Something, There Is, That Draws Us To The Water

I'm thinking the same could be said about fire, but fire is high maintenance. Water is just there to be watched, to sit near, to swim in and to Paddie upon. Unlike a fire, there is nothing to gather or anything to do to get it all going. You just have to get there, where ever it is; and it is pretty much every where.
The watcher will stare, sometimes for hours, and watch the ever changing motion of the surface of a river, lake or ocean. Sometimes this brings serenity as the water gently laps the beach. Sometimes things are more stimulating as breaking waves crash upon polished boulders. There is always a new show to see. It never wears thin.

Same when afloat. Sitting and facing the horizon can be like meditating and can bring calm to an anxious soul. Feeling the hull make friends with the waves and feeling ones body pushing the boat along often creates a feeling of connection with nature (we are all related).

The water, and the weather around it, are as moody and changeable as ourselves. When we visit the water, however, it is the home team and gets to call the plays. The more we visit the water and the more we learn to live with/on her, the more opportunities the water will present for our enjoyment.

Paddle safe...

DS

Using It All Up

(me scullling a few days ago)

Summers are relatively short here, and Lake Michigan is in no way a tropical body of water. Come June or July, things are warming up, and we are out there doing our rolls, braces and other nonsense. A good part of the summer sees us in wet suits and, when the air is cold and we plan a lot of immersion, dry suits.

Fall has been mild and I, for one, have been getting out there as much as I can. This past week I wore a Farmer John and a dry top and was comfy as could be.

This morning the chill factor is below 40F. I don't know if I will have time to paddle today, but if I do I will be dressing the same way with perhaps some fleece under the dry top. Point is, it will soon be freezing out there, water temps will be dropping and we (around here) need to think winter.

Paddle safe...

DS

Gary Simon Returns...

Mission Accomplished

I know little about kayak racing, but I can relate it to the marathons I've run. Both take lots of preparation, and that means hours and hours, day after day, over months of being out on the road/lake while putting in the miles. Then, as the day approaches, we set personal goals. For many ambitious marathoners, the goal is to break 4 hours.

Well, Gary has put it who knows how many miles, days and months in his Nemo (see last blog) and, I can tell you, has always pushed hard. In his mid 60's, Gary is incredibly knowledgeable about exercise physiology and training (he knows more about it than I know about torts). Before leaving for the southern Mississippi River, he expressed a wish to break the 5 hour barrier (think about paddling almost full out for 5 hours). This would, of course, require proper pacing, staying hydrated and being presented with favorable conditions.

As things turned out, it was hot and humid on race day. I know Gary pushed hard because the EMS folks had him in ice packs at the end. Thing is, he broke 5 hours, and now is safely back home. We are all waiting for the details of his adventure and hope he will be posting them soon.

Congratulations, Gary. You inspire us all, especially your contemporaries.

Paddle safe...

DS

Where's Nemo?

As it turns out, everywhere. I would have considered this a racing boat. In fact Gary, our local racing maven, was the first in our area to own one of these crafts. He liked the way it handled and was particularly impressed by how it handled bigger water. Quite a combination of speed and stability.

Now there are more of them in the local fleet, and they are not all owned by racers. In fact, I see more and more paddlers in what I think of as "go fast" boats, and these are folks who do not race. There is no question that in most activities it is fun to go fast and even more fun to go faster. In kayaking, however, speed (so it seems to me) is only important in covering distances faster, and that is assuming you are going somewhere. Most outings, however, are day paddles...at least around here.

There is quite a difference between taking a curve on the highway at 30 mph v. 60 mph. There is, on the other hand, little difference in the "thrill" of going 4.2 knots v. 3.8 knots. This is especially true in open water where you do not pass near by structures and get a sense of how fast you're moving, In fact, most of us cannot tell how we're doing unless we have another boat along side or a GPS to measure our speed.

So why the love affair with the go fast kayaks? Is it just something different to do? Has the sport matured to the point where the old hands are bored and need something new to hold their interest? Or, perhaps, some do it because they can. They have the bucks, so they get the latest and fastest boat out there. A few may be doing it for ego (although I don't see that in any of the folks around here).

I don't know the answer. I just know that more people are going no where slowly but faster.

Paddle safe...

DS

K.I.S.S.

Sometimes, keeping it simple isn't stupid. We had sensational weather over the weekend, and we had sensational company at our house. As a result, I was only able to free up some time for short day paddles (coordinated to occur when my grandson was napping). No adventuring or exploring, just time to get out into the warm air and onto the lake which was warming from an ESE wind blowing in warm top water.

I packed myself a lunch, paddle for a time into the 15 mph wind, turned and had a nice sled ride part way back. I pulled onto a beach, set up my little back rest and enjoyed the lunch I'd brought along. It was relaxing, and I felt I had made the best use of the time I had for paddling that day.

Of course, I left no trace. I didn't even seem to bother the lovers with whom I shared the strip of sand.

Paddle safe...

DS

Fit For a King

We all fit out our cockpits and sometimes use all sorts of things to stuff in there to make us feel snug. We do it to feel comfy and to make it easier to edge, roll and do other control stuff. But something different occurred to me the other day.

I was using one of Doug's Impex boats, and we went out into some 3+ footer beam waves. Normally, this is not a big deal for me, but I felt uncomfortable that day. It felt like the boat was going nuts around me and that my reactions were always a second or two late. I felt uncomfortable in the same way I had as a beginner going out into "big stuff" for the first time. I didn't like it.

(thigh pad in my Pygmy Arctic Tern)

Well, yesterday Doug tricked out the boat with slabs of closed cell foam and metal duct tape. He had me wedged in their like a breach delivery...and it was a different boat. Nothing bothered me out there, and it felt a lot like my Romany. Padding out the cockpit actually made it feel as if the boat was behaving differently. The direct contact let me feel every subtle move of the hull which, in turn, allowed me to relax and just paddle.

Now I wonder how many times I've test paddled a boat and thought it to be "twitchy" and how it would have felt if the cockpit had been Padded a bit to fit me in there. I need to go back and try those boats again.

Paddle safe...

DS

Pearls of Wisdom

Learn one thing everytime you go for a paddle.

Yesterday I paddled and learned that even if you take the cameera along, you will not get any good pictures if you haven't taken the battery from the charger and put it back in the camera.

Paddle safe...
DS

It's Quiet Here Now, But...

We're just wakening up around here. I haven't had coffee and haven't read the newspaper yet. The garbage is on the end of the driveway (must be Tuesday), and I haven't a thought worth sharing. You see, it's quiet here now, but just wait until this evening. Number 1 daughter and grandson are flying in from Ohio and number 2 daughter and husband are driving up from Illinois for a family weekend. Prepare to be exhausted.

Sir Ansel, of course, will announce arrivals as each visitor approaches our home. He will revel in having the attention of his two sisters and...
try to remember who the little guy is and when did he learn to walk?

Just outside, and unaware of the warm energy within, the trees will go about their fall grooming.

In the end, there will be a mess, lots of dirty diapers and two incredibly exhausted grand parents (camping is easier). That is, everything will be perfect.

Paddle safe...

DS

Sorry For The Bummer

Yesterday's posting was, without doubt, a downer. It was also a little therapeutic. The coming of cold weather, shorter days, loosing a lens from my glasses, pressure to prepare some lectures and...yes...the endless electioneering all conspired to bum me out. It happens. So, today I look back to good times and refresh myself with happier thoughts. Time to jump start this old guy and get my positive mojo back. (The two pics above remind me of a happy 1906 trip to Italy). The cure, Dear Watson, is in the memories of the past. Like last year, when we socialized at Leslie's pad, and wehung out at the pool to practice rolling before accepting the reality of winter,put on the dry suits and headed out onto a frigid Lake Michigan. And, if that doesn't lift me up enough, I just remind my self that
my grandson, my daughters and one of my son in laws will be here this weekend to fill our home with happy sounds. There, I feel better. What election?

Paddle safe...

DS

The Enemy Within

4 a.m., and I don't know why I am awake. I was active yesterday, even paddled hard, yet my mind doesn't want to sleep this morning. Depression? Perhaps. What comes to mind, however, is the expression that "...the world is too much with him." I don't remember who said that and care less, it just seems to fit.

I am so sick about hearing about this upcoming election (no, this will not be political, at least in the sense that I shall not take a side here). I hear so many people babble on and on about it without saying anything of substance. It is more like a bunch of religious zealots sermonizing than thinking people debating any facts. Folks, good folks, on each side say exactly contradictory things about the same topic. Since they cannot both be correct, I suspect I am hearing the passion of beliefs, what ever they may be.

I cannot imagine two people trying to convince each other to switch to the other's religion. These are matters of belief and faith. The election talk I hear sounds like that to me, and I don't believe anyone is changing anyone's belief system.

Now books, law suits and actual prosecutions are arising around voter fraud. Great, absolutely wonderful. Elections of late have been close, and cases (on both sides) have been made about voter fraud being used to steal (or cancel out) v0tes. Just lovely, and very few, if any, of the people that are supposed to evaluate these complaints are doing anything about it. In any event, no results of any investigations will be out until after the election. Perfect.

I have been a patriot most of my life. I find, of late, that I care less and less about what direction this country takes as I feel more and more disenfranchised. I do, however, care very much about what kind of country my children and grandchildren will have to suffer. Things have, without any doubt, changed. Perhaps that is why I am awake at this hour.

Now, before I find myself going into what I think is going on and what is wrong and where we are headed, I am going to grind some coffee beans and brew me a cup of fine coffee while I wait for the sunrise. So that you paddlers won't feel this is a total non-blog, I am preparing to brace for what is coming. I am gathering strength to roll with future events. I am struggling to stay on an even keel.

Paddle safe...and vote.

DS

The Domino Effect

In kayaking, as in most "at risk" sports, when things go wrong things tend to go from bad to worse. I have frequently written about my pet peeve: recreational boaters with out pfd's who go out on Lake Michigan in cotton shorts and T-shirts. Most of the time the guardian angels of kayakers bring them back safely. But it only takes one seemingly minor mishap to start a cascade of big time trouble.

Imagine, for instance, that one of these inexperienced paddlers dumps his boat a few hundred yards off shore. If the air and water are warm, and if the wind is blowing on shore, a red face and temporary chill may be the only consequence he suffers. But what happens if we change just one little factor in this scenario? What if the wind is blowing off shore?

Let's also give the fool in the water the benefit of the doubt and say he is able to hang onto his boat (Forget the paddle. What would he do with it?). Still in pretty good shape, our unprepared erstwhile paddler and his boat will begin to drift offshore with our paddler clinging to it...sans a life jacket. He is "lucky' inasmuch as the water temp is 62F, warm for this lake.

But alas, he had launched from Bradford Beach where there is no break water, so he has about an 85 mile fetch of water in which to drift before washing up on the Michigan side. The possible horror of his "minor" mishap begins to take on an ugly look.

Even if the wind is mild and warm, he may drift as slowly as 2-4 knots. Let's say he makes 4 miles per hour. All he has to do is hold on for about 20 hours before his feet touch bottom and he walks ashore. Thing is, and we all know this, that he will die of hypothermia before his ETA.

A man in a kayak is a small object when out on the lake. Even radar generally won't see him. Tip the boat over and put the man in the water and you have an even smaller target which is even less likely to be spotted by other boaters. Our just-out-for-a-paddle-guy is doomed. And that, my friends, is the domino effect.

Paddle safe...

DS

It Was a Fine Week End

Before the others arrived, and between other activities, I found time to just hang out and look for some photo ops. I've done the fall color thing so many times that I don't bother to do many of those photos any more.
Still, I managed to see some interesting stuff here and there (the fall colors were still a week away).

And, it was nice just to be away from the city.Paddle safe...

DS

Camp, Sunday, Day 3

They say the wind whipped up during the night, but I had slept soundly through it. Things had, however, clearly changed by Sunday morning. The sky was over cast, and the temperature was down by at least 15 degrees. We had some breakfast, broke camp and paused for the obligatory group shots.

Then we headed SE to the other side of the peninsula where a north wind was making things interesting.

We had ourselves a fine paddle while Doug captured most of what went on:He even captured a rare edition photo of your's truly:

Tomorrow, a rap up.

Paddle safe...

DS

Peninsula State Park...Day 2

Saturday was a mild day with light breezes. Our intention was to paddle some of the nearby islands and just mess around in boats. But first, breakfast.

Doug, replete with a new stove and utensils, made marvelous omelets and toasted muffins. Vicki, a seasoned camper, made her own espresso. Then, off to paddle. We visited a few of the islands, poking around them and discovering snug ponds and lots of birds. A single pelican, who had apparently decided to stay longer than his colleagues, was raking in the fish. At one of the islands a handsome bald eagle put on a show for us, then perched on high and watched the silly humans in glass boats. None of the pictures of the birds did them justice and, thus, do not appear here.

(Vicki in one of the ponds)

(Sheri, same pond) We picked up Chuck along the way and continued to explore shorelines. Then we began to hear thunder in the distance and headed back to camp. It was, of course, time to eat again. And eat. I must say that I was treated more as a guest at this time as the others whipped up a lovely dinner. Later, at the camp fire, Sheri brought out the Peeps (Bird shaped marshmallows), and we all had a sugar high. Some of the group reported strange dreams the next morning. I was told that the wind had whipped up during the night, but I had slept through it. It was a fun day. More tomorrow.

Paddle safe...

DS

Peninsula State Park Outing

A small group of us got up to Door County this past weekend for camping, relaxing and paddling on Lake Michigan. The weather cooperated...for the most part.

I arrived early on Friday and pretty much had the lake to myself. Both the sky and waters were clear, so I did a relaxing paddle while waiting for our camp site to be vacated. Not much to say, except it was a pleasure.

With no particular goal in mind, I explored the shore line which is a mixture of trees, rocks, limestone cliffs and a smattering of fall colors. The others drifted in as they came up after work. By 11 pm all were accounted for. I'll have more pics tomorrow.

Paddle safe...

DS

Off To Camp

This weekend, four of us are headed up to Door County for relaxation, camping and paddling. There is only a small chance of showers and no mention of thunder storms. Night temps should be in the mid 50s. Good sleeping weather. We may also get to see some early fall colors.

Back Monday.

Paddle Safe...

DS