Archive for April, 2008

There’s still a light in that old cabin across the field. Last night I could see a lamp fly past the window. I could hear things crash and the old man swearing under his breath. Funny how those acrid shouts in the night air fill me with a sense of comfort. After days of silence I feared that something may have happened. I imagined taking the long walk through the Durum fields, and the knocking on the door. . . oh, and the smell!! Oh, God, the smell! . . .I’m glad the old man is not dead. I’m glad he’s up crashing and shouting and cursing the world that races on around him. I won’t go and visit him of course. I hate the smell of his house anyway. Why is it some people never open windows?

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That last bit was what my silly brain wanted to write this morning. Don’t ask me why, or what it’s about. I’m afraid I don’t know. I wake up sometimes and suddenly a narrator just takes off yakking. It’s a sort of craziness I suppose. The same one that causes that late nights when you wake up from a dead sleep with the solution to a problem that’s been haunting you for days. Sometimes the brain has a life of its own. Occasionally, just occasionally it will share tidbits with its outer shell.

It seems as if our conscious mind is like a thick little brother to our “A ” student UN-conscious brain. Every now and again our smarter sibling will endow us with a story or help us with our homework, but then he moves on to other “big people” things leave us alone to wrestle with our fourth grade math problems.

Spring is here. Not “Spring is Here!!” which of course is plastered on every shop window and auto garage to encourage you to buy a rake or change your oil, no I mean the real spring. The trick of knowing when spring has finally arrived is really based on how you measure time.

For my part I don’t use calendars to pin down spring. The ice coming off the lakes certainly portends to the coming of spring, yet that is not spring. Spring after all is about life. I was thinking about this the other day while walking around a Mirror Lake near Wisconsin Dells. It was warm, the sun was shining and it certainly felt like spring. “So when was the beginning of spring? I wondered to myself. Was it March 21st like the calendars say? Was it that day when the ice finally came off the lake? Was it the day the turkey vultures returned to the hills around the valley where I live? Then I looked down at the ground and realized . . . the first day of spring was about two inches ago.

In the silence of the predawn hours sounds that are often lost in the din of the daylight rule the dead nocturnal air. My office clock chugs with a regular rhythm that will if I let, it bring to mind Pink Floyd’s “Dogs of War”. . . ba dum, ba dum, ba dum ba dum. . . along with that rhythm comes memories of that whole hypnotic hip thing their backup singers had goin’ on. .

Outside the window the wind rushes through the trees and the remnants of today’s storms still swirl around every corner. Wind chimes jingle and jangle in the empty darkness. The clock set’s down the beat . . ba dum, ba dum, ba dum ba dum. . .

I poured another glass of iced tea. Skipped the ice.

Dogs of war and men of hate
With no cause, we don’t discriminate
Discovery is to be disowned
Our currency is flesh and bone
Hell opened up and put on sale
Gather ’round and haggle. . .

The sound of the cubes clacking together is an offence to the night air. . .

. . ba dum, ba dum, ba dum ba dum. . . 3am goes something like this. . .

Some days are just a walk in the woods!
This is Mirror Lake State Park near Wisconsin Dells.

Symposiums and big groups are lots of fun of course. In addition I really enjoy teaching private lessons. For the last couple years I’ve been doing more and more of this at my local lake. Of course with my busy summers it can be really hard to make the time. On the other hand, spending summer morning or sunny afternoon helping someone polish a roll or working with young couples who just want a new activity to do together is really a great experience.

This year there are some folks really chomping at the bit to get out and start paddling and I’m sure they are a bit bummed out that I’m saying we should wait a few more weeks. (sorry guys!) But the water is still just brutal and of course the way I teach, you WILL end up in the water!

One of the most common questions beginners ask in that first email goes something like, “Is there any special clothing I need?”. So let’s talk about that just a bit. First off here in the states we are blessed with lots of lakes and ponds that warm up in the summer so we can often get away with a lot less than if we were holding lessons in big cold open water.

It goes without saying you need a PFD (life jacket). If you are just taking a class a PFD should be provided but it can’t hurt to ask. We could spend all day talking about PFDs, but for now I’ll assume you will have one provided.

You’ll also want some sort of footwear. Sneakers are out! Aqua socks are fine. The only thing we try to watch with shoes is that they drain the water, and they don’t have any strings or straps that could get caught on the footrests. Nothing loose. Investing in aqua socks saves a debate later on what is defined as “loose”. Most instructors won’t allow you to take a class In bare feet.

Now as far as your clothing in general there are a bunch of little factors that go into what’s best. So let me break that down a bit.

In the summer and in warm water you could get away with about any sort of clothing however, it’s a good idea not to wear cotton. Cotton just soaks in the water and becomes heavy. It also just keeps you cold and wet. So what you should look for is clothing with “wicking” properties. That means that the clothing actually pulls the water off your body to the surface and allows it to evaporate off the surface. This keeps you warmer and it dries much faster. Any shop can point you to a variety of clothing that are made of wicking materials. Oh, I should add that this includes underwear!! No one wants wet, squishy underwear!

Now we could stop there if it were not for the fact that eventually either intentionally or by accident you WILL end up IN the water. Once you are in the water, the rules can change. Even on a warm day with warm water it’s easy to get chilled. Unless you’re in a protected geothermal lagoon in Hawaii, bikinis and Speedos just won’t cut it. If you get cold easily or you just may not be out in perfect conditions you should add something with a bit of insulation. Probably the most common clothing we think of are called Hydroskins from NRS. Hydroskins are somewhere in between a wet suit and your wicking gear. They will keep you a bit warmer on those cool days and insulate you a bit in cooler water. At the same time Hydroskins are quite thin so you can wear them comfortably and even toss your paddling jacket over the top to cut the wind. Hydroskins are probably the one best bit of gear you can get early on in your paddling experience. They are not all that expensive (tops & pants around $85 each) and they will make all those borderline days much more enjoyable.

Of course you don’t need a paddling jacket when you are just trying to figure out if you like the sport. However, if you are starting to find you like being out on the water, this is probably your next purchase. What I look for in a paddling jacket is something that stops the wind (I mean really, stops the wind), and a jacket that keeps you protected from splash, and at the same time drains water quickly if you do end up swimming. Again a paddling jacket will not hold water. People often think they can just wear a windbreaker, but if it has that little insulation layer inside, it will keep you wet and cold. A nice paddling jackets start around $40 and go up into the hundreds. Nothing wrong with buying a cheap one to start out as long as it keeps you comfortable.

As I said before, I won’t start doing private lessons for another month. The water is just too cold right now, even though there are many nice warm days. Right now if we were going to be in the water we would have to invest in more specialized gear. People who paddle year around eventually have to talk more about layering and look at wetsuits (which are big rubbery things that keep you wet, but warmer) and drysuits which keep you dry even if you swim. But we won’t worry about that stuff until you know you’re addicted.

So a recap. . .

For a beginner class in warm conditions you should wear aqua socks on your feet, wear wicking clothing (no cotton), and if you feel ambitious you can invest in hydroskins or a paddling jacket although they are not required. Many shops will have these extras available if you happen to take a class on a chilly day.

Learn More:

Head To Toe Outfitting from Canoe & Kayak Magazine

Clothing Section at Rutabaga.com

Reed Chill Cheater

NRS

New Hampshire paddler Mark Boucher seems to be doing a bit better after his near death experience on the Ashuelot River in NH just a few days back.  Mark was pulled in and under by the heavy current under a dam. According to the story he was unable to fight his way out and when he become unconscious he was finally spit out.  He was still in critical condition at the hospital just days ago, but now he seems to be improving fast. Yesterday they were able to remove the ventilator.  To follow along, leave a note, or donate to his medical fund you can visit the website his family and friends set up at www.markjboucher.info.