Reflections on Ice-Breaking
Published April 12, 2008 | 
Let’s not blame the day for the snow and sleet.
In fact it’s a blessing of sorts.
After all, adventure thrives in bad weather.
Bad weather adores adventure
Of course!
And even though it’s now forgotten,
drunk up, and spent
and lost
it can be said that people,
all people, thrive on adventure and loft
It’s no coincidence then that it is often said, or quoted or read
that death, or the art of becoming dead
is the last great adventure
The last reminder in case you forgot
That adventure will come if you want it
Or not
I may go paddling today in the rain
In the snow
In the sleet
In the gloom
In the wet
Then, when cold and tired and spent
I’ll return to my home and lye on the couch
sipping warm brandy
(while quoting Ogden Nash to no one in particular)
Within the Walls of this Burning Cathedral
Published January 13, 2006 | 
Keeping brown sugar in a coffee tin is a dangerous plan. Especially when your skills of observation are a bit weak in the morning. . .
On the eastern edge of the Steinke Basin, deep within the endless swamps and young forests of reclaimed farmland, stands a great dark pine cathedral. It lies hidden somewhere shadowed under the weathered corpse of an ancient mountain range, far off the roads and out of sight, quiet and cold.
To find this place you must follow a winding path that crawls beneath a few remaining imprisoned oaks now surrounded by modern invaders. Maples, Honeysuckle, Garlic Mustard, and cackling White Birch now populate once open lands. The battle of the oak savanna has been lost almost two centuries ago, and here you walk amongst the rubble of a long past silent war. Then just as you might think you were breaking out of the tangle and into the sun, the trail dives sharply south into the dark gates of the cathedral.
On either side of this earthen path, young pines rise in order of their age until blending into the dark emerald tops of their older brethren and funneling you into the maw.
You have to stop. Cold slips from the murky atmosphere within to caress your cheeks with frozen fingers. Your eyes water.
As you step forward below the high ceiling of the cathedral you begin notice the void. There are no birds, no squirrels, no buzzing of insects, no sights or sounds of life within. Even the grey light is lifeless as it oozes though seemingly microscopic screens of dead pine branches taking all form out of focus. Cold air sinks down from the blackness above and snakes along the side of your neck, then wiggles down your spine, finally dropping to a forest floor which is submerged in red needles and silver frozen tongues. These sprawling veins of ice formed when snow melted outside under the sun, then ran into this dark place only to freeze again in twisted, chrome lightning bolts. Some days if I find myself there at just the right time and season, a golden blazing sun breaks through silent opaque stand and lights it on fire. There within the walls of this burning cathedral I stand frozen, engulfed in flame.
- d
Posted in , Enviroment, Events & Symposia, Quixotica, Random Thoughts, Verse | 
devils lake, wisconsinSuspended in Gaffa
Published May 18, 2005 | they’ve told us unless we can prove that we’re doing it, we can’t have it all. (I want it all) – Kate Bush
Gear , Gear, Gear, Gear. Let me share, if you did’nt hear,
I’m getting some gear! I’m getting some gear!
No fun gear, bought that stuff last year,
Just boring necessity gear.
Every year there’s more boring, necessity gear.
I’m not too proud to buy the wrong gear.
I’ll make mistakes. I’ll take it back.
Will you take it back? “Sorry no dear, no refunds here!”
Damn, Damn, I hate buying gear!
I want to steer clear of gear though I never will.
I fear I’ll never stop buying gear.
Light gear, fancy gear, gear with buttons and gear with straps.
Mountaineer gear, Gondolier gear, Marine-engineer gear, and
whatever-you-do-you-do gear, all turns to kayaking gear
when I get it all here and stuffed in my boat.
My boat full of gear.
My floating gear boat.
My floating gear-tote-boat.
Any more gear and my floating gear tote boat may not float.
May not float at all!
May just sink like a rock, or sit on a rock not floating at all!
My non-floating, rock sitting, gear toting boat!
I gotta leave in a week and I need to seek out more gear.
Gaffa tape and towel gear for cracks and smacks.
Marine glues and water shoes and a liquor flask for the back hatch.
Ah. . . a liquor flask for the back hatch.
Now that’s all I ask.
That’s all I ask of my tote-boat’s back hatch.
A back hatch liquor flask with liquor to last!
A week or a year without thinking of gear.
Just a tote boat back hatch liquor flask and a buzz in my ear.
A buzz in my ear?
I just remembered. . .
Deet!
Oh no! Time to go!
I’ve got to go!
Got to buy more gear!
- Yes, I do feel better now. Thanks for asking!
One little bit of gear that we’ve been taking to task recently is Denzo tape which is available in Europe but not here in the states. So most of us carry Duct/Gaffa/Gaffer tape for boat repair. This is one of those subjects that gets way out of hand. Every couple of weeks someone seems to have a new tape. Recently this subject has been running through the Paddlewise group as well including the mention of 3M Helicopter tape that apparently costs $125 per roll!!
Then this morning I read a new blog post by Ginni Callahan and there is that darned tape again! During her assessment she pulls out the Duct tape and a towel, dried the spot off and the tape stays on until she removes it the next day. Interestingly while I was reading that JB sent me an email saying just use Duct tape and have a dry towel. Hey, you don’t have to hit me upside the head. I can be taught, really.
So until proven otherwise I’m going to stay Suspended in Gaffa!
Posted in My Weird Life, Paddle Gear, Paddling, Repairs & Modifications, Verse | duct tape, gaffa tape, ginni callahanShelter From The Storm
Published March 25, 2005 | I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail, Poisoned in the bushes an’ blown out on the trail” – dylan
Finally the world has begun to thaw. Yesterday I took a six mile hike up and over the Baraboo Bluffs at Devil’s Lake State Park. For those of you not familiar with the term “Bluff” it’s basically a vertically challenged mountain. Our mini 1100 ft. mountains are made of a very unique purple quartzite and are studied by folks far and near. Hiking up and over them is a bit more challenging however. Especially when the trails are still covered in about 5 inches of water filled melting snow. Today I followed up with another 4 mile hike. I really despise exercise for the sake of exercise so it’s great to be back outside taking in the world around me. But to be honest, “blown out on the trail” feels about right some days. .
So I have been re-familiarizing myself with the BCU Three Star Test, as this is another summer goal. Yikes. Ok. So I can handle the “signs of hypothermia” type questions. My bigger concern is if Welsh is the mandatory language of BCU paddlers? If so, I’ll just work on mastering “Dydw i ddim yn deall” . and leave it at that. So that would go something like, “Have you heard of Rob Roy MacGregor?. . . .” Dydw i ddim yn deall! I’m not sure if you can answer a question about Rob Roy in Welsh but . . . Anything’s better than saying ahh, that’s that film with that guy from Star Wars right?
By the way, you could probably just quote Wordsworth. . .
Heaven gave Rob Roy a dauntless heart,
And wondrous length and strength of era,
Nor craved he more to quell his foes,
Or keep his friends from harm.
Yet was Rob Roy as wise as brave
Forgive me if the phrase he strong
A poet worthy of Rob Roy
Must scorn a timid song.
Bear witness many a pensive sigh
Of thoughtful herdsman when he strays
Alone upon Loch Veol’s heights,
And by Loch Lomond’s braes!
But would your BCU coach actually ask that question? I’m not sure I’ve read the bit about Rob Roy’s sea kayaking adventures. But one never knows! If you are interested in following along with all the fun sample questions Just click on over to Sea Kayak Georgia. Although I’m poking a bit of fun at it now, in actuality I fear BCU testing. My limited exposure has taught me that I must be at my best to certify. So I have a lot of work to do.
In other kayaking news It sounds like I will have a great trip coming up in May. I will talk more about that when it’s confirmed. Until then check out the Kayak Georgia link, learn more about Rob Roy, oh and just for fun. . . Go shopping for a drogue!
- dm
Posted in Fitness, My Paddling, My Weird Life, Paddling, Random Thoughts, Verse | BCU, devils lake, poem, Wordsworth
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