A Touch of Waldo

An overnight trip to Waldo Lake with Lisa, Mary, and Charlotte, yielded the desired introduction to one of my favorite camping places. I gave in to nostalgic storytelling, pointing out the different sites our family had camped in over the years and enjoying the memories while making new ones and imagining more to come. While the afternoon we arrived proved to be cool, damp, and expectedly windy for the paddle outing, the next day was the welcome and promised change in weather. The water was clear and the shadow of our kayaks reflected on the lake bottom as we paddled on the calm water with a sense of wonder. An amazing shade of blue teased us for naming.
The shore line on the opposite side from the Islet boat launch was our destination and a quick examination proved that the north end was pretty rocky, and not open for camp sites. As we exited the lake, another group of paddlers were preparing to set out complete with a triple seater kayak, and what looked like a ton of gear! We saw quite a few kayakers, and one kayak equipped with a sail and twin stabilizers. He would have to go to the West side to catch the wind however....
Mary had a good eye for the return place on the shore, and the glare from a car window helped us spot the return point. I chided myself for marking the horizen point off and thought of the helpfulness in using a compass, at the least, to note a back azmuth. It would have saved me a bit of extra paddling off course. Next time....

Know Your Limits

I enjoy reading the journal entries describing personal experiences along their paddling ventures. Each one shares a picture of another advance in a learning curve that solely belongs to the individual. Mary's latest entry for instance, describes her trip testing her limits on rapids, in her kayak and (gratefully) wearing a helmet; Lisa reflects on re-evaluating the need for a paddle leash and learning the value of having a knife close at hand and having a greater respect for the power of water flow. A lesson, I was forced to remember last week while trying to exit my kayak in a not-so-optimal spot and snapping my paddle in half in the process. Whatever our experiences become, we learn what we can manage and what challenges the edges of our tolerance level. Enter Wisdom. My dream is paddle camping. Rivers and rapids are a challenge that I'm willing to test now and again. I am considering purchasing a shorter kayak to take on "The Rogue!" and smaller rivers to enjoy greater maneuverability. My primary dream keeps me going in a direction and proscribes limits, or borders. Along the way, I'm gathering valuable knowledge of how and what I manage, and stretching those borders inch by inch or mile by mile, whichever way the river bends. And makes my ability much more flexible for more situations.
Thought for the day:
"Kayakers don't retire-they just move to another body of water."