Saturna Island Kayak Trip

Trips

Photo:Virginia Marshall — Saturna Island Kayak Trip

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

In British Columbia’s Southern Gulf Islands, the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline—all of four kilometers—is found on Saturna Island, within the Gulf Islands National Park.

Seal haul-outs, bald eagles, feral goats and these spectacular sandstone cliffs near Murder Point make circumnavigating the island (~35 kilometers) a perfect weekend escape. Plan to camp at one of the national park sites on tiny Cabbage Island, across a shallow, sheltered channel from Tumbo Island.

Learn more at http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/gulf/index.aspx

Daily Photo: First Outing

Photo: Tony G — Daily Photo: First Outing

The first outing of the year is a special one. Tony G. made his on the Allegheny River, eight miles below Franklin, PA.

This photo was taken by Tony G. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Daily Photo: Through the Looking Glass

Photo: Sue Vokey — Daily Photo: Through the Looking Glass

Adventure Kayak reader Sue Vokey can often be found paddling Sudbury, Ontario’s waterways after first break-up, when chunks of ice resmeble window panes. Here, through the looking glass, she spots Birgit Kuhle.

Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Rodeo Rescue Canoe Technique

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

In the deep, fast rivers of the north and west a capsized canoe could float for kilometres before being spit out of the current and into an eddy. Often a spray skirt and tied-in packs will make a canoe-over-canoe rescue impossible.

For the sake of the paddlers, the capsized canoe, the jettisoned packs and the rest of the group, you need a way to get a current-borne canoe to shore.

The paddlers in the water are your first concern—regardless of which food barrel was in their canoe. The canoe will be like an iceberg, more below the water than above, so use caution in shallow water to avoid getting people between the capsized canoe and obstacles, or getting the canoe pinned.

To properly envision a rodeo rescue, imagine yourself with chaps and a lasso, but keep it clean. Think of a cowboy roping a calf at the Calgary Stampede. You’re going to attach a rope to the canoe, wait for your moment, then paddle as fast as you can to shore where you can pendulum the canoe to safety. You’ll need a number of throwbags linked together with carabiners.

On some wide and fast rivers you could use up to four 20-metre throwbags.  Have the ropes ready with the free end of each rope clipped to the next bag’s end loop. When you reach the capsized canoe, you as a stern paddler should clip the free end of the last throwbag to the downstream end of the capsized canoe and then wait beside the floating canoe until the canoes enter a “belay zone,” a stretch of river where the shore is close enough and the current is slow enough that you will be able to paddle downstream to shore and get out of the canoe before the rope goes taut.

When you get to shore, jump into the shallow water or onto shore, anchor yourself with a safe stance or with the rope braced around a tree or rock. As the rope becomes taut there will be a strong pull. As long as you hold fast the canoe will swing in to shore.

It is tempting to rush, but if there isn’t an upcoming rapid, it’s better to wait until you have a sure belay zone where the stern paddler will be able to get out of the canoe with the rope while the bow paddler secures the rescue canoe.

As you paddle toward shore you’ll be in slower water so the capsized canoe may overtake you. If you run out of rope before you reach shore, you’ll end up trying to tow more than a tonne of canoe, gear and water. The capsized canoe will soon pull you directly upstream of it. Try to ferry toward shore, but if you are being overpowered pull some rope in, turn downstream and overtake the canoe until you see another belay zone.

The safest method for retaining your end of the rope is to hold the last throwbag down with your knee. This lets you paddle freely and release the rope quickly if the capsized canoe seems intent on running the next rapid. Make sure there are no loose coils of rope in the canoe that could wrap around your leg.

If you are in the capsized canoe and no cowboys are coming to the rescue you can try to wrangle the canoe yourself by swimming to shore with a rope. For this attempt you’ll need to have the rope already clipped to a grab loop, with the throwbag held down with shock cord as described on page 23 of the Spring 2008 issue of Canoeroots (read online at canoerootsmag.com). Be patient and wait until the canoe floats into a very good belay zone so you won’t run out of rope and be towed back into the faster current.

Mark Scriver won’t say how he knows you shouldn’t fasten the rescue rope to your canoe, only that it involves a class IV rapid on the Yukon’s Firth river.

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Spring 2009.

Across the Labrador Plateau

Photo: Frank Wolf — Frank Wolf's journey

‘Kitturiaq’ film trailer from Frank Wolf on Vimeo.

In Kitturiaq, adventurer and award-winning filmmaker, Frank Wolf, documents his three-week journey across the Labrador Plateau through rarely travelled land. Wolf shared the experience of juggling the duties of director, videographer, editor, producer, expedition leader, camp cook and sherpa with Canoeroots’ readers in the Spring 2013 issue and has just released a trailer for the feature length film.

Wolf had never ventured to the most eastern part of Canada’s mainland before arriving for his expedition. “Nunatsiavut and Nunavik are places I’d never been so like any traveler I was drawn to experience a place completely new to me, and then share what I learned on film,” says Wolf.

The gruelling 21-day expedition across the lonely tundra challenged him as he battled endless bugs and long portages.

“Like any good trip, it was full of surprise and adventure that can’t necessarily be anticipated. Unexpected was the high quality of whitewater on the unknown Natikamaukau River that feeds into the George River in Nunavik, and spending time with the Innu at Mushau Nipi learning about their lives and culture,” says Wolf. “The knowledge shared by the Inuit and Innu is a big part of the film.”

“Not so enjoyable, perhaps, but still rewarding, were the days of dragging the canoe over the Labrador Plateau as we found many of the lakes and rivers marked on the maps too shallow and rock-choked to paddle…and then of course there were the clouds of mosquitoes and their cousins the black flies- the ‘kitturiaq’ which the film is named after.” Wolf notes that difficult times also made for good filming, as did his daily encounters with caribou, bears and other wildlife in the vast Labrador landscape.

Read more about Wolf’s expedition in Canoeroots’ Spring 2013 issue—download it via your Apple or Android device or view free online.

Wolf is expecting to release Kitturiaq this October. Never one to sit on his laurels, Wolf has another adventure planned for the summer, this time an attempted row through the Northwest Passage (www.thelastfirst.com).

Weekly Whitewater News, April 11, 2013

Photo courtesy of Ledger-Enquirer.com — Chattahoochee River course

This week in whitewater news: a California kayaker helps rescue family from a floating SUV, World Kayak announces Nashville kayak event and a new whitewater course is scheduled to open on the Chattahoochee River.

Kayaker Rescues Family from Floating SUV

The Contra Costa Times reported that kayaker Mark Divittorio helped save a California family from their SUV after it veered off the highway and plunged into the American River on Thursday. Divittorio helped bring the family’s three daughters to shore and activated emergency services who rescued Christian and Tricia Lemler from the SUV’s front seats within minutes. Divittorio credits his part of the rescue to his kayaker’s instinct after years of risk assessment and planning for the worst on the river.

Read the full story here.

(Photo courtesy of Contra Costa Times)

World Kayak Announces Nashville Kayak Event

The first ever TSRA Presents: The World Kayak Rock Island Open will take place on April 27^th and May 11^th. The event includes freestyle, downriver freestyle, timed race and boater cross competitions. With guaranteed water levels from the Tennessee Valley Authority the folks at World Kayak are excited for days of paddling and free prizes.

Register here for races or here for the Freestyle Cup.

(Photo courtesy of World Kayak)

Whitewater Course Opening on Chattahoochee River

A new whitewater course that’s been in the planning and research stage for more than a decade will open this May on the Chattahoochee River. The course is part of a river restoration project that’s attracted millions in funding and is expected to draw 188,000 people down to the river for kayaking or rafting.

Read the full story here.

(Photo courtesy of Ledger-Enquirer)

Have a whitewater news story you’d like to share? Email it to [email protected].

Weekly Kayak News, April 4, 2013

World Record Skinny Dip

Nudist Organizations invite you to celebrate the tradition of skinny dipping in support of July’s Nude Recreation Week and National Take A Nakation Month. Participants have a worthy cause: a World Record Skinny-Dip across North America to beat the 2010 record set at The Guinness World Records Skinny-Dip for the largest number of people simultaneously in the water without swimsuits. The American Association for Nude Recreation (www.AANR.com) and The Naturist Society (TNS) (www.naturistsociety.com) are co-Sponsoring the record-setting event. TNS and AANR plan to coordinate skinny-dipping events at clubs, beaches, rivers, lakes, rented pools and back yards throughout North America on Saturday 13 July 2013 at 1:00 pm Local Nudist Time, as a dramatic finale to Nude Recreation Week (July 7-14, 2013).

First-time skinny-dippers are encouraged to attend and “shyness can be accommodated” according to spokespersons at TNS and AANR. In case you’re curious about just how popular skinny dipping is in North America—or how two independant orgainzations could possibly exist for this cause—the AANR estimates some 52 million individuals enjoy clothing-optional recreation throughout North America. Says an AANR press release: “For over 80 years AANR has advocated to protect the freedoms, the rights and choices of all people to participate in nude recreation.” Amen.

To locate appropriate event sites and learn how to participate at the location nearest you, visit: http://www.naturistsociety.com and/or http://www.aanr.com/world-record-skinny-dip.

KayaXpedition Returns to Chesapeake

Chesapeake, Virginia, will hold the second annual KayaXpedition festival June 8-9, 2013, at waterways throughout the city. Featuring opportunities for people of all ages and skill levels to participate in paddling events. The festival will include guided kayak tours, instructional courses and demonstrations, kayak fishing and a competitive 6-mile race that will benefit Team River Runner, an organization that supports paddling activities for wounded warriors. Registration for the festival is now available online.

Big Year for Lake Michigan Water Trail

The Lake Michigan Water Trail project began in 2011 with collaboration between paddling groups in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois, along with community, business and government organizations. Since then, the groups have been working to identify launch sites, camping spots and other attractions, and 75 miles of the trail is complete and open on the southern shore of the lake.

This year, coordinators are calling upon kayakers to get out and blaze new segments on the Water Trail, which will eventually circle 1,600 miles around Lake Michigan. “We’re encouraging people to pick a leg over the summer and paddle (it),” said Dave Lemberg, an associate professor with Western Michigan University and the coordinator for the 1,200-mile Michigan segment. As part of this new Trail Blazer initiative, “We want people to record and photograph the put-ins and take-out points and get shots of the in-between,” Lemberg says. “We’re looking for GPS coordinates, too. Paddlers would submit all that to a website. The first would be listed as the segment trailblazer.”

When finished, the 1,600-mile trail will become a National Water Trail. “The Lake Michigan Water Trail will be (to paddling) what the Appalachian Trail is to hiking. It will be the longest continuous-loop water trail in the world,” says Dan Plath, president of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, one of the founding groups in the Lake Michigan Water Trail Association. Via Michigan Live.

Photo coutesy Ken Braband.

How to Paddle ‘Til You’re 50

Stories

I want to be like John Pilson. Recently, I watched Pilson compete in the fifth annual Jerry’s Baddle kayak race on the Green River Narrows. The incredible thing about Pilson’s very respectable performance is that this was his first-ever race…and he is 50 years old. Pilson is among a growing number of paddlers who are pushing class V limits and paddling stronger than many kids half their age. Those of us who want to paddle at a similar calibre for our entire lives can learn several important lessons from these veterans.

Know when to walk

Many paddlers decide that once they’ve run a rapid once, they have to run it every time. This is a dangerous mentality, especially when it’s an ego-driven decision fuelled by the presence of other paddlers. According to a NOLS study referred to me some years ago by whitewater risk specialist Fergus Coffey, the top two human factors leading to accidents in the outdoors are: 1) the desire to please others, and 2) attempting to adhere to a predetermined schedule. Your decision to run a rapid should be based on many different variables, including: river level, group size, group mentality, daylight window, personal abilities, personal feeling that day, weather and more. Expedition kayaker and extreme race champion Tommy Hilleke once told me that he has a mental conversation with his three children before he runs anything scary. If he can’t justify the danger to them (and himself), he walks around it.

Wait for safety

The social trends of kayaking are interesting—and sometimes frightening—to watch. Recently, it’s become cool to be the first to do something, often at the expense of safety and common sense. Running huge waterfalls blind with newbies following. Running big drops before other paddlers have ropes ready, are back in their boats after portaging or, in extreme cases, before they even get out of their boats above the drop. This is a trend that has nearly resulted in several fatalities over the past year, and will most certainly have dire results if things don’t change.

Quality, not quantity

Paddling every day of the year will not make you a better boater than paddling one-sixth that amount smart. When I have ignored warnings from my body telling me not to go paddling, I have regretted it every time. A painfully perfect example of this occurred during training for the 2007 extreme racing season. I paddled so much in preparation for the fall races that I developed debilitating tendonitis in my control forearm. The injury took me out of contention for the season, and could have easily been avoided by not overtraining.

Paddle when it feels right, and paddle smart. Run quality whitewater in your comfort zone on a regular basis, and step things up to the very top of your ability level only once in a while.

Account for mental fatigue

The day after I ran the intimidating, class V+ Toxaway River in North Carolina for the first time, I went out for a what was supposed to be a mellow run on the familiar, class IV Chattooga. I got worked! Running fringe rivers takes it out of you, and you need to allow time for your mental abilities to bounce back. One of my favorite ways to recover from a long, stressful day of creeking is to soul surf on a big, glassy wave the next day. The more you practice, the better you become at keeping yourself in the right mental state for longer, multi-day trips.

Aging yet adept boaters like Pilson are inspirations, proving that whitewater is a lifestyle that does not have a retirement age. Remember, paddle smart and paddle forever.

Chris Gragtmans is a Canadian freestyle and extreme paddler who lives in Asheville, NC. He has contributed to the sport through his creek racing, membership on the Canadian Freestyle team, first descents and videography.

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Summer/Fall 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Professional Kayakers On What Makes The Perfect PFD Kit

Man paddling yellow kayak — What do these experienced paddlers always keep close at-hand?

Finding a balance between preparedness and bulk isn’t easy. Lucky for you, we talked to seven experienced paddlers about what their time spent in the kayak has taught them they should have in their PFD kit—and what’s better stowed in a hatch or left behind altogether.

So, what are the essentials?

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all safety and rescue gear ]

Justine Curgenven

ADVENTURE FILMMAKER

PFD SHE WEARS: KOKATAT MsFIT

PHILOSOPHY: “I don’t like a lot of weight in my PFD. I consider the environment and go with as little as possible accordingly.”

WHAT SHE CARRIES: Hydration pack, camera, compass, energy bars, basic first aid kit, duct tape, camera lens cloth. If conditions warrant, a VHF radio, light and knife.

WHY? “I prefer to be comfortable and perform well rather than to be so encumbered by all my equipment that something is more likely to go wrong.”

Christopher Lockyer

OWNER OF COMMITTED 2 THE CORE

PFD HE WEARS: KOKATAT RONIN PRO

PHILOSOPHY: “Keep it simple. Be aware of what you need—you can’t have everything immediately accessible.”

WHAT HE CARRIES: Hydration pack, locator light, energy bar, folding knife, grease pencil, Denso tape, river gloves, mask for CPR, whistle, compass, sunscreen, lip balm.

WHY? “For 10 years I carried a lot more stuff—small repair kit, immersion bag, VHF radio, flares—where the hell do you put it? It’s a 50-pound PFD. And if you’re in the water all the time, all of it gets soaked and ruined. So now I prefer to tuck that stuff away.”

Woman (left) and man (right) both wearing PFDs

Shawna Franklin and Leson Sommé

OWNERS OF BODY BOAT BLADE

PFDs THEY WEAR: KOKATAT MsFIT TOUR

PHILOSOPHY: “My PFD is completely clean on the outside. I believe in having a clean body, clean boat.”—Leon. “It depends where I’m paddling.”—Shawna.

WHAT THEY CARRY: Hood, sunscreen, candy bar, grease stick, small repair kit, aspirin, whistle, knife. If conditions warrant, a VHF radio. Shawna also carries a strobe light and hydration pack.

WHY? “I started with no PFD, and then a friend gave me one and I went whole hog with five pockets. But as I paddled and coached, I realized how little I used on a regular basis.”—Leon.

Ryan Rushton

OWNER OF GENEVA KAYAK CENTER

PFD HE WEARS: PEAK UK ADVENTURE ZIP

PHILOSOPHY: “Two words: simplicity and access, so the more multi-functional items, the better.”

WHAT HE CARRIES: Waist tow—rope stored in PFD pocket, laser flare, compass, knife, lip balm, sunscreen, small first aid kit, flares, VHF radio, gutter tape, light at night.

WHY? “From a group leadership standpoint, you need to be on your game. Most often I need the tow rope, compass, first aid kit and roll of tape.”

[ Also read: 11 Essentials You Should Keep In Your PFD ]

Marsha Henson

CO-OWNER SEA KAYAK GEORGIA

PFDs SHE WEARS: ASTRAL HYBRID, KOKATAT MsFIT

PHILOSOPHY: “I think of the most important things for the day and the paddle, and everything else goes in the day hatch where I can reach it.”

WHAT SHE CARRIES: Lip balm, sunscreen, whistle, small first aid kit, orienteering compass, nose clips, light, small knife, snack. If conditions warrant, a VHF radio.

WHY? “I really dislike crammed pockets. Because of the salt, sun and heat, everything has to be checked frequently.”

Two men wearing PFDs

Jeff Allen

CO-OWNER SEA KAYAKING CORNWALL

PFD HE WEARS: KOKATAT SEAO2

PHILOSOPHY: “Ease of movement is a big factor. I don’t want to be encumbered by my PFD.”

WHAT HE CARRIES: Flares, VHF radio, knife, roll of insulating tape, CPR face mask, neoprene gloves, compass, chocolate bar, whistle, headlamp, military waterproof pencil. On an expedition, an EPIRB. He also added a crotch strap to prevent PFD ride-up in sea survival situations.

WHY? “I spent a couple of hours in  a survival tank with two-meter wave action. It was a lesson learned on the inadequacies of a swim aid [versus] a survival vest.”

Daily Photo: Different Strokes

A chilly April weekend brings an unusual sort of paddle strokes workshop to the Ontario woods. That’s James Roberts of Ontario Sea Kayak Centre up on the ladder, capturing footage for video analysis. On a widescreen. Indoors. With a mug of hot cocoa.