Losing My Kayak Virginity

Paddle: 7 km

Monthly Total: 137 km

As you know, I was reacquainted with paddling recently. Quickly, I fell in love. This past week-end, I was introduced to a tight fitting kayak called “Squall“. We hit it off and I consequently lost my kayak virginity.

It’s weird over the years that I haven’t had an opportunity to kayak before now. (Obviously nothing memorable). We called Jere’s old buddy from the Kenora Hardware Company and he hooked us up with some kayak rentals on Sunday. Jeremy tried out Storm and as previously mentioned I had Squall. Squall didn’t have the best rookie stats on paper: A small, tighter, quicker kayak – best not for a first timer. All that aside, Steve fit the peddles to my feet, coached me to keep my knees to the sides for stability, then pushed me out into the water. Eek!

I whipped into the creek and then froze up in terror. My small, tight kayak felt unsteady and scary. I dipped one paddle in and felt my craft sway to the side. I squealed and shakily looked over my shoulder to find Jere popping my rudder in the water. The creek basically carried us, as we pushed on the pedals and dipped our paddles into the water – attempting to find balance, direction and overall movement.  After awhile, our instincts kicked in and by the time we reached Laurenson’s Lake, we were much more fluent.

Love the Squall! It steered like a dream and I made a lot of distance with little effort. It was a windy day and there were some waves, which proved to be no issue. So, all good.

I am putting it on the wish list. I will probably go for a shorter craft, but it is still all good for day trips. All and all, a very good first experience.

Co-Worker Inspiration

Bike: 12 km

Monthly Total: 99 km

A couple weeks ago, I found myself gloomily staring out the window. I had rode my bike into work that day and the weather looked crappy.  The  flag poles and trees were bending in the wind – the opposite direction of home. Many co-workers offered my bike and I a ride home, for which I was very grateful.

After the third person offered assistance, my co-worker looked up from his computer. He checked out the wind and said, “You know, I always love riding into the wind. It’s great training and I always pretend I’m climbing a mountain”. Well, isn’t that a positive spin? I decided to decline the ride offers and bike home instead. It was actually not too bad. Now, I always think of the mountains when biking home into the wind. (Which seems to be more often then not).

Rob, the program manager, is a master communicator and relationship builder. If you have kids, he can tell you a story or two (he has 3 girls and triplet boys). If you have house renos, he can you tell you about his experiences (he has a home in San Antonio & Winnipeg and cottages in the Whiteshell & outside of Thompson). Finally, if you’re an outdoors nut like myself, he can really captivates your attention. He has hiked, biked, paddled, and ran his way through many adventures.

Knowing about my more recent interest in paddling, the topic of today was his watercraft of choice. He currently owns a number of canoes and 10-foot kayaks. He explained that canoes are better for overnight adventures and are easier to portage. Kayaks are better for quick day trips and handling rapids. His goal is to purchase a couple of 14-foot kayaks, which can hold more cargo and make overnight trips possible. He wants to take his boys down a river route that connects Thompson and the Hudson Bay. “It’s a route for the purists”, as there are no portages, which is ideal for kayaks. He will obtain the journals of the voyageurs who originally mapped out the water ways. There are landmarks described that can still be seen today.

Now, how cool is that?! I’m starting to get ideas. We’re going to Kenora this week-end and we may look into renting a couple of kayaks to explore the nearby lakes and creeks. Love it!

Out buddies, Chris and Josh, out in their kayaks last week-end.

Wet and Wild Week-end: Adventures in a Canoe

Bike: 6 km – Canoe: 18 km – Walk: 2 km

Monthly Total: 61 km

Bonus Activity: Portaging a canoe and Installing said canoe to the roof of a car

Jeremy and I have always enjoyed water sports. Up until now, our experience has been limited in the area of canoeing and kayaking. We took lessons in our teens and have paddled around small lakes, but have never experienced canoeing in channels and other such “moving” water. We were presented with an opportunity to join some friends who avidly canoe and kayak this past weekend – it was too sweet to pass up.

We jumped online and found a local shop that rents canoes with all the trimmings (tie downs, paddles, and life jackets). We were able to pick it up Friday evening and drop it off on Monday, which worked perfectly with our schedule. The shop owner gave us a crash course on strapping a canoe to the sedan, which was important since we would be doing that various times throughout the week-end. We executed the maneuver and took off for the Whiteshell.

We successfully drove the whole way without the canoe making so much as a whisper. Our buddies greeted us with open arms, welcoming us to a world that they have long enjoyed. Our paddling good times would take us to explore Otter Falls and down the Pinawa Channel. Both destinations rewarded us with glorious scenery, animated wild life and absolute serenity. We are officially hooked.

Many lessons were learned on our new water sport adventure. Let this be your guide, if you don’t already enjoy this type of outing:

• Renting a canoe is a great, safe way to learn. Firstly, you can decide if canoeing is the sport for you. Secondly, rentals are full of scratches. If you must learn by adding a couple more of your own as the result of unforeseen rocks, so be it.
• Observe what the locals wear out on the water. We all donned our swim suits, shorts and t-shirts for our excursion to Otter Falls. Our friend, who we fondly refer to as the “Legend himself”, was wearing pants and long sleeves. I promptly changed into my convertible pants and was glad that I did. The bugs were on the nasty side, attacking bare legs and ankles. Appropriate attire is key.
• Know your route. Our friends know the area well, but still did not hesitate to head ashore and check out the water conditions. With time, rapids will vary and water levels can rise and drop. Play safe.
• Respect the power of water. At Otter Falls, we were separated from half the group. One of our buddies was in a kayak and 3 of us were in a canoe. We started paddling back to the beach, when it suddenly occurred to us we had not made any progress. The current had us treading water and we did not have the power to shoot out of it. We remained calm and maneuvered to the opposite side of the beach. We beckoned our kayak buddy over to us, who had yet to clue into our plight. We took a different line and made it across.
• Celebrate the small victories. Sure, it took Jeremy and I longer to load up our canoe then everyone else – but we did it. Sure, we hit many rocks, but we did not capsize with 3 people in the canoe. All lessons learned.
• Tell everyone you know about your adventures. I heard may tales of how to not mount a canoe to your car. I learned where to get maps should we venture out on our own. I was given examples of navigating water and portages.

Next, we have plans to hijack my parent’s canoe to explore Turtle Mountain lakes. Nothing will stand in the way of our new love!

Happy Independence Day!