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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Solo Paddling
Posted By: dave mcadoo In Response To: Re: Solo Paddling (Bert)
Date: Tuesday, 5 December 2000, at 3:05 p.m.
: I am fortunate to have many fine friends to paddle with and I enjoy going out
: with groups.That said I often sneak off by myself for a couple of hours
: after work or all day trips alone.Gives me time to relax,contemplate and
: go my own pace.I don't have to deal with 10 rugged individualists with 10
: different ideas.I am planning a week long Lake Huron trip by myself this
: summer.The safety aspect is the big issue but I think common sense is the
: key.You must be experienced ,know how to use all your safety equipment and
: take your time.If I don't have to cover a lot of miles I can wait out high
: winds and rough seas and go when it's calm.The objective is just to be
: there in that quiet remote place not to brag to your friends(Ya man I
: paddled a gazzillion miles yesterday).One of the the late Bill Mason's
: famous quotes was"Lot's of people will tell you not to paddle alone
: but I've never been told that by anyone who's done it."
: Let common sense prevail.
: Bert
Not many people around here sea kayak so most of my paddling is done without other people but my boats are my loyal , faithful friends who always want to get out and paddle. They really do take on life but it is not a life of their own because we are one. A place on the ST Lawrence River would be big bucks. A place on the Oswegatchie( small river that flows into St Lawrence) would also be big bucks. Being in one of my boats on and of the river or Lake Ontario is a magic experience not unlike being among the stars. A couple times I paddled at night (both times with a group with lots of light) and the stars are very close. And then there is the adrenalin rush of my body feeling great because we are doing something important. I like going fast in an open water race boat so that does often neccesitate being in my boat without other people. The great danger in life is that we should sleep our life away. Paddling with friends is fun. Racing is an exhilirating boost to my life where one hour compresses time into a vast array of wonderful experiences. There is a marvelous kinship among racers. We have trained hard and there is a certain bond and a mutual respect as we each go fast together. I am thankful to have the body that can still go fast. Know thyself is that wonderful proverb. Twenty miles into a 25 mile race I threw away my hydration pack(water) because I was too tired to carry it and myboat up the bank and down the road to the next put in. I was too too tired to put forth the effort to mess with the drink tube. I had to save my strength for 5 more miles of paddling and the finish of a race that is a big moment in my life. The big moments in our life are about the expenditure of all we have and the reward is the compression of time into the living of so much life in a few minutes. And I am wonderfully blessed to have a wonderful wife named Barb. WE have a wonderful 18 year old whose idea of paddling is to enjoy now by looking for frogs. picking lily pads for a friend or splashing water on other big kids. He is smart and physically gifted and we have done some fun paddling togther. The promise of paddling to an island so we could cook shish kabobs is a neat way to bribe a youngster to get out and paddle. When you paddle you are magically linked to everyone else who has ever paddled - going back to the native people who braved fierce storms to bring home food for the family to survive the long cold of winter. Mastery of one's self is often about being alone and not lonely. And it is about the love we give and we recieve. Paddling is fun! So is buying a big bag of candy canes so I can give one to many people. The measure of our life is about the exertion of all we have and the giving and reciving of love. Merry Christmas and may you have a wonderful New Year in a gorgeous new boat!!!
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