This article originally appeared in Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.
Mike Kipp saw it first. Thankfully, he’s an early riser. I was second up, and spot- ted Mike motioning me excitedly from the shore of our island campsite. He pointed out the black bear swimming off another nearby island.
At first, it was cool to see the bear—we had seen little wildlife on our trip. Then I realized he was bee-lining it straight for us. Mike was ecstatic. He hurried over to his tent and woke his family, inviting them to come out and share the experience.
I’d rather not.
I’m bear phobic—a condition acquired through incidents involving trivial things like tubes of toothpaste or Thermoses of coffee, just to name a couple. I sprinted to my family’s tent and woke my wife and daughter Kyla, telling them to prep for a hasty retreat. In her morning haze, Kyla was distraught—it was her sixth birthday and she was anticipating a breakfast of chocolate cake and the mountain of presents she knew Mom had been lugging in her pack the entire trip.
By the time everyone shook the morning cobwebs, the bear was close enough to look us in the eye. Mike was enjoying the magic with his family. I was freaking out about impending doom. We came to a com- promise on the urgency of the situation and agreed to scare the bear off when it reached midway between the two islands.
At the halfway mark, with the hair on my neck standing upright, I yelled at the bear to turn tail. I shot off a round of bear bangers. Still, it remained determined to make landfall on our island. Mike fired his starter’s pistol. It sounded more like an air gun than the elephant gun I had hoped for. The bear didn’t even blink.
I had an entire arsenal—air horn, bear spray, flares—but, a canoeist to the core, I instinctively reached for my paddle. I beat the paddle against the granite shore and yelled obscenities that I hope Kyla will for- get before she is seven. The bear retreated.
The bad news was the paddle I used was the one Mike had hand carved for me a few years back. My abuse had split it right down the middle. Mike didn’t say much (Mike never really says much). He just solemnly stated, “I guess I’ll have to make you a new paddle.”
My daughter was none to pleased with my actions either. In an attempt to calm her, my wife told her that I had invited the bear over for cake. With a look of disgust she said, “Dad, I can’t believe you scared the bear away from my birthday party!”
Kevin Callan is inviting Winnie the Pooh to his daughter’s next birthday party.
This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Late Summer 2011.
Another day at the office; flying canoeists, fishermen and hunters in to the wilderness of Northern Ontario
An open sky over vast wilderness is what Marina Droogers calls her office. Only 26 years old, Droogers flies canoeists, fishermen and hunters—and their seemingly endless piles of over-packed gear—in a 60-year-old airplane to pristine northern lakes, wild rivers and isolated camps. She navigates with the same compass and finger-on-the-map technique used in the 1920s, dropping clients off at lakes she’s never visited before—and she makes it look easy.
On any given day, a ride in this bush pilot’s red, five-seater Beaver aircraft, a plane renowned for being the workhorse of the North, can be a thrilling passage through calm skies or a whiteknuckle ride through turbulence and low cloud that leaves the common man trembling.
Working for Mattice Lake Outfitters near Armstrong, Ontario, a three-hour drive north of Thunder Bay, she flies from May to November and clocked 420 hours in the air last season. The work is intensely physical and the loads she carries are rarely of the walk-on, walk-off variety. “Physically, I can’t last at this forever,” she says.
From bloody, squirmy moose quarters that tip the scales at 100 pounds, to fuel drums and propane cylinders, outboard motors and strapping canoes to floats, everything involves lifting. “The reaction I get from many clients tells me they don’t think I should be here—‘So, where’s the pilot?’ they ask me after I’ve pumped out the floats, refueled the plane and loaded…
Enjoy extreme backcountry comfort in a 26-inch-wide bed that packs down to approximately the same size as a regular sleeping pad. Breathable mesh allows excellent ventilation in hot weather while the stretch-free fabric and anodized aluminum poles stand up to heavy use. The Luxurylite Cot is a great choice for anyone who wants extra space and comfort in a lightweight, easy-to-carry package.
Another unique import designed to do something clever, the W1 Ultra is an adjustable shaft kayak paddle from French manufacturer Select Paddles. The build quality of the full carbon/Kevlar lay-up, including versatile river running/freestyle blades, is top-notch, but the changeable shaft length—a first for whitewater kayak paddles—is what really grabbed our attention.
The W1 bent shaft adjusts up to five centimetres, while a straight shaft gives you 10 centimetres to play with. Both also feature limitless feather adjustment. The offset placement of the ferrule lock reduces the likelihood of a break mid-shaft but creates a slight off-balance in paddle swing. The ferrule itself uses an Allen key lock—slip-proof, but we don’t recommend working the tiny metal key with numb fingers anywhere near moving water.
All Select Paddles are also available with a standard one-piece shaft. Available from Kayak Import, www.kayakimport.ca.
This kayak trip destination is excerpted from the “Killer Trips” feature in Adventure Kayak magazine.
Okisollo Channel, British Columbia
Choking the passage between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, the Discovery Islands constrict tidal flows; at times producing “some of the most fearsome tidal rapids in the world” according to surf kayak world champion Sean Morley. Off the northeast corner of Quadra Island, Upper Okisollo Rapid’s green wave is a premiere destination for hardcore kayak surfers when the flood current is less than eight knots, but on the largest tides 13-knot currents create a 10-foot crashing wave and menacing eddies that are unmanageable for even the strongest paddlers. Just south of Okisollo, the giant whirlpools that form in the narrow entrance to Hole in the Wall can reach hundreds of meters across. www.discovery-islands-lodge.com
The first annual Paddlepalooza Kayak Festival splashes down into Georgian Bay near Parry Sound, Ontario, May 31–June 2, 2013. Featuring top coaches, superb scenery, great camping and an awesome Saturday night party with live music, the event will include on-water clinics in strokes, rescues, rolling and more, plus dry land lessons on risk management, cooking, campcraft and navigation. “This weekend is a spring tune-up with more advanced clinics for novice and intermediate paddlers,” says Dympna Hayes, co-owner of event host, Ontario Sea Kayak Centre. Read a full story about the event in the May issue of Paddling This Month, and sign up and learn more at http://www.ontarioseakayakcentre.com/paddlepalooza-kayak-festival.html
A Better SPOT
SPOT, makers of the ubiquitous orange satellite messenger, and parent company Globalstar announced this month the release of the new SPOT Global Phone, a portable, easy-to-use and data-enabled satellite phone. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts who want to remain connected when travelling in areas beyond the reach of cellular coverage, the SPOT Global Phone provides affordable and reliable satellite connectivity with crystal clear voice quality. Earlier this year, Globalstar deployed a second generation satellite constellation, bringing significant network connectivity improvements including reliability and superior voice clarity. The SPOT Global Phone is the first satellite phone to be offered in major retail outlets including London Drugs and Mountain Equipment Co-op. The phone retails at $499 CDN plus a required subscription service starting at $24.99 monthly or 25 cents per minute. For more information, visit FindMeSPOT.com
California’s First 100-Mile Paddle Race—Saturday, May 25
California¹s first ultra-marathon paddle race, the California 100, will churn down the Sacramento River on May 25, from Redding to Chico. Expected to compete will be nearly 100 people on over 50 kayaks, surf skis and outrigger canoes. Race organizers predict the boats will cover the 100-mile distance in eight to 20 hours of hard paddling. “Cal 100 benefits Rivers for Change, a non-profit that promotes conservation through source to sea educational river adventures,” says Race Director Haven Livingston. California 100 will include paddlers at all levels. The race is described by Rivers for Change as offering, “adventure, competition and relay divisions, with many paddlers of intermediate ability out for the fun of it.” The entry fee is $200. Learn more at www.riversforchange.org/california-100.
Adventure Kayak reader Catherine Tortet sent this photo all the way from France: “Descent of the Loire River, a UNESCO world heritage site.” In North America, castles like that only exist in fairy tales.
Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
Where will your first family canoe trip of the year take you? Or have you already gone out for it? Let us know!
This photo was sent in by Daniel Aufgang and taken in Algonquin Park. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
This jam-packed app provides access to thousands of real-time streamflow gauges throughout the U.S., reporting flow rates and relative levels. RiverGuide can save a list of favorite rivers for quick access, provide flow forecasts and find nearby runs using your device’s GPS signal.
2. Trip Journal
$2.99
One of the most sophisticated apps we’ve seen, Trip Journal includes Google Earth-integrated features like GPS route tracking, photo and video geo-tagging, trip sharing and synchronization with social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
3. Paddling Magazine
FREE
Alright, time for a little shameless self-promotion. The Paddling Magazine app gives you access to current and 32 full back issues filled with techniques, stories, tips and more. Access Paddling’s special digital extras including bonus video and photo galleries. You can download the app by searching Paddling Magazine.
4. Mountain Buzz Whitewater Community
FREE
MountainBuzz.com is a community for western U.S. whitewater paddlers. This app allows users to access online forums and post questions, upload photos, access river beta and connect with other paddlers, all from the riverside.
5. ResQr First Air & CPR Coach
$3.99
This app provides clear, step-by-step instructions for hundreds of first aid scenarios. It asks straightforward yes or no questions to provide real-time coaching through situations and provides audible proper CPR pacing and instructions. ResQr can also use your connection to locate the nearest emergency room and other services.
6. Trimable Outdoors
$9.99
Trimble’s app turns your smart phone into a full-featured GPS device, assisting in recording routes and navigating. Accompanying web software allows you to plan, post, track and share your trips as well as view and discuss others’ online and post trip updates to Facebook.
7. GoSkyWatch
$3.99
Okay, this one’s more fun at the campsite after a day’s run. Hold your device up to the night sky and GoSkyWatch will tell you what constellations, planets and other objects you’re looking at. You can view the app in red light mode to save your night vision and search the extensive database for individual stars.
8. Canoe Slalom
$0.99
If you’re stuck in the back seat on a long shuttle, pass the time with this awesome game featuring 20 original slalom courses. Use your thumbs to control your paddle, navigating your kayak through gates and around rocks in the fastest time possible.
9. Juice Defender
$4.99
This app extends battery life by intelligently managing the battery-draining components of your device. Five preset modes let you balance functionality with power conservation and scheduling lets you preserve power in nighttime/peak time settings.
Two sea kayakers practice their high brace techniques in calm water.
The high brace is a pre-emptive self-rescue sea kayak stroke used to stay upright when waves or current have pushed your kayak over to the edge of capsize. Responding with a high brace allows you to recover before falling into the water.
The technique is described here on the left side of the kayak. Simply reverse the lefts for rights for a right high brace. For a brace to become an instinctive response, you need to practice these three phases: the set up, the fall and the recovery.
Set Up
From your normal paddling position, move the paddle into a chin-up position. Your paddle should be parallel to the water, with the blades’ power faces facing the water and your hands above your elbows. Lower the paddle as far as you can comfortably go so the blades are closer to the water. Shift the paddle to the left until your right hand is between your sternum and belly button and your left hand is over the water. The shaft of the paddle should still be parallel to the water. Keep your right arm tight to your body, serving as an anchor for the brace.
Fall
Lean the kayak to the left so that you begin to fall toward the water. As you fall, place the left blade at the surface of the water. Use your left arm to pull the blade down against the water so the surface tension is broken and the paddle is just under the surface of the water. Remember, the high brace is NOT an aggressive slap at the surface, but a push against the water to break the surface tension. It is this pressure that slows or stops your sideways fall.
Recovery
The first part of the recovery is to get the blade out of the water. In the fall phase, the power face is facing the water. In the recovery phase, the paddle is rotated forward 90 degrees and sliced out of the water. Your index fingers are a useful visual reference. In the fall phase, point your index fingers skyward. In the recovery phase, roll your index fingers forward 90 degrees so they are pointing to the front of the kayak. As you are recovering your paddle, finish the brace by driving up with your left hip and leg to roll the kayak back under your torso. Visualize flicking an imaginary candy from your left knee up into your mouth.
A solid high brace relies on keeping your paddle shaft parallel to the water. This is accomplished by anchoring the paddle with the right hand. Imagine keeping a golf ball secure in your right armpit throughout the brace. Finishing off with a deliberate roll of your left hip will reliably prevent most capsizes.
Michael Pardy is a Paddle Canada Senior Instructor Trainer based in Victoria, BC, where he runs SKILS.ca, teaches, paddles and spends time with his family.
Peer Reviews
I have oceans of respect for Michael Pardy, but I believe the high brace can be done safer and more efficiently than described here.
Instead of levering down on an extended arm to regain the kayak’s orientation and tipping ones hips as part of the recovery, I suggest two modifications.
One, the hips are crux of this maneuver. It is the body that recovers the kayak while the paddle provides a grip on the water. Core and hips are more powerful than shoulders.
Two, keeping the arms centered in the usual paddling position connects them and the paddle to the intrinsic strength of the core and reduces exposure to shoulder injury. An overextended high brace is a classic cause of shoulder dislocation. The suggested position also unnecessarily crimps the inboard wrist (right, in the given example), while a centered stance would allow the wrist, a relatively weak joint, to remain more neutral and transfer the force of the recovery to the core.
I agree that it is critical to keep the paddle parallel to the water and the inboard hand lower than the shoulder. Note that the further over the kayak falls, the more the inboard elbow and hand wrap around the hull to keep the paddle horizontal. Imagine the setup position for a C-to-C roll, where the inboard or anchor hand begins wrapped as far around the hull as one can reach. A C-to-C roll is an extreme form of a high brace
Technique aside, I prefer to use and teach the low brace for general balance recovery because of the reduced opportunity for injury and because it is closer to the water to better catch those little bobbles without drama. However, there are instances when the high brace makes more sense, such as during a sweep stroke when one has edged the turn a little too far (drop your outboard elbow below the wrist and you will have the support of a brace), and to regain balance that was lost while moving in reverse. —Ginni Callahan, BCU level 4 coach & ACA level 5 instructor, Cathlamet, WA / Loreto, Baja
Another way of visualizing the hip flick portion of the high brace is as a sideways crunch. As you gain some stability from breaking the surface tension of the water with your paddle, crunch the (in this case left) side of your torso, pulling your shoulder down towards your hip and your hip towards your shoulder. Your head can exaggerate this movement by dropping towards your hip as well. To recover from the crunch, move your center of gravity (your shoulders) back over your center of buoyancy (your kayak). —Meaghan Hennessy, Paddle Canada level 2 instructor trainer & BCU level 3 coach, Vancouver, BC
The technique is presented as a blade-centered approach with most of the discussion and initial forces being centered on the blade. We feel a body centered approach to technique leads to greater efficiency, success, and less risk of injury.
Michael leads his recovery with the blade and follows with the body. He says, “the first part of the recovery is to get the blade out of the water” and “finish the brace by driving up with your left hip and leg to roll the kayak” For reasons of good biomechanics, we would reverse the order on these two points, by first focusing on righting the kayak with your lower body and finishing off the brace with an unloaded paddle.
Because Michael describes moving the right hand to the sternum, we feel that this would comprise the left shoulder as he would be extending the left arm and paddle too far out for leverage. The shoulder at risk and in need of protection is the left shoulder. An alternative position for the right hand is to drop it to the deck at the right hip. This will keep the left shoulder in a more stable position throughout the brace. Place a sponge under both armpits, drop the right hand to the deck, fall to the water, roll the kayak with your lower body and come up without losing the sponge under either armpit. —Shawna Franklin & Leon Sommé, BCU level 4 coaches, Orcas Island, WA
Michael describes the High Brace well and has some key points to help people master this stroke. Breaking it down to the ‘Set Up’, ‘Fall’ and ‘Recovery’ is a great concept to help people see the key stages for success. In the set up highlighting the need to keep the right arm tucked in tight to the body and left arm not over extended is great to maintain the ‘safety box’. At the fall stage again it is good to hear the move away from the old ‘slap’ for support and a clear message for the progressive and controlled pressure on the supporting blade. At the recovery stage I agree with everything said, and like the visualization at the end. For myself I would tend to prioritise what happens to the knees/legs/feet within the kayak to stop capsizing and start the righting of the kayak, this must happen before the pressure is taken off the blade and it is recovered. I believe this is the key stage of the high brace and similar to a roll it must start with the boat being brought upright, followed by the body and the head coming up last. I would encourage people to practice this righting the boat first with knees, legs and feet whilst relaxed at the hips. Often I get people to rest their paddle in a high brace position on the bank, partners boat or being held by a partner so they can focus on the boat righting manoeuvre without the fear of falling in. To help with the head position in this visualise catching that candy in the mouth, but then needing a drink and therefore imagine drinking through a straw over the side of the kayak until back in balance again. —Doug Cooper, BCU level 5 coach, Aviemore, Scotland
I teach and use the high brace in a somewhat different fashion from what Michael Pardy describes. In smaller conditions I prefer to use a low brace. However, when faced with significant waves, I have found that I am far more successful with a high brace when I let my body—specifically the posterior quadrant of my shoulder and back hit the water before attempting to brace. In this manner, I allow the natural buoyancy of my body to slow the capsize. When my downward momentum has either been stopped or significantly slowed by the surface tension of the water, I then make use of my high brace.
Three things are helpful to ensure a successful high brace at this point:
I relax and slow down so that my body does not stiffen and become one uniformly inflexible block attempting to rise phoenix-like from the water. A supple, relaxed body is much easier to slink back up over the boat.
I make sure to drop my offside or high-side thigh out of the thigh brace (thinking as I do so that I am sending that leg on vacation to a beach in Jamaica where it can just relax and lay around). This ensures that leg cannot counteract the upward rolling movement of the leg on the bracing side.
I cast my eyes and dip my head back to the water. This offers more momentum for my rolling knee and, by looking back at my bracing paddle, I prevent my head reaching up toward the high side of the boat. If I tip my head toward the high side, the movement immediately causes my high-side leg to reengage (return from vacation in Jamaica) and tips me over.
