Thi photo was taken on a canoe trip down the Lower Molalla River.
This photo is was taken by Flickr user Northwest Rafting Company and licensed under Creative Commons. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
I studied economics in university. Among other basic tenets, it teaches that specialization is good. Concentrate on doing one thing really well and then trade that thing for other goods and services. This has made our society more efficient. It has also made us softer, more detached and dumber than ever. Sometimes I dream of building my own log cabin in the woods. I’ve been meaning to patch the holes in a favorite old coat so I don’t have to head to the store and buy a new one. I imagine having a garden large enough to feed myself with bushels of fresh food.
For some, this do-it-yourself ambition is a road to freedom. Self-sufficiency means no more dependence on systems that may be unsustainable or somehow corrupted by our modern throwaway society. I applaud people who live by this ethic, but for me, this isn’t the whole picture. I really love the taste of grapefruits from South Africa. My hiking boots were made in Italy and they’re super comfy. There’s much more to this diversification of skills thing than freedom from relying on others.
Think of the connection I’d have to my home after felling, stripping, notching and stacking all the logs that make up its walls. I can’t imagine it would be the same feeling I’d get from a meeting with a real estate agent, mortgage broker and subdivision developer.
To continue reading this articel that first appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of Canoeroots, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Having someone ask if you would paddle in his or her bow is a great compliment and there’s much anticipation of greatness in your first run together. To have fluidity and make the moves, the bow paddler needs to be more than just a mindless power machine. An active bow paddler controls momentum, assists with eddy turns and aids in boat tilt and pitch.
Knowing when to supply power and when to back off or stop paddling altogether—without being told from the stern—is the first step to mastering the bow.
A good sense of timing is part of the momentum equation. When starting a wide cross-current manoeuvre, bow and stern paddlers build momentum together. However, as the new eddy approaches, the bow paddler may need to pour it on to reach the eddy, or back off or even pause his stroke in order to avoid overshooting the eddy. Practice timing on easy water, carving wide arcs across moderate current and giving the bow paddler time to use his eyes and plan the speed of approach.
Power from the bow is generally necessary when entering eddies as well as when starting from a standstill in difficult eddies. However, when surfing or using transport waves to cross currents, the bow paddler will probably need to supply less power and can help with fine-tuning the angle of the canoe. Too much power can result in the bow being buried in the on-coming downstream water, making it difficult for the stern person to control the angle and the boat being blown off the wave.
The bow paddler’s turning strokes are nearly always assistive. Once the stern paddler initiates a turn, the bow paddler determines its radius or sharpness. Radius is affected by the stroke you use and how much tilt you give the boat. For example, an onside sweep in place of a cross-bow rudder (the stroke formerly known as cross-draw) is a useful stroke when forward momentum and wider turning radius are desired.
Timing is key in all turning strokes. When heading into eddies, a bow rudder should be done in the eddy pool, where the water is moving upstream, not on the eddyline where the current is too undefined. Prematurely supplying turning strokes instead of forward power does two negative things: one, there is less or no momentum to cross the eddyline and two, the boat may be turned to face upstream before arriving in the eddy, waffling on the eddyline or stuck in the downstream flow of the current.
When leaving an eddy, the bow paddler should again wait on the turning stroke until her end of the boat is fully in the current.
Sitting up straight and tall allows you to separate your upper and lower body movement and therefore tilt more effectively. For the most part, keep your shoulders over your hips for maximum use of your body weight and control of the boat. If your weight is forward over your knees, this often makes the boat (and you) feel tippy. The bow is the area where the canoe starts to narrow—keep your weight back over your seat where the boat is wider. Leaning forward also transfers your weight toward the bow, often pinning it and making it more difficult for the stern paddler to initiate turns.
Varying your posture in the bow also plays a role in how well a canoe punches through holes, surfs and turns. Leaning forward when surfing will drop the boat down into a trough. Leaning back keeps the bow light and dry when travelling through large standing waves or once the canoe is settled in a surf.
It’s way more fun in the bow when you are a thinking paddler and able to mind your end of the boat independently. The next step in double-domination is working on communication and coordination with your stern paddler.
This article originally appeared in Rapid, Spring 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
It’s early March and snow is still blanketing the hills of West Virginia. My friend Paula and I rush out of Morgantown like college students on Spring Break, thirsty for the river and freedom. My last meeting of the day ran late and despite my frantic attempts to leave early, we’re behind schedule. It’s mid-afternoon when we reach Rockville Bridge put-in and drop boats and gear under the barbwire fence by the road.
Heater blasting, we bump along rocky dirt roads past farms and barking dogs to the take-out at the confluence of the mighty Cheat and Big Sandy rivers. We pull running shoes over thick socks for the steep two-and-a-half-mile climb out of the gorge. Once at the top we gain momentum for the remaining three miles back to our stowed boats.
It’s 5:00 p.m. when we finally slip into our creek boats on the red sandy shore under the Rockville Bridge. We are both thinking what we are not saying: It’s getting late, maybe we should call this off. The gray sky is tinged with dusk when we push off from shore. We’re paddling hard and fast from the start, negotiating Entrance, Wonder, Zoom Flume and Little Splat without many words—pushing hard to get through the bigger rapids in daylight. We finish the portage around Big Splat in cold, numbing darkness.
The wave trains and boulder gardens below Splat are class III but in darkness they become treacherous and unrecognizable. I bounce off rocks and swing backwards into more rocks. We hug the shoreline, using the calm eddies behind boulders whenever possible. We call out directions above the river’s roar in an effort to stay close without sight.
Blindly, I am swept into an almost fully submerged tree hung between two rocks. For what seems like minutes, I am in a full embrace with the tree—hugging its coarse bark with every ounce of strength. I am rocked in a dangerous slow dance with the water’s surges—my boat rhythmically rising and sucking down in the current beneath the sweeper. I reach for my skirt. My boat and paddle are swept downstream and I am left clinging to the wet trunk, yelling back into the night, “TREE, TREE, TREE!”
We walk from then on, stumbling along rock- and root- laden shorelines—falling, swimming and crawling into darkness. Impossibly, the night grows still blacker and colder.
First Island Rapid leaps out from the darkness. We stand on the flat rocks on river left and can almost see whitewater crashing down the right channel. Finally, we’re near the end. Our spirits renewed, we scale the steep hillside to find an old logging road leading downstream.
Trudging along the rugged trail, beyond physical exhaustion, I beat myself up.
Why didn’t we start earlier, call it off at the put-in, hike out at Big Splat? Why did we let ego and desire trump good judgment and respect for the river?
It’s close to midnight when we see a flash of light and hear the distant voices of the search party.
This article originally appeared in Rapid, Summer/Fall 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Keep your eyes peeled on the portage trails this summer—there’s treasure hidden in the woods!
Paddle In The Park, along with the help of some well-known trippers, have hidden six Badger Canoe paddles along the portage trails in Algonquin, Temagami and Killarney . Find a paddle and you get to keep it—plus, win a slew of awesome prizes. The summer-long contest was created as a way to encourage people to reconnect with the outdoors and begins Friday, June 28. Clues to the locations of the paddles will be offered throughout the summer and become increasingly specific .
The paddle hiders recruited were celebrated adventuers Kevin Callan, Hap Wilson and Preston Ciere—so you know those paddle could be anywhere.
The contest will also include draws each time a paddle is found . Those who find the booty—er, paddles—should contact PaddleInThePark.ca to receive the rest of the prize package, which, besides the hidden paddles, include signed books by authors Kevin Callan, Hap Wilson and Laurie Ann March, along with prizes provided by Portageur.ca, Jeff’s Map, North Water, Swift Canoe, Algonquin Outfitters, Keyak, Hooligan Gear and more.
Paddler-finders will also receive a one-year subscription to Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.
The contest runs until September 15 or until all the paddles are found, which ever comes first.
For contest rules, and clues about the paddles whereabouts, check paddleintheparkcontest.ca.
“I thought you had the map!”
This photo is was taken by Flickr user the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and licensed under Creative Commons. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
Rugged and waterproof, this high sensitivity GPS has 3.5 GB of onboard storage. The Earthmate PN-60 delivers next-generation GPS capabilities and includes digital topos for all of north america. With a sunlight-readable screen and ergonomic design for one-handed operation, Delorme supports you in all your outdoor adventures!
$300 | www.delorme.com
This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Spring 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
The new Hydro-Guide pairs a minimalist upper with Keen’s trademark closed toe, and adds drainage holes for good measure. The perforations make for clog-like styling and water voidance, but are foam-backed to keep sand and stones out. Supple crisscross webbing dries quickly and wraps your foot securely for trekking and boating.
Keen’s smooth Aqua-Stop sole grips slippery rocks with remarkable tenacity, but provides less traction on rough portage trails. While we’re not usually fans of Velcro in footwear, we like the removable heel strap that quickly converts the Hydro-Guide from a pedary straight jacket to a relaxed, après paddle slide.
Available in unisex sizes 4 to 15.
keencanada.com | $100
This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Spring 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
What do kayak magazine editors do after work? Well, with a basement full of cool gear and boats, we spend a lot of time paddling… and dreaming up different ways to get to where we can paddle.
If you haven’t tried the inline skate shuttle yet, I highly recommend it. Just expect some strange looks on your commute!
Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
This preview complements the kayak cart shootout that appears in the Summer/Fall 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak magazine.
By Railblaza
Designed and made in New Zealand, the rugged C-TUG center cart is built entirely free of metal to withstand years of salty abuse. The X-shaped frame dismantles for easy stowing in a hatch, and features a kickstand for stable loading and adjustable pads to carry hulls of nearly any shape and size, weighing up to 300 pounds. The C-TUG now comes equipped with airless, rubber-treaded wheels for worry-free durability. If you’re headed for soft sand or mud, optional Sidewinder wheel extensions double the tread width ($54.50/pair).
www.c-tug.net | $169
By Suspenz
Simple and compact, this Smart Cart is designed specifically for sea kayaks with a narrower, padded aluminum frame that folds for storage and can support loads up to 75 pounds. A single kickstand aids loading and unloading, and eight-inch pneumatic tires provide a cushy ride for your beloved boat. Suspenz also offers a full line of cart styles for boats of all shapes and sizes. If you’re transporting larger, heavier loads like tandems or rec boats—or if you just prefer the durability of airless wheels—check out their Smart Airless DLX Cart ($109.95).
www.suspenzkayakstorage.com | $79.95
Read about and watch video reviews of four more kayak carts in Adventure Kayak, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
