Last week, at Ontario’s MacMaster University, engineering students took up paddles to make their way across the flooded quad. The area is usually dry and is a frequently used pathway – last week’s snow melt and heavy rain caused the flooding.
Daily Photo: Mondays
Mondays can be rough. Don’t despair; you’ll pull through.
This photo was taken by Flickr user curtis.mchale and is licensed under Creative Commons.
Think your image could be a Rapid Media Whitewater Daily Photo? Submit it to [email protected].
Weekly Canoe News, March 4, 2013
This week in canoeing news: New paddling trails in Texas, Rapid Media at Canoecopia, Great Lakes hit their lowest levels ever and one man wins his right to paddle.
Great Lakes hit new low
Two of the Great Lakes have hit their lowest water levels ever recorded, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have said, capping more than a decade of below-normal rain and snowfall and higher temperatures that boost evaporation. Measurements taken last month show Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have reached their lowest ebb since record keeping began in 1918, and the lakes could set additional records over the next few months, the corps said. The lakes were 29 inches (74 centimetres) below their long-term average and had declined 17 inches (43 centimetres) since January 2012. Via Toronto Star.
Paddler wins court case
A state Supreme Court judge has found that Adirondack Explorer magazine editor Phil Brown had the right to paddle on waterways that run through private property in northwest Hamilton County, and that the waters should be open to the public. Brown, a Saranac Lake resident, was in court because the Brandreth Park Association and Friends of Thayer Lake had sued him for trespassing after he paddled on waters surrounded by their lands. Via Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Kids these days
When little Evie discovered she accidently brought home two sticks with her from Yosemite National Park she wrote a letter of apology to the park rangers for breaking the park rules and enclosed the sticks, requesting that the park rangers please, “put them back in nature.” Via Gawker.
10 new paddling trails in Texas
Earlier this month, as part of World Wetlands Day, Texas Parks and Wildlife launched 10 new paddling trails along Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake. Five of the 10 new loop trails leave from Backwater Jack’s R.V.Park, which is nestled along the Spanish moss-draped Big Cypress Bayou shore near Jefferson. The other five trails feature put-in locations onCaddoLakein and around Uncertain. The shortest trail (Benton Lake Loop on the Big Cypress) covers 2.4 miles round trip and meanders upstream from Backwater Jack’s. The longest paddle trail (Hell’s Half-Acre) covers 8.8 miles round trip and leaves from CaddoLake State Park. Via Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Rapid Media takes over Canoecopia
Come visit us at the Rapid Media booth at Canoecopia from March 8-11 in Madison, Wisconsin. Canoecopia is perfect antedote to March cabin fever and is the largest paddlesports consumer event in the world, over 250,000 square feet of kayaks, canoes, outdoor equipment and clothing. The Rapid Media team is driving down so if you have music recommedations please post them to the comments below—otherwise it’s Publisher Scott’s country and western faves!
Magdalene Islands Kayak Trip
This kayak trip destination is excerpted from “The East Coast’s Best 5 Places to Paddle” in Adventure Kayak magazine.
Magdalene Islands, Quebec
Perhaps the most unexplored sea kayaking destination in the Canadian Maritimes, the Magdalene Islands are smack dab in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The cluster of nine islands sits between Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. After many miles on the road and tired of windshield time, we loaded our kayaks with five days’ of food and gear and walked onto the ferry. We disappeared into the French-speaking archipelago under human power. With long dunes separating most of the islands and many secluded beaches, this is Quebec’s sandbox. The shoreline is dominated by red sandstone carved by thousands of years of consistent wind. Hundred of caves, tunnels and arches are peppered along the coast and the quaint fishing villages make re-supplying easy.
Find more information about this area at Tourism Magdalene Islands, www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com.
Outfitters: Gros Cap Camping, www.parcdegroscap.ca
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2009. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Weekly Kayak News, February 28, 2013
Outdoor Adventure Show a Success
Over the February 22–24 weekend, the Outdoor Adventure Show lured crowds of outdoor enthusiasts to Toronto’s International Place to shop for gear, learn new skills, plan upcoming trips and, of course, meet the crew and browse the latest issues at the busy Rapid Media booth.
The Rapid team sold 142 subscriptions in just three days, plus scores of single copies. And, even better, we had a chance to chat with readers about your favorite places to paddle, stories you enjoyed and more!
Maine Water Trail Turns 25
Linking 375 miles of uninhabited islands and mainland sites from the New Hampshire border to Cobscook Bay and the Canadian border, America’s first recreational water trail turns 25 this year.
The Maine Island Trail Association is celebrating a quarter century of community building, stewardship and education with summer-long festivities and events. From mid-March through Labor Day, visitors and members can join in events ranging from a film festival and paddle race to island cleanups and an on-island photo contest. For more information visit www.mita.org.
Adventures that Give Back
Spaces are still available on upcoming conservation and service outings hosted by the Sierra Club. In June, members can travel to St. John in the Virgin Islands to assist with coral reef conservation, and in July the club heads to Alaska’s Prince William Sound to clean up tsunami debris that’s washed ashore on the region’s pristine beaches.
Visit the Sierra Club Outings page for more trips and details. And watch for Adventure Kayak’s picks of more great ways to make a deposit in the karma bank in the May issue. Via the Sierra Club.
Daily Photo: Albania
View from the cockpit on a four-day kayak trip from Queparo to Dhermi on the Ionian coast of Albania.
This photo was taken by Flickr user outdooralbania and is licensed under Creative Commons.
Bomber Gear Bomb Dry Suit Review
Since reinventing itself for the 2012 paddling season, Bomber Gear has released an array of apparel to keep paddlers warm, dry and protected.
The coming 2013 paddling season will see the anticipated release of their Bomb Dry Suit. First impressions leave us thinking it’ll live up to it’s name.
The suit is reinforced with armor where it’s needed and feels more heavy duty than anything else we’ve seen on the market. Reinforced shoulder panels, seat, knees shins and elbows have us thinking about cold spring creeking.
Bomber gear has double-stiched, taped and patched the wrist and neck gaskets and guarantees dryness. It’ll take some thrashing before we know for sure, but on first examination, it sure looks like a blowout is unlikely. The rubberized double tunnel accommodates a skirt and is adjustable with familiar velcro tabs.
It’s a rear entry suit with a TiZip closure is horizontal across the shoulders. For its inaugural year, the suit will come with a front pee-zip for dudes (and talented ladies). Demand will undoubtedly determine whether a drop seat version will be released in the future.
The Bomb also looks about as stylish as one could hope to be in a head-to-toe nylon onesie. It also seems to offer a slightly trimmer fit than the other more fashion-forward suits out there, a plus for cockpit comfort and more agility if (and when) we end up swimming.
It has a middle-of-the-road price tag for what certainly feels like a top-performance suit. The heavy-duty materials will likely affect breathability and the finishing puts protection at the forefront at the cost of light weight. Keep these trade-offs in mind: This is a suit for those who want to push the limits in tougher conditions.
bombergear.com | MSRP: $899
Daily Photo: The Alsek
The Alsek originates somewhere in the St. Elias Mountains deep in glacier country, way up north in the Yukon. If you’re wiling away your winter, dreaming of a warm-water destination, the Alsek averages 37°F in the summer time.
Beats frozen.
This photo was a contest entry in the 2012 Canadian Heritage Rivers Photo Contest by Claudia Schwab.
Think your image could be a Rapid Media Whitewater Daily Photo? Submit it to [email protected].
Weekly Whitewater News, February 28, 2013
The Southeast’s Premier April Whitewater Festival
April 12-14 will see the 4th Annual Tallulah Fest, when boaters will celebrate the release of the class IV-V whitewater, 1,000-foot-deep, Tallulah Gorge in Georgia. Join paddlers for live music, film showings, a photo and video contest and to raise money for American Whitewater. With a $15 all-weekend admission, nearby car camping and one helluva party, it’ll be tough to pass up. For more info visit www.bbbpaddling.com.
(Photo Courtesy Tallulah Fest www.bbbpaddling.com)
Hooligans blamed for Whitewater course vandalism.
The Chilliwack Times reported that a dozen gates were slashed down on the local slalom course at Tamihi Rapids on the Chilliwack River last week. A half dozen of the gates, maintained by not-for-profit Chilliwack Centre of Excellence, had just been repaired the previous weekend after another case of vandalism and some wear-and-tear issues.
Read the full story here.
(Photo: Lisa Morry for the Chilliwack Times)
Judge declares landowner can’t deny paddler access.
In the Adirondacks this week, a canoeist won a court case that challenged the right of paddlers to cross private land connecting two wilderness lakes, the Adirondack Explorer reported. The landowner had been placing cables across a stream connecting the two waterways to block paddlers. The ruling also stated that paddlers have the right to make a 500-foot portage across the private land. This offers paddlers facing access issues hope. According to the judge, navigable waterways, even those only accessible by recreational craft must be publicly accessible under New York State law. Read more here.
(Photo: Phill Brown of the Adirondack Explorer) Have a whitewater news story you’d like to share? Email it to [email protected].
Perception Essence Kayak Review
When people say the Perception Essence 17.0 Airalite is a “good looking boat”—as they inevitably do—they’re likely referring to the sexy lines of the long, slender bow. For it’s here that the Essence reveals its designers’ intentions to prolong the transition from bow to midsection to make for the finest possible entry lines.
The Essence is a sharp contrast to rough water designs that carry more volume in the ends for buoyancy in waves. Crafted by long-time Confluence Watersports boat designer Bob McDonough to be a friendly, high-performance tourer, it has a sporty feel and excellent capacity and speed for its length. This is achieved by the tapered bow and the Swede form shape, with the widest point rear of the midsection like a racing kayak.
The stern is stockier than the bow—a nod to packability. In McDonough’s words, “You’ve got to carry the volume somewhere.”
The result is capacity for long trips combined with excellent efficiency that is refreshing to find in a plastic boat. The Airalite we tested is the lighter, thermoformed version but the Essence also comes in more affordable poly, and both options are available in a 16.5 length for smaller paddlers.
A limited rocker plus the tapered bow’s emphasis on knifing the water equals strong tracking and minimal weathercocking. There’s perhaps less need for the skeg than for the optional rudder, which novices might appreciate for easier turning.
The hull under the cockpit is a shallower V than other popular British-style 17-footers like Confluence’s Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 and the NDK Explorer. It’s also about an inch wider and the chine is slightly softer, resulting in greater initial stability and more smooth, predictable edging.
For this new top-end touring boat, Perception has taken a winning British formula and expertly honed it to be a tad more welcoming to a wide range of paddlers and uses. And, dare we say, a little faster and more spacious.
With a distance swimmer’s heart for the straight and narrow, the Essence is perhaps not your first choice for a day in the surf. However, like the touring edition of a high-end sports sedan, this kayak is perfectly capable of dialing up the adrenaline and having some fun if opportunity booms. Which, in our books, is the definition of the perfect tripping kayak.
Rudder Ready
In addition to the standard hydrofoil-shaped skeg and easy adjusting SlideLock foot braces, the essence comes rudder-ready with a mounting bracket on the stern and routings for cables.
Handy Hatches
The essence includes a 10-inch bow hatch, 8-inch day hatch and an oversized stern hatch, all with tight-fitting Kajak-Sport rubber lids.
Comfort Outfitting
Perception touts its Zone EXP Seating System as “expedition grade.” It includes a long, padded seat bottom with adjustable height to promote circulation on extended outings, and adjustable padded thigh braces. A long, spacious cockpit accommodates tall paddlers.
Perception Essence 17.0 Airalite Specs
Length: 17 ft
Width: 23 in
Weight: 50 lbs
Max. load rating: 350 lbs
Price: $2,299 US / $2,409 CDN
www.perceptionkayaks.com
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Spring 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
UPDATE: The Airalite lay-up is no longer available from Perception, but the Essence 16.5 and 17.0 are still available in polyethylene, retailing for $1,299 US.
