out. We climbed to a saddle that looked out on the other side of the island. Two of us decided to turn around then (note to self: must make time for exercising legs as well as paddling before next trip) while the rest continued climbing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We regrouped in town and after a treat of </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>softis</i> (pronounced something like "soft ice" - Norwegian soft serve ice cream that actually tastes good), we took a taxi to the <a href="http://www.lofotensjokolade.com/lofoten-sjokolade" target="_blank">chocolate factory</a> that had been started up in the abandoned airport. Sadly, the show room was closed for the day, so we got no closer than peering in through the windows. However, as long as we were there, we decided to take a walk along the beach, asking the taxi driver to pick us up at 6:00 that evening. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The beach was lovely. Napping, wading barefoot, reading, wandering and general relaxing happened for the next hour or so.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tuesday, June 23 was Midsummer's Eve, celebrated in Norway by building big bonfires. We spotted the first of them up on the abandoned landing field, then more as we got back to </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sørland</span></span>. Oddly, we saw few to no people anywhere near any of the fires.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in Moskenes at the ferry terminal around 9:00 or so, we called the taxi number we found. I suspect we got someone up who had settled in at home for the evening, but he came and gave four of us a ride back to Å. Alice and Ansgar walked, making it a long day for them. </span></span><br />
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</a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/819336030" target="_blank">Day 6</a></b>: Wednesday we started north. We sent a text to Jann requesting a pickup, but weren't sure whether it went through. (Another learning: test your communications methods before you leave.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wD1VcG_6X2I/VacGPBXrFAI/AAAAAAAAPHU/eXFEk__n9Ak/s1600/GPS%2BDay%2B6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wD1VcG_6X2I/VacGPBXrFAI/AAAAAAAAPHU/eXFEk__n9Ak/s320/GPS%2BDay%2B6.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqXSc9YIBfU/VaFezxLMTVI/AAAAAAAAO_E/MajfyuiUdGY/s1600/IMGP2234.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqXSc9YIBfU/VaFezxLMTVI/AAAAAAAAO_E/MajfyuiUdGY/s320/IMGP2234.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We stopped in Reine for elevenses, then found a lovely little cove on Kunna that </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">made a good place to stop for lunch, though there probably wouldn't have been room to land at high water. Alice climbed up to where she hoped to get cell coverage and picked up a text message from Jann asking whether we were okay. Alice replied that yes, we were fine and having a wonderful time, and that we would like to be picked up in Ballstad, also asking where in Ballstad the best place to be picked up was. Communications had a lag time due to Jann's work and probably both Jann and us being in and out of cell coverage. But later in the day Alice got a reply confirming pickup about 7:00 PM the next day and saying that the best place for a pickup was "near the road :-)". Got it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A north wind was building and the clouds lowering as we paddled north. We were heading for another campsite that Jann had told us about, in a cove behind Straumøya Island in the Nappstraumen. There were actually two lovely campsites there; we chose the one with the creek. That was the only night we had mosquitoes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/819336111" target="_blank">Day 7</a></b>: As we started out on our final day of paddling, a north wind was now blowing hard down the Nappstraumen, easily force 4-5. We paddled up the west coast, then crossed at a ferry angle. Once across we tucked into a welcome cove for lunch, and from then on it was an easy paddle into Ballstad.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dd0sStbbjww/VacGxnxORXI/AAAAAAAAPHc/Y-zW4g-t4r8/s1600/GPS%2BDay%2B7.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dd0sStbbjww/VacGxnxORXI/AAAAAAAAPHc/Y-zW4g-t4r8/s320/GPS%2BDay%2B7.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our final challenge in Ballstad was finding a place to land. We found a commercial slipway and kept looking. We scouted the marina, but didn't find anything. We landed on another slipway next to a jetty, and that turned out to be a splendid option based on ensuing events.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first order of business was to get into dry clothes, button up the boats, and find a cafe. We headed out on our cafe search on foot, and when we saw someone out in his yard, Heidi asked him to point us towards a cafe. He generously offered to drive us all there, after asking his wife to hold dinner until he got back.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had salad and fish soup and a beer at the cafe, then walked back to start unloading the boats so that when Jann arrived, we could toss them on the trailer and be on our way. While we were doing that, a man came up and asked whether we were having any problems. Turns out that we were on his private jetty, but he didn't mind. We had several of lovely chats with him over the next hour or so. He had been born in the Shetland Islands (part of Scotland), and was delighted to hear that we had a couple of folks from Scotland in our group. They went in to his house and looked at maps while Ed and I were still sorting out our gear. Later on I had a chance to talk to him. As a boy in Norway, after school was over for the summer, he and other boys would hop on a boat heading to the Shetland Islands, spend the summer there, and catch another boat back when it was time to go back to school. (A simpler time, that was.) He'd been an engineer in the merchant marine and a fisherman, and now had his own business doing something with scales. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He talked about building the jetty, which he'd just finished this year. They'd use dynamite at low tide to break up the rock, then use the rubble to build the jetty. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had assumed that Jann would know all of the places to land in Ballstad and had given him the name of the street to turn in on, but we faked him out by landing on this brand new jetty. When he arrived, he had a hard time finding us. We put our new friend onto the phone with Jann, and they figured it out. Trailer was soon loaded and we were on our way back to </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kabelvåg</span></span>, with a stop along the way for dinner for Jann and <i>softis </i>for some of our group.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent Thursday night at a <a href="http://www.kabelvag.com/en/" target="_blank">campground </a>in Kabelvåg, and then it was time to start splitting up. Alice and Ansgar had another week in Norway. Ed and Heidi would depart from Svolvær Friday night, I would leave Saturday morning, and Caroline Saturday evening. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Farewells are always sad, bu</span></span>t there was talk about possible other trips. And Jann did suggest coming back to paddle middle to end of August, after it started getting dark at night, when one just might see the Northern Lights...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">References</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Books and Boats</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jann Engstad is working on "The Lofoten Islands Sea Kayking Guide", with Olly Sanders from the UK assisting. Hopefully it will be out yet in 2015.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jann also runs <a href="http://www.lofoten-aktiv.no/en/" target="_blank">Lofoten Kayak</a>, aka Lofoten Aktiv, located in Kabelvåg, and offers opportunities for sea kayaking, biking, hiking, rowing, northern lights, snowshoeing, and plenty of other ways to play outside in Lofoten.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maps/Charts </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can get Norwegian nautical charts from <a href="http://www.oceangrafix.com/products/nhscharts" target="_blank">Oceangrafix </a>or <a href="http://www.bluewaterweb.com/showcategory.aspx?CategoryID=198&pagesize=40&fid=1&view=grid" target="_blank">Bluewater</a>. However, if I had it to do over, I'd probably use the 1:50.000 Turkart hiking maps, more like the British OS maps. I got paper versions of them at a bookstore in </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Svolvær before I left</span></span> (2673, 2745, and 2671). I think they might also be available on waterproof versions, but I'm not certain.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.norgeskart.no/#10/462118/7566532/-land/+sjo/+dekning.sjo.hv" target="_blank">Norwegian Online Chart viewer</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Norway has a site with better <a href="http://www.norgeibilder.no/?zoom=9&lat=7588533.3913&lon=750951.77369&srs=EPSG:32632" target="_blank">satellite imagery</a> of Norway than Google Earth </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Weather</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Nordland/V%C3%A5gan/Svolv%C3%A6r/" target="_blank">Yr</a> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interesting blog posts and articles</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.68north.com/outdoors/camping/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.68north.com/outdoors/camping/</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bigpondscotland.com/lofoten-dreaming/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.bigpondscotland.com/lofoten-dreaming/</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.swaledaleoutdoorclub.org.uk/previous-trip/canoeing-sea/lofoten-magic-islands"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.swaledaleoutdoorclub.org.uk/previous-trip/canoeing-sea/lofoten-magic-islands</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/02/science/deadly-maelstrom-s-secrets-unveiled.html"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/02/science/deadly-maelstrom-s-secrets-unveiled.html</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog2.kajakknord.no/?p=6"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://blog2.kajakknord.no/?p=6</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rockandseadventures.co.uk/articles/The-Maelstrom.pdf"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.rockandseadventures.co.uk/articles/The-Maelstrom.pdf</span></span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rocksandroots.org.uk/seakayak/" target="_blank">http://www.rocksandroots.org.uk/seakayak/</a> </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tide and Current Information</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I found a used copy of the Imray Pilot for Norway on eBay that was somewhat helpful. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Word is that the older Admiralty pilots (1950s) have better information for small boats, and can sometimes be found on eBay</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yr.no/kart/#lat=68.03129&lon=13.37327&zoom=8&laga=straum&proj=3575" target="_blank">Animated current models on Yr</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Swell: best I could find was Unstad Beach on Magic Seaweed</span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://kartverket.no/en/sehavniva/Lokasjonsside/?cityid=278511&city=Svolv%C3%A6r" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tides</span></span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://kartverket.no/en/Kart/Nautical-Publications/The-Norwegian-Pilot-Guide/" target="_blank">Den Norske Los</a>.
The Norwegian Pilot Guide - Sailing Directions. It's in Norwegian and I couldn't find a translation into English. I wish I'd spent more
time with it, though, as there's a fair amount that can be deciphered without
much Norwegian. Example.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1QrJOaK7kJI/VaFduyVW4NI/AAAAAAAAO-8/5n5VLYTLaP8/s1600/Fullscreen%2Bcapture%2B7112015%2B115655%2BAM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1QrJOaK7kJI/VaFduyVW4NI/AAAAAAAAO-8/5n5VLYTLaP8/s320/Fullscreen%2Bcapture%2B7112015%2B115655%2BAM.bmp.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-11073871389407839442014-05-14T12:57:00.000-05:002014-10-16T20:52:20.437-05:00Paddling in Pembrokeshire<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">For anyone who doesn't find reading the gory details of 6 days of paddling on the ocean along a beautiful coastline to be one of your very favorite things to do, you can jump straight to the pictures by clicking <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/118363594507705500694/2014Wales?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ6GtpTH7ZfoJg#" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This year was one of those evenly divisible by 10 birthdays for me, so I decided to treat myself to a very nice trip. Yes, it's true that deciding that one "deserves" something for one's birthday didn't end well for Smeagol, and to be perfectly honest, the connection to the birthday might be more than a little tenuous, but the bottom line is that I ended up going to Pembrokeshire, Wales in May. John Carmody had originally described the trip as "Assuming the weather is cooperative, we'll paddle each day in as many different environments as possible with the focus being more on personal paddling skills and navigation with only a little bit of leadership stuff thrown in." Sounded lovely. With us would be Nige Robinson, who is from Wales, and we would be staying at Nige's place, the<a href="http://www.seakayakguides.co.uk/accommodation-2/" target="_blank"> Old Schoolhouse</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vNUQwTfx_50/U_iIaX_FliI/AAAAAAAAM7U/ohuO35IRAbE/s1600/Google%2BMaps%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B8232014%2B72300%2BAM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vNUQwTfx_50/U_iIaX_FliI/AAAAAAAAM7U/ohuO35IRAbE/s1600/Google%2BMaps%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B8232014%2B72300%2BAM.bmp.jpg" height="326" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Anglesey/Holyhead seems to be the better known Wales paddling destination.
Pembrokeshire is the peninsula farther south, the one with Wales and Milford Haven showing
on the map above. In addition to excellent kayaking (including The
Bitches, the Bishops and Clerks, lots of headlands, significant tidal streams, puffins(!)...),
there's a superb coast path (<a href="http://nt.pcnpa.org.uk/website/sitefiles/nt_page.asp?PageID=2" target="_blank">Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail</a>) that would make a wonderful trip in and of itself. While reading about Pembrokeshire before the trip from both the kayaker's perspective and the coast walker's perspective, I found myself wanting both opportunities, and fortunately we did get a bit of coast walking in.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">By the time the trip arrived, John had it on his calendar as a "5 star training." That was somewhat disconcerting, but I was pretty sure that John and Nige intended to bring everyone home, so I decided not to worry about what the trip was being called. At least not too much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The other participants were Lorrie and Phil from the Boston area, Santi from Montreal/Baja, and Kim from California. Santi and Kim would stay on after the training portion of the trip to do their 5 star assessment. Most of the group arrived on a Wednesday evening, with the plan of paddling Thursday through the following Wednesday, conditions permitting.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I flew into Heathrow, took the bus to Reading, and then a train to Wales. John and Nige picked Santi and me up at the train station in Haverfordwest. On the way to Nige's house we quickly entered the Wales of narrow two lane roads, hedges, lovely old stone buildings, and ancient ruins scattered about. We stopped by a couple of beaches that we would paddle by in the days to come. Later that night we went to the grocery store, where I picked up my Ordinance Survey maps for the area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 1 (Thursday)</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Forecast: Wind SW force 4 or 5, increasing to 6 - 7 later. Sea state: slight or moderate. Weather: rain, then showers. Visibility: medium or poor becoming good. </i></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our first paddle was a classic "assess skills/get used to the environment" day. I hadn't been paddling much yet this year (the ice had been late to go out in Minnesota), and hadn't been in any sort of conditions since fall. John also took the opportunity to get us sorted out on what's going on at headlands where currents meet. (That was a lesson that took numerous iterations to wrap my head around.) </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mSK7uOykcP8/U3gNdx99idI/AAAAAAAAMHI/yc77QK_xszs/s1600/IMGP0585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mSK7uOykcP8/U3gNdx99idI/AAAAAAAAMHI/yc77QK_xszs/s1600/IMGP0585.JPG" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We launched from Abercastle, a protected harbor. The tidal range was around 9 feet, and in the old harbors, boats went from floating at high water to resting on the ground at low water. As we paddled out, we looked up to see the ivy covered ruins of an iron age fort sitting atop a cliff. Nope, we weren't in Minnesota any more.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZIfi8vvWhw/U5-clfXWATI/AAAAAAAAMjI/Eeh8dXts2a4/s1600/Wales%2BDay%2B1-Abercastle%2Bby%2Bonealpamn%2Bat%2BGarmin%2BConnect%2B-%2BDetails%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B6142014%2B40956%2BPM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZIfi8vvWhw/U5-clfXWATI/AAAAAAAAMjI/Eeh8dXts2a4/s1600/Wales%2BDay%2B1-Abercastle%2Bby%2Bonealpamn%2Bat%2BGarmin%2BConnect%2B-%2BDetails%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B6142014%2B40956%2BPM.bmp.jpg" height="126" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We probably didn't go more than a mile from the launch site all day, though we did keep moving. The tidal stream was flowing left to right along the coast. John alternated questions/discovery with teaching. What was happening by the corner of this island where it got bumpy? We paddled over to another island, farther out in the main tidal stream. More bumps -- why?. What were the bubbles in the water telling us? We paddled through an opening between island and mainland where the wind funneled through (40 knots, John guessed). </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aSDWUR38Xeg/U3icH1_etvI/AAAAAAAAMHU/D9jePGXN68o/s1600/IMGP0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aSDWUR38Xeg/U3icH1_etvI/AAAAAAAAMHU/D9jePGXN68o/s1600/IMGP0600.JPG" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Soon we were off to another little island and arch that Santi was to lead us through. He checked it out first, then signaled for Lorrie to come through. A big set hit Lorrie on the far side and surfed her onto the rocks. She hung on and paddled out. Before I headed through the slot, John pointed out a gap between the island and a rock, and told me my task would be to lead the group through that gap when we came back around the island if I thought it was safe. When we finished our little circumnavigation, I attempted to have the group hold position above the gap while I scouted it. One would have thought that one could turn one's back on three 4 star paddlers and a level 5 coach, but no, while I was scouting, someone who shall go nameless managed to capsize while faffing around with his hat. (Not staged.) One boat ended up on top of another boat. I never even knew it happened until later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I ended up deciding not to bring the group through the slot, which John said was the right answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We debriefed our little leadership assignments afterwards, and as is usually the case, communication was a common theme. As was parking a group in a good spot, especially if you're going to leave them. (One could easily say "duh!" here.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">There was also plenty of time and space to simply enjoy the day and where we were, which proved true for the entire week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Nige hadn't joined us for the paddle, but he picked us up at the end of the day and we stopped for a pint at the Sloop Inn in Porthgain. I tried a Welsh tap beer ("Double Dragon") because of the dragons, but ended up opting for Guiness after that.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 2 (Friday)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forecast: Westerly or southwesterly force 5 - 7, increasing to gale 8 for a time. Sea state: moderate or rough. Weather: squally showers, rain later.</span></i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thursday night we were given the assignment of planning 3 paddles, taking into account the forecast. One would be an easy, protected paddle. One would be a hard/no go route. One would be an in between day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The protected route and the "not going there in these conditions" route were easy. The "just right" route took a while. Nige's incredulous response at one point was "It's force 7. What are you thinking?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We ended up launching out of Fishguard Harbor and paddling east towards Dinas Head. That let us start in a protected spot and assess the conditions before committing to paddling on to Dinas Head. We left the trailer on the west side of the headland, so we could either get off the water there or proceed around Dinas Head if the conditions permitted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">All of our coastal paddles were planned around the tidal stream. Reference books would give the direction and the time the tidal stream would start in a specific area relative to high water at Milford Haven, as well as the maximum current. So on this day we knew that the easterly stream started around 1:20 and there would be a back eddy in Fishguard Bay starting around 4:10.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinas Head</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first part of the paddle was a lovely downwind run, giving us a chance to poke our noses into caves and around rocks while trying to keep track of our position on our maps. As we approached Dinas Head, Nige asked us "Are the conditions appropriate for this group to go around?" (Compared to what we had paddled the prior day.) We quickly learned that the answer was supposed to be a yes or no, not a rambling sharing of our thought processes. The answer was yes. And once again, conditions got bigger around the headland. We found sheltered places to tuck into going around the headland that could be spotted on the map. On the eastern side of Dinas Head, there was another counter current flowing out into the main tidal stream, again making things "interesting" when it collided with the main current. Needless to say, that was where we stopped to work on rescues and towing and paddling with a boat full of water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We eventually made our
way to the little town of Cwm-Yr-Eglwys, where we landed and waited
while Nige walked back to get the trailer. We wandered over to the caravan where tea and coffee and </span>treats were available. As seemed to be the norm, food and beverages were served on real plates with real utensils and real china cups -- no plastic or paper. Instead of pre-packaged snacks, there were whole cakes and bars that were sliced to order. Even in Heathrow, I had noticed far less paper/plastic, and that difference from the "throw away" culture we have in the US was even more pronounced in Pembrokeshire. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I had an organic ginger and honey ice cream cone. I was a happy camper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 3 (Saturday)</span></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Forecast: </b></span></span></i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Winds strong to severe gale. Sea state: rough to very rough to high.</i> </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The weather made Saturday a no go as far as paddling was concerned. Lorrie, Phil, Kim, Santi and I went to St. Davids and did some shopping. (Glow sticks for the 5 star candidates' night nav, denso tape, post cards and stamps. That's what anyone would shop for, right?) We went to the St. David's Cathedral. We had lunch at The Bishops pub. We asked at the bookstore if they had copies of the excellent "Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion Sea Canoeing Guide" that had been written by a local couple and which we were using to plan our trips. (They did not, but I checked back by email later and they had gotten some in.) We drove to Solva and took a hike on the coast path, coincidentally stopping to overlook the bay where we would paddle the next day. I checked a nearby weather buoy later, and the wind was a steady 31 knots while we were standing on the cliff, gusting higher. Not a bad day to be off the water. We stopped at Brains for tea. I ordered tea; Phil and Lorrie ordered tea for 2, and Kim and Santi also ordered tea for 2. The tea showed up as one large pot of tea, one smaller pot of tea, one pot of water, and an explanation of the number of tea bags per pot. Thoroughly confused, we managed to sort it out enough for everyone to get their tea. Nige patiently explained it all that night, and told us that the proper way to order would have been to ask for "tea for 5." </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 4 (Sunday)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forecast: Westerly winds force 5 - 7, occasionally gale 8. Sea state: moderate or rough. Weather: squally showers. </span></i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sunday was another day of not going far, but having plenty to be challenged with. We launched out of Solva Harbor. On each of the two days we were intentionally practicing rescues, Nige had one of 5 star aspirants file a float plan with the Coast Guard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Once we got out of the protected harbor, there was a lot of wind and a big swell from previous </span>days
of stormy weather. We spent most of the day just outside of the mouth
of harbor where the swells were coming in and breaking on and around a
rocky islet. The swells were big enough for a sea kayak to fit on the
face with room to spare. We stayed away from where they were breaking,
but I had a hard time not keeping my eye on them. (The next one <u>might</u>
break!) Nige had me paddle in a big circle with my
eyes closed to practice relying on feeling instead of seeing. John had me paddle
around the rocks looking at the rocks the whole time (not looking out to
sea.) It was still hard not to sneak peaks at the waves.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We found plenty of
things to entertain ourselves with. Naturally there were rescues, towing, and paddling in the
waves. There was a bit of a zipper effect at the down wave side of the
islet, as swells broke around from either side. We took turns paddling
in and sitting there for a bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After lunch Nige came out of his boat, shoved his boat and paddle away, swam for shore and threw a (pretend) tantrum. I was leading at the time and went in to sort him out. I got too close and he capsized me. What is it about BCU coaches and their object lessons? They seem to excel at that teaching method. But I have to agree with what John said afterwards: "You'll never make that mistake again."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've long since given up estimating wave heights, but John and Nige said 8 - 10 feet.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 5 (Monday)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Forecast: Westerly force 5 - 7, veering NW 5 - 6, decreasing to 3 - 4 in the east. Sea state: slight or moderate in the east. Weather: squally showers.</i></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Today's paddle was launching from Whitesands, paddling up to St. David's Head, crossing over to Ramsey Island, surfing the Bitches, and returning to Whitesands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the things I noticed was that even with a relatively experienced group and two very experienced leaders, John and Nige were always double checking the weather, planning for multiple options, and often bringing another skilled paddler along. This morning John had driven over to Whitesands beach to check out the surf while we were having breakfast. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. David's Head</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We launched from the beach, then headed to our right (northwest) to check out St. David's Head. The tidal stream was flowing south and there was a back eddy in Whitesands Bay, so again there were colliding currents at the headland. We played in the waves, then turned south to ride the tidal stream down to Ramsey. I believe that this was the day when one of the group got a bit seasick and we ducked behind a protected area on Ramsey to take a break. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We paddled down the eastern shore of Ramsey and landed for lunch just north of the Bitches. The "Bitches and Whelps" (full name) is a group of rocky outcroppings that form a line perpendicular to the tidal stream flow, forcing the current through the gaps between them. As the flow increases in speed and volume, the standing waves <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bitches in the background</td></tr>
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build, just like on a river when it flows over and around rocks. We played a bit in the waves after lunch, then paddled down to the end of Ramsey on the last of the south flowing stream. We waited there for the north flowing stream to begin, floating around in slack water, happily watching seals pop up and stare at us and birds swoop along the cliffs. All of sudden we started drifting north with the current. I checked later, and the stream started within 5 minutes of when the reference books said it would.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lk8iOr4jcgQ/U3xOeZ9oGYI/AAAAAAAAMJg/yTbJ_R-lL4Q/s1600/DSCN8737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lk8iOr4jcgQ/U3xOeZ9oGYI/AAAAAAAAMJg/yTbJ_R-lL4Q/s1600/DSCN8737.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">By the time we got back to the Bitches, there still wasn't much current, so we took another break to let the stream build before getting back on to play. The Bitches add a bit of excitement to standing waves on a river -- ocean swells (if present) get layered in on top of the moving water, so there's a pulsing effect on top of everything else. I was able to get on the standing waves and surf for a while, but as the speed increased, eventually I could no longer hold my angle as I came out of the eddy, and would end up getting turned downstream. John and Nige did comment that ours was the first group they'd taken to the Bitches where nobody swam.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before long </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">it was time to head back. Nige asked what our heading should be. I blithely pointed about 45 degrees between down stream and across, figuring that we had over a mile to make it across the sound to the mainland. Nige's reply was "not if you want to make it home." In addition to a 5 knot current, Horse Rock is a major hazard, located right in the middle of the sound, and generating eddies and whirlpools as the tidal stream rushes by. It's on the Admiralty (nautical) charts, but not on the OS maps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So we eddy hopped along to the end of the Bitches, then aimed slightly up current to go straight across, and then returned along the east side of the sound. We turned into Whitesands Bay and the back eddy against us was noticeable, especially after having cruised effortlessly north with the tidal stream helping us out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dinner that night was back at the Sloop Inn in Porthgain. I picked up a post card of a big headland that looked like a very cool place to paddle. Nige took </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W40Me491Dhs/U3xOiFUoktI/AAAAAAAAMKs/IzrR4bpSW-E/s1600/IMG_4283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W40Me491Dhs/U3xOiFUoktI/AAAAAAAAMKs/IzrR4bpSW-E/s1600/IMG_4283.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">a look at it and said it was Strumble Head, and that we were planning on going there the next day if conditions permitted. After dinner, John suggested that if anyone wanted to, we could take the coast path to the next town of Abereiddy, and he'd pick us up. Kim and I took the opportunity to do that, and enjoyed a lovely walk along the cliffs. We were even treated to a rainbow.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 6 (Tuesday)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forecast: NW wind backing west or southwest for a time, force 3 or 4, occasionally 5 at first. Sea state: slight or moderate, becoming slight. Weather: showers.</span></i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here's what the kayaking guidebook has to say about Strumble Head: "Steep cliffs with few places to escape, an exposed headland with tidal overfalls and a lighthouse make this both a challenging and rewarding trip for an experienced group." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We planned the trip from east to west, taking advantage of a </span>west flowing stream that would start at 9:55. We got a relatively early start, and en route to the put in, Nige pulled the trailer off to a place where he could see Strumble Head in the distance. Even from a mile or so away, we could see the white water at the base of the cliffs, and we nixed the original plan. Instead, we went to a plan B of launching from Abereiddy, paddling around St. David's Head, down Ramsey Sound, and turning the corner into St. Bride's Bay to land at Porth Clais. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Apparently paddling around Strumble Head is one of those paddles where the stars have to align in order to be able make it a go. I talked to Nige afterwards, and he said that the conditions probably wouldn't have been any bigger than we had paddled in, but the problem was how long we would be in them, and the lack of outs if something went wrong. And a seasick paddler or two can happen anytime.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was a little bumpy as
we paddled towards St. David's Head. I was feeling the earliest vague bits of
queasiness, but they subsided. We had our usual fun ride around St.
David's Head, and then stopped </span>for lunch on a beach. We had carefully planned the original trip around Strumble Head, but had to dig a bit for the information we needed for the new trip. (Some of the examples I've seen of how to prep maps and charts are making a lot more sense now.) At any rate, the crux move was turning the corner into St. Brides Bay before the west going stream started down there, so we had to be there by 3. We made it easily, then paddled through and around some rocky islands and found the nearly hidden harbor of Porth Clais. And then we had a chance for tea and cake while we were waiting for Nige to sort out the trailer.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Day 7 (Wednesday)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forecast: Rats. Didn't write it down. But it was a lovely day.</span></i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was my last day in Wales (for this trip), as I had to catch the train that afternoon. The plan was to go to Skomer, the puffin island. Kim and Santi decided to take a break that day, and I was given the assignment of planning when we had to leave to get me to the train station in time. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The current can reach 6 knots in Jack Sound, and 4 knots at the west side of Skomer Island. </span>I put together the currents crossing Jack Sound and at all the crux points and came up a plan that was (in retrospect) just a wee bit too conservative. Phil and I walked over to where Nige was staying to discuss the plan. I believe it started with "leave the house at 6:45 AM" and had us returning from the island around 3:30. Nige looked at me and said "That's a lot of puffins." (Did I mention that Nige is the master of understatement?) He explained that the real crux move was to get around Gardenstone rock on the northwest corner of the island by 11. We ended up leaving the house at a far more reasonable hour, and a local paddler named Ben joined us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">By staying well north of the sound that provided the constriction to the south flowing stream, the current wasn't anywhere close to 6 knots when we crossed to Skomer Island. We paddled into<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> the main puffin bay. Puffin bay is not what it's called, but it was a bay and it was full of puffins. There were hundreds of them floating on the water. They'd launch and go zooming off like sturdy little Spitfires, then circle around and come back. We spent a good amount of time just floating around watching them, and t</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">hen headed on around the island with more puffins and razorbills putting in regular appearances on the shore, on the water, and in the air. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The northwest corner had a dry way around and a wet way around. Nige let me choose since it was my last day, so of course I picked the wet way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As we were paddling through rocks, Lorrie and Phil decided that perhaps helmets were in order. (I had just started the day wearing mine, since I've never figured out a good way to carry it other than on my head.) Somehow in the process of helmet retrieval, an untethered hatch cover got dropped and sank and a float bag lost its inflation valve, so we tied the float bag over the hatch. Later on we had to get back into the hatch and tried Ben's lost hatch cover solution -- an inflatable beach ball. That seemed to work quite well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We worked our way around the island and got back to Little Sound, where the south flowing stream was still faster than we could paddle. We played on a standing wave for a while, then as the current dropped a bit more, we were able to attain upstream around the corner, and again paddled high to cross back to the mainland well above Little Sound and Jack Sound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We stopped for a cream tea after paddling, and I packed my gear for traveling. Nige and the gang dropped me at the train station, and I started the journey home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lorrie and Phil stayed on to be guinea pigs for the 5 star assessment. (I haven't forgiven John for not knowing there would be an assessment until after I had booked a non-refundable plane ticket and committed to being back at work on Friday.) They did a night nav (!!!) at the assessment, <u>and</u> they got out to the Bishops and Clerks. I was very envious. But much more importantly, Santi and Kim both did a splendid job and passed the assessment. Well done, guys!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Great trip, beautiful country, wonderful paddling, terrific people. Sigh. Want to do it again.</span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-536659413435189982012-07-07T23:32:00.000-05:002015-05-13T20:44:33.953-05:00Encounters in Rossport<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Several of us had planned a trip out of Rossport, Ontario during the July 4 week, 2012. The focus and shape and participants morphed a bit as the departure date approached, and in the end, it turned into three of us – Tony, Sam, and me. As our departure approached, we got together to discuss what we wanted to make of this trip. First on the list was lots of poking around. Second, we had tracked down the contact for Nirivia and planned to stay there for a couple of nights. Third … well, I'm not sure there was a third goal. <br /><br />Our main piece of organization was that each of us would take two of the days and be the leader. We were all peers and competent paddlers, so we simply wanted to make sure that at least one person was thinking for the group at all times. <br /><br />We drove up to Rossport on a Saturday, and stayed at the Serendipity Gardens guest house. It's a custom designed building with 4 rooms, and it was delightful. Equally delightful was their Cafe, and both are highly recommended. <a href="http://www.serendipitygardens.ca/" target="_blank">http://www.serendipitygardens.ca/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />On our first day we headed off towards Nirivia. When we reached the "long day/short day" decision point, we decided to go for short day and stop for the night at Woodbine Harbor. As we were making camp, a couple in a power boat stopped at the beach to stretch their legs and let their dog run a bit. We chatted, and heard their story of the kayakers they'd had to rescue (it seems that every power boater has one of these stories) and how they would never go out in one of those boats. The woman mentioned that she worked for Canada Post and had a resupply package waiting for a kayaker who was paddling around the lake, and that he was overdue. She said it had coffee in it, because she could smell it. We asked about the name. Sadly, we discovered that the package had been sent ahead by the kayaker who had died near Pigeon Point a few weeks ago. We gave the woman enough information to try to contact his survivors, not knowing if there was anything personal in the box that they would want.<br /><br />We paddled on to Nirivia the next day. Nirivia is the name given to land on St. Ignace Island that a group of folks from the area had claimed as an independent country. They had built some geodesic-inspired wooden buildings (a bunkroom/kitchen, a second bunkroom, and a sauna) and at one point appeared to have marketed it as a tourist destination. Rumor and even published guides claimed that the enterprise was defunct, but our friend Bernie had found Nirivia on a trip through the area earlier in the spring and had seen signs of activity. He had a contact, and we eventually managed to track down the Nirivians and made and paid for a reservation to stay there for a couple nights.<br /><br />On Monday, we found the land of Nirivia tucked into a bay behind Armour Island. We landed and walked up a bit of a hill to discover first the sauna, then the bunkhouses and kitchen. It was a bit dilapidated, but nonetheless charming and wonderful.<br /><br />We walked back down to the dock to start hauling our gear up to the bunkhouses and saw a powerboat motoring towards us. It turned out to be Russ and his wife checking in to make sure that we were the people who had made reservations. We were, and we talked for a while. Russ said he was the one who started Nirivia. He'd researched the historical treaties and determined that this island had not been included in any treaty or land claim. We discussed fishing (no, we hadn't brought any fishing gear) and paddling destinations for the next day, and then he put the boat in reverse, backed off, and powered away. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFaA1pdYRoo/UsuN7khvsXI/AAAAAAAALOM/EM09zf8A8mc/s1600/IMGP2779.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFaA1pdYRoo/UsuN7khvsXI/AAAAAAAALOM/EM09zf8A8mc/s1600/IMGP2779.JPG" width="320" /></a>We settled in after desginating a boys bunkhouse and a girls bunkhouse, and had a splendid afternoon. Sam hung his hammock. Some reading and walking and exploring occurred. In the evening Tony fired up the sauna for a couple rounds of steam and lake dips. On only the first of our two nights at Nirivia, it was clear that Tony might never be the same again. His post is <a href="http://booksandboats.com/back-from-nirivia/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />There was a thunderstorm that night, and I awoke to the sound of dripping water in my room. I found a pot and put it under the drip. I'm not sure how long these lovely structures will survive without some repairs.<br /><br />The next morning we listened to the forecast. Later in the week the winds were expected to build to 25 knots. We decided not to move to a more distant campsite, but rather do an out and back paddle and spend another night at Nirivia. With no pressure to get to any particular destination, we poked around rock formations and into bays. We noticed the difference between the lake facing sides of the islands (weathered, eroded, eaten into by lake storms) and the land side (steep rock walls.) We listened to loon calls. We paddled by the arch on Hope Island. We visited the falling down boathouse and fishing boat on Bowman Island and paid our respect at Thomas Lamphier's grave. We paddled by the terraces on Paradise Island, which mark the increasing heights of the land as it rebounds from the glaciers of the last ice age. We paddled by a lovely small islet with stunted trees. <br /><br />Back at Nirivia that afternoon, the cabins were hot -- the skylight in my bunkhouse let in warming sun as well as light. It was another delightful afternoon to spend outdoors, and included a bit of an argument about personal property rights with a pushy raven. In the evening we had another sauna.<br /><br />We had an encounter with some other non-humans that night. The guys had gone to bed in the boys bunkhouse and I hadn't fully settled in yet. I heard some very loud splashing down by the boats. I was a bit puzzled – if someone was messing with our boats, they were making a heck of a lot of noise. So I went out and walked down to the water and stopped when I saw a mother moose and two calves wading along the shore. I watched for a couple minutes and went back to get the guys. They came out in their jammies and bare feet, and we watched at a respectful distance and not terribly far from the bunkhouses. It got darker and darker, and finally the family headed off into the woods, we got cold, the bugs started biting, and we headed back to our beds.<br /><br />The next morning I was down by the water and heard a splash, then a distance away another one. It was an otter. Who knew an otter was as splashy in its own way as a moose?<br /><br />On Wednesday we tidied up the cabins and headed back towards Rossport. We found a rocky island that had a channel between it. We had some fun taking turns taking photos of our intrepid paddles through the opening. The photos didn't look nearly as impressive as we imagined they would, but the island and rock formation were still wonderful. As I paddled around the outside of the island to circle back to paddle through again, I spotted some fluffy young birds on the rock who hid from me by turning their backs and facing into the rock wall.<br /><br />Paddling on, we came across two women breaking camp. They were paddling a canoe from the Sibley Penninsula to Neys Provincial Park. We compared notes on their route so far. Their experience at CPR Slip was the same as we and others had experienced on previous trips – despite word that the slip was open to all, the power boaters who were there told them that they weren't welcome.<br /><br />We headed up Moffat Strait, just because we'd never been there before. We were using a map from Superior Outfitters website that suggested some campsites, and there were two along this stretch. It took a while to find the site on Sabena Island. It was a great location for a small group, perched on a rocky outcrop. Masses of mayflies swirled overhead, but didn't bother us as we relaxed before dinner.<br /><br />Tony was going to take over as leader the next day, and announced that we would be getting up at 6 AM for early morning calisthenics, followed by self criticism, Tai Chi, and meditation at 8. Somehow I missed all that activity.<br /><br />During the night I did wake up when it started raining lightly and listened to the pitter patter of raindrops on my tent. Just as the rain started easing off, I heard the sound of hard, driving rain moving across the lake towards us and then drumming on the tents. A nice sound when you're warm and dry in your tent. Fortunately the rainy weather had passed over us by morning.<br /><br />On Thursday we continued north up the Moffat Channel, then paddled east over the top of Simpson Island. As was consistent with what we'd seen earlier, there weren't many campsites along that stretch. There were a few places farther east where you could squeeze in a tent or two if you had to, but they were marginal.<br /><br />Eventually Simpson Channel opened up to the lake to the south and we saw the lighthouse on Battle Island. We headed across to Vein Island. It was a 4 mile crossing with a 10 knot headwind. In terms of shortest distance, our route was the best option and it was well within our skills. But psychologically, it was a slog. Thinking of leading a group across in a similar paddle, it would be good to give the time it would take, because there was a long stretch when we saw no progress.<br /><br />Reaching Vein, we landed on yet another lovely rocky beach for lunch, then headed on to Minnie and the campsite where we would stay for the next two nights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After setting up his tent, Tony waded into the lake for an afternoon dip (the water temp was bracing, but warm for Lake Superior -- in the mid 60s). Tony looked down as he was walking into the water and -- wonder of wonders -- he saw a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon peeking out from under a rock. Someone had carefully buried it to chill and had forgotten about it or lost track of it. In utter joy of an unexpected gift from the lake, we gleefully split the can 3 ways. After that bit of giddy excitement, we once again had some afternoon left to read, nap, and prepare dinner. A person could get used to that kind of schedule.<br /><br />On Friday we headed out to Battle Island, where the lighthouse stands tall and proud atop a cliff. We all started the day feeling a bit loggy, and the dark clouds developing in the east didn't inspire confidence. But Tony was still leading, and the self professed lazy man took us on the longest paddle of the trip. We continued past the lighthouse along the south side of Wilson Island, then headed north through Copper Island channel.<br /><br />We wanted to visit the sandstone cliffs that Tony and Michelle had seen on a prior trip, but weren’t sure where they were. We checked the topo map and guessed, and bingo – we found them. Layers of sandstone. Ledges that extended underwater. Fallen rock, sized from rubble to huge slabs. A few sea caves. We may have left a bit of gel coat here and there.<br /><br />We paddled into a bay to check out another campsite marked on the Superior Outfitters map at Little Lake Harbor as a possible future destination. As we were walking up a grassy lawn we heard the buzz of a few mosquitoes (scouts, no doubt), then suddenly we were attacked by the main force. We broke and ran for boats. The mosquitoes followed us out into the lake and we barely escaped with our lives.<br /><br />We kept an eye out for Tim and Dan that day. They were paddling from Silver Islet to Rossport, but they apparently passed our campsite while we were out of sight on our day paddle.<br /><br />Back at camp, we took a quick swim. It started to sprinkle. We debated about putting a tarp up and finally decided yes. Typical day on a camping trip. The tarp was a good move, as it ended up raining for an hour or so. <br /><br />That night in my tent I listened to the water slap gently quietly along the shores of the surrounding islands, in contrast to the previous night's distant sounds of waves from the open lake crashing on the rocky shores of the islands to our south. In the morning we heard the sound of a large bird's wings, and looked to see an eagle launching out of a tree overhead and flying off.<br /><br />On Saturday we headed back to Rossport. We unloaded our boats and packed up our cars. We stopped in at Superior Outfitters before we hit the road, and I mentioned to Dave Tamblyn that I was torn about whether to tell people about this wonderful paddling destination or keep it a secret. He said he felt the same way. Good to know that I'm not the only one who is so conflicted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photos are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/118363594507705500694/RossportIslands2012" target="_blank">here</a>. </span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-79535526383836098282012-06-08T20:56:00.002-05:002013-02-05T05:54:11.094-06:00CT Power Paddle Camp - Brilliant!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Well, maybe not the weather. At least not all the time. But definitely the concept. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.benlawry.net/Ben_Lawry/Home.html" target="_blank">Ben Lawry</a>, <a href="http://www.skamokawakayak.com/about.html" target="_blank">Ginni Callahan</a>, and <a href="http://www.emsexploration.com/" target="_blank">Peter Casson</a> partnered with local coaches Ron, Gerry, and Carolyn to create an opportunity for 24 paddlers to play and learn for 4 days. Our playground was the northern part of Long Island Sound, from near Mystic Harbor up to Narragansett, with our home base a camp near Stonington, CT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The first day we paddled on the lake on the camp property, splitting into three random groups to make Team 1, Team A, and Team Alpha. Each group spent an hour and a half with each coach. Ginni worked on rudders, Ben on sweep and forward strokes, and Peter on rescues. It was a good level setting session for all, and there were definitely some aha moments for me. The effect of posture on rudders (being a sack of potatoes is not helpful), keeping the top wrist aligned, the power linkage from boat to blade on forward and reverse strokes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">At the end of the day we had a team competition that involved forward and reverse strokes, maneuvers, rescues, towing, and a wee bit of following directions (no, you were not required to paddle around that island). The first group to return to the beach was declared the winner, and the prize was being first in line at dinner. (I would humbly mention that Team Alpha won this competition.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">One might think that the sole purpose of the event was to entertain the coaches based on the amount of laughter that ensued, but I suspect they also used it as part of the day's sorting exercises. The last activity of the day was splitting everyone up into one of 3 groups of 8. Each group would spend one day with Ben, one with Ginni and one with Peter, while one of the three local coaches stayed with each group to provide some continuity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My group headed off to Stonington the second day. Forecast was for intermittent thunder storms and 15 - 20 knots of wind with gusts to 25 plus. We had planned to head out to Fisher's Island, possibly playing in the race between Fishers and Wicopesset Island. With the possibility of lightning, we decided to stay in areas where we could get off the water relatively quickly, paddling along a breakwater and eventually ending up on Napatree Point. It was helpful to be part of discussions of options in bigger conditions, and we found games to play along the way as we paddled into the headwinds. I was thoroughly entertained by the sound of the horn on the breakwater. Don't have one of those on Lake Calhoun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After lunch on Napatree, we were past the lightning risk, and headed off to Fishers. First we paddled by the Molars (no, they didn't look any more appealing than the name sounds), then crossed to Fishers with the wind off our port side. The ebb current from our starboard side and the wind nearly cancelled each other out. The waves were probably 2 - 3 feet, with fairly frequent waves well above the horizon line (4?), so it was a fun place to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The ebbing current created a race between Fishers and Wicopesset, opposed by a stiff wind. The plan was to paddle through it in pairs, with David and me in the lead and Peter with us, then the rest of the group following behind. There was a needle to be threaded between ugliness on the right and ugliness on the left. In theory, if anything happened and someone came out of their boat, we would get flushed through the race and come out on the other side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dave and I paddled up a couple of pretty big waves (5 footers? I don't trust my memory) with bigger ahead when Peter said "Turn and run." Excellent example of a clear and unambiguous command! We "made it so"! Regrouped, ducked around the corner, and stopped for a break and a debrief on Fishers. Bottom line was that nobody wanted to be doing rescues where we were in the race, and if we had gotten through we still would have had to return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We paddled back to Stonington after that. Lots of marine features to soak in. Big reminder about the need to orient to your chart before you start out and keep oriented -- e.g., we're going to paddle by these three buoys and here are their numbers, then we'll paddle east of the breakwater and there's a light on the end. We paddled by more fog horns and/or light signals. It was cool to have one horn to the left and another to the right and hear the sounds change as you moved between them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We stopped for coffee/beer at Noah's in Stonington, then headed back to camp to hear about the other groups' days. One group had stayed on the camp lake while the other had headed up to Rhode Island. Happy energy filled the room as we ate dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On day 3, my group went to the Narrows in Rhode Island with Ben. The third day of a camp or trip is always the one I feel tired on, and I was pretty much done after one of Ben's high energy warm ups. But wait -- there was more! Next we worked on exercises we would use in the surf. The goal when we catch the wave is to stay on top of it, not bury our bow in the trough and our stern on the wave. So we worked on a pivot and acceleration to catch the wave, </span><span style="font-size: small;">braking to get into position, on</span><span style="font-size: small;"> stern rudders to steer, and getting off of a bongo slide. And then off to the waves. Nice green ones until later in the day, when they started to dump a bit. Good place to play and learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">At the end of the day, a stop for beer or coffee was by now a hallowed tradition (must follow tradition!), and doubly so when the storm that had been threatening finally arrived and the skies opened up. We enjoyed a lovely round of Guinness as the rain pelted down, then drove through another cell on our way back to camp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">One of the other groups had been less lucky and had been in the direct path of the storms. They holed up a couple times while paddling, then dodged lightning while tying on boats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That evening, Sergio showed slides from Nova Scotia. Definitely a paddling destination for the wish list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Day 4 was another forecast of gray and windy weather, and the groups did a bit of re-sorting and winnowing as people made plans on when to head for home, and then came together to discuss what we wanted to do on our last day. Our group was down to 5 as we headed with Ginni to Esker Point, west of Mystic Harbor. We did some navigation planning, picking some rocks to go find a la scavenger hunt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We started with a paddle along a measured mile to get a sense of our pace. After that, each of us led or swept a leg of the trip. </span><span style="font-size: small;">It was fun to be paddling on another windy day as a tight group, just a few feet from each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We had paused in the lee of Ram Island and heard thunder, and decided to land and have lunch despite this being a private island. The dogs, horses, and sheep were good with that, and we didn't see any people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Ginni did a nice job of leading a discussion on paddling as a group and how it's everyone's responsibility to keep the group tight. Opportunities for missed communication had been plentiful on a fairly short paddle, and we found many of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After lunch, Dave suggested that we head out into a race we could see off the south end of the island. An ebb current was flowing over Ram Island Reef, with the wind opposed. I was up for the paddle, but was having a hard time visualizing what to expect. Turned out to be hugely fun, and the ferry angle was almost straight across, as the opposing wind and current again balanced each other out. The waves weren't very high, but we did a bit of surfing on the way back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On to Gate, then the north end of Ram, then by Mouse, keeping an eye on intertwined channels marked by red and green buoys. Much easier to pick out the channels looking at a chart than on the water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Coming back through a sailboat buoy field there was a chance to do some slalom turns (funny thing ... same feedback as Day 1 on the rudders -- posture!) My roll had temporarily gone AWOL and we got that sorted out before we called it a day (funny thing ... lifting with the lower knee works better than lifting with the the top knee).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">It was an excellent 4 days. Good learning from terrific coaches, as well as from the other students and the marine environment itself. Splitting into 3 groups of similar skills made the camp accessible to a big group of people, but provided learning tailored to where we were. The accommodations were not luxurious, but we were comfortable, and having hot breakfasts and dinners and showers was a treat. All were tired at the end of the camp, but I think everyone went away a better paddler with bunch of new friends. Doesn't get much better than that.</span></div>
Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-62940729116727006432011-09-15T22:50:00.011-05:002011-12-01T06:23:17.786-06:00BBB Coastal Leadership Class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAs5TQjUPuU/Tq4V3Egnv8I/AAAAAAAAIn0/rpPEzfnwIy0/s1600/IMGP2105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAs5TQjUPuU/Tq4V3Egnv8I/AAAAAAAAIn0/rpPEzfnwIy0/s320/IMGP2105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In September I went out to the five day <a href="http://www.bodyboatblade.com/">Body Boat Blade</a> Coastal Leadership Training class in the San Juans. Leon and Shawna offer their BCU 4 star training in two flavors. The 5 day version is in the inner islands of the San Juans in the fall, with the focus on leadership skills and navigation. The 3 day version is on the open coast in the spring, with more of an emphasis on surf and rough water.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I've gone through my notes from the course, I'm amazed at how much we packed into 5 days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The emphasis on leadership started from the beginning as we discussed the higher standard of care and responsibility entailed by the 4 star award. The focus of the course was learning and practicing being an effective leader. Which not only includes bringing everyone back (hopefully in one piece), but also creating a positive experience such that everyone wants to come and do it again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CLAP was the core of what we practiced. Communication (if you can't converse, you're not in communication), Line of sight (if you can't see someone, assume something horrible has happened), Avoidance over cure, Position of maximum usefulness (either keep them away from the danger, or be where you can pick up the pieces.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of those things take paying attention. And they take a group. Another focus of discussion was what a competent member of a group is. A 3 star paddler is supposed to be just that -- a competent member of the group. The "simple" act of being part of a group also requires paying attention. Staying in close so you can hear. Making it easy for the leader to see you. Supporting the leader. Making it easier for other mariners to see us and know what we we're doing. Practicing paddling as a tight group in no conditions so we can do it in conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There were 5 students in the class, and each
of us would lead one of the days. The leader was given the day's
destination and some basic parameters (e.g., get us to point A at high
tide, taking maximum advantage of the current). We had to figure out
when we needed to start in the morning and how to get the group there as
efficiently and safely as possible, based on tides, current and
weather.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Levi was our leader on the first day. We started by doing a risk assessment as a group, which we did every day. Great tool. Not only does it ensure that the risk assessment is performed, but it ensures that the entire group participates and understands. If a decision has to be made to change the day's plans, everyone is in from the beginning. If there's a concern about something like worsening weather, or a headland that has to be rounded, the entire group understands the risks and concerns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was my turn to lead the second day, with Levi as my co-leader. We took the group down between Lopez and San Juan Islands to Cattle Point. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we got down to Cattle Point, we stopped for lunch, then paddled on and around a couple of points. The first one we rounded as a group. The second was closer to an eddy line and opposing current, and before we rounded, Leon asked "what would happen if you had multiple capsizes here?" Hmmm. That wouldn't be so good. So Levi rounded first and we sent the group around one at a time while I stayed down current to pick up anyone if needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When it came time to return, I foolishly let myself drift across the eddy line while I was maneuvering around another paddler. I got caught in the current and pulled away from the group. I knew right away that Leon or Shawna would seize the opportunity and sure enough – as soon as I looked back I saw Leon telling Dick to capsize. There was a sea lion hanging about, and he barked at us as soon as Dick went into the water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was getting my boat turned around, but the current was rapidly carrying me away from my swimmer. Fortunately, Levi was there and got Dick back into his boat. Unfortunately, he decided that Dick could paddle with a boat full of water (which he could), and chose not to empty the boat until back across the eddy line. Not the answer Leon was looking for. "If you can't get the water out and the swimmer back in their boat, you're probably out of your remit." Poor Dick was asked to capsize again. By then I was back from my little side trip and was able to get his boat emptied and Dick back into it. Good lesson on keeping self and group safely tucked in out of the way of wind, waves, and current.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We spent a while working on the eddy line, doing rescues, towing, rolling, contact tows, tossing our paddles away and pulling out our spares. (The sea lion continued to provide intermittent commentary when people were in the water or making too much noise.) We crossed over to Lopez while the current was flooding north between San Juan Island and Lopez Island, doing a mass breakout across the eddy line so we stayed close together, picking a course that allowed for the current, and trying to stay together through the boils and turbulent water. We crossed back again to find our campsite on San Juan Island.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By the end of Day 2 we had settled into a routine. We debriefed in the evenings. Mornings we covered weather, navigation, towing, and other topics. Subject areas I'd been introduced to before (or even taught before) became clearer. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the longer stretches of paddling, we played games that tested our skills, or worked on linking strokes, or towing, or paddling backwards. Stern tapping. Rescues. A demonstration of how quickly a boat blows away from a swimmer. Constantly checking our position, against the chart and against ranges ahead and to the side. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rocky landings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each day had different challenges for the leader. On Day 3, Dick had the biggest weather challenge, and wisely came up with a plan A (the assignment he'd been given) as well as a plan B (a safer plan). I was Dick's assistant leader, bringing up the rear. At one point I heard Shawna ask another student to capsize if Dick lost sight of him, but Dick never let that happen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Day 4 we did a planned exercise of parking behind a buoy with a knot or two of current flowing by. It got a lot more exciting than planned when a ferry that we weren't expecting appeared and we didn't know what its course would be. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Night 4 was on Jones Island. Fabulous campsite looking out over the water. The island has a bumper crop of raccoons, though. After dinner, we put our food in our boats and secured the hatches. As we were sitting around and talking after dark, we heard something and went and checked the boats. One of the little bandits had found a forgotten bag of food and was running off with it. We shined a light up into a tree and saw at least a dozen pairs of glowing raccoon eyes staring down at us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we headed for home on Day 5 we did a towing exercise that involved 4 towers, capsizes, and rescues. And Leon helpfully adding stress, just in case it was needed. If there was any remaining doubt, it brought home the fact that towing and loose ropes are dangerous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It truly was an outstanding course. The San Juans themselves become one of the participants, with the dynamic water, the ferries and other boat traffic, the marine life, the wind and sun and currents. Having the group together all day provided ample time to talk and learn and ask questions and reflect. Each of the participants had different experience and leadership styles and we could all learn from each other. Plenty of unscripted events provided teachable/learnable moments. Generous and inventive and fiercely committed teachers provided a safety net but let us push our limits. Oh, and did I mention fun? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking forward to the 3 day version of this class!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photos are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/118363594507705500694/BBBLdrshipTraining#">here</a> (mine and Steve's). </span><br />
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</span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-23047583725358780012011-06-30T21:16:00.012-05:002011-11-13T20:11:48.124-06:00Alaska: Whittier to Seward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd had my eye on </span><a href="http://www.genevakayak.com/index.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">GKC</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'s Alaska trip all winter, but I kept being sensible – it was too much on top of all of the other things I was doing this year. But sometime in April I just had to ask Ryan "Are there any spaces left?" The answer was yes, there was a space left. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It also turned out that the trip had changed. Instead of staying in the relatively protected Prince William Sound, the group would paddle south as fast as possible to get to the Gulf of Alaska. If the weather window permitted, we would turn the corner at Cape Puget and paddle west along the Gulf of Alaska to Resurrection Bay. If the weather was not favorable, we'd spend a little time playing in the bigger water, then head back towards Whittier and probably take a water taxi back at some point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sea kayaking along the exposed coast of the Gulf of Alaska is riskier than staying in the sound. Once we started across Puget Bay, it would be 22 nautical miles to the next reliable place to land if the conditions were unfavorable. Winds of more than 30 knots can blow for days, and even the big boats don't venture out. There are no roads into the coast, so if you're out there in your kayak, you wait it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which is a bit of a concern when you have a flight reservation, a job you hope to return to, and only the food you're carrying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were renting our boats from Tom Pogson of </span><a href="http://www.alaskakayakschool.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alaska Kayak School</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, and he had been reluctant to let us make the attempt to go to Seward. Rumor had it that of the last 4 groups that had tried it, two had ended up calling in the Coast Guard. One was apparently due to a damaged boat and one was due to a need to get out according to a pre-determined schedule. So one of our group's ground rules for making the attempt for Seward was that Tom had to approve it. (We carried a satellite phone for that reason as well as for emergencies.) Another was that if we went, we wouldn't take unsafe chances just to make it back in time to catch a flight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In May, we had a training weekend on the Menominee River. I missed the first day due a far more important event (my wonderful niece's wedding to a wonderful man), but I joined in on the second day. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The expectations were a lot higher with the Alaska trip as our goal, and t</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">he training turned into more of a mental challenge for me than a physical one, as I started the day off badly and was feeling a day late and a dollar short all day. It was a perfect opportunity to put some of the mental game aspects that had come up in the San Juan Currents course into play. Ryan had some good coaching as well, and I managed to turn the day around eventually, but it was hard work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After that, it was less than a month before we would meet in Alaska, and the time went too fast. We were all responsible for our own charts and current information and planning and research. We also watched the weather to get a sense of what the patterns were and what the range of conditions might be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Training/paddling was also essential, as we would be paddling up to 30 nautical miles a day. I ended up testing the theory that paddling 8 – 10 miles 3 – 4 days a week would be enough; it was the best I could do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On June 18, Tony and I flew out together, and Ryan met us at the airport in Anchorage. The rest of the group had arrived the night before and were picking up last minute items from REI. Our group of seven finally met at Humpy's restaurant in Anchorage for lunch. We all knew most of the group. I'd met Tony in our first sea kayaking class in 2008, and we've been paddling buddies ever since. I'd taken other GKC classes with Ryan, Mark, Sarah and Paul. I hadn't met Rich before, but he knew all the other folks. This was Mark's fifth Alaska trip, Paul had led the prior year's trip, and Ryan had paddled extensively in Alaska, so we had a lot of experience amongst us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At lunch, Tony told the group about a couple calls he had made to get some local knowledge before the trip. One charter boat captain had been very helpful with information about currents in the channels we would be paddling through and where the whales were hanging out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The sticking point, though, was clearly the part of the trip along the Gulf of Alaska. Another charter captain had left Tony a voice mail saying "You don't know how dangerous what you're talking about doing is. Please call me back so that I can talk to you about this. You really don't want to do it." (Tony hadn't called back.) Rich said that his Dad was familiar with the Gulf of Alaska and had said "Don't go." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(It did cross my mind that it was technically still possible to hop on a plane and head home at that point...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After lunch, we headed to Whittier. We packed the group gear that afternoon, then went to the <a href="http://www.swiftwaterseafoodcafe.com/">Swiftwater Seafood Café</a> for the best fish and chips we'd ever had.</span><br />
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95497428"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 1</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: (Days are hyperlinked to the GPS track/map for that day.) Next morning we were off. It was overcast, with the clouds settling lower down the mountains as the day went on. Whittier sits on the southern shore of the western end of Passage Canal, and we were headed east. We crossed over to the north side to see the kittiwake colony and thoroughly enjoyed watching them wheel and swirl overhead, then continued paddling east. We got the first of several interesting responses to our proposed destination when Ryan chatted briefly with a guide who was taking some folks out on a day trip. When he heard we were going to Seward, he said "Wow!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We stopped at Decision Point for lunch. There was a splendid kitchen made of downed trees for Ryan to make lunch on, but the group proved to be quite slow at finding the lunch fixings in the group gear bags that had been hurriedly stashed and stuffed away into whatever nooks and crannies were available. You'd think nobody was hungry. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Ryan was getting a little testy about the lack of effort and progress, but he certainly appeared to be moving in that direction. The feta cheese didn't turn up for several days, but we eventually found the critical ingredients for the meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After lunch fog was lurking about, so instead of a direct crossing towards Culross Passage, we headed towards Blackstone Point, then over to Culross.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Culross Passage is about 10 miles long, and we wanted to reach it at the beginning of the ebb tide to get whatever assist was available heading south. There wasn't a lot of tidal current, but as Ryan pointed out, after a long day, even half a knot was welcome. We definitely wanted to get to the end before the flood tide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Towards the end of the passage we started looking for a campsite, and we spent more time looking that night than any other. It had been a long day (about 25 nautical miles), and we explored several locations before we found a viable site. We also searched unsuccessfully for a cabin that was marked on the Trials Illustrated map. (A later search of the park websites didn't turn up any cabins at that location.) Our eventual campsite was the northernmost of the two kayak landing beaches marked on the Trails Illustrated map on the west side of the south end of Cullross Passage. Phantom cabins notwithstanding, the kayak landing beaches marked on the map seemed to be reliable kayak campsites. And throughout the trip, the long days of the Alaskan summer were handy when it came to late arrivals. There was at least one night when we didn't finish dinner and cleanup until after midnight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On </span><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95497783"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 2</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, we paddled past several fishing fleets. Mark explained how they worked and how to stay out of their way, and what to do if they offered us a fish (don't drop it!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the captains who was working alone yelled at us for paddling over his net ("If you'd asked I would have said yes, but you can't paddle over someone's nets without asking!") A bit later, a friendlier fisherman called us over and offered us a fish. Sarah paddled up and took it and put it in her cockpit. Fish was not dropped. Way to go, Sarah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We stopped for lunch at Eshamy Bay. Lovely bay, hordes of mosquitoes. Our lunch spot was chosen based on the need to find fresh water (we were looking for streams on the map and charts), so we filtered water while fending off the mosquitoes. (Note to self: bug shirts don't work at lunch stops while wearing a dry suit. Get a bug hat and keep in day hatch.). Our splendid fish was placed in an Ikea bag and weighted down in the water to chill while we lunched by the pretty waterfall and fed the bugs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we paddled away after lunch, we chatted with some fishermen who encouraged us to stop and check out the nearby </span><a href="http://www.eshamybaylodge.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eshamy Bay Lodge</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. We didn't take the time to do that, but it seemed like a good destination if you ever wanted to visit Prince William Sound but not camp, or to break up a camping trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we headed out of the bay, we had one of our many lessons on reading tides and currents. We paddled by an area where an island was blocking the current and Ryan played twenty questions as he tried to draw out how to read the current by the differences in wind against waves as opposed to wind with waves. When paddling on inland lakes, if one sees a patch of water where the waves look different, it's probably due to the wind being different. On the ocean, it's likely due to the interaction of wind and current -- wind with current smoothing the waves out and wind against current standing the waves up. Wouldn't it be clever to learn to read the water to paddle where the current is most in your favor? While one is working on that, turns out that it's helpful to pay attention if Ryan is paddling a very different route than everyone else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our second night's destination was Ewan Bay, where some of our group had camped before, though they didn't remember exactly where. The previous night we had more or less bonked when it came time to find a campsite, and Ryan ended up doing the scouting while we drifted rather aimlessly. Tonight we tried a different tactic ... everyone scattered in different directions looking for a campsite. Good idea to share the scouting, but a wee bit of planning about how to communicate might have been in order. We all eventually converged and found a nice site about halfway up the cove on the west side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I took our water filter and walked the shore looking for a stream, but didn't find one. Paul ended up finding water farther into the woods. Another lesson learned … the wet spots by the shore may be tidal, or they may be fresh water streams that petered out before reaching the shore, with viable water sources a bit inland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Red salmon for dinner. Yum!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On </span><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95498357"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 3</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> we paddled to the head of the bay looking for an overfall where a lagoon separated from the bay continued to pour out long after low tide. No overfall, but there was a waterfall and an eddy line, and we spent half an hour or so playing in the current, which reminded us of the Menominee River.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After our play time, we split into two groups. Mark had picked up a bug that left him feeling pretty lousy the first half of the trip, and he and Ryan headed off to find a campsite at our evening's destination at Dual Head. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9swpLvdBtM/TkNMkTXJ4TI/AAAAAAAAIgM/5IgwDyt60Mc/s1600/IMGP1433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9swpLvdBtM/TkNMkTXJ4TI/AAAAAAAAIgM/5IgwDyt60Mc/s320/IMGP1433.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paul led Sarah, Rich, Tony and me to Nassau Glacier and then to Dual Head. We had lunch on Jackpot Island, in the mouth of Jackpot Bay The island had lovely sheltered landing sites on either side, so it would be a good place to stop in more than one wind direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we approached Icy Bay, we started to see bits of brash ice. (Brash ice is less than 6 feet across). We were paddling into a decent headwind, so it was slower going. As we got closer, we could hear the ice tinkling as bits bumped into each other, and occasionally the scary sound made when a boat crunches against a bit of ice -- sounds much worse than it is. The water was noticeably colder as we approached the glacier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally we turned the corner to see Nassau Glacier, a tidewater glacier that comes all the way down to the water. Well worth the paddle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It would have been a long paddle to get appreciably closer to the glacier, so we turned around and headed back to Dual Head, a headland south of Icy Bay and north of Whale Bay. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were now paddling with the wind, which speeded up our progress. We passed a campsite or two before we found Ryan and Mark. Another group was in the process of landing on one of the sites. They asked where we were headed and again we got that pause/double take when we told them Seward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eventually we reached Dual Head. Nice site, though no water source. We ended up putting our kitchen sink bucket in a cave to catch drips over night, and had enough water in the morning to start out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That evening, on our kitchen/dining room rock, Tony and I were talking when I heard something that sounded like a whale's spout that seemed very close by. We finally spotted the whales a mile or so away … it was such a quiet evening that the sound carried clearly across the water. We could see the spouts and sometimes the flukes as the whales dove.</span><br />
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95508063"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 4</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: Next morning as we headed for Bainbridge Passage, we could still see the whales. As Tony said, "Whales for dinner and whales for breakfast!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We pushed on to get through Bainbridge Passage before losing the ebb tide, then across Port Bainbridge. We paddled into and through a fog bank, and another bit of fog came down from our right before we stopped for lunch in a shallow bay just north of Auk Bay . We were pretty low on water at that point, and the chart showed a lake inland of us. Tony and I headed off up a dry creek bed (with lots of "hey bears" along the way) to look for it, but the creek bed was soon blocked by fallen trees, and bushwhacking soon proved untenable as we reached a ravine. We could hear water in the distance; we just couldn't see a way to get to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back at camp, Rich and Paul tried another route and were again the heroes, bringing back fresh water. We all dozed after lunch as the water filtered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then we paddled around Cape Puget to camp on the gravel beach by East Lagoon, south of Goat Harbor in Puget Bay. The next day would be decision day on whether to head for Seward or not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paddling into Puget Bay was a great idea for a couple of reasons. First, it got us closer to our destination. Second, rounding Cape Puget gave us a feel for what paddling along the headlands would be like. With all the comments and reactions and everything we had read about how dangerous this stretch could be, it was easy to build it up as bigger than it really was when the weather was as calm as it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dinner was grilled pizza. Good paddling food.</span><br />
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95504087"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 5</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: Next morning the weather window continued to look good, so we were off to Seward. Not without a little drama, though. There were a couple of stuck skegs, and Tony pulled out his knife to clear them. In the process, he got a bad cut. Rich the surgeon saved the day with super glue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We started the journey we had been anticipating for so long in fog. It was frustrating to be on a stretch of dramatic coastline that very few people ever get a chance to paddle and not be able to see it, but the weather slowly cleared.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We passed a couple of rock gardens, and at first we all circled wide around them. Midwestern flat water paddlers, rented boats, a long way from help if we damaged anything – playing it safe made sense. But Ryan said "get in there!" Cape Resolution would be bigger than these headlands, and we needed to be comfortable in them. And ... we really were comfortable in them once we got in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We also saw seals and sea otters. Also whales -- first in the distance, then a pair of humpbacks came along and swam near us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I glanced to the right as we approached one of the headlands and was surprised to see two sea lions swimming along less than a boat length away from me. They seemed just as surprised to see me, and quickly dove. Soon we came to the headland and as we paddled by a rock, saw at least a dozen sea lions on the far side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With the favorable conditions, we were able to land for lunch in Johnstone Bay. We checked the mileage to our destination and realized it was farther than we had been thinking, and considered our options. Paddling all the way to Day Harbor was more than we wanted to do, given that the weather forecast was stable and we weren't running out of time. We came up with a couple options for places to camp for the night and headed on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With one last headland to round before our night's destination in Horsehead Bay, we found ourselves paddling hard but making no progress against the current. This was another point Ryan kept driving home: constantly using the shore to gauge your progress. Our options now were 1) paddle harder (could we? for long enough?), 2) turn around and backtrack, 3) keep doing what we were doing and hope something changed for the better, 4) look for an eddy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tony and I tried for the eddy line. It was there, and once we tucked in it became an easy paddle, but it took everything we had to get past the worst of the current into the eddy. Ryan and Sarah kept paddling the original course, and the current eased off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The campsite at Horsehead Bay was delightful, and even had a lake to bathe near – coldish water, but being clean was a treat. And the mosquitoes had disappeared when we reached the open coast.</span><br />
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95504543"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 6</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: We paddled across Day Harbor to Driftwood Bay, which set us up to round Cape Resurrection. We stopped for lunch and a break. Our plan was to round the cape at the slack water before the flood, so we had a chance to relax for a bit while we waited. Tony had heard that if one got trapped in Day Harbor in weather too bad to round the Cape, there was a portage across. We saw no sign of any portage; just high, steep cliffs, and there was no appetite for portaging once we saw them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we paddled south to the cape, we paddled by another kittiwake colony, even bigger than the one near Whittier, and we sat in our boats with silly grins on our faces as they flew about overhead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan and Mark saw a large, high ceilinged cave and backed in, and we all followed. A swell started to fill the cave, lifting our boats towards ceiling. Someone behind me said "Out!" and we were out of there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cape Resurrection itself was beautiful, though a little anticlimactic. We'd been prepared to battle our way around white knuckled through fierce winds and pounding, surging waves, but it was an easy rounding. And then we turned the corner and Resolution Bay opened up in front of us. We finally saw puffins, and more sea lions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We paddled past Rugged and Hive Islands. Rich, Sarah and I stopped for water at a waterfall, then we camped on the sandspit on Fox.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tony's phone worked from the campsite, and we made a couple of quick phone calls to the few who knew what we were actually doing (we're around the Cape!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We took a rest day on Day 7, with nothing more adventurous than making a water run to </span><a href="http://kayakerscove.net/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kayakers Cove</span></a>,<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> which would be another possible base camp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Had we started our journey in Resurrection Bay, it would have felt delightfully remote. Coming from the open coast, though, it felt practically urban. As soon as we rounded the cape, we started running into a parade of sightseeing boats, fishing boats, and sailboats. In the quiet of the night, we could hear thundering booms that came from deep within Bear Glacier, one bay over and around Callisto Point.</span><br />
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95509924"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 8</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> we headed on to Bear Glacier with Paul. Ryan wasn't coming. We had been a bit surprised – not see Bear Glacier? But he said "My work is done." Puzzlingly, he asked for the potatoes before we split up. The plan was that he would claim a campsite by Caines Head, and would pitch his tent to mark the camp if he wasn't there when we arrived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The rest of us paddled around Callisto Point. There was another rock garden, though this one was not so friendly as some of the others. Paul taught us to avoid the spots where the white water was moving sideways, vs. the places where the water was moving up and down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After lunch, we returned around the point and back into Resurrection Bay. We were once again in need of water, and stopped by another waterfall where Mark and Rich landed to fill up our dromedaries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just before Caines Head, we spotted the tent Ryan had left, and landed to make camp. By this time the group was a finely tuned machine, as we got the water filtering, wood gathered, a tarp pitched, and the bear hang ready to go. Still no Ryan. Eventually we decided some sort of food was in order, and started some chili. Still no Ryan. Mark and Paul told us he that he'd planned to paddle in to Seward to bring back some sort of treat, but we were still becoming somewhat concerned as it grew later and later. Finally Ryan appeared around the corner of the bay, surfed up on to the beach, and leapt out of his kayak with great panache. He proceeded to pull one tasty item after another out his hatches: Shrimp. Salmon. Eggs. Oranges. Beer. Ice. We were all put to work peeling shrimp and potatoes, finding skewers and making a brick oven. Dinner was late, but well worth the wait.</span><br />
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95504680"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 9</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: Next morning was our final stretch to Seward. We met Tom Pogson by Lowell Point, emptied the boats, loaded them on his trailer, and piled into a taxi we had called. We were eager for the showers we had been anticipating in Seward, but the power was out in the entire town. We found a place with a gas grill and got lunch, then waited for our pickup to get back to Anchorage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We dropped our luggage at the airport and a few of us took a taxi to the Alaska Club for showers. We all gathered at Humpy's in the airport for one last dinner, and then we split up for various gates and flights home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nine magical days, and then it was over. How to sum it up? I definitely had some apprehension going into the trip. Any other set of conditions would have been an entirely different trip – who's to say whether better or worse. Learned a bunch; lots more to learn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If there was anything to change, it would have been better preparation. Start earlier, do more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No question, though -- I'm very glad and very fortunate that I was able to do this wonderful trip.</span><br />
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Photos are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/onealpa/AlaskaWhittierToSeward">here</a>.</div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-35138463415142069862011-05-20T07:35:00.006-05:002011-11-02T21:55:45.995-05:00San Juan Currents<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--M7RsjdsHN4/ThRWFlvFA-I/AAAAAAAAIFA/FYT3b-yr7h8/s1600/IMGP1229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--M7RsjdsHN4/ThRWFlvFA-I/AAAAAAAAIFA/FYT3b-yr7h8/s320/IMGP1229.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Too busy having fun; the adventures are stacking up waiting to be put up for cold winter nights. I don't THINK it's possible to have too many kayaking adventures, but I may have come close to that point the last month or so.<br />
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Catching up in adventure order: in May I headed back out to Body Boat Blade for their San Juan Currents course. The course description is ”Learn the skills and strategies for dealing with the powerful currents, tidal races, and over falls that run through the San Juan Islands. We will explore ferry gliding, how to read water, crossing strategies, and how to predict the time, speed, and direction of currents. These are the skills you need to plan an easy, fun, and safe trip. We start by refreshing your skills, and then we enter these races and build your confidence as the currents increase. This is a great class to start building your rough water skills and broaden your knowledge of the sea. Come to this class with play in mind!" Prerequisites are BCU 3 Star Skills, Ocean Currents Class, confident rescue skills and a solid roll.<br />
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Said differently, the class provided a chance to experience a wide range of the conditions found in the San Juans, with a couple of coaches/5 star paddlers guiding the way and providing a safety net. Held on May 18 and 19th this year, this course is scheduled to coincide with the maximum tidal range and difference in speed between flood and ebb currents. All of the varying conditions were available between the southwest corner of Lopez Island and across to San Juan Island.<br />
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The adventure began with a little logistical mess up on my part. I thought I had scheduled a flight at 9:50 AM the day before the class, giving me ample time to get to Seattle, pick up a car, drive up to the ferry in Anacortes, get to Lopez Island, and find the little one room/off season cabin in the woods that I'd rented. I tried to check in for the flight the night before, and was informed that it was not within 24 hours of my flight. After a bit of concerned head scratching, I realized that I'd made my reservation for 9:50 PM. Ooops. It all worked out, and I got an extra day of work in, but ended up just a wee bit short of sleep.<br />
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The six students met Leon and Shawna at Holly B's bakery in Lopez village. It only seemed polite to buy a bakery treat while we were waiting for all the students to arrive. Said bakery treat was justified as being for lunch. It did not survive that long.<br />
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Our classmates included 3 young men from Iceland who had met Leon and Shawna during their Iceland circumnavigation in 2003 and were visiting the west coast.<br />
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Once we were all gathered we did some on land work, including discussing tidal races, then drove around to Mackaye Harbor on the south end of the island to launch. The plan for Day 1 was to play in the tidal race and standing waves off Davis Point. Both days of the class proved to be unexpectedly sunny and warm (contrary to the weather reports and prior days' weather). Clouds and rain would have worked, but the bright sun and blue skies were a treat.<br />
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We paddled out to Davis Point as the flood current was building. This Midwestern paddler was delighted with the purple sea stars clinging to the rocky shores.<br />
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The first day's focus was the standing waves. I proved to be a slow learner. The green waves (easy to surf) were in the front. A wave or two back, things quickly turned into a confused mess. I suppose I gained a certain comfort level in paddling in a confused mess, but it took me quite a while to integrate and act on the idea that instead of thrashing around in the confusion, one should try to stay in the front, and if you drifted back (where the current was taking you), simply paddle over to the eddy and get in front again.<br />
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I also worked a lot on my stern draw. Works okay in calm water; not so reliable on a wave. Need to get the blade in the water better. We did some rescues in the rough water. One person capsized unintentionally and it was impressive how quickly he was carried up the San Juan Channel. Learned a new paddle signal on that one -- come to me (paddle up), then point to the paddler in the water (receding into the distance).<br />
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After lunch and some more play time, we headed back to Mackaye harbor, but the day wasn't done yet. We stopped on some rocks by a low cliff and landed one at a time, leaving our boat adrift. After climbing up the cliff, we jumped off, and climbed back in to our boats. Most of us jumped forward from the low spot. One of the Iceland guys climbed to the higher spot; another one did a back flip.<br />
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We had dinner together, then off to a good night's sleep.<br />
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The next day we started at Holly B's again and discussed a range of topics. The white board had some points from a prior class, which we discussed briefly (submerge your blade; get your skeleton behind your blade; keep your blade away from your body; hook your blade and move your boat past it). We discussed catastrophe theory (roll in anger!) and the Inner Game of Tennis. Owning your paddling. Watch me … I'm going to be great! <br />
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After a while we turned to the day's paddle. How were folks doing on a scale of 1 to 10? (If not so good, maybe we'd avoid the max current.)<br />
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Our goal for the day was to paddle over to the lighthouse on San Juan Island, doing the one mile crossing near max flood (over 4 knots). We had a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C. Plan A was that we would hit our ferry angle and make it directly to the lighthouse and return to Mackaye Harbor. Plan B was that we would be carried too far north, but would be able to paddle up in the eddy and still get to the lighthouse and return to Mackaye. Plan C involved leaving a car at a point farther north in case we couldn't get back to Mackaye Harbor due to the current carrying us north. Good lesson on real world examples of having backups to your backups.<br />
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We played assorted balance games after we launched (jousting, paddling with feet out, turning around on the back deck, down dog yoga, standing in our boats. (How far up does a paddler have to get to call it "standing"?) Many swims occurred during this period.<br />
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Then we worked on a number of navigation exercises while we waited for max flood. Set a ferry angle allowing for the current to get that island. Calculate the course from the chart, allow for variation, and set a range to hold the course to get to that island. We landed on a little rock while the tide was racing by (Shawna stayed in her boat to catch any stray equipment or paddlers). Paddling figure eights between rocks in the tidal current.<br />
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Eventually it was time to head across to Cattle Point. We followed Leon, while Shawna nipped at our heels. There were boils (upwellings or bulges where the water pushes up from the bottom and flows away from the center) and other interesting features in the water. We missed our Plan A target, but tucked in before Goose Island (Plan B) and paddled most of the way back to the lighthouse. After a break, we headed back across the channel to Lopez. Following Leon felt like we were playing crack the whip, as we wound our way across the dynamic water. It was clear that boat control, ability to paddle in a tight group, and paddling speed/fitness expectations rise with the BCU star levels.<br />
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We had several people who had to catch the evening ferry, so we ended up going with Plan C, enhanced by having the one of the Iceland guys who wasn't paddling drive a car up to the Plan C landing site.<br />
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After we landed, fetched remaining cars and loaded the boats, my friends of the past two days headed off to catch the evening ferry. I found a yummy dinner at the Love Dog Café, then it was off to pack and sleep before another early ferry the next morning. The return from Lopez to Anacortes was beautiful. It's easy to see how people fall in love with the San Juans.<br />
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Photos are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/onealpa/SanJuanCurrents#">here</a>. <br />
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</div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-82598005242152832582011-04-02T13:06:00.060-05:002011-04-17T12:34:59.188-05:00Deception Pass with Body Boat Blade<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ysk_OOoxNhQ/TanWlwVtcMI/AAAAAAAAHxM/58-VVgcwE3w/s1600/IMGP1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ysk_OOoxNhQ/TanWlwVtcMI/AAAAAAAAHxM/58-VVgcwE3w/s320/IMGP1124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>At the end of March, I was lucky enough to be able to head out to the Seattle area to take a class with Leon and Shawna at <a href="http://www.bodyboatblade.com/">Body Boat Blade</a>. I've been able to paddle in some pretty wonderful places and get some great coaching the past couple years, but that didn't stop me from being pretty excited about this trip. The Pacific Northwest is a completely different environment than inland lakes or Lake Superior or Georgia. Shawna and Leon have a reputation as great coaches, and this class would be in Deception Pass, a narrow strait that the tide squeezes through at 5 and 6 knots (sometimes over 8 knots), creating eddy lines and whirlpools and standing waves. I'd seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfuVuSoHdXI">video</a> of kayakers in Deception Pass. It can become a pretty wild place, although it was relatively tame when I was there.<br />
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Our class was made up of 6 students in addition to Shawna and Leon. We gathered at noon at Bowman Bay on Thursday. We started with some on-land discussion, including getting on the same page with rescues: let Leon and Shawna handle the rescues, and don't try to help; that becomes a distraction. If you go over, flip your boat and move towards the bow but not all the way up. Transfer to the rescuer's boat. Don't hand them your paddle until asked.<br />
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We ran through their risk assessment method, where you plot potential risks as red, yellow, or green, and make a conscious effort to change the situation to move reds and yellows towards green. And we were reminded that risk assessment isn't a one time task; you're doing it all day long.<br />
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Max flood that day was about noon, with slack around 3:00 and the max ebb of 6.6 knots just before 6:00. The day was calm when the group arrived, but by the time we were ready to launch shortly after 1:00, the wind had picked up and there were frequent whitecaps in the bay.<br />
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We had to paddle out of the bay and south around the headland to get into the pass. The waves were decent sized and reflecting off the cliffs of the headland, and we were paddling parallel to them. At one point I found myself on the side of a wave looking down to my left and thinking "That's a long way down to the bottom of the trough." An instant later, I was on top of the next wave.<br />
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Some of our group were not comfortable in the conditions, so Leon and Shawna decided to forego rounding the headland. We turned around and paddled back to the bay and portaged across to the pass, which was a short walk. <br />
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The pass itself is a narrow channel with steep, rocky cliffs. Pass Island conveniently splits the pass in two at the narrowest part, supporting a high bridge with two arches, one on either side the island. Being there feels much like being on a river with a deep gorge, except that sometimes the current flows one way and sometimes it flows the other way, and sometimes there's no current at all.<br />
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We started by paddling around Pass island, after learning that the more islands you circumnavigate, the more likely you are to go to heaven. Or was it the more islands you get to paddle around after you get to heaven? I forget. In any case, the north side of Pass Island was where we would do most of our work (play?) over the next two days. It has good eddy lines when a current is flowing, no matter whether ebb or flood.<br />
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I'd taken a couple classes with Geneva Kayak Center last summer on the Menominee River in sea kayaks, learning to handle eddy line crossings and dynamic water. The eddy lines in Deception Pass seemed bigger/longer and at times were faster, but the skills carried over from the river very well, and I was glad of the prior teaching and experience with Scott and Ryan. <br />
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DP also has whirlpools. I'd seen them on the video and asked about them at the beginning of the class. No, they don't suck you down. (At least not this size.) Good to know. It is, however, a good idea to pick which side you paddle across them on, as they can slingshot you forward or pull you in towards the center. <br />
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Conditions changed constantly as the current moved from flood to slack to ebb over the course of the day. We got some nice standing waves as the swells coming in from the west ran into the ebbing current heading out in the afternoon. When we paddled back around the headland at the end of the day, there was a beautiful seascape of waves and breaking waves off in the distance. <br />
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Friday was rainy and we started much earlier (8:30) to catch beginning of the flood current. Our first assignment was to launch some way we didn't normally launch. Leon had showed me a speed launch the previous day (bow in the water, grab the stern toggle, run the boat into the water and launch yourself belly first onto the back deck, then cowboy up into the cockpit.). First time I tried it I went for a swim, but by the end of the class, it was working pretty well.<br />
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After a backwards paddling warmup, we headed over to a dock that was a couple feet high. We got out and pulled our boats up and across the dock, then shoved them over the other side and jumped in after them (holding onto them the whole time), and re-entered from the water. (Much easier to do a cowboy re-entry if you start horizontal on the water, not vertical. Thank you, Leon.)<br />
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After paddling around the headland, the next destination was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ-FP36QGU0">Room of Doom</a>. This is an area on the far side of the pass, just to the left of the bridge pier. There's a back eddy there during a flood current, with a sharp eddy line and whirlpools and boils. (Throughout the class, Leon kept wanting to lead us to the Valley of Sunshine, or so he claimed. Shawna was more apt to take us to places like the Room of Doom. Should we make that mean something?)<br />
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Shawna had asked me to lead the group over across the pass. After a period of trial and error and some helpful leading questions from Shawna, I stumbled across the idea that if I was to one side of the group, I could see everyone without craning my neck, and set a pace that was good for the group.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
In an example of how our minds play tricks on us (or at least mine does), the Room of Doom had originally been described to me as "behind the bridge pier." (Or at least that's what I heard.) Perhaps because I knew that Shawna and Leon had once been at the University of Minnesota, the image that I created in my mind was based on the the I 94 and Franklin Avenue bridge piers on the Mississippi, and I expected the Room of Doom to be between the pier and the shore. I kept looking for the openings on either side of the pier that would allow us to get behind it. This was despite the fact that we had paddled by the Room on the previous day, and the fact that it was pretty obvious that the pier was solidly on land as we approached it. Sigh.<br />
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As with the Pass itself, the Room was fairly mellow that day. It was fun to play in, but fortunately didn't live up to its name.<br />
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Back at our now familiar playground by Pass Island, Shawna started throwing tennis balls out into the current for us to rescue. Next came rescuing each other. The plan was for the first person to paddle out across the eddy line, and capsize as soon as we were in the green (smooth) water in the main current. Our partner would be right behind us and come up for a T rescue. <br />
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I jumped the gun and capsized and exited a little too close to the eddy line. A couple seconds later I was in a whirlpool. Boat was going one way and I was going another. I remember ducking under it and switching sides, and then I was out and back in the main current. Interesting experience.<br />
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We also did self rescues out in the current, and learned other assorted new tricks, including a dynamic leg drop for edging our boats. At one point I was supposed to be watching Leon show me something to try next, and a seal popped its head up right behind Leon. I watched the seal. Sorry, Leon.<br />
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By mid afternoon folks were running out of gas and the flood was nearly done, so we headed back around the headland. We found a narrow V in the cliff and took turns moving up to it and paddling forward and back to hold position as we were washed up and down and in and out by the swells. My initial concern was the image of getting my (borrowed) bow caught on the rocks at the top of a swell as the water drained away beneath me, but Leon helpfully pointed out the possibility of getting the bow stuck at the bottom as the water surged up. Good reasons not to get stuck.<br />
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We had an early dinner at the Deception Pass Café, and called it a day. Great two days, and a great warmup for the San Juan Currents class in May.<br />
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Photos are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/onealpa/DeceptionPass#">here</a>.</div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-31883175545449291432011-03-12T07:58:00.012-06:002013-02-05T05:54:52.816-06:00Kayak Camp with Ben and John<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">When I told people I was going south at the beginning of March, there were some assumptions about what I would be doing. Walks on the beach. Swimming pools. Relaxing. Adult beverages. Dining out. Sleeping in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When I explained I was going to <a href="http://www.benlawry.net/Ben_Lawry/Home.html" target="_blank">Ben Lawry's kayak camp</a>, I got a range of responses. Polite puzzlement was fairly common from my non-kayaking friends. I think that even of a few of my kayaking friends may have thought this was a little over the top. <br />
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But for me, it was perfect. Four days packed full of learning and fun with two terrific coaches. Eight similarly kayaking-obsessed participants who quickly became friends. Water that wasn't frozen solid. A color palette that wasn't black, gray and white. A great start to the paddling season in terms of getting into shape and getting focused on areas to develop. <br />
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We gathered in Tybee, GA on Thursday night. The other participants were from Nova Scotia, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, and New York. The coaches were <a href="http://www.benlawry.net/Ben_Lawry/Home.html" target="_blank">Ben Lawry</a> and <a href="http://www.seacliffkayakers.com/John_Carmody.html">John Carmody</a>. Ben and John are aligned in coaching philosophy, but not identical. They complemented each other very well, not only in terms of facial hair and height, but also in terms of communication style and approach. If you get a chance to work with either of them, grab it.<br />
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Kayak camp has no set agenda. On the first night, the group comes up with goals. Over the next four days, the coaches work with the conditions and the goals to deliver the best learning opportunities possible. Each night we had a chance to revisit our goals in light of what we had done that day.<br />
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Day One was very windy with confused seas and most of us hadn't been on the water for months, so we headed to an inland lake to work on core skills. Lots of edging. Paddling with eyes closed. Theory of turning the boat in wind. Paddling on one side. It always amazes me how much there is to learn about basic skills. And warm ups on all 4 days were always a treat, as we coaxed our somewhat older than 40-something bodies into motion. (Where does Ben think these things up? Frogs and crabs and cats and dogs and paddles and twists…?)<br />
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Day Two was windy again, and we launched on the south channel of the Savannah River and headed east, an area of Tybee I'd never visited. Paddling with ranges, starting to work with currents, navigation, surf landings, trip leadership, rescues, a visit out to Cockspur Lighthouse. <br />
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Day Three started on the dining room table with a discussion of currents while we waited for a cold front to pass through, then we worked on taking advantage of the currents and spinning on the eddy lines of the back channels. Hip snaps on paddle floats. Towing. More navigation.<br />
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Day Four was more trip leadership and piloting, as we took turns leading the group through Jack's Cut around Little Tybee. Funny thing how when you're piloting, you need to pay attention for more than the first five minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We stopped for lunch, after which Ben drew a series of diagrams in the sand and we paired up to explain them. Then a bit of surf practice. Use your balance, not your paddle to stay upright. If you're going to crash, crash big.<br />
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Then it was over, and how did it end so quickly? We had a group debrief, then met one at a time with John and Ben to get some feedback on things to keep practicing. Then dinner, and crash, and the next morning headed for home.<br />
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What made the camp so special? A shared philosophy that it was better to learn it right than jump ahead on shaky foundations. (Better to learn to surf well on baby waves than to survive on 3 foot waves without knowing what you're doing.) Being able to devote the time that each different topic needed, and keep revisiting things over the four days to take them deeper and understand them better and look at them in different contexts. Superb coaches, and a great ratio of coaches to students, so there was regular feedback. Everything was taught with an enormous amount of inventiveness and creativity and fun and enthusiasm. We all had a chance to help each other. Wonderful organization from Elizabeth (Ben's wife), as well as some great cooking that was much appreciated after long days. Pelicans and gulls and the whole seascape that's such a treat to a Midwesterner, especially when the snow drifts at home were still over my head in places. </span></div>
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Gosh darn it, we may all be suffering from a big fat mid life crisis, but who cares. This kayaking stuff sure is fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Photos are <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/onealpa/KayakCamp#">here</a>. </span></div>
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Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-72933682523956286532010-11-30T21:54:00.012-06:002010-12-01T21:58:59.259-06:00Clean the House or One Last Paddle?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TPXFtt6ff3I/AAAAAAAAHdY/jAp8E_Xw9Y8/s1600/IMGP0892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TPXFtt6ff3I/AAAAAAAAHdY/jAp8E_Xw9Y8/s320/IMGP0892.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;">Friends were getting together up in Grand Marais over Thanksgiving weekend and I was invited to join them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'd been looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with my family, and after that had been making virtuous and productive plans for the rest of the long weekend, most of which were variations on the theme of getting caught up with just about everything after a self indulgent spring, summer and fall of paddling. Cleaning the house was a prominent item on the to do list. But if you dangle a chance to go kayaking in front of me, I have a hard time turning it down. And hanging out with good friends is always a treat. So it wasn't long before the house cleaning was blown off and the departure planning was underway.<br />
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Tony and I ended up driving up together on Friday morning, and we both felt just a wee bit silly loading up our boats with the temperature in the teens, snow on the ground, and ice on the lakes. Just in case the weather precluded paddling, we also packed up cross country skis and snow shoes, which ended up making us feel even more foolish when we looked at the sheer volume of gear we had along. But ... in for a penny, in for a pound, and we were soon headed north.<br />
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In Duluth, Tony introduced me to the Lake Avenue Café, a little restaurant in Canal Park with an inventive menu ranging from pulled bison to falafel to pheasant and rabbit ravioli. It was vastly better fare than McDonalds or Subway.<br />
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We arrived in Grand Marais late Friday afternoon, just as Jeff and David were heading out for a paddle in the harbor. Tempting though it was to join them, there just wasn't enough daylight left, so we saw them off, then unloaded our gear and settled in to our respective lodgings. Post paddling and unpacking, all of us gathered in the townhouse and enjoyed a second round of Thanksgiving dinner with leftovers from Michelle's feast from the previous day. <br />
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Saturday's weather forecast was looking likely for kayaking, so after dinner the discussion turned to where. A suggestion was made that we drive up the Gunflint Trail to Lake Saganaga. We discussed it, but with the early winter sunset limiting our daylight, an additional 120 miles of driving, and ice along the shore that would be a bit of challenge to launch on and an even greater challenge to land on, we decided that it wasn't feasible on this visit. <br />
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This time we decided we would stay on Lake Superior and head to the Susie Islands, an archipelago a few miles from Grand Portage, just south of the Canadian border. Susie Island is the largest of the islands and is owned by the Nature Conservancy. The remaining dozen islands are owned by the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe. Landing on the islands is prohibited without prior permission from the respective owners. <br />
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The Nature Conservancy <a href="http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/minnesota/preserves/art6957.html">website</a> describes the Susies as "both young and old. The bedrock is slightly metamorphosed sedimentary rock, deposited in a sea over one billion years ago. These rocks were later intruded by molten magma to form resistant dikes. Glaciers of the Great Ice Age scoured the rocks many times over the last two million years, but the Susie Islands only emerged about 5,000 years ago.<br />
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"In this isolation, a pioneering community of plants continues to thrive. Species that disappeared from the rest of Minnesota after the glaciers receded northward still survive here. Today, many of these plants are more typically found in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions."<br />
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On Saturday the weather cooperated with our plans, with sun and a temperature in the 20s. We drove up to Grand Portage and started looking for a launch site. Ice coated rocky shores and roads that were either closed or ice covered limited our options and reminded us that winter paddling requires more than just open water. <br />
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We finally found a viable place to launch from, and it was about 12:30 when we got on the water. Round trip around the outside of the Susies is a little under 15 miles, and sunset would be about 4:15. We decided to paddle out until 2:00 and return, however far we'd gotten at that point.<br />
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We paddled northeast towards Hat Point. I initially thought the white stuff atop the rocks was guano, but then realized it was bright white ice. The waves from the high winds of the previous few days must have crashed on the rocky shore, creating "flung spray and blown spume" that built up and froze into a brilliant white coating on the rocks and trees and grasses.<br />
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The Susies came into view as we rounded Hat Point. The featureless two dimensional green blobs on the map became intriguing islands of varying sizes and shapes. A couple of rock outcroppings and small cliffs were coated in the same white ice as the mainland and were highlighted by the sun behind us. The most distant island seemed to be floating free atop the lake surface. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TPXMb4iFdjI/AAAAAAAAHdc/sgjwowgrCec/s1600/IMGP0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TPXMb4iFdjI/AAAAAAAAHdc/sgjwowgrCec/s320/IMGP0925.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>But alas, as our turnaround time approached, it became clear that we weren't going to make the Susies this time. We reluctantly turned around and headed back to pay our respects to the Witch Tree. This iconic cyprus clinging to solid rock is sacred to the Ojibwe, who name it the Spirit Little Cedar Tree. Small and gnarled, the tree stands alone between the lake and the cliffs. It was first mentioned in historical documents in 1731, and was a mature tree at that time, making it at least 300 years old. Seeing it on a quiet afternoon, it was hard to imagine the violent storms and bitter cold it has seen and endured. Respect is indeed due to this survivor, holding fast against the odds.<br />
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Then we paddled back around Hat Point, past Grand Portage Island, and back to our launch site. We landed well before dark and loaded up the boats to return to Grand Marais. <br />
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It was a fitting final paddle of the year. The chill in the air, the low sun and its faded light, and the snow and ice starting to claim their sovereignty over the land were all signs that winter had arrived. Getting to the Susies and Sag will have to wait for next year, but it was a treat to have one last chance to appreciate the lake with my friends. <br />
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On Sunday we headed for home, with a stop for a short hike in Split Rock state park. <br />
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And the house cleaning did just fine waiting one more week.<br />
</span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-52618295638259217182010-11-04T07:21:00.016-05:002010-11-09T22:32:36.893-06:00What a Difference A Year Makes<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TNN19RGav4I/AAAAAAAAHXg/VHxSjEoiLwE/s1600/IMGP0778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TNN19RGav4I/AAAAAAAAHXg/VHxSjEoiLwE/s320/IMGP0778.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Last year I went to the BCU week/Skills Symposium at <a href="http://www.seakayakgeorgia.com/">Sea Kayak Georgia</a> and had a great time and learned a lot. But I really hadn't had much experience in big water, and it showed – I was able to paddle in the bigger conditions, but it was a bit forced. And skills that I'd only been working on for a year were decent, but there were definitely some rough spots.<br />
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This year everything was easier. Did the 3 star assessment the first day with Lamar Hudgens and another candidate and it went well. The main feedback was more edging in the surf and conditions, which I worked on the rest of the week. And a good comment: a good trip leader doesn't get the group out of trouble; he/she keeps the group from getting into trouble in the first place.<br />
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Day 2 was Rescues and Incident Management with Jeff Allen. Great teacher, nice guy. The course could have been a 5 day course (and is in Cornwall), and was packed with information. Lots of acronyms: CLAP (communication, line of sight, avoidance, position), HEET (Human, Equipment, Environmental, Time), SAFE-R (Stop, assess, formulate a plan, execute the plan, re-evaluate). Leading from the front, looking back. Shepherding and linked chains. Learning one rescue method that always works, and doing it fast from any position, since you may only have a small window of time to get someone out of there. Some good towing tips. The difference between a casualty (someone who is actively involved in the rescue) and a victim (someone who is not). Jeff F. and another paddler were going for 4 star so they were our leaders; the rest of us had fun being victims and casualties. Note to self: never again get so carried away in the role of being a victim and throw expensive paddle away in front of the surf. (Fortunately, Brad retrieved it.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Jeff F. was shepherding someone in through the surf and she capsized and came out of her boat (not a drill). Jeff pulled up to do a rescue and her tow rope had come out of the bag and was wrapped twice around the boat. Like they keep saying: ropes in surf are dangerous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But as Jeff Allen reminded us, the sea isn't cruel or out to get us, it just is. <br />
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Day 3 was with Gordon Brown. Funny how you need to learn things more than once. I know I've heard "when turning in high wind from a beam to the wind position, paddle on the downwind side – forward sweep to turn upwind, reverse sweep to turn downwind" before, but it hadn't sunk in until this time. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I bailed after one capsize and tried to do a cowboy re-entry; it didn't work, and afterward Gordon reminded me about staying low and keeping legs and arms out. You can get away with things in flat water that you can't get away with in the surf. We also heard there was one dislocated shoulder that day in another class.<br />
<br />
Day 4 was with Hadas Feldman, working on linking strokes. And of course edging. At the end of the course, everyone did a "dance" with their boat (extra points of you could narrate it; I did not), and then we paddled back along the edge of the marsh, using our newly learned stroke combinations to hug the shoreline as it wound about.<br />
<br />
Day 5 was Intermediate Surf with Dale Williams and Tom Bergh. I'd gotten a few good rides in Gordon's class, but they felt like blind dumb luck. During the surf class, I had a breakthrough in feeling comfortable in the surf. It wasn't huge surf – probably 4 footers, but it was great fun. Dale reminded us that we can have influence in the surf, but we can never control it. I tried surfing backwards -- it was interesting to see what's going on on the wave side of the boat. Learned that in the surf, you edge towards the direction you want to turn, not away (no wonder edging never worked to turn my boat before). I'm still a newbie and have lots to learn in the surf, but definitely making progress.<br />
<br />
And of course all the rest of the week was great too. Good friends, good weather, seeing folks that I'd met before, making new friends. Sometimes on the water I'd just sit there for a few minutes and soak in the pure enjoyment of being on the sea, riding the swells, watching flights of pelicans wing their way across the water and flocks of gulls wheel and turn, spotting the occasional dolphin. Starting to read the surf and tides better.<br />
<br />
The week gave me some great feedback on how much I've learned, but it also opened up how much more there is to learn. 4 star once seemed completely inaccessible. Now it seems like a lot of work, but within the realm of the achievable. Definitely ready to take the next step and see where it goes.</span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-29251550785678537282010-10-06T08:13:00.003-05:002010-10-06T21:49:20.713-05:00GKC L4 Weekend: Train High, Assess Low<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TKx0vc2vkUI/AAAAAAAAHU0/WZHAXkCcdlE/s1600/62132_1441833487483_1282442997_31055996_1538759_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TKx0vc2vkUI/AAAAAAAAHU0/WZHAXkCcdlE/s320/62132_1441833487483_1282442997_31055996_1538759_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Train high, assess low was the theme of the Level 4 – Open Water Sea Kayak Training weekend with <a href="http://www.genevakayak.com/">Geneva Kayak Center</a> last weekend. The plan was to spend one day on the Menominee River working on skills in moving water (crossing eddy lines, etc.), and two days on Lake Superior working on open water coastal kayaking and leadership skills. Conditions in both venues "over delivered". </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jeff and I traveled together. We showed up bright and early on Friday morning at Piers Gorge on the Menominee River. Ryan and Paul were the instructors; Sarah and Mary were our fellow students, with Aaron joining us on Saturday </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The water had been around 1000 CFS when I'd been there in early June; now it was around 3000 CFS (based on <a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/uv/?site_no=04065106&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060">USGS info</a>). As Ryan said, it was "kind of pushy." According to the <a href="http://www.wisconsinpaddleguide.com/river_menominee.html">Wisconsin Paddle Guide</a>, Piers Gorge "is a high adrenaline action run that features Missicot Falls in Piers Gorge, a class 4+ drop that should only be attempted by advanced and expert kayakers, or on a guided rafting trip. The run through Piers Gorge is comparable to many of the big action rivers out west, though it may not have the huge drops, the sheer volume and velocity of the water flow raises the hazard level considerably." It goes on to say "Kayakers should not attempt at high water levels. When river levels rise above 3000 cfs, some of the holes below Missicot Falls become quite powerful and have been known to "de-boat" paddlers into an unpleasant half mile swim." More on that later.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Friday, we spent the day at "Terminal Surfer", if I got the name right. We were at the bottom end of the rapids and worked on the eddy lines. In June we had few or no capsizes; this time they were pretty regular. We learned to be much more aggressive at getting to capsized boats for rescues, and how to roll in the bumpy water (interesting to find your set up position when the surface is uneven and constantly moving.) Having the swimmer flip their boat and move to the bow was a big help in getting our rescue times down.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While we were on our lunch break, Jeff and I both had our keys and key fobs sitting in the car while we were getting our stuff out, and one of the "lock car" buttons must have gotten accidentally pushed, because when we closed the doors, the car locked itself. Our great trip mates had an AAA card (I'm a member, but didn't have my card with me), a cell phone (Jeff's and mine were in the car) and a GPS unit, and AAA came through with a free unlock service. Wish I could go back to a regular, non-chipset key!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the end of the day on Friday we drove up to Marquette, MI. The forecast for Saturday was "North winds to 25 knots, waves 7 – 11 feet." That would exceed Level 4 conditions, which are 3 – 5 foot seas, 15 – 20 knots of wind. Clearly we had no worries about lack of conditions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dinner was at L'Attitude, which we closed down about 8:30.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saturday morning it was clear that the forecast was spot on. Our planned launch site had steady lines of surf across the entire beach. We headed over to a marina and a protected boat launch. As we paddled out towards the breakwater, we could see the spray from the waves on the far side flying up 20 feet and more. Ryan and Paul paddled around the breakwater to check things out, but decided the winds were pretty high for making any progress, so we proceeded to paddle for about a mile down wind/down wave towards the beach. Jeff and Aaron were our trip leaders (since this was a leadership class). The waves were definitely bigger than anything I'd been on before, but it was all doable. Ryan went in first to land folks with paddle signals. I followed him in, and surfed in to a gentle landing. Learnings on that beach: let the big sets go by, and surf in on a small wave. The big waves were about 6 feet on a fairly steep beach and not really surfable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When everyone had landed, we were supposed to work on surf launches and landings. Most of us did not do well on that exercise. I never got off the beach. Need to be more aggressive. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next up was paddling over to a group of islands that would provide some protection from the open waves and give us a place to work. Sarah and I were trip leaders for this stretch. We carried the boats down the beach to where the surf was a bit less exciting. The plan was to have people wait out in "the gathering zone" after they launched until the entire group was on the water, but it quickly became apparent that this provided its own set of challenges in big conditions, as the paddlers who launched first had to hold position in the high wind and big waves. Once you start launching your group, the faster you can get everyone launched, the better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once on the water, we headed for the islands and Sarah and I scouted for the best place to land. Did I mention that there was no beach on the islands? We ended up paddling to the lee side of one of the islands, getting out in the water, and hauling the boats up onto the rocks. Then we happily settled down for lunch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After 10 minutes or so, Jeff said "I hear a fire engine." Soon it came into sight, and pulled into the park on the shore about 300 yards across from the island. We wondered what was going on. Then another engine showed up, then one or two more emergency vehicles and even a TV truck. We were beginning to wonder if we could possibly be the objects of all this attention, and when the Coast Guard boat came around the point from Marquette, we realized we must be. Ryan launched to have a chat with them. The Coast Guard must have called the fire folks on their radio after that, because the fire and TV trucks left moments later. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After lunch, we did some rescues on the far side of the island (out of sight of shore!), where there was an area partially surrounded by other islands. It was protected from the full open water, but still pretty bouncy as the water surged about. One of the big learnings was situational awareness for a leader … keeping your group away from hazards and tucked into calm areas whenever possible.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our final exercise was for Sarah, Mary and me to tow "injured" Jeff and Aaron (rafted up) through the surf and land them. I'd never done such a thing, but our initial attempt was to have Sarah and Mary in an in line tandem tow and me as the drogue paddler. Mary's rope (borrowed) turned out to be too short to be safe, so we tried to reconfigure … I moved up to the lead position. But by then we had drifted too far and were in conditions and we called off the exercise and debriefed on shore. The consensus was that a) two inline paddlers and a drogue paddler were too big a connected system in this situation and b) a single tow-er would have been plenty given the short distance and gentle surf on this beach and c) coming in at an angle to the surf would have eliminated the need for a drogue paddler. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tonight dinner was at Coco's, with live music from a couple of singers/guitar players. It dates both the performers and me to say that I knew all the songs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Sunday, Lake Superior had done a presto chango, and there were no conditions to play in. We decided to head back to the Menominee River. We launched from the top of the gorge this time. We paddled down to the island and picked our way down the first set of rough water into an eddy, then down about half a mile where we landed for lunch. Ryan took one of the boats and ran the drop, then walked back up to join us. After lunch, those who wanted to had a chance to run the drop. Mary, Jeff and I carried our boats down and settled in to watch and video. Soon Aaron appeared, and was over and out of his boat before the drop. Paul did the same thing. Then Ryan and Sarah appeared. Sarah also capsized before the drop and Ryan tried to rescue her, but she too came out of her boat. They both went over the edge; Sarah went into the hole but came out quickly (holding onto your boat is a good thing!) Ryan capsized as he went over the drop, but rolled. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Net score: 4 paddlers capsized, 3 came out their boats, 2 paddles lost.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jeff, Mary and I paddled down to join the others. We played a bit at Terminal Surfer, but all were ready to call it a day before long. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All in all, a great weekend with good folks and another step in the kayaking journey.</span></span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-22806403383473432312010-07-16T12:14:00.045-05:002011-11-01T23:45:36.663-05:00Silver Islet to Rossport<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TECK250eSMI/AAAAAAAAG5c/cs8D4XEb3E4/s1600/IMGP0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TECK250eSMI/AAAAAAAAG5c/cs8D4XEb3E4/s320/IMGP0293.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just got back from paddling from Silver Islet to Rossport with 5 friends. Our route was about 80 miles along the northern shore of Lake Superior in Ontario. It's a well known kayaking destination among Lake Superior paddlers, though perhaps not so well known to paddlers farther afield. Numerous islands along the route add interest and variety, as well as providing safe harbors and options for finding protected water in different wind conditions. The islands and peninsulas are mostly undeveloped crown land. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Six of us met up in Grand Marais and then transferred boats, trailer, people and gear to Dave's truck for the last stretch of the trip so that we would only have to pay to shuttle one vehicle from our launch point to Rossport. At Canadian customs, the border officer examined our passports and asked routine questions. Then he said "The only one I have any concerns about is Jeffrey." Long pause. "His birthday is next Saturday." Border officer humor?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We stayed at the Grann Motel in Pass Lake on Friday night, met Alfred, the proprietor and master of dry humor, and enjoyed two meals of splendid truck stop food before leaving the next morning. <br />
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<b>Day 1</b>: The final leg of our land journey took us down</span><span style="font-size: small;"> the Sibley Peninsula to our launch point in the town of </span><span style="font-size: small;">Silver Islet. It </span><span style="font-size: small;">seemed like a sleepy town … mostly vacation homes these days, and the restored general store didn't open until noon. </span><span style="font-size: small;">A few people launched motor boats and went fishing while we were loading up our boats. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Silver Islet is also the name of a small island just offshore, where a vein of almost pure silver was "found" in 1868 (the Ojibwe had known of the silver all along). A lucrative commercial mining operation ensued, and a great deal of engineering effort went into holding back the lake waters as they dug deeper and deeper, ultimately over 1,100 feet down. Pumps kept the mine from flooding until year that the expected shipment of coal to fuel the pumps failed to arrive before winter closed in. When the coal ran out and the pumps stopped in 1884, the mine flooded and was never re-opened. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The only other kayaker we saw the entire trip landed while we were getting ready and introduced himself as <a href="http://www.nessmuking.com/articles/free-kayak-and-canoe-plans/free-kayak-plans-from-glen-smith/">Glen Smith</a> from Saskatchewan. He was paddling along the watershed from Alberta east in stages. This year he was going from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie on the east side of Lake Superior. He had left from Thunder Bay the previous day and was stopping to use the phone at the general store.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TECLza-zKzI/AAAAAAAAG5k/2leE5JtvVDg/s1600/IMGP0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TECLza-zKzI/AAAAAAAAG5k/2leE5JtvVDg/s320/IMGP0318.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We set off around 10:00, and</span><span style="font-size: small;"> paddled east along the southern tip of the peninsula, then had a 4 mile crossing to Porphyry Island. Looking behind us, the Sleeping Giant shape of the mesas on the land mass became apparent as we gained the perspective of a few miles. One of the stories is that the giant form lying on his back is Nanabijou, the Ojibwe spirit who was turned to stone when the secret of the silver mine was disclosed to white men.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">To our right across the lake to the south we could see Isle Royale, and in the far southeast the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan. Ahead of us was the lighthouse on the southern tip of Porphyry. We headed north of Hardscrabble Island to paddle between Porphyry and Edward Islands. The weather couldn't have been better, and we enjoyed the blue skies, the rock formations, the boreal forests, and the calm water. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">After lunch we paddled on to Magnet Island and continued north, with a tail wind behind us. We stopped at a campsite on an island east of the Black Bay peninsula where </span><span style="font-size: small;">Jeff and Michelle had camped previously</span><span style="font-size: small;">. In a vivid example of how much and how quickly the lake can change its surroundings, the large beach had washed away, leaving a much smaller scrap of beach to camp in. It was getting close to 3:00 in the afternoon, and we listened to the weather and discussed how to proceed. If the winds from the south picked up as forecasted, the low site on the southern end of the island was exposed. If we continued north, we would eventually find a campsite big enough to pitch 5 tents, but there was no guarantee how soon. Most of the islands we had passed had rocky shores, and we hadn't seen many cobble and gravel beaches so far (though they appeared to be more common as we continued north). The next known campsite we were absolutely sure of finding was Swede Island, 8 nautical miles away.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We finally decided to backtrack to a small cove on Magnet Island, which would provide more protection from the wind. As was typical, the site was a narrow beach, backed by forest. </span><span style="font-size: small;">There were fairly fresh moose tracks along the shore, birds calling from the woods, and a few mergansers swimming along the shore. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Looking out from the little bay, we could see the Number 10 light house, where we would head the next day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tony's boat valets must have gotten his order confused, because they didn't show up that night or any other night. But we managed to set up camp without them, followed by happy hour, dinner, slingshot games, and finding <a href="http://www.indyprops.com/pp-wilson.htm">Wilson</a>, after which we turned in. That far north and on the western edge of the eastern time zone, it was light until after 10:00, but that proved no barrier to falling sleep.<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 2</b>: In the morning I managed to lose one of my contact lenses, which probably wasn't a bad thing, as switching to glasses simplified the morning routine immensely. Once underway, we headed towards the lighthouse on Number 10 Island, west of Shaganash Island. The weather was good, though there were some interesting swells coming from the south. Farther to the south were some dark storm clouds that we watched closely as we started a two mile crossing, but they didn't come our way.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We landed on Number 10 and explored. The lighthouse itself was locked so we couldn't go inside, but there was a foundation from a house nearby that might have been the keeper's home. There were plenty of campsite options in the vicinity.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We continued northeast to Swede Island, home of the famous sauna. Roger Bailey and friends had built a cabin, sauna, picnic table, outhouse, and dock on the island in the 1960s. The cabin had burned in the 1970s and had been rebuilt. It was aging, but functional. We decided to stop for the evening, even though it was still early. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Wilson had come along with us from Magnet Island, and we found a companion for him under the cabin after we set up camp, whom we named Harriet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">There was a log book with several years of visitor entries, including previous ISK trips. Tony updated it with an entry for our group. Glen, the paddler we had met in Silver Islet, had stopped in earlier that day, signed the log, and continued on. </span><span style="font-size: small;">There seemed to be fewer than a dozen log entries each year. </span><span style="font-size: small;">And as the days passed, we were surprised at just how few people traveled the area, having seen only a handful of sailboats, cruisers, and fishing boats. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">After dinner we discussed our route and destination for the next day. Jeff had hoped to explore Sheesheeb Bay, about 4 nautical miles deep. We were about 55 nautical miles from our destination at that point, having backtracked to camp the first night and stopped early to take advantage of the Swede Island camp and sauna the second night. </span><span style="font-size: small;">We wanted to be landing in Rossport by Saturday morning, and the group agreed that we would like to be in the vicinity of the Rossport by Thursday night. If all went well, we would paddle around the Ross islands on Friday. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> I</span><span style="font-size: small;">t was now Sunday night, so a</span><span style="font-size: small;">llowing for sightseeing, we needed to travel about 15 nautical miles each of the next 4 days; more if we wanted to allow for a wind day.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Adding 10 nautical miles to get to Shesheeb Bay seemed like a long detour, and the group eventually agreed to plan a long day the next day and try to get to CPR Slip on St. Ignace, 25 statute miles away. The slip is a former executive retreat, and trip members who had been there on previous visits told of well built facilities open to all and a friendly camaraderie among the power boaters and kayakers who stayed there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next up that evening was a sauna for the guys, while Michelle and I watched the evening darken and the sun set from the beach on the other side of the camp.<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 3</b>: In the morning (another beautiful day) we paddled northeast between Spain and Borden islands, spotting the sauna on the east side of Spain. Farther along we passed some mine ruins. Eventually a channel opened out into Loon Harbor, which has the appearance of a lake bounded by Spain, Borden, and Lasher Islands. We spotted an otter, and listened to a very vocal loon in the protected water. The last time Jeff and Michelle had been here, it had been foggy and quite mystical, in contrast to the calm water and sparkling sunlight we enjoyed this time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Heading north out of Loon harbor, we continued up the channel past Pugsley and Coutlee Islands, stopping on the north point of Broudeur Island for a break. There was a huge variety of geology and rock formations on the different islands, and looking down into the clear water near a shoreline was almost as interesting as looking up at the rocky shores. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Once again we had a tailwind and swells coming from the stern as we got out into the open water, and we made steady progress to St. Ignace, though it was a long day. We could see the Canadian flag flying as we approached the bay where CPR Slip was located, and turned the corner into the protected harbor to see 2 big power cruisers at a well built, well maintained dock. There were several buildings, in much better shape than those on Swede Island. We landed and Jeff walked up to the folks who were sitting around a table, enjoying wine and other treats. No plastic mugs or tin cups for this group … it was crystal stemware all around.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Nobody had gotten up to acknowledge us other than the dog. I didn't hear the entire conversation, but there was a discussion of the site being open to all except for outfitters. We told them we were a private group, and one of the folks asked "is that what they tell you to say?" It quickly became apparent that we weren't welcome. Did they really think we were with an outfitter and lying about it? Did they not like our looks, all geared up with knives and assorted goofy hats? Were we simply not their kind of people? Who knows.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TECNs6ew63I/AAAAAAAAG5s/cmKJpW8yMvU/s1600/IMGP0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TECNs6ew63I/AAAAAAAAG5s/cmKJpW8yMvU/s320/IMGP0452.JPG" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">We ended up paddling over to Agate Island and camping on the northern shore, where we had both eastern and western sun and a far more pleasant campsite than if we had stayed at CPR Slip. There was a nagging feeling that we should have stayed at the slip on principle, since the sauna was advertised as open to all, but it wouldn't have been a congenial evening. We enjoyed our own private little corner of paradise while we ate dinner and watched the sun set. In the calm water of the evening, we saw the lake rise and fall by 2-3 inches due to small seiches, covering and uncovering a small rock just off shore several times. After dinner we discussed the next day's route, and decided to make for McCay Cove, another improved campsite with a picnic table and tent platform.<b> </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">As we had come to expect, loons called across the lake as we fell asleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 4</b>: In the morning we paddled to Bowman Island, where there's an old fishing camp and also the grave of Thomas Lamphier. He was the second of three lighthouse keepers on Talbot Island who died in the course of their duties. Thomas and his wife were spending the winter on the island in 1869 when he fell ill and died. His wife couldn't get off the island, and couldn't even bury his body on the solid rock. In the spring, she flagged down a passing boat and they brought his body to Bowman and buried it. The story goes that the wife's black hair turned white that winter. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The white cross that currently marks the grave, using the spelling Lampshire, was placed more recently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Leaving Bowman, we crossed to Armour Harbor. This brought us within the territory of <a href="http://www.lakesuperior.ws/nirivia/index.htm">Nirivia</a>. A group of folks had declared the 40 plus islands in Nipigon Bay to be a sovereign nation in 1979. It was not so much a militant assertion of statehood as a means of drawing attention to the pristine nature of this area and the need to protect it. There were no full time residents, but over the years some docks, cabins, and saunas were built, and visitors were invited to come and stay and appreciate the natural beauty of the place. The latest edition of Bonnie Dahl's Superior Way says that the nation is no longer a going concern. But apparently you become a citizen when you enter Nirivia, and though we didn't land, we decided that we had entered their national waters and had earned citizenship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">More tail winds pushed us along to McCay Cove, where we slipped into protected water through gaps between rocky islands. We could see a tarp up on the campsite as we approached, but when we landed, we found no signs of boats or gear. Eventually we pulled out the camp's log book and learned that a couple of people had been by recently to set up the tarp, and were planning on returning in a few days to spend a week there. In the meantime, we were happy to stay and set up camp along with the local bunny population. We made cheesecake after dinner and celebrated Jeff's birthday a few days early that night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Then it was time to listen to the weather and plan the next day. It seemed that our run of ideal weather was about to end. The next day's route would be straight east along the southern shores of St. Ignace and Simpson Islands. The winds were forecast as 10 knots from the southeast in the morning, building to 15 knots by noon, and 20 in the afternoon. The wind would be blowing across a long fetch, and had the potential to get interesting. After passing Simpson Island, we would turn north through Wilson Channel. A southeast wind approaching 20 knots and funnelling up the channel could get particularly interesting. Thursday's forecast was a slightly windier version of Wednesday's, and Friday was even windier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We decided to get up early and head for Rossport. We could have taken a wind day and stayed put, but with steadily increasing winds forecast over the next few days, a day wasn't buying us much.<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 5</b>: We were on the water by 7:30 in the morning and paddled east into a headwind, maybe Force 3 building to Force 4. We passed the Battle Island Lighthouse complex, with several white buildings. The light is automated now, but the last keeper still lives there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Past Simpson Island, we turned the corner to head north. After about a mile, we paddled through a narrow opening between Harry and Minnie Islands, and the transition into calm and silence was almost startling after pushing through the wind and waves. We paddled on to a campsite on the northwest corner of Minnie and took a break. At that point we were about 4 miles from Rossport. We discussed camping at Minnie and heading in Thursday morning. Even though the winds were forecast to be higher the next day, if we started out first thing in the morning, the conditions should be comparable to the current conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But rain, wind, and possible thunderstorms were forecast that afternoon and evening, and the winds forecast for the next two days sounded as if they would preclude exploring the Rossport Islands as we had hoped. Camping Wednesday night in the wind and rain simply in order to get up early the next morning to paddle the last 4 miles didn't muster enough interest to make it a plan, so we continued on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Back out in the channel, tail winds pushed us north to Rossport. We could see the white buildings from afar, and then the red roofs. We landed and were pleased to find the truck and trailer there, so we packed up and headed for home. Crossing back into the States has become much more serious in recent years, but our re-entry was uneventful, and by mid afternoon we were back in Grand Marais.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Ending the trip on Wednesday instead of Saturday as originally planned was unexpected, but the strong winds that we heard forecast on Wednesday did materialize as I watched the weather on Thursday and Friday. We didn't do as much exploring as we might have hoped, but had we still been 2 full days out from Rossport on Wednesday night, the conditions for the final stretch would have been more challenging through Friday evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">All in all, it was a splendid trip with wonderful weather, gorgeous scenery, and good friends. Doesn't get much better than that. Photos are <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/onealpa/SilverIsletToRossport#">here</a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-61949001064953537662010-07-05T09:33:00.011-05:002010-07-05T10:30:56.045-05:00Apostles over Independence Day Weekend<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TDHpOrMym0I/AAAAAAAAGqo/Koo-CfhSXDQ/s1600/IMGP0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TDHpOrMym0I/AAAAAAAAGqo/Koo-CfhSXDQ/s320/IMGP0217.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Deb and Michelle led a trip to the Apostles over the Independence Day weekend. The plan was to base camp on Stockton on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, returning on Sunday.<br />
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After a team picture, thirteen of us launched from the Red Cliff marina beach shortly after 10 on Thursday morning. As we were paddling out towards the pier, we saw a couple of young critters swimming in the water, with Mom following along behind. Weasels? Otters? Jeff waited till they got out of the water and confirmed that they were weasels.<br />
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We paddled over to the <a href="http://www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org/explore_fedora_serv.cfm">Fedora </a>before crossing over to Basswood. There was a group of folks happily ensconced on the preferred landing beach on the northwest corner of Basswood, so we kept going to a less desirable landing area. We had a quick break, though there was really no beach, then got some snacks and headed over to Hermit. Hermit is closed to all visitor use due to bear activity, so we paddled along the eastern edge, then over to Stockton, making it a long paddle without a break.<br />
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On Stockton we were able to get the 3 sites farthest from the visitor center, and we settled in. Very nice sites, though the nearest vault toilet was closed, as the low lake level was preventing the park service from being able to get a boat in to empty it out. That made for a long walk to the next available toilet.<br />
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Stockton is the largest of the islands in the park, at 10,000 acres. There are several hiking options and an abandoned quarry on the island, though I've never had a chance to explore them. There are a dock and visitor center and 19 campsites along the eastern shore of Presque Isle Bay. The long, spread out line of campsites has both advantages and disadvantages. Each site is nestled in the trees, separated from its neighbors, and has a great view of the water. From a kayaker's perspective, it's easy to land on the beach below your campsite and carry your gear up a short bank. The sites are in prime black bear habitat, though, and being so spread out, there's an increased risk of bear/human interactions. And when bears get habituated to humans, either the bears or the humans have to be removed. There are also concerns about bank erosion. The park service has proposed a plan to move the Stockton campsites to the tombolo between Presque Isle Bay and Julian Bay, likely making it a longer walk from landing to campsites. Another concern of the new location would be ensuring a safe landing option when there's a southwest wind. With the existing sites, the landing is a sand beach, so if you dump in the surf, you can wade your boat in to shore.<br />
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On Friday, the group decided to paddle over to Michigan Island. We looked at the lighthouses (two), had lunch, and talked to the park service volunteers who showed us around. <br />
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After lunch, part of the group headed back to Stockton, while Jeff, Tony, Dave and I paddled up the eastern shore of Michigan. On the northeast point, just off shore we could see Gull Island, the smallest of the Apostles. It looks like a sand bar, though it's actually rock. You can't approach it or land on it during the summer, so we simply paddled by.<br />
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After rounding Michigan, the wind and waves had picked up for our crossing back to Stockton. We wanted to visit the <a href="http://www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org/explore_noquebay_final.cfm">Noquebay</a> wreck before returning to camp, so we headed for Julian Bay. In the bay, we searched the area of the GPS coordinates, but couldn't find anything in the rough water. The wreckage is 8 - 12 feet under water and scattered along the bottom. The group that had crossed straight back to Stockton did find it, but they had the eagle eyed Michelle along with them.<br />
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Rounding the tombolo back to Presque Isle Bay was a bit bouncy, and paddling back into the bay provided some good practice in a following sea. The waves weren't quite big enough to surf on, so we landed and moved on to dinner. Turns out that Stockton has good cell phone reception, and in one of the few moments of the trip that my phone was turned on and nearby, I got a happy birthday call from a friend.<br />
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Our site had pasta for dinner that night. Tony made fresh pasta with dehydrated red sauce and tortellini. Joan had brought pre-made pasta frozen in a bag that simply had to be re-heated. I made my dehydrated Sierra Spaghetti, and Fred had a couple of freeze dried entrees. We tried them all, and all were pronounced good.<br />
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The weather outlook for Sunday had been less than ideal all along, and the details were getting filled in as Sunday drew nearer. A low pressure system was heading our way from Montana. We agreed to gather at 8:00 on Saturday morning to decide what to do. If we were able to stick with our original plan, several folks wanted to hike on the island, and some wanted to paddle up the eastern shore of Stockton along the sea stacks and sea caves and then over to Outer Island for the day.<br />
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Come morning, though, it was an easy decision. A lot of rain was forecast on Sunday, as well as extensive thunderstorms. So we decided to cut the trip short, strike camp, and return a day early. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
On our way home, we wanted to take a break before leaving Stockton to avoid the long slog from our camp site to Basswood, especially since we were paddling into wind and waves. <br />
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Three of us were 90 percent sure there was a landing option on the southwest corner of Stockton (does that make it a 270 percent likelihood?) As we approached, I scouted ahead to make sure that the somewhat marginal beach we could see was in fact the best option available, and it was.<br />
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With the lake level lower and a southwest wind blowing up the North and West Channels, there were 1 foot plus waves coming in at an angle, and it was a trickier site to land on than it had been in calm water the previous year. The shore was rocky, and there were rocks on the way in to be avoided.<br />
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Jeff landed while the main group waited off shore. I scooted in as I returned from my scouting mission. We had several people on the trip who had never landed in this kind of conditions. Jeff guided the group in one at a time, avoiding the rocks in the water and making sure there was space on the shore to land on, and we got each person out of their boat. I hadn't initially picked up on the fact that the waves were coming in at an angle, and had to adjust my position to stay "up-wave" of the boats as they got bounced about at the water's edge. Michelle was watching the landing process from the water, and moved the group waiting to land farther over to improve the angle they were coming in on.<br />
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After lunch, we reversed the process and got everyone launched one at a time. We picked up each boat, turned it around, put it in the water, steadied it, got the paddler in and spray skirt on and pushed them off. As the person holding the sterns, I had two observations: first, that boats without solid decklines are a pain (bungy cords are useless for steadying a boat), and second, when you're straddling the deck behind the cockpit to steady it and then shoving the boat out in the waves, attentiveness to the pointy end of the stern (and rudder, for boats with rudders) is essential until you're clear of the boat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most of us had a good bit of water to be bailed out before continuing on to Hermit. Deb tried out her new automatic bilge pump. Works great, although it needs a mounting system. The rough water launch also provided a good lesson in why you don't want to store gear in your cockpit. Once the boat gets water in it, that gear starts sloshing around, getting in your way as you try to get back in.<br />
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We crossed to Hermit, then to Basswood, where we had an easy landing. After lunch, we headed to the Basswood dock, then crossed the channel back to Red Cliff. The Red Cliff Ojibwe band was hosting a Pow Wow over the 4th, so we could hear drums as we approached, and the beach that had been empty when we launched was packed.<br />
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We quickly got our boats and gear loaded up and headed for home. The "shower at the rec center" plan didn't work as the rec center was closed.<br />
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After I got home, I kept an eye on the Weather Channel on Sunday morning, and there was one good sized storm that crossed the Apostles (lots of dark green and some orange on the weather map), followed by an area of heavy rain. Good decision to leave early!<br />
</span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-9301617883145542022010-06-08T22:18:00.005-05:002010-06-10T23:53:02.911-05:00Rough Water, Zen, and Poise<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TA8GlHjcD2I/AAAAAAAAGlU/jlqu5OUm-bM/s1600/IMGP0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TA8GlHjcD2I/AAAAAAAAGlU/jlqu5OUm-bM/s320/IMGP0150.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last weekend I took a Rough Water class with Geneva Kayak Center. The goal of the course is to gain experience for tidal conditions. Since tidal conditions are rather scarce in the upper Midwest, GKC uses rivers to provide eddy lines, moving water, and standing waves. <br />
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There were four students in the class: Brook and John, a couple from the Chicago area; Mark, also from Chicago; and me. We met on the Menominee River in Michigan. Scott Fairty was our instructor. <br />
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On Saturday, we worked on ferrying across currents, crossing eddy lines, cutting in and out, S turns, and jet ferries. We discussed SPANGLE (speed, position, and angle) when crossing eddy lines. We played on a standing wave that didn't look very big, but which we could paddle up to and surf. That was helpful for me, because in the rare (once every 6 months) opportunities when I have a chance to play in the surf, being on a wave is a BIG EVENT, and there isn't a whole lot of room for noticing where I am on the wave, working on balance, or taking time to think about where I want to be or how to get there. Sitting on a surfable wave and playing with rudders and edging and having time to just relax and be on the wave was great.<br />
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At the end of the first day, we gathered in the light rain by the GKC trailer to discuss evening plans and the next day's schedule. Scott said "there's one extra boat on the trailer." Brook then handed John a beautifully written note acknowledging the difference he had made as a science teacher for the past two years in a challenging school, and explaining that the splendid new NDK high volume Explorer sitting on the trailer was a gift for him. There were moist eyes all around after that. And Mark said it best: "Well done, Brook." And well done, John, for making a difference to your students.<br />
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Ryan had been ready to take the fall to keep the boat a surprise. It seems that a number of purchases had been made on Brook's and John's credit card in a short period of time, and an overzealous automated fraud alert had kicked in. The bank had called John about a large dollar amount purchase, which of course was for the boat. Brook had gotten wind of it before disaster struck, and the story was concocted that Ryan had fat fingered the decimal point for a paddle float purchase and multiplied the charge by 100. Fortunately, the gift was given before the bank statement arrived.<br />
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Mark had to head back to Chicago Saturday night, so the rest of us found a Chinese restaurant, had a beer and dinner, and split up to crash early.<br />
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Next morning we launched farther up river. We had an easy paddle to an island, working on hanging draws and linking strokes and other odds and ends along the way (Scott was willing to teach whatever we wanted to work on). We landed on the upriver point of the island to have lunch and scout the rapids and falls on the next stretch of river. <br />
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This was the section of river that the local whitewater rafting company used. They launched two rafts for each group of 6-8 paddlers and came down to this point. Each group would run the brief class IV fall and a longer stretch of smaller rapids with the first raft, then land, walk back up, and run them again with the second raft.<br />
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We knew we weren't going to kayak the first drop, so we carried the boats down the trail that overlooked the river before stopping for lunch. <br />
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There was a surprising number of hikers wandering up and down the trail, and we and our boats must have been an incongruous sight. Four brightly colored plastic kayaks, lying along the side of a forest trail, high above the water. Four drysuit clad paddlers seated nearby, eating lunch and pondering the river. One man stopped and said "You're not like the rafters. They never stop moving. You guys just sit here, very zen master like." I'm sure most of the difference had to do with the average age of our group vs. the rafters, and the fact that we were hungry and lunch was at hand. And perhaps a bit of our attention was focused on the water that we would soon be paddling.<br />
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After lunch, it was time to decide where to launch. Scott might have run the class IV drop had he been with experienced whitewater kayakers, but with a bunch of newbies, if anything went wrong, he was essentially on his own. <br />
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Below the class IV drop, the island offered a middle point launch and a lower launch option. Brook and John opted for the lower point. I was on the verge of going for the middle launch, but finally decided not to. <br />
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We carried our three boats to the lower point, and then Scott launched from the middle point. I definitely learned more watching Scott paddle that stretch of water than I would have had I paddled it myself. When we scouted the river, the only path I could visualize was straight through, right down the middle, and hoping to miss the big rocks whose positions I would never remember once I was underway. <br />
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Watching Scott pick his way from eddy to eddy, I could see how the bits and pieces we had been practicing over the weekend could be put together to paddle down a river or (one day) to cross a tidal race with a great deal of control. If I take the course again, I'll definitely launch from the middle point.<br />
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But this time, Brook, John and I launched farther down and had an uneventful trip through the next stretch of rapids. We worked on more eddy crossings, ferries, and eventually on rescues. I did a couple of rolls in the current which, like the final trips through the rapids, were very anticlimactic. When rolling becomes anticlimactic, that's probably a good thing.<br />
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By the end of the day, I certainly hadn't mastered all the nuances of ferrying and whitewater kayaking, but I was a lot more comfortable with moving water. Between my own experience and watching Scott look like he had all the time in the world, I seem to have acquired a bit more poise and confidence. Of course, the big question is how much of that will still be around the next time I'm playing in surf.</span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-34322085504356399792010-05-31T13:34:00.010-05:002010-06-01T09:00:53.053-05:00Dancing with Mr. D<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TAQBjPf9l8I/AAAAAAAAGkw/65xxh8pG-sI/s1600/IMGP0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/TAQBjPf9l8I/AAAAAAAAGkw/65xxh8pG-sI/s320/IMGP0143.JPG" /></a></div>Over Memorial Day weekend, our club has an annual "rendezvous" in the Apostle Islands. We stay at a campground on Little Sand Bay and take day paddles to various destinations. <br />
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Last year was the first year I attended, and on the first day we paddled around Sand Island. The second day we split into different groups. One group paddled to Raspberry Island, one drove to Meyers Beach and paddled to the mainland sea caves, and the third paddled from Little Sand Bay to the sea caves. I was in the third group, and was delighted to be out paddling in my new boat on the big lake sharing a splendid adventure with Dan, Pete and Jeff. The sea caves were spectacular, and the day was one of my favorite paddles of the year.<br />
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This year we again paddled to Sand Island on Saturday, making it out to the lighthouse and back (returning is always a good idea). In the evening we had a potluck with lots of yummy food, and then gathered around the fire as it got dark. It cools off fast up there, and the fleeces and down jackets came out with the setting sun. <br />
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Eventually the conversation turned to what to do on Sunday. We had several paddling options: the estuary, Raspberry, the two approaches to the mainland sea caves. I casually mentioned that Devils Island was only 25 miles round trip, but those who bothered to respond were clear and definite in their lack of interest in that idea.<br />
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Then we went around the group and everyone said what they'd like to do. Raspberry seemed to be the favorite destination. When it was Jeff's turn, he said quietly "I'd like to dance with Mr. D." Sam was next, and said he would like to as well, but that we probably needed a third to make it a safe group. I confessed that I had been the instigator of the trip. (I'd planted the Devils Island seed a few weeks ago by email, and Jeff has a rubber arm for ideas like that. Or maybe he'd been planning on it all along.) At any rate, we had our three. Nobody else signed on, but later on that evening, I stopped by Pete's (he was camping with his family), and he was in too. <br />
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We weren't a 100% go yet, though. Jeff and Michelle had been volunteering for the past week at Wilderness Canoe Base, and had just joined us that evening. Jeff wanted to get a good night's sleep before committing to the trip. <br />
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In the morning we checked the weather, and the front that had been on its way from South Dakota was still on its way, expected to cross our area in the afternoon. Sam and I were thinking the conservative thing to do was skip the Devils paddle, but then Jeff joined us, coffee in hand, and said he was in. So we decided to go. (There was more than one rubber arm in the group.)<br />
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We launched a few minutes after 9:00 and headed for the east side of York Island. After a quick break there and a weather radio check (no change), we were off to Bear Island. The wind was northeast, 10 to 15 knots, so we were paddling mostly straight into it. The waves were under two feet, but there were some whitecaps and there were definitely some good sized waves that the boats would ride up and pound down over. Definitely not Lake Calhoun, and it was a good day to work on forward stroke efficiency.<br />
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We landed on a rocky beach towards the north end of the west side of Bear. It was about noon, and we listened to the weather again while we ate lunch. The details were getting filled in a bit more as the front got closer. Forty percent chance of severe thunderstorms; most likely in north western Wisconsin. Time frame was between 2:00 and 8:00. Where storms occurred, expect winds of up to 40 miles an hour, lightning, and dime sized hail. The storms wouldn't last long in the locations where they occurred … "only two to three hours."<br />
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It was time to decide whether to continue on to Devils or return. We all had gear with us to sit out a storm or even to spend the night on an island if needed, but we still had two open water crossings of a mile and a half each before getting back to the mainland. The western sky was clouding up, though there was nothing alarming in sight yet. It would be 1:00 by the time we launched after lunch. The longer we continued to paddle forward, the more time we would spend on the water in the 2:00 to 8:00 window of possible storm formation, and the closer to dark our return would be if we had to sit out a storm. Continuing on to Devils would add another 3 hours to the trip. But … we all wanted to go on, and knew that at any given place, the chance of a storm was quite low. We had a good view of horizon, and should be able to see signs of a storm before it hit, and there was shelter on Devils and Raspberry if needed. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end we decided to turn back. Being caught on a crossing in a severe storm would not be a good thing. We re-visited the decision more than once, but turning back was the conservative thing to do, and the right thing to do.<br />
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So back we went. This time we paddled south along Bear, then crossed to Raspberry. (I've added one more island to my count now (16?) although the lighthouse tour will have to wait for another visit.) The western sky was getting darker, and there was rain in the distance. As we started the second crossing from Raspberry west to Point Detour, the north wind coming from our right was noticeably stronger, with frequent whitecaps. I was paddling behind Pete, and there were several times when his head was nearly hidden by the waves, which meant that they were approaching 3 feet. (A kayaker's head is about 3 feet off the water, so looking at another kayaker as you and he/she bob over the waves and observing "under 3 feet, 3 feet, or over 3 feet" are the only wave height measurements that don't involve guessing.) My rough water skills have definitely improved in the past year, which was nice to see.<br />
<br />
A fog bank had developed north of the islands, closing off the view of North Shore. There was no lightning in sight, but we were all eager to get across to the mainland, and we spread out more than we should have as we all focused on getting across. I had been able to see the paddler behind me out of the corner of my eye most of the way across, but about three quarters of the way across, I lost him and we stopped and re-grouped. Our lead paddler set a good pace and it was easy to fix on him and paddle hard, and it probably got the group as a whole across in the least amount of time, but it was definitely an undisciplined crossing; we should have stayed together. We were too far apart to help each other if needed, and too far apart to communicate if a change in plans was needed. Lesson learned – don't let adrenalin override group cohesiveness.<br />
<br />
With the last crossing completed and still no sign of inclement weather, we enjoyed an easy paddle back to Little Sand Bay and landed about 3:45. <br />
<br />
In the end, on this particular day we would have been able to go to Devils without getting caught in a big storm (though we might have been caught in a fog bank – looking behind us, Devils could no longer be seen), but I think everyone was comfortable with our decision. Another day could have turned out differently. Dave O. had looked at weather radar in the ranger station, and while we were loading boats onto our cars after the paddle, he told us the storm cells had gone north and south of the Apostles.<br />
<br />
But joining three other paddlers on a 17 mile paddle (14.8 nautical miles) in the Apostles through a variety of conditions can be considered nothing less than a treat. Devils Island is a magnificent destination, though its location on the outer edge of the archipelago, exposed to the big lake's wind and waves, make it an elusive goal. We often try to dance with Mr. D, but he can be a fickle partner, and the big lake always calls the shots in the end. </div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-33221225750360016472010-05-02T08:46:00.016-05:002010-11-26T05:45:07.217-06:00Weekend at Sea Kayak Georgia, April 3-4<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you're going to be in Georgia for something that ends on a Thursday, it would be silly not to stop by <a href="http://www.seakayakgeorgia.com/index.htm">Sea Kayak Georgia</a> and take a class over the weekend, right? Well, actually that's probably what a friend of mine would call "vacation logic" (i.e., the logic may be suspect), but that's what I did. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">SKG offers classes most weekends, and it turned out that this weekend, there was a BCU 3 Star training on Saturday and Sunday. Perfect! Ronnie was teaching it. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 Star trainings don't follow a set curriculum, and you can't assume that if you go to the training you're ready for the assessment. The trainings are really just a chance to work with a coach on whatever he or she chooses to teach. At another training I did with a different coach, we spent most of the time working on towing.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since I arrived on Thursday afternoon, I had a couple of chances to chat with Ronnie before the class started on Saturday, and at one point we talked about Cumberland Island, which I had just returned from. Ronnie said that once he had been leading a group across Cumberland Sound towards Fort Clinch, and after they landed a fisherman on shore called him over and said "See that great big shark out there? It followed you guys all the way across." Okay, right, processing that. I decided I was quite happy that we didn't see any great big sharks on our trip, thank you very much. Of course, later on I realized that none of us had been looking over our shoulders as we crossed...<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Saturday morning I met the other student in the class, a woman from Canada. Siobhan and I were well matched in terms of skill level. For the next two days, we worked our way through various skills, starting in calm water and then moving out. It was a neap tide, so the conditions weren't as big as at the symposium last fall. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ronnie puts a big emphasis on skills, but not for the sake of the skill. His focus is really owning your boat and paddle, so that you can move the boat exactly where you want to, rapidly and efficiently, no matter what the conditions. Perfecting your technique is simply the means to that end.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After lunch on Little Tybee Island on Saturday, we were standing on the beach talking about towing. Suddenly Ronnie said "Is that guy out of his boat?" We turned around and I couldn't see anything definitive, but there had been a guy surfing in a kayak and we couldn't see him anymore. We decided to go out and check. I got launched first and was in the lead (I think Ronnie was intentionally letting us handle the rescue). Soon I could see that the guy was indeed out of his boat. When I pulled up next to him, I could see that he had an old style surf kayak with no bulkheads and no flotation. He was wearing a PFD, but no wet suit, and the water was about 58 degrees. We were easily half a mile from shore, and he was trying to swim his boat full of water in. He might have made it, but he might not.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Siobhan rafted up next to me and it took two of us to empty his boat out (we had to pull it across our decks and rock it, and it had no deck lines). I think Ronnie was helping on Siobhan's other side. We got the swimmer back in and, of course, as soon as his butt was in the seat he said "Okay, thanks, I'm good." Not. We stayed rafted up until he was sorted out with his spray skirt on, and then sent him on his way. He made a bee line for shore.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a good example of paying attention that Ronnie even saw the guy in the water, and when we debriefed after the rescue, Ronnie had also been watching how close we were getting to the surf. The offshore wind was blowing us out towards the breaking waves, and if we had gotten closer, he would have towed us back. I hadn't even been paying attention to the surf line, so lots of lessons to learn on that one.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The rest of the weekend we worked on more skills – figure eights, towing, a bit of surfing. Once after I capsized Ronnie asked "Nice roll, but what did you do before you rolled?" I mumbled something, and Ronnie said "You had time to take a breath and set up for your roll; why didn't you brace?" Hmmm. Good question.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the end of the day on Sunday we did some out of boat work. Between the week on Cumberland and the two days of classes catching up to me, and the cold-ish water (even with a wet suit) and being in swells that I wasn't used to, I was surprised at how quickly I tired. I've never missed a re-enter and roll, and I missed three in a row. Also muffed a cowboy rescue. Oh, well. That's why we practice, right?<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All in all, we learned a lot. Ronnie did a great job of teaching us where we were. If only I could do that every weekend.<br />
</span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-67259622689195157392010-05-02T08:39:00.016-05:002010-05-14T06:51:00.780-05:00Cumberland Island, March 27 - April 1<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/S91802QpMMI/AAAAAAAAGUA/UYJYyeV9eUk/s1600/CumberlandIslandMapRoute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/S91802QpMMI/AAAAAAAAGUA/UYJYyeV9eUk/s320/CumberlandIslandMapRoute.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cumberland Island is a national seashore on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, and until a few months ago, I'd never heard of it. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
I had my eyes on Baja for a winter/spring kayaking trip. But Mike M. mentioned a <a href="http://www.genevakayak.com/index.html">Geneva Kayak Center</a> trip to Cumberland in an email and a seed was planted. I took a look at the trip description, and it was more affordable than Baja. I talked to Ryan at GKC, and he said the Cumberland trip normally has a bigger range of conditions than Baja ("conditions" are kayak speak for wind and waves). It's got salt marshes on the west, live oaks and Spanish moss in the middle, and a 17 mile beach along the eastern shore, facing the open Atlantic. Wildlife includes feral horses, armadillos, and alligators. The trip would spend 5 days paddling around the island.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before long, Cumberland Island had become my spring paddling destination. And at the end of March, seven of us gathered at the hotel in St. Mary's where we would spend the first night of the trip. Ryan from GKC was the trip leader. Mike was the assistant trip leader. Scott, Chris and Aaron were all affiliated with GKC in one way or another. Geoff was from the Philadelphia area. And me.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After boat packing and dinner, we gathered to talk tides and charts. I have a basic understanding of navigation and had collected tide and current information for each day of the trip, but it's a lot more real when you get down to day to day paddling details. How early do you need to get up in the morning to get to the launch site and be ready to launch just as the tide is turning so that you can catch the ebb tide as you paddle down the river? If you want to take a shortcut through the creek, and you know what the creek depth is, and you know that low tide is too low to travel the creek, when do you need to start (allowing for the effect of the tide on your rate of travel) to get there with enough water to get through? <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We managed to hit the trifecta for early morning starts on the trip, getting up between 4 and 6 every day to get to where we needed to be with the tides and currents with us. I had noticed the tide schedule would favor early starts before the trip, but found myself thinking "we won't really have to start that early; we're on vacation!" But tides don't follow vacation schedules, so we were early risers.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Day 1 of the paddling portion of the trip, we arrived at Crooked River State Park in plenty of time and got our boats and gear ready. As soon as the tide turned, we set off down the Crooked River. We crossed Cumberland Sound (part of the Intracoastal waterway), then paddled into the Brickhill River and stopped for lunch at Plum Orchard, which was the first of the three mansions we would see.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thomas Carnegie (brother of Andrew) and his wife Lucy bought property on Cumberland Island in the 1880s, and built the family mansion (Dungeness) on the southern part of the island. Thomas died relatively young, and Lucy became the matriarch of a large clan and the social center of the island. As her children came of age and married, she built several of them mansions of their own. (Bachelor sons, however, did not get mansions.) Plum Orchard was the mansion built for son George. A volunteer park ranger gave us a tour. It was impressive, with cutting edge amenities for the turn of the century: refrigeration, electricity with DC current inside of wooden conduits, indoor plumbing that wouldn't look out of place today, indoor pool, squash tennis court. There were buttons to summon the servants, and of course, separate stairways for the servants. What really made the enormity of the family wealth sink in was realizing that this was a secondary residence, used only a few months a year.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After lunch and tour, we paddled on to our first campsite at Brickhill Bluff. It's interesting how names conjure up images in our minds. The bluff I imagined was much grander than the actual bluff, but it was still a fine campsite. We took a walk through the live oak woods before dinner. A grape vine was spotted and 3 of the guys jumped from a tree a la Tarzan to swing on it. At dinner we enjoyed the first of the delicious meals prepared by chef Ryan … fish and shrimp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
We put the tarp up over the "kitchen" before we went to bed, and the rain started during the night. Fortunately it had just about quit by the time we got up the next morning, and the rest of the trip was good weather.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Day 2 required an early start to get through Christmas Creek at high water and on the flood tide, so we were up at 4 and launched at 7. We took a shortcut through Mumford Creek, then were back on the Brickhill river. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The entrance to Christmas Creek was not obvious … we made our way through some reeds and eventually got to the point where the creek became well defined. The creek provided a shortcut to the Atlantic side of the island, allowing us to avoid paddling all the way north around the tip of Little Cumberland Island. With few landmarks to use to find our position in the salt water marsh, we used the hammocks (</span><span style="font-size: small;">areas of high ground with trees growing on them</span><span style="font-size: small;">) that were marked on the charts.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just before Christmas Creek opened up into the Atlantic, we landed to take a break and hike over the dunes to scout our exit route. The creek was flowing out, the tide was ebbing, and there was an off shore wind, so creek, tide and wind were all moving east. The swells were coming from the east and pilling up on the sand shoal that stretched out from the creek entrance. The result was surf that seemed pretty big in a little kayak. We needed to turn south (right) as soon as we reached the Atlantic, and the main shoal was dead center as we left the creek, so the plan was to keep to the right to avoid the worst of the surf.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But things didn't go quite according to plan. With the current, tide, and wind all moving us east, the group unintentionally ended up in the center of the shoal, and paddling into the biggest breaking waves. You also want to hit the waves more or less head on, increasing the tendency to stay in the center. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was towards the rear, with Ryan behind us, and he told those of us who were close to him to move right, which we did. It's always hard to estimate heights after the fact, but I think we were paddling up and over 5 foot waves where I was, and they were probably higher to my left. I made it out with a bit of an adrenalin rush but no other problems. Two of the folks who had moved farther to the center capsized. One rolled and the other was rescued. The good thing about the rescue situation was that wind, current and tide were carrying the rescuer and swimmer out, so by the time the swimmer was back in his boat, they were in calmer conditions. It would have been trickier if they had been carried into worsening conditions during the rescue. Mike had done the rescue, and mentioned that in the conditions, he would have liked someone to raft up next to him to help stabilize. Another lesson was that you need to be paying attention to the big picture, including the landmarks behind you, to know whether you're where you intended to be.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Regrouped and glad to be past the shoal, we paddled south, made our way through a second shoal, then stopped for lunch. Back on the water, we crossed a third shoal and stopped while those who wanted to spent some time surfing. It was perfect conditions … lots of green water, meaning the waves were big enough to surf on, but not breaking. Three of us opted not to surf, and hung out in the swells waiting. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back underway, we proceeded to our Stafford Beach campsite. As we paddled, several of us struck firm but movable objects with our paddles, which we later learned were probably cannonball jellyfish. We saw pelicans gliding above the waves, the tips of the "wings" of numerous stingrays on the surface of the water, and several dolphins.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was our longest day at 18 nautical miles (20.7 statute miles), and we were nicely tired by the time we landed. Some folks did a bit more surfing, but I was ready to call it a day (this was my second day on the water for the season), so enjoyed watching. Mike did an endo over one of the waves that was very impressive, though perhaps not intentional.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had to carry our gear a good half mile to the camp area, but it was worth it. The campsite was lovely, nestled in a clearing in the live oaks which we promptly hung with drying gear. (When returning to the campsite after dark, it was easy to spot our camp with all its reflective tape.) And there were cold showers, which were most welcome. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That night we walked back down to the beach and watched the nearly full moon rising. The moon lit up a brilliant path straight towards us. It was also bright enough that the rest of the ocean was bathed in silver. As the swells approached the shore and started to pile up, the front of the waves were dark bands against the silver background of the ocean. When a wave would start to break, you would see the white foam on the top edge, and you could even see the white spray being blown back off the top of the wave by the wind and backlit by the moon. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And if that wasn't magical enough, on our left 3 horses appeared -- two adults and a foal. They wanted to cross to our right, and started walking along the beach in front of us. Just as they passed us, they got spooked and started running, and we could feel their hooves pounding on the sand. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was hard to leave the beach that night.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Day 3 was a play/rest/wander day at Stafford Beach. In the morning we took a final opportunity to surf before the swells died away. This time I joined in and got some good coaching from Ryan. Try to keep your butt at the top of the wave so you have control. You want to avoid moving so far down the wave that your bow gets locked in, but stay far enough forward to remain on the wave. Steer away from the breaking wave and towards the green water. If you get caught in the break, you really have to commit to your brace. I was bracing the right way, but not hard enough, and eventually would get knocked over by a stray bounce (fortunately, I rolled every time). I still find it all much easier said than done, especially when I only do it once every 6 months.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apres surf was a yummy brunch (individual omelets, fried potatoes and fresh fruit), then we split up for afternoon adventures. Geoff, Scott and I walked inland and took a look at Stafford House, a mansion that is still in use.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dinner was individual pizzas with crusts made from yeast dough. That evening was the official full moon, and we went down to the beach again. We didn't see the moon at first since there was haze on the horizon. As an astronomy major, I was starting to feel personally responsible for the absence of the moon. Eventually we saw a lighter spot in the haze, and the moon suddenly appeared as a horizontal orange slice, with top and bottom still obscured by haze and clouds. As it rose above the haze, it whitened up. The surf was minimal at that point, so it was a lovely evening but not quite as magical as the previous night.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Day 4 we launched at 8 to get to the south end of the island by high tide. We had to cross a jetty, and needed high water to do so. We paddled easily along miles of sand beach, enjoying the day and the sun and the water and the dolphins and the birds. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wasn't quite sure what the jetty would be like. Turned out to be a line of big, sharp, black rocks that didn't seem to be at all friendly to kayaks. We found a low spot and crossed one at a time, waiting for a swell to ride over the rocks. In between swells, the rocks were uncovered and looked eager to take a large bite out of a kayak.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryan tried a more challenging spot to cross and didn't quite make it. We were focused on our spot and heard a crunch to our right and saw his bow sitting up on a rock. We landed on the other side of the jetty to put a patch on his bow, but Explorers are tough boats and the damage looked superficial..<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then we crossed Cumberland Sound to the Florida side (half a mile or so) and landed below Fort Clinch, a brick fortress built before and during the Civil War. It was obsolete before it was completed. Preserved and renovated by the CCC during the 1930s, it's now a state park.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After eating lunch on the ramparts among the cannons and exploring the fort, it was time to cross back to Cumberland Island. This would be a trickier crossing. Coming over we were near slack tide. Going back, we were facing a 3 knot current from our left. Once we crossed the sound and started to head up the west side of the island, the ebb current would be directly against us, though it would be slowing as the afternoon went on. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We started trying to ferry across, but half way there we decided to accept the drift, get to the far side, and eddy hop against the current. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Working our way up the west side of the island, we stopped at Dungeness Mansion. It had burned in a huge fire in 1959, but even the ruins were impressive. <br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then it was on to Sea Camp, where we would stay on our final night. We hung out while Ryan made sure there was a campsite available, then landed on the dock and carried our gear up. Like Stafford Beach, Sea Camp has a long walk between dock and campsites, but they had carts we could load our gear on.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryan prepared another yummy dinner, and for dessert an instant cheese cake that disappeared in less than 2 minutes after it was pronounced ready to eat. No plates were dirtied in the consumption of that cheesecake.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The morning of Day 5 we headed back up Cumberland Sound to the Crooked River park where we had started. At one point we watched a flock of birds (pelicans?) fly past us in a line. The bird in front stopped flapping its winds and started gliding, then the next bird, then the next bird, one after another. Then the lead bird started flapping its wings again, and the others followed one at a time just like fans in a stadium doing the wave.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then … we were back at the launch site. We loaded the trailer, stopped for showers, and went out for lunch. Mike and Scott were kind enough to drop me at the Savannah airport on their way home.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
There's always that moment at the beginning of a trip when you cross the line from anticipation into commitment to the adventure and whatever it brings. And there's always that moment of sadness at the end when you and your companions are saying goodbye and parting ways, and the adventure turns into memories. But memories and new friends are both good things. Until the next adventure…</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pictures are <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/onealpa/Cumberland2010#">here</a></span></div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-22872032822516904512009-10-29T08:09:00.017-05:002009-11-19T07:41:46.975-06:00Sea Kayak Georgia Skills Symposium and BCU Week 2009<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SwKer164FfI/AAAAAAAAFsM/vZt17FWHRN0/s1600/tybee+oct.+09+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SwKer164FfI/AAAAAAAAFsM/vZt17FWHRN0/s320/tybee+oct.+09+098.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">Five days of paddling on the ocean off Tybee Island, Georgia with some of the best coaches in the world. Perfect weather. Good friends. Lovely cottage to stay in. I suppose it could get better than this, but wanting more would just seem greedy.<br />
<br />
The Symposium offered 10 or more classes each day to choose from. My goals (above and beyond general development) were to get more comfortable and skilled "in conditions" and to take a shot at the BCU 3 Star award. BCU is the British Canoe Union; a 3 Star Paddler is a confident and strong paddler in Force 4 conditions (one meter seas, up to 18 mph/16 knot winds). <br />
<br />
My first two days of classes were 3 Star Training with Steve Maynard as the instructor, 6 students, and an assistant instructor. The very first thing we did was to head out into the Triangle, a shoal/sandbar that the incoming swells were wrapping around and breaking across. The waves were coming from different directions as they rolled over the shoal. It was a confused mass of moving water and "haystacks" (where two waves combined) and troughs. Sometimes two waves would approach from opposite sides and break on top of your head; sometimes you would get past one and another would immediately come from another side. Definitely not Lake Calhoun. <br />
<br />
We all stayed upright as we paddled through the Triangle twice, and then we headed off for other adventures. Over the course of the next two days, we played beach tag (see how close in to shore you can ride the waves, then back out and do it again) and school of fish (whilst paddling forward, travel as a school of fish: keep changing position every 30 seconds). We worked on forward strokes (keep the top hand moving in a horizontal plane; get the blade planted before you unwind; keep the stroke short). We did some more surfing and this time I capsized (first time in the surf). I thought about rolling for all of 2 seconds, but I was on my off side, and it felt too shallow to get to the other side, so I bailed. Winter project: get my offside roll!<br />
<br />
We played a rescue game – two groups of 3, each with one victim, one towing, and one supporting the victim. Trade places so everyone tows 2 times, and see which group goes farthest/fastest taking 50 strokes each time. We did T-rescues while someone was towing the rescuer (a great way to practice against a current and make sure you hold on to your boat). Steve taught us a hanging draw started with a forward stroke that gracefully turned to a draw. We worked on bow and stern rudders in a more vertical orientation (alas, I never got the stern rudder working, and managed to "break" my old stern rudder technique, so that didn’t go well on the assessment.)<br />
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Friday was Rough Water Discovery with Nigel Foster. We did some warm up surfing on a calmer area, then headed out to the Zipper and Nigel offered each of us the option of going in and trying it. Similar to the Triangle, the Zipper is a long, narrow shoal perpendicular to the swells. Ignorance being bliss, I went in a couple times. Fortunately, my balance made up for my still developing bracing skills, and I stayed upright. <br />
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From there we spent more time working on surfing. I've got a long ways to go, but every bit of practice helps. Over the course of the day I capsized 4 times and managed to roll up twice, which I counted as a minor triumph. These were the first two times I'd rolled up after capsizing accidentally.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">At the end of the day, Nigel's parting words were to encourage us to be as efficient as possible; we waste a lot of strength and energy in our inexperience.</span><br />
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Saturday was Intermediate Surfing with Danny Mongno. We talked about launching and surf safety, then paddled out beyond the break. We ended up riding the swells and waiting for half an hour with the assistant instructor while Danny sorted out someone in a wooden Betsy Bay who had gone over on the way out and had a hatch cover pop off. The swells were pretty big, and to be honest, I was a bit spooked at looking at half a mile of breaking waves coming in to shore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After Danny joined us, we headed back to shore (I chose the easier route) and gathered up again. There were a few challenges in finding the right place to practice (bigger swells than expected, a surf competition going on, lots of swimmers and kite surfers, and a variety of skill levels), so after lunch we ended up working fairly close to shore. Goal was to paddle out a hundred yards or so, do a few 360s out in the breaking waves, then ride the waves in. I usually ended up capsizing before I got in, but had fun. I bagged it about 3:00 and watched the others until the end of the class, trying to save some energy for the next day.<br />
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Sunday was my 3 Star assessment. It was pretty clear as the day progressed that I wasn't yet a 3 Star paddler. Some of the gaps were in basic skills; some were in ocean paddling. But it was a good learning experience. <br />
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Four of our group were trying to get BCU certifications, and none of us passed, though all were close. On our way out of town, we stopped by the Sea Kayak Georgia store and ran into a man who had just gotten his 3 Star. He was 70 years old, and had tried once before. He had also done some 4 Star training. This week he done his 3 Star assessment on Saturday with Jeff Allen. Jeff had his group out in conditions for their entire assessment, including for skills that you normally aren't required to do in conditions. He also had them do a re-enter and roll, then paddle in to shore in rough water (performing several skills while their boats were full of water), then paddle back out backwards, boats still full of water. It's clear that there are variations in how the assessments actually proceed. We figured that the passing rate for 3 Star was 20 to 30 percent. As my assessor said, it's a big award.<br />
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But … it was a great week. I can't even say I'm disappointed about not getting the 3 Star. I can see the progress I've made since I got my boat last fall. One more year and I'll be ready. In the meantime, it's all fun. </span><br />
</div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-60483788386326148572009-10-01T07:36:00.021-05:002009-11-30T23:13:45.273-06:00Voyageurs: Summer to Fall in Four Days<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SsSkGpEjw5I/AAAAAAAAFiM/Yzxew5e0Pk0/s1600-h/IMGP0726.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387611488253100946" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SsSkGpEjw5I/AAAAAAAAFiM/Yzxew5e0Pk0/s320/IMGP0726.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ten ISK members met half way to Duluth at Tobies last Thursday, en route to four days in Voyageurs National Park. Larry had proposed the trip at the club's planning meeting in January, and had offered to lead it. The trip's initial maximum of 6 had quickly been filled, and a second leader was identified (John) and the second 6 slots also filled promptly. Clearly, this was a popular trip. </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It had been a long wait since the trip had been planned, but Sept. 22 had finally arrived, and fortified with Tobies food and coffee, we were finally under way. </span></span><br />
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Voyageurs is in northern Minnesota, west of the BWCA and adjacent to the Canadian border. It's an ancient land, located on the Canadian Shield, with rocks between 1 and 3 billion years old. The sandstone formations in the Apostles evoke a sense of awe at the thought of paddling through caves carved into rock laid down a billion years ago; in Voyageurs, one paddles by outcrops of rock up to 3 times as old. According to the park's website, this was an area where volcanoes once erupted beneath an ocean that no longer exists. Much more recently, glaciers advanced and retreated, carving and grinding, leaving behind glacial till and ice that would become kettle lakes.<br />
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Humankind arrived about 10,000 years ago. European fur traders arrived in the late 1600s, and loggers in the late 1800s. There was even a mini gold rush on Rainy Lake at about the same time, before the small mines failed around the turn of the century.<br />
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The park was created in 1975, and is only accessible by water. It's made up of four main lakes (Kabetogama, Namakan, Sand Point, and Rainy), as well as numerous smaller ones. Kayaks, canoes, houseboats, and fishing boats coexist in reasonable peace. The US/Canadian border actually cuts across some of the bigger lakes, so this would end up being an international trip.<br />
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After leaving two cars at Crane Lake for a post trip shuttle, we gathered at Ash River Visitor Center on the eastern side of Kabetogama and loaded our boats, then launched. We had great opportunities to work on our piloting skills as we wound our way east through the islands and channels between Kabetogama and Namakan and and then north on the way to Kettle Falls. A few motorboats buzzed past, but they weren't overly intrusive.<br />
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Upon arriving at Kettle Falls we found the two campsites we were hoping for were both available, and we moved in. Jeff spent some time rolling, while the rest of us focused on getting our gear unloaded and our tents set up. Part of the group decided to paddle across the lake to the Kettle Falls Hotel for dinner. The rest of us opted to dine in camp and then crash.<br />
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</span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The hotel was built in 1910 by a timber baron; it's still in use and is accessible only by water. </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was dark when our Kettle Falls adventurers returned, so they had a magical paddle across the lake with a quarter moon lighting their way back to the campsites.<br />
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Next morning we re-grouped and retraced part of the previous day's route, then opted to explore a different path to the Wolf Pack islands. As we paddled up to what the map showed as a channel between two islands, we realized that it had filled in. Jeff and Doug got out and did some exploring and discovered that if they pulled our boats over a downed log at the near edge, we could paddle through the grasses to the other side.<br />
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Soon we reached Wolf Pack Islands, which are two smallish adjacent islands with three campsites between them. Two sites were available, and we established Wolf Pack East and Wolf Pack West camps. This was our earliest afternoon arrival, so we enjoyed lunch, then took our time setting up camp and going for swims, which included an island circumnavigation by Doug and a special performance by the ISK synchronized swimming team. Doug, John and Peggy did some more exploring by boat, while Jeff took a nap and then went fishing.<br />
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Dave was the most ambitious camp cook of the group, having brought steak and chicken, and he cooked up steak and potatoes that night. The chicken needed to be eaten that night as well, so Deb accepted the challenge and prepared it. The rest of us made the best of our variations on dehydrated food.<br />
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</span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The weather couldn't have been better for the first two days of the trip – warm and sunny, with a light wind at our backs. The leaves had scarcely started changing, so it felt as if we had caught the tail end of summer, albeit with much earlier sunsets. We even had the mosquitoes of summer, a decidedly unwelcome surprise. </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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Saturday (Day 3) was a bit cooler and cloudy, but still dry as we headed east towards Blind Pig Channel. Jeff caught a 20 inch Northern Pike along the way. Mike had offered to clean any fish that Jeff caught, but they agreed that this particular fish was too small, so it was returned to the lake to grow, contemplate the nature of lures, and dream fishy dreams under the ice during the long northern winter nights.<br />
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As we neared the channel and started looking for the path south, we learned to watch for the appearance and disappearance of motorboats through the apparently impassable walls of trees to locate the hard-to-see openings. Some of the narrow channels were only a hundred feet across, and mindful of the monster houseboats that periodically churned through, we scooted around the corners one after another like little ducklings.<br />
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Wind and rain were due to arrive Saturday night, so we went a bit farther than originally planned to shorten our route for Sunday. It took a few tries to find a free campsite, and the radios proved helpful as we sent out scouts looking for options. We ended up all fitting into one site on the final night, which was a nice way to end the trip.<br />
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We put Dave's big tarp up over the picnic table before it got dark, and sure enough, the rain and lightning and thunder started overnight. A gap in the clouds provided a glimpse of the northern lights for late night wanderers, though.<br />
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In the morning, we waited until the lightning stopped, then headed out. Fall had clearly arrived, and although it was much cooler, rained intermittently and was breezy, the downpours and high winds held off until we made it back to the takeout point. After going to get the cars at Ash River, we tossed in our wet gear and loaded the boats in record time, and headed for home.<br />
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It was a very full four days. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the park claimed our attention, and how easily we shed our city lives and created a group of fellow paddlers in tune with each other and with the rhythms of the water and boats, the daylight the sun gave us, and the sights and sounds of eagles and loons. Of course, the city bided its time and patiently awaited our return, and no tasks or assignments completed themselves while we were gone. But the memories and pictures of the trip and the new and deepened friendships remain. Note to self: do this again!<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span> </span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-73627906159563275792009-09-15T21:55:00.009-05:002009-09-17T22:23:03.738-05:00The Kayakers are Coming!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SrBYZm3EQTI/AAAAAAAAFZI/0UKs2WmYLRw/s1600-h/IMGP0598.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SrBYZm3EQTI/AAAAAAAAFZI/0UKs2WmYLRw/s320/IMGP0598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381898751659229490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(Convoluted nod to Tolkein there.)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Pete, Mike and I stayed overnight Sunday instead of driving home after the ICE. Weather permitting, we had decided to head to Meyers Beach and paddle along the mainland sea caves.<br /><br />The weather was great the next morning. While en route to the beach, I called my brother to file a float plan for the sea caves, and added that we might also paddle out to Eagle Island. We had contemplated doing that over Memorial Day weekend, but hadn't said anything about Eagle when we left our float plan, and for that reason as well as others, we had decided to skip the trip to the island that time. But I had learned from that experience, and wanted to keep our options open this time around.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We got to the beach, launched, and paddled east. About a mile along the caves, Mike proposed heading out to Eagle. Having just finished our ICE, we dutifully performed a risk assessment, and while we were talking, a bald eagle flew out from the shore, circled overhead, and winged back to shore. Clearly a sign that we should make the trip, so we headed out.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Eagle is the westernmost island in the archipelago, and the second smallest at less than half a mile long and a quarter mile wide. It's closed to visitors from May 15 to September 1st to provide a safe haven for several types of nesting birds, including Great Blue Herons, Double Crested Cormorants, and Herring Gulls. We were fortunate to be in the Apostles after Sept. 1st, and to find a perfect day for a paddle out to the island. There was very little wind, and the predicted dense fog advisory had been lifted. The weather was a bit hazy, but clear.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As we approached the island, we paddled over the Eagle Island shoal, a shallow area to the south of the island. For us kayakers, the shoal added interest as we looked down at the rocks in the clear water. To sailors, clearly a different story.<br /><br />Nearing the southern shore, we could see a sea stack that had separated from the rest of the island in a vivid example of how these islands exist in a geological blink of an eye. What was left behind by the glaciers is being worried and eroded away by freezing and thawing, tenacious roots of vegetation, wind and water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The island itself was more interesting than I had imagined. I was expecting more of the eroding bluffs one sees on the western side of Sand, but there were numerous rock formations. After returning home, I read about the various waterbirds that nest in the trees, and I mentally kicked myself for not looking for the nests, but c'est la vie.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After rounding the island, we stopped for lunch on some flat rocks in the gap by the sea stack on the southwest corner, then headed for home. The day continued to be a bit hazy, and Pete the poet noted that it seemed like we were paddling through molten silver.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We reached the mainland, then headed west to our launch site. About half way back, I noticed a tandem kayak approaching but didn't pay much attention to it. Then I heard someone say "Hi, Peggy", and realized that the intrepid Brian was in the tandem, along with his mom. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"> I'd met Brian when he was our guide on the Outer Islands trip earlier in the summer. His mom</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> had never been paddling with Brian, so she was getting a great introduction to the Apostles by seeing the mainland sea caves on a calm day. Brian had circumnavigated Lake Superior the previous year, and his mom had provided logistical support on part of the route. She told us that it had been quite a challenge each day to find where the heck Brian and his paddling partner had stopped for the night. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our next paddling encounter was with a woman who had a border collie sharing her kayak. The dog was sitting up in the front of the cockpit and having a wonderful time, although she started barking when I came up to chat and got inside the perimeter she considered her territory.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back at the beach, we landed, carried the boats up the stairs, loaded them on the cars, and then headed for home. It was a little gem of a paddle to cap the ICE weekend.</span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-63203165198934630552009-09-15T21:41:00.025-05:002010-05-11T23:18:16.733-05:00ICE<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SrBTg7nFxnI/AAAAAAAAFYo/K65f3s4Mrm4/s1600-h/IMGP0586.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381893379930310258" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SrBTg7nFxnI/AAAAAAAAFYo/K65f3s4Mrm4/s320/IMGP0586.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">No, not Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ICE is the American Canoe Association's Instructor Certification Exam. And no, it's not about canoeing, it's about kayaking.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: arial;">At the end of May, six Inland Sea Kayakers club members and seven other folks took the Instructor Development Workshop for sea kayaking up at Living Adventure in Bayfield, WI. The IDW is the first step to being certified by the American Canoe Association to teach. We survived some very cold water and learned a lot, and then had the summer to sharpen skills and enhance our knowledge of kayaking.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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Fast forward to the end of the summer and it was time for the evaluation weekend, where we would all find out whether we would be certified as ACA instructors, and if so, at what level. My goal was to be certified at Level 3. The next level up is an Open Water certification, and I knew that I didn't have enough open water experience to teach at that level.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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Team ISK arrived in Bayfield on Thursday evening. The course didn't start until Saturday, so we had one day to ourselves. While enjoying a tasty breakfast at the Egg Toss Cafe, we decided to head out to Basswood Island. After crossing the channel, we landed on the south end of Basswood, took a short walk to the old brownstone quarry, and returned. A nice paddle, and it gave me an opportunity to get over my big lake jitters (paddling on Lake Superior is NOT the same as paddling on Lake Calhoun!) </span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my presentation for the ICE. We had each been assigned a topic to present in a classroom format, and mine was Weather Theory. That was the topic I really, really, really didn't want. My idea of weather was reading the forecasts on Weather.com. One of my brothers still teases me about the time I needed to know the wind speed and direction and headed to the computer instead of opening the door. (In my own defense, it WAS winter, and my deck is protected from the wind…)</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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With such an open ended subject, most of the two weeks between getting my assigned topic and the beginning of the course were spent learning something about weather. That left Friday afternoon and evening to pull it together into a coherent presentation. It all worked out fine, even if it was a bit of a late night.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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Saturday morning, ten candidate instructors gathered at Living Adventure for the ICE. Bonnie was our instructor trainer and Gail was her mentor and co-trainer.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;">We spent the morning with half of the group giving their classroom presentations. Over the lunch hour, we were assigned the on-water skill we would teach, and in the afternoon we headed out onto the water. After each skill was taught, we all demonstrated it and were checked off by the instructors, after which they threw in more coaching.<br />
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We would have liked enough wind to get some rougher water practice in, but if one was willing to give that up, the setting and weather couldn't have been more perfect, including a pair of kingfishers who performed a noisy flyover and provided intermittent commentary from the shore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">One of the skills to be checked off was doing 3 rolls in one minute. My roll had gotten a bit iffy in the last few weeks, and Tony and then Tom helped straighten it out. I was exceedingly pleased when my rolls were successful and I got that one checked off the list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">When we were working on high braces, Bonnie said "You're all doing the beginner's brace just fine; how about a real brace?" We all looked at her blankly. She demonstrated, rolling over until her torso hit the water, then high bracing up. That's actually supposed to be easier than an in between brace, where you roll to a 45 degree angle and brace up. By falling all the way to the side, your body stops your fall as it hits the water, and then all you have to do is get up with your brace and hip snap. I tried it unsuccessfully, capsized, then attempted to roll back up and ended up doing a wet exit. Fortunately they didn't take back one of my rolls due to the failed attempt.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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At the end of the day it was wonderful to head back to the hotel with half the exam completed and my presentation over with. Yummy dinner at Maggie's and I crashed early.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;">Next day we had a fascinating presentation by Gail on liability, including spirited game of Liability Jeopardy. (What is Assumption of Risk?) (Team Superior Trio did not do well.) Continuing in the serious vein, Bonnie talked about instructor judgment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">After the Sunday morning student presentations, we each met with Gail or Bonnie and answered questions about charts and navigation. I seem to have gotten the easy instructor on that one (Gail). Bonnie asked her students to calculate the current magnetic variation if the annual increase was 6 degrees and the chart was 7 years old. Much mocking occurred on the water afterwards when nobody had been able to multiply 6 times 7.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">The afternoon was devoted to rescues with some incident scenarios thrown in. Did I mention the gleeful laughs from Gail and Bonnie when they were about to hand us something particularly "interesting"? And there were a few decidedly non-pastoral "Sucks to be you!" comments tossed in as well.<br />
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When I had to do a wet exit in order to be the victim for Tony's demo of the T rescue, I couldn't resist trying a "real" high brace first. Figured if I was going over anyway, I might as well capsize while attempting to do something useful. Turns out that there's something about having nothing to lose that must have made me more relaxed, because the high brace worked this time. Bonnie was right ... it was easier than a half way over brace.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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Rescues went fine, though we had one bonked head (skin was not broken), one case of incipient hypothermia, one lost evaluation sheet (we could see it on the bottom but nobody wanted to swim down there), one lengthy discussion of how to do a rescue while the victim was "unconscious" and under water, and one lost tow rope.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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The final presentation was how to do a self rescue in a tandem. Gail and Bonnie were the rescuees (they'd gone back to get into the boat while the rest of us did an unsuccessful sweep for the lost tow rope). They paddled out and did a splendid low brace turn, then a roll. Before capsizing to set up their rescue, they also modeled the classic "divorce boat" behavior with style and enthusiasm, if not grace. </span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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And then it was time to get the boats loaded up and wait for our evaluations. Bonnie and Gail holed up for a while to compare notes, before coming back and being kind enough to tell us we had all passed at either a level 2 or 3. We then met with them individually for our personal evaluations. Bonnie was my evaluator, and we talked about the need to get the experience to teach things many different ways. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
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It was a tiring but a great weekend. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">All of the ISK folks were certified at Level 3. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">My main piece of feedback to Bonnie was that I wished it had been a 3 day format. The mechanics of doing the exam took most of 2 days, but the teaching that Gail and Bonnie were able to offer in the interludes was fabulous, and a reminder of how much more there is to learn. It's clear that kayaking isn't going to get boring for a very long time. I feel rather self indulgent for all the fun I've had kayaking this summer, but I'm well and truly hooked.</span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-31148328537630786832009-08-10T08:32:00.034-05:002009-10-29T09:34:58.142-05:00Two Harbors Kayak Festival<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SoC9v8q3VCI/AAAAAAAAFHo/UauXg8juezg/s1600-h/DSC_0058.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368499387263046690" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/SoC9v8q3VCI/AAAAAAAAFHo/UauXg8juezg/s320/DSC_0058.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 213px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two Harbors Kayak Festival. Hmmm. That would conjure up images of sun and colorful kayaks and warm weather and playing with boats on the water, yes? Well, turns out that one can play on the water in fog and mist, and have a great time.<br />
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I headed up to Two Harbors planning to race in the kayak marathon (18 miles) on Saturday, then paddle with some folks on Sunday.<br />
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Got up there Friday night only to discover that the race had been postponed until Sunday due to bad weather. To paraphrase Thomi Keller, though, kayaking is an outdoor sport. You get what you get as far as weather goes and make the best of it.<br />
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The festival had a number of classes running on Saturday, but most were fairly introductory. And I had been fighting a lurking sore throat and cold since Friday, so I decided not to take the rolling class, which otherwise would have been fun to do. Instead I went up to Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse. I don't remember seeing either of them before, though it's likely that my parents took my brothers and me there when we were kids, and the family trip may have simply become part of the conglomerate of early memories of joyful adventures, perhaps no more exceptional at the time than finding worms on the sidewalk after the rain or going sliding on the neighborhood hill.<br />
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In any event, this time around the view from the lighthouse was limited in the fog, but you got a real sense of how important the lighthouses were in the days before radar and GPS. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The only whining I heard all day was from an adult, complaining that it was too foggy to take pictures.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
Saturday night was a dinner under a big tent, followed by a large number of silent auction and door prize drawings. I won a shirt and a forward stroke DVD; both good things (as opposed to the plastic battery powered mug with blinking lights, which I fortunately did not win). After dinner I was very chilled and took a walk through town trying to get warmed up, as well as looking for a breakfast place that opened by 6:00 AM (found it) and generally exploring. Got down to the harbor and saw the massive infrastructure for loading cargo vessels. (Sometime I'll have to come back and take a closer look so that I know what I'm seeing and can describe it.) Back at the campground, talked with old and new friends by the beach and by the campfire until the rain started and it was time to call it a night.<br />
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Got up bright and early Sunday morning and had breakfast at Judy's Cafe, which had a definite local ambiance. There was a table of retired gentlemen who appeared to be regulars, who had all hung their caps on pegs on the wall by the door before sitting down. An older fellow sat at the counter and rambled on at the waitress, who answered politely but distractedly. The pancakes and eggs were tasty, and proved to be good pre-race food.<br />
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The pre-race meeting was at 8:15, where we learned they had changed the course, apparently due to the fog that limited visibility to a hundred feet or so. For the past several years, the marathon race course has been 9 miles up the shore, turning around Encampment Island, and returning to the start on Burlington Bay. The new plan was to go up about 4 and a half miles and return, then do that again. They only had the turnaround marks in (one for the 5 mile race and one for the marathon), so the race directions were simply to round the marks and stay within 150 feet of the shore.<br />
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There were 15 - 20 sea kayakers in the marathon, </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">four of whom were women. Several competitors </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">had had to cancel when the race was moved to Sunday instead of Saturday.<br />
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I started at the back of the pack, since this was my first race and I wasn't sure what to expect. And I figured that an 18 mile race was not going to be won or lost in the first mile.<br />
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I had reeled in 3 racers by the halfway point (there and back again). After one more there and back again, I finished with a time of about 3 hours and 55 minutes. Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly how long the race was. The race director guessed it was between 16 and 18 miles. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If it was 16 miles</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">, I would be very pleased with my time and a race pace of 4 mph. If the course was 18 miles (which is what I measured on Gmaps Pedometer, assuming that's an accurate tool and that I correctly guessed where the finish was), or 18.9 miles (which someone measured with a GPS unit, which are not always reliable), then I would be delighted to have paddled the race at a 4.5 mph pace. I'm not planning on a kayak racing career, but the ability to hold a good pace can make a big difference when fighting headwinds and tides, and opens up opportunities to do longer paddles.<br />
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But regardless of pace, it was a fun day. The early morning fog was magical to paddle in. When the fog was densest, I could see the reflective tape of the paddles ahead of me flashing through the mist as brilliant points of light. The safety kayakers holding station just off the course were barely visible in the beginning of the race. They looked like ghostly sentries, and I kept thinking that it would be nice if one of them had been playing a bagpipe. Not sure whether stirring/rousing or eerie/soulful would have fit the day better.<br />
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The fog slowly burned off within the first hour after the start. The wind was nominally 5 to 15 knots. It shifted around from a variety of directions and speeds. The waves varied too, from swells to calm to about a foot, and were from assorted directions. The swells were interesting, as a few times they suddenly shifted me shore-ward 10 or 20 feet. This was the first time I'd run into waves doing anything other then lifting me up and down. But it was all manageable and good practice in bigger water than we get on inland lakes. I was definitely tired at the end of the race, and if the course was in fact only 16 miles, I would not have been eager to race another 2 miles.<br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I landed, a friendly young volunteer came and held my boat as I got out . Normally I would have thought "Hah! I don't need anyone holding my boat as I get out!", but I have to say that I was pleased to have some stabilization assistance as I coaxed my legs back into being load carrying mechanisms capable of forward motion. The volunteer was collecting our bibs in exchange for a lovely, custom made ceramic participation medal. Not sure if there's a difference in the carbon footprint between these and a regular metal medal, but they are truly unique and hopefully made by a local artisan.<br />
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After the race I was tying my boat on my car and a gentleman from another country came up to help, telling me that I was doing a man's job. What do you say to a thing like that? In his world, yes. In my world, it was absurd. I took it as an honest, generous offer as he helped throw ropes back from the far side of the car, and thanked him for his assistance.<br />
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Thanks to Dave for the picture of the start.</span><br />
</span>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-18328894047731940802009-07-24T20:19:00.030-05:002010-05-02T13:33:16.581-05:00Great Lakes Symposium<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/Smpr7QSZdpI/AAAAAAAAFCw/Vzu6KTnkGKs/s1600-h/IMGP0507.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362216972066584210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/Smpr7QSZdpI/AAAAAAAAFCw/Vzu6KTnkGKs/s320/IMGP0507.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">If I had realized how far Grand Marais, MI was, I might not have signed up for the symposium. 500 miles, and at the tip of the Upper Peninsula in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>. I left Wednesday afternoon in hopes of arriving in time for the surf class on Thursday and stopped for the night half way there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I did arrive in time for the surf class (barely - forgot about the time change), but alas, there was neither wind nor surf. So I ended up pitching my tent before the campground filled up and before the rain started, both good things. My tent neighbor was a wonderful man from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Winona</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">Minnesota</st1:state></st1:place>, and we had several enjoyable conversations over the course of the weekend.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Friday morning was the intermediate/advanced tour day. I had signed up for my first Advanced tour, which was an 18 mile paddle from Miner's Castle along the Pictured Rocks.<o:p> </o:p>As a sign of how unreliable self rating of skill level is, the lead instructor for this tour started with some basic questions that he was clearly concerned about. Does everyone know how to do a wet exit? Who has paddled 18 miles (the length of trip) before? Who has padded in 2-3 foot seas before? We all replied that we had done those things, and he was hugely relieved, but I was still apprehensive about whether my skills were up to the trip.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I ended up giving a ride from the symposium to the launch beach to an experienced paddler from <st1:city st="on">Portland</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">OR</st1:state>, who was visiting his brother from <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iowa</st1:place></st1:state>. They had just done a trip in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Apostle</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Islands</st1:placetype></st1:place>, then come to the symposium. I learned a lot from Ken and had fun traveling with him. He commented on how much he had enjoyed the Apostles, yet how different they were from the ocean. Tides, marine life, birds, etc.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we had all arrived at the departure point, we set off east from Miner's Beach with winds out of the northwest, 2 foot waves, and a lot of reflecting waves coming off the cliff face to our right. I saw my first vivid examples of clapotis when I saw thin vertical waves spike up fleetingly, twice the height of the surrounding waves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn't feel confident enough to pull my camera out of my PFD pocket and take pictures, so I concentrated on staying upright and keeping up with the group. We were a bit over half way to the turn around point when we started seeing fog infiltrating over the tops of the cliffs. When we looked behind us, we saw that <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Grand Island</st1:place></st1:city> had disappeared. About 2/3 along the planned route, we were fully fogged in and decided to turn around. We came back to Mosquito Beach, had lunch, then continued back to our launch site. The sun appeared briefly, then was lost again in the fog. At one point, we could see the tops of the cliff faces backlit by the sun, with the fog hiding the cliffs below, which was quite magical. We also saw an eagle soaring along the cliff face.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">At trip's end, the instructors commented on how pleasantly surprised they were that all of the participants had lived up to the claims of experience they had made.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Saturday, I had opted for a video session in the morning and a rescue scenarios class in the afternoon. As a last minute addition, they also offered wind and waves classes to take advantage of the steady winds blowing across a long fetch onto a sand beach, creating a safe place to work on surf skills. I was tempted to take those courses, but alas, one can't do everything.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mike M was the instructor for both of my Saturday courses. I had met Mike at the Windy City Symposium in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>, though I hadn't taken any classes from him. Both of the Saturday classes were great. Sharpened a lot of skills in the morning (good prep for the ICE). In the afternoon, we had 4 students and 3 instructors for the rescue scenarios. I think the instructors dialed back the intensity of the course due to the skill level of the students, but it was still great fun and very good practice to be out in the 2-3 foot waves. The highlight was doing an All In rescue (where everyone is out of their boats) and succeeding in my first re-enter and roll attempt. My immediate thought after that (having seen that my paddling companions were in the process of rescuing themselves and closely watched by instructors) was to bail my boat, on the theory that a boat that was about to capsize again due the water sloshing around in it was not a good choice. Wrong answer! Right answer is to get over to your paddling buddies and jointly right the boats, raft up, and then bail. And one needs to add paddling a boat full of water to one's checklist of skills to practice.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we returned to the beach after the rescue class, it turned out that the race was about to start. It was too windy to set race buoys out, so the course was 5 times around the moored sailboats in the harbor, which would be a 15 or 20 minute race. People were lining up for the start and suggested that I join in, so I figured what the heck. There were 8 racers and I started on the outside. I was last around the first turn. As the race went on I managed to move up to 4<sup>th</sup> place. When my rescue class buddies arrived and saw us racing, they were cheering for me, which was a treat. The symposium had awards left over from previous year's races, so we each got a very impressive medal despite the low turnout and informal nature of the race.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dinner that night was a fundraiser for the local school (with a total enrollment of 35 kids in grades K-12). Homemade pasties really hit the spot after a hard day's work. After dinner the township supervisor talked about the serious and urgent problem they are facing with the harbor becoming filled with sand. A breakwater was built over 100 years ago, but it's now deteriorating due to an inexcusable lack of maintenance. If nothing is done, the harbor will be completely filled in 5-10 years. The sand directly caused a completely preventable local tragedy a few years back when 4 men were out fishing in a small boat (they couldn't get their larger boat out of the harbor) and capsized. Nobody could launch a rescue boat from the harbor, so they had to wait for the Coast Guard to come. By that time, 3 of the men had died.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In addition to the local impact on the lives and families and livelihoods and economy, Grand Marais harbor is the only safe harbor on a long stretch of rugged coast. The next harbors are 45 miles in each direction, so if the Grand Marais harbor is lost, there will be a 90 mile stretch with no harbor. The standard is to have a safe harbor every 35 miles.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Plans are drawn up for repairing the breakwall and dredging, but the $6 million to pay for the work hasn't been found. You can learn more and find out how to help at <a href="http://www.saveyourharbor.com/">http://www.saveyourharbor.com</a> This is a quintessential no brainer; how can we not do this? But it takes action to do the right thing, so let's all do our part. Contacting congresspeople and senators is a great step.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunday morning was a bit anticlimactic. The highlight was watching Mike M. doing traditional rolls and having someone else describing what he was doing. For the first time I understood what a rich world traditional paddling offers. I'm going to go a little farther focusing on paddling with a Euro blade, but I can hear the traditional paddle calling. One of our club members has offered to help those of us with no woodworking skills get started on making a paddle, and I'm definitely going to take him up on that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And then it was time to drive the 500 miles back home. Two thirds of the way home, walking back to my car at a gas station after getting a cup of coffee, I was pleasantly surprised to see the famous author of The Lake is the Boss blog filling up his car with gas. I introduced myself to Dave and his wife and we chatted for a while before getting back on the road. </div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37186137.post-75695533062498104812009-07-13T20:12:00.015-05:002012-01-11T21:12:50.438-06:00Door County Symposium<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/Smpqhsb_VRI/AAAAAAAAFCg/Rw2aDCZTAVw/s1600-h/IMGP0480.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362215433434780946" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ARdsDJ3FYAc/Smpqhsb_VRI/AAAAAAAAFCg/Rw2aDCZTAVw/s320/IMGP0480.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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It felt somewhat self indulgent to be heading off to yet another symposium this weekend. I had hoped to leave around noon on Thursday, but we had an external consultant in the office for a new project I'm on, and I needed to be there, so didn't get underway until about 5:30.</div>
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Nice drive, though. I often see the shadow of the kayak on my roof on the side of the road and think of the rowing shell that I once carried, and how that passion has turned into a newfound love of kayaking.<br />
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Anyway, I got to the hotel in Rowley's Bay, <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Door</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> around 1:00 in the morning. As always, the many cars in the parking lot with kayak racks on top and the kayaks laid out on the lawn were a welcome sight.<br />
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The resort isn't staffed 24 hours, so when the desk closes at 11:00 at night, they leave an envelope with the room key and a map for any late arrivals they are expecting. I walked into the silent lodge, found my envelope and looked on the map to find my room. It was kind of fun to be wandering down the quiet, dimly lit halls, passing by the rooms of sleeping guests, and navigating the twists and turns from the map. After finding my room, I went back outside to find my car and move it closer to my room. This time I looked for any familiar kayaks, but didn’t recognize any.</div>
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Friday morning I worked on Forward Stroke (it's getting better!) followed by a boat control class. There was a seminar at lunch to talk about repair kits. In the evening we listened to a boat designer talk about various hull shapes and how they affect paddling. Very interesting talk, but I was tired enough after my late night (early morning?) arrival that after 5 minutes I had to resort to the "stand in the back of the room to stay awake" trick.</div>
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Saturday I had signed up for a tour … "The Tip of the Door." It was advertised as "We'll begin at <st1:placename st="on">Garrett</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Bay</st1:placename> and paddle the Tip of the Door, all the way home to Symposium Headquarters at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Rowleys</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Along the way we'll pass bluffs, sea caves, beaches and views of many islands. This trip covers ~ 14 miles. This all-day adventure is designed for the Intermediate to Advanced paddler who wants to refine skills in a real world environment. While underway, we'll incorporate rescue scenarios, towing skills, boat control and more. If you're interested in BCU 3 Star Assessment in the future, this class will help you prepare."</div>
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Turned out to be a lovely paddle, though not the skill development course that was advertised. Winds were 15 gusting to 20 or so. Varied from tail to quartering tail, then we had some protected water as we rounded the northeast corner of the peninsula and headed south. We ended with a paddle across Rowley's Bay into a 20 mph plus headwind. The forward stroke class really helped, as I felt as if I was moving the boat well without straining.</div>
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On the trip we saw an immature eagle with mottled gray plumage (it was huge!), and landed on beach made entirely of shells. We paddled across several shoals where the water was very shallow. You can really feel the boat react differently when the water becomes shallow. The boat slows down and the swells are different. </div>
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This was the first symposium where I stayed in a hotel, and I found it quite a treat. There was a thunderstorm Saturday night and I slept right through it.</div>
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On Sunday morning I signed up for a skills session. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the symposium. We had 2 instructors and 3 students, and did a lot of sharpening and tuning of skills.</div>
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And then it was time to head home again, with friends and skills acquired and enjoyed.</div>Peggy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04832598736879797539noreply@blogger.com0