I am a child

On the toboggan hill

Earlier this winter I went for a walk in Bowring Park with my daughter Lisa. We stopped to watch the kids sliding on the snow covered hill. I brought me back to days I spent sliding down, walking back up and sliding down and so on. Years later I did the same with my young children but not lately. Now I've traded the toboggan of my childhood for ...

Water toboggan

the kayak of my so-called adulthood. Its not so much different really. While kayaking is a bit more serious in terms of danger it is still, in essence, playing, most of the time. Take for example, riding the surge over and around rocks or that surf ride that just seems to keep going and going.

I'm not sure what I'm going to be when I grow up but one thing for sure, I'm going to keep the child inside of the man.

Paddling in the snow

Snowing

Brian, Clyde, Dean, Lee and I met at St. Philips with the initial intention to play in waves expected to be generated by northerly winds. The wind didn't materialize so we paddled north knowing we'd have the wind at our backs for the return in case it did kick up.

It was snowing lightly and it built up on the deck as we prepared to launch.

Streaks

Snowflakes streaked the picture like a time exposure of a starry night.

Brian

Snow stung the eyes as we paddled into the little bit of wind there was.

Dean

We were not fazed in the least. It was padding in an environment with conditions close to those expected in the ancestral home of the kayak.

Lee

Dressing for the weather makes all the difference.

The four horsemen

The guys lined up side by side.

Clyde

No sign of Bell Island hidden in the snow.

What weather?

Paddling into the blowing snow it built up on my PFD. I love it!!!

We paddled a familiar coast but it wasn't boring by a long shot. There's always something to add interest. Today it was a bit of blowing snow and unusually high water. The high water made it possible to get through some spots inaccessible otherwise.

I'm sure people I passed on the road to the put-in questioned my sanity to be kayaking on such a day. These things though are hard to explain to the uninitiated.

Follow the sun

Brighter days to come

The days are getting noticeably longer, well, at least the number of hours of daylight. Tomorrow sunset is at 6:00. I wondered if sunset times were symmetrical around June 21 which is the longest day. Turns out, not quite. Sunset is at 6:00 (adjusted for daylight saving time) on September 21, 92 days after June 21. March 12 is 101 days from the June 21.

Technically June 21 is the longest day but the sun sets at 9:00 from June 19 to July 4. That's 16 days when we seem to be standing still in our orbit around the sun.

What does this have to do with kayaking? Well, its good news. Days are getting longer and we'll soon be able to get in some evening paddling and in particular, Thursday evening practices at St. Philips.

Staying in paddling shape

At "Gerard's Rocks"

Saturday was Dave's first paddle since November and his first winter paddle ever. After paddling 19.5 km, he felt it. Dean and I, having paddled throughout the winter, fared much better.

We've paddled through the winter but only five times due to the windy weather we've had and then only for a total of 82 kms. There are cross-training benefits to going to the gym and doing strength training and cardio but there's no substitute to putting the paddle in the water for staying in paddling shape. You just have to get out there and do it whenever the weather allows

To Brocks Pond Falls

Off we go

Today our destination was Brocks Pond Falls. This past week we had the coldest days of the winter so far and I suspected the falls would be spectacularly frozen in time by Mr. Freeze. Dave, Dean and I met at St. Philips but could not put-in in the harbour as it was choked with thick pans of ice. We put-in on the beach.

Daggers of ice

Not long underway we came upon the first shallow cave that was framed by huge drapes of icicles. We stayed well clear of the icicles because if any of it came down we would be paddling in the great beyond.

No, the picture is not off kilter. I tried this on purpose.

Through the channel

This channel between St. Philips and Portugal Cove is always interesting if there's even a bit of swell. Dean went in first - boom, up against a rock. Dave went next - the water drained and he was up on a rock. It looked like things could get really interesting but they made it through as did I.

Clearing traffic

Tobias joined us in Portugal Cove where we waited for the Bell Island ferry to cross before we headed on further north towards our destination for the day.

Under rocky hills

Paddling north from Portugal Cove the land looks like the land God gave to Cain.

At the falls

Almost 5 kms we hit the falls. We weren't disappointed as stopped to look up at a wall of frozen water some 200 feet high. Again, the off angle was something I tried.

Matching colours

Paddling back to Portugal Cove we beat into a stiff wind that seemed to be blowing from a totally different direction than forecast. Calories burned to propel our craft forward had to be replaced. We stopped on this beach dominated by cascading ice that just matched the white of my boat's hull.

The Pillars of Hercules

Back at St. Philips the twin piers leading into the inner harbour were all iced up above the high water mark. It reminded me of the Pillars of Hercules.

As is our custom, we paddled up the fresh water river to wash up before stopping at the restaurant for a well deserved hot tea. Half a kilometer short of 20, it was a fine way to spend a day in early March.

Developing good judgement

Frequent paddlers

Good judgement is our primary skill for staying safe on the water and it is a skill that has to be developed and practiced like any other skill.

Good judgement is not something we are born with. If we were, then I would not have done some of the things I did as a teenager or young adult. It is developed through experience.

Experience is built up through doing and that includes the good and the bad. We accumulate experience even from the exercise of bad judgement, assuming we survive the consequences.

Having good judgement means we've done a bit of living.

Image is everything

Winter ... no problem

Went to the gym yesterday. I parked next to a vehicle with two J-racks on top. I didn't recognize it and certainly haven't seen it at pool nights. I've seen a few people driving around town with kayak racking gear on their roofs but I've never run into anyone else other than our regulars on the water during the winter. What gives?

Maybe its just an image thing?