Good morning and happy Friday. I’ve been so busy with life the last week or so I’m surprised I’ve been able to keep up each day. Daily posts were something I hadn’t really intended, but something that just sort of happened. And there is a certain amount of risk of becoming redundant, boring, irritating and just plain “stale”, by posting daily. Besides, writers make terrible editors. Bloggers. . well, we’re a lost cause. Someone recently said that it was much more classy to post a blog only on occasion, when you had something really important to say, or when you just got that perfect photograph. “No Filler”. I can see their point, but on the other hand I talk to my friends daily. It’s not a particular effort to do so. Sometimes their emails, or calls give me a great opening to my day. Yeah, even the really bad jokes (we won’t mention anyone’s name DS). I take that back. . .not the jokes. . more the joviality behind them. Sure posting so often I’m sure I’ll really lay some eggs now and again. But then if truth be told, some days I don’t bother to comb my hair either. It’s life. But if you’d like, you’re welcome to grab a cup of coffee (or tea, or Jameson) and come sit down for a chat. I’m glad you’re here. Let me crack open a window and let in this nice fresh spring air, and I’ll tell what I’ve been thinking about to day. . .

Book Club

Yep, I got my copy of Paul Caffyn’s, “Obscured By Waves” 2nd Edition too. You’ll note that a couple other of our blogging friends have as well. The caveat here is that they are now only available in Europe, well the second edition anyway. Here in the States I’ve found the first print available between $50 and $80 bucks. Yikes! Luckily work is in progress to get Paul’s book over here. One of the major issues is cost. Sure, you can order it from New Zealand, but the shipping will take your breath away!! You could just as easily buy one of the older versions. But then you don’t get the new stuff Paul added since then. One thing that surprised me when I opened my box from “Kayak Dundee Press“, was how really big and heavy the book is. Those pictures of the cover don’t tell the story there. Obscured By Waves is a big coffee table sized book with really big photos, and for my slightly older paddle buddies, it’s easy to read as well!!

So. . Instead of showing you another picture of the cover I thought I’d share with you something really interesting ……….the box.

Now the problem I’m having is that I’m just a bit past half way through Jon Turk’s book, “In the Wake of the Jomon“. I told Mary I dare not read these two together (as is an old habit of mine), or I’ll start thinking the “South Island” is somewhere off the coast of Kamchatka.

Following Freya. . .

Just letting you know too that to stay updated with Freya Hoffmeister’s goings on check www.qajaqunderground.com/freya/ I know there will be updates coming.

Tom’s Blog

Ok everyone should be aware of Tom Heineman’s upcoming attempt to circumnavigate Lake Michigan (minus the big bays). He has a new blog that you can book mark if you would like to follow along http://caska.org/Heineman_Trip_2006/ (right now you may like to read Tom’s recent experience in the Lake Michigan surf. Now, that’s got to be cold!!)

Skill Work

Hmmm, we’ve not talked about straight skill work in a bit have we? If you’re looking for tips, and that sort of thing just check out the past posts in “About Skills” or some of the other “Selected past posts“. Thing is, you can only write about sweeps and draws so many times. I do have to update my sweep post however. . hmmm. . . On the other hand with summer coming, and my first official class of the new season scheduled, I’m sure I’ll be rambling on again about every little learning tip I can find. You see. . as much as instructors like to feel like they know something. . . we do most of our learning in our classes right along with the students. We learn together, and that’s a cool thing.

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*personal archive note: Devil’s Lake completely cleared of ice on March 30th, this year. Last year it was like mid-April

So there I was driving to the pool in some David Lynchian set piece where all the world was rolling by in slow-motion, widescreen, technicolor bliss while in my mind a berserker was setting villages alight. That’s what happens in my crazy head. I don’t steam, sulk, stew or pout. I let let vikings rampage in the dark forests of my mind while outwardly I talk about the weather and the price of fuel.

I couldn’t help thinking about Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day with Punxsutawney Phil sitting in his lap as they flew through the un-named rural streets of Pennsylvania. There I was in my Acuta thinking, “Don’t Roll Angry Now, Don’t Roll Angry!”. Next thing I know I’m stick rolling the boat from one end of the pool to the other. In those moments I learned you can suddenly be happy and nauseous at the same time.

Getting rid of that big paddle and just rolling and rolling, and rolling, is like a religious meditation, a sexual release, like doing one of those things people did in the 60s before they discovered it was irresponsible, unhealthy, immoral . . . and fun. For those of us of higher moral fiber it’s like Novocaine. On this day when my head was busy dining on ashes, Novocaine was exactly what it felt like. And exactly what I was begging for. . .

Through an interesting set of circumstances I had learned recently of Wendy Killoran’s upcoming circumnavigation of Newfoundland, popularly known as “The Rock”. Now of course, there are some notes out there on the boards as well. But, as is my slow (in internet time anyway) methodical way, I took a bit of time to see what I could find out. With the help of Glenn Mackay I was able to ask Wendy about the trip and I’ll let her tell us the rest. . .

“I intend to paddle the approximately 2700 km from early May until late August, traveling counterclockwise like Ken Campbell did in his circumnavigation and which he wrote about in his book “Around The Rock”. I will visit Glenn MacKay, in Nova Scotia prior to arriving at Channel Port Aux Basques by ferry. Glenn was very helpful in many ways in 2005 when I circumnavigated Prince Edward Island. I also intend to meet Freya Hoffmeister, an accomplished German paddler, in Halifax. Together, we plan to paddle the more remote southern coast together. She will accompany me for about 17 days and bring her 3 piece Explorer.

And though I have frequented the beautiful island of Newfoundland numerous times, exploring “The Rock” extensively on foot and by car, it will be the first time that I explore the coast for longer than brief day paddles. I hope to experience exciting moments with whales, interesting encounters with the people, icebergs, solitude and breathtaking scenery. I plan to keep the journey simple. I am not planning a regimented schedule or exact route. The journey will flow naturally.

I intend to paddle for at least 8 hours a day, and camp in remote coves, unless an invitation presents itself for a warm, dry, comfortable bed. Newfoundlanders are known for their genuine hospitality.”

Wendy notes too that she is hoping to paddle some sections with local paddlers and that Richard Alexander who is president of “Paddling Canada” is helping her out with Logistics. She also wishes to acknowledge Kokatat for their support.

So, Freya will be leaving the “Hexy” home, eh? I wonder, do boats get jealous??

Dawn turned into morning quickly. It was nice to be out in the warhorse again. We slipped out of the small lagoon and raced through the cold morning air out to the ice shelf. There we sat. I listened to the ice crackling like mouth full of pop rocks. I dug around a bit in my gear to get out the video camera. I didn’t want an image, but it was the only way I could record the sound. I’m not sure it’s really something you can capture. As I paddled off again I pushed up my speed. My wake slowly built up a roll in the thinning ice which chased behind me as the popping and cracking increased to a surprisingly loud volume. Near the western shore of the lake I followed a lead for a bit until I realized I would not get around the lake just yet. I had to back peddle and occasionally give myself paddle space by breaking the ice on either side of the boat. Soon I had come back far enough to turn the kayak in about 20 feet of space between Ice and boulders.

I followed the eastern shore as well and again was met with a wall of ice that was just thick enough not to let me pass. Here I took time to hold my little camera down below the surface and for the first time, see what the lake ice looked like from below.

Before heading back into shore, I stopped my boat in amongst some floating ice that reminded me of a giant ice filled soda glass. I put on my 5mm hood and was quickly reminded how un-comfortable they are. Then just as the park ranger was driving down to the landing about 20 yards away, I dropped below the surface. For a moment I just hung there feeling nothing. But soon I could feel a chill in my shoulders as the cold reached through my drysuit. My forehead began to burn. I reached forward and set up my roll, then slowly rose to the surface. Ice water ran over my eyes and down my face as I slipped off the hood. I quickly paddled back through the lagoon and to the Jeep. . . thankfully the heater works!!

Have you noticed this yet? There seems to be this new phenomena where hats, gloves, shirts and other pieces of wardrobe are appearing impaled along hiking trails as if suddenly, clothing has raised the ire of Prince Vlad himself. My guess is that when people are losing items of clothing along the trail, a good Samaritan later walks by and decides to put the wayward item where the owner can easily find it again. Mary commented that although we’ve seen all sorts of clothing, no one seems to have lost their underwear out here in the woods yet.

And I was thinking to myself, . . . that’s really too bad.

Of course with the baseball cap and sunglasses you probably wouldn’t notice, but I was waiting for the grimace. It didn’t come. Maybe he was one of those “slow breath” guys. Everyone has some reaction to ice water no matter how much they hide it. Yet, when I saw his second Tiva plop below the surface of the still mostly frozen lake, I did’nt see a lip move. He hid it well.

As he stood there fiddling with his pump and paddle float I couldn’t help but notice he looked pretty professional. His boat was a brand I’d never heard of, yet it was covered with all the gear a national geographic photographer might take a long for week long trip into the unknown. Then as he sat down in the cockpit and began to put his bending branches paddles together I noticed his wardrobe. This was a guy perfectly dressed for a nice warm spring day. Obviously the athletic type, he wore a nice dark wicking t under the windbreaker. Hmmm, I’d seen this before somewhere. As we walked by I said, “Beautiful day, eh? First roll of the year?”, He smiled as he pushed out into the lake. “naw, water’s a bit cold, I’m not going in.”. . . why do they always say that??? We continued to walk by as he paddled slowly out into the lake. I bent down and picked up a good sized rock and tossed it out on to the ice shelf just a few feet away. It still didn’t break.

Slow down, you move too fast
You gotta make the morning last
Just kickin’ down the cobblestones
Lookin’ for fun and
Feelin’ groovy – p.simon