Why Wait?

If you're waiting for a balmy Spring day, you may be waiting awhile.  One nice day in two weeks just isn't enough for a hit or miss chance between workdays to hit the water. Unless.... your gear includes clothing that will get you out there a little sooner.  Dry tops have neoprene, or latex neck collars, wristbands and a strip that snugs around your waist. Dry pants have an ankle strip that fits over boots with velcro and another strip at the waist to keep water at bay.  Extreme drysuits offer coverall protection with the same neoprene/latex wrist, neck and integrated latex socks for water resistant durability.  The fabric is waterproof and the garment is made loose enough that layering with other layers for warmth is possible. If you're thinking wild water, then you're really serious and you already have your wetsuit!  Neoprene gloves, or  'pogies',  neoprene head warming hoods dress you  for the cold and misty days on the water.  "Dress for the water" is a recent quote given as advice for kayaking forays.
  I'm looking at the sky, and the sun is shining...some.  The clouds are on the horizen, over the hills, and dark grey, and in the distance low clouds diffuse the patchwork of snow in the mountains.  The wind is picking up, and has a decided chill to it.  The lake in front of me has wind chop, and the stick pile on the shoreline is two feet from the waters edge.  Clothing, as well as experience with weather conditions, and what happens out there on the water, will tell if conditions are up to the readiness of a paddler. 

  I sat in my warm car studying the lake in front of me, dreaming of the day not so cold to go paddling.  I'm yearning for warmth, and for the serenity of gliding across the water.  And with the steady motion of paddling, cut through water as still as a mirror.  I capture the "come-hither/go-away" scene with the camera and hope for warm sunny days ahead...and soon.

My Trip Down the Chetco and Smith Rivers

The first day of my vacation and first overnight paddle camping got off Friday the 13th. Mary, Lee and I (Lisa) convoyed over to Alfred Loeb State Park about 10 mi East of Brookings to meet and camp with Cecil and Marianne. They have been canoeing for 25+ years and run the rivers KNEELING the whole time! (makes my knees hurt just to think about it!) Really nice folks to have around and a wealth of river knowledge.

We got out on the Chetco about noon. It is supposed to be a class II river, but seemed mild other than one rapid just before take out. Beautiful, crystal clear water and river banks ranging from sandy beaches to fist sized rocks. At one point we met up with a guy loading rocks into a weird looking motorized river cart/truck/vehicle to make a "rock wall" to surround his Not Appearing Up To Code Standard home. He said it was "therapy" .......... hmm.....strains of "Dueling Banjos" started drifting thru my head. Other than the almost constant wind (hint, get out on the river early) and at one point Marianne saving my a** from going into a strainer, the paddle was uneventful, therapeutic and well appreciated.

The second day we took in the main fork of the Smith River getting an early start. I was to drive shuttle and we all stopped to check landmarks for the takeout. Leaving my car there, we then headed East. About 30 seconds after getting our boats into the water I was swiftly carried to a choice of: 1.) A sheer rock wall/canyon to my right or 2.) A boulder the size of a Volkswagen (or so it seemed) on my left, with a teeny strip (or so it seemed.. it was actually probably about 3' wide.... it just LOOKED tiny compared to the other two) of high flowing water in between. I determined that to be the route I was supposed to take. It was raining so my glasses were useless if not worse and were quickly stowed away. Besides, the waves were hitting me pretty regularly in the face. This river was a BLAST!!! Kind of a narrow, beautiful canyon with old growth Redwoods, wild lilac (Blue Blossom), Scotch Broom, Lupine, etc. A wave train of about 5 in a row stands out in my mind. I think the troughs had waves greeting me about eye level or above. Like I said, glasses were moot point. Lee asked if that one was a "Class 4". (-: My new kayak "Cosmo" is SWEET!

We were out on the river about 4 hrs with it raining most of the time. I think we were all ready to get out and get warm. I flunked as a shuttle driver, having left my keys in Lee's truck. $20 later the camp host was truly a host by driving Cecil and Lee to their vehicles.

The weekend was great with beautiful water, serene river views from our campsite, good food and best of all, excellent company.

BTW.....do NOT talk on your cell phone while driving in Brookings as I learned. Now I think I'll pop "Deliverance " into the DVD........

Happy and Safe Paddlin' Chix Lisa

The technical info:
5/13/11 - Chetco River (Class I & II rapids)  flow rate: 1430 cfs.  (Recommended flow rate by Paddling Oregon: 400 to 800 cfs) Put-in: Low-water Bridge approx. 10 miles northeast of Alfred Loeb State Park. Take-out: Alfred Loeb State Park. For more info, consult Paddling Oregon, page 48 and/or the following link:
http://www.kayaklunartics.com/Chetco.htm
 
5/14/11 - Smith River (Class I & II rapids)  flow rate: approx. 2600 cfs. Put-in: Follow directions to Stout Grove off Hwy 199; not too far after you leave Hwy 199 turn right into a well developed parking area. You can drive down to the river to unload. This access is above the confluence with the South Fork. Take-out: Ruby Van Deventer County Park on Hwy 197. Important info can be found at the following link:
http://www.kayaklunartics.com/Smith.htm
 
A harbor seal joined our flotilla at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and followed us for awhile - what a treat, as were the majestic redwoods, colorful rhododendrons, beautiful teal water, great companions! - Mary

Light Reading

My husband is a book hound who occasionally drops one into my hands. 'Kayaking Made Easy' by Dennis Stuhaug  was a recent find.  Amazingly rich with a variety of information, I've been browsing through the chapters and picking out interesting factoids to add to my growing appreciation of the sport.  It's also a great way to spend a lunch as the weather slowly warms before recalling a few of the things on my wish list of things to try.  Other things such as paddle strokes, and refining them, still need a gotta-see-it refinement, but lots of other stuff is good for the personal dictionary.
A little vocab quiz for you!  Wish I could write the answers upside down, but even Marilyn VosSavant got thumbs down for doing that, sooo...Test yourself and mark it A+ if you already know it:

What are 'sponsons'?
What is 'the fetch' in reference to?
(trick question)  What is 'Neffie' (or NFE)?

Answers:
Sponsons:  A pair of fabric pontoons that strap on either side of a kayak for added stability.
the Fetch: refers to the area of open water over which the wind has blown.  Here's a bonus as to why I included this: Do you know what the Beaufort Scale is?
Neffie (NFE):  Stands for Not Far Enough.  A 'disease' by the author's definition, that causes a paddler to paddle on and on for many hours. (Just one more bend...maybe the next beach will be better, the want for speed)
Hope I've added something new for you!

This weeks Paddling.Net has a good article, too, just in time for early cool weather paddlers:
 http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?557

Invitation to Solo

The borrowed blue PFD and a taped unfeathered paddle saw me into a demo kayak on the bank of the Deschutes River in Bend. Just before he gave me a push off, the young tousled haired young man asked me, "Are you confident?" "Yes," I said. He then explained just where I should paddle, avoiding the spillway to the right, and recommending I could paddle as far as the second bridge where he said the current would become too strong to paddle against. I set off upriver against a fairly stiff current keeping close to the bank. While studying the 106 Old Town Camden's handling, and keeping an eye out for tree limbs, I suddenly realized I was out on the river on my own in sight of shopping malls, backyards, and a busy river cross walk bridge coming up shortly. I made it to the second bridge, and found the current not so hard, and paddled into the broad bend that beckened for some distance. It was tempting to keep right on going, the day so fine, sunny with a cool breeze. "The (river is) lovely, dark, and deep; but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep..."-RF After trying out another kayak, and purchasing a river map. I set out for my next destination.
The Garmin nuvi265t was my husbands Christmas present and I used it to navigate from the river to Tumalo Falls. I was very pleased with how it worked, navigating me through neighborhoods and traffic circles. The only thing it couldn't tell me was that the gate was locked 2.5 miles from my destination. It accurately helped me find the next stop, which also took me through new territory through town.
A couple of thoughts about going 'solo': the young man's question, "Are you confident?" asks for a bundle of information. Experiences enough to answer 'yes' come to mind. When confindence is as easy as answering 'yes', it leaves the mind open for other important things, like a clearing wind blowing away cob webs and clutter. It was just what I needed