Pictures from outdoor exercise.
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Fun June thing: Helping out with club's learn to row class. This is me (in orange) stabilizing my double shell (my oar blades flat on water as stabilizers) so that a new learner can practice and improve her rowing skills. (I edited the photo to hide her face because I don't have her permission to do otherwise). One of the coaches took the photo from her launch.
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From Thursday night golf league. All the carts were slowing down, looking at this beauty. My daughter took this picture (she was in one of the lead carts). By the time we got there, she was up a tree and looking a lot more inquisitive and less pissed off. We were on here quail hunting grounds.
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I took out my "new" canoe today. First time I took it in whitewater. I bought it from a friend in Alaska. He has two more of the same hull up there. This was his boat for when he came down to the lower 48 to do multi-day trips. I've been on self-support trips with this boat, but he was paddling it and I was in a huge whitewater kayak.
Just class 2, and I did fine. No swims. Had a couple surfs. Generally tried to stay out front, run the rapid, and then eddy out to make sure everyone else got through. Often I also helped rescue a swimmer. The boat treated me well, and it makes me think I am more accomplished than I think. Next step is Class 3. To be honest, some of the rapids today fit some of the descriptions of Class 3 - "Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe; large waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. " It didn't have some of the other aspects of Class 3 like "Complex maneuvers in fast current and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. Scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims."
The boat's name is Mango; that is also what color it is. It's a Mad River Outrage. My ultralight Kevlar flatwater expedition boat is named Kev. It is a Wenonah Encounter. I am going to look at, and probably buy, a Wenonah Advantage tomorrow. It's more of a fast recreational day-touring canoe. If I buy it, it will probably be named "Addie." None of my kayaks have names, nor does my tandem canoe. My raft is called Bumblebee because it's black on the bottom, white on the top, and a yellow rub strake along the perimeter. And I bumble.
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@mtaratoot, I have an Advantage in an extra light layup with lightweight gunwales - a way outdated racing model, at 25 pounds, retrofitted with a tractor-style kevlar seat, set low, by the previous owner, who - like me - had knee issues. It's a sweet hull design IMO, a little twitchy laterally but not bad, straight-tracking, fast. I love a boat that makes me think "wheeee", for flat water. Now that I'm lighter, I wish I had an Advantage in a little more sturdy layup, more backwood-flatwater suitable - this one is a little eggshell-like.1
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I paddled an Advantage for five days many years ago. I had volunteered as a pod leader for Paddle Oregon, and they loaned me one. The first two days, I wasn't sure I liked "sit and switch" paddling. Someone asked me at lunch the first day, or more told me, "You're a whitewater paddler, right?" I said how did he know. He said he could tell from my first stroke. He showed me that I should skip the J-stroke (or Canadian stroke) and just point where I want to go, use a bent shaft paddle, and switch sides. Point and shoot.
About day three I started to get it. Heel it over on edge and it will spin, but give it power and it goes fast. I've been looking for one for over a decade since then.
Last year I stumbled on the "eggshell" boat and bought it. I truly love it. On paper you might not think it's that much different; it's only six inches shorter. It's also 2.5 inches narrower at the gunwales (not quite much difference in waterline width), and the gunwales are a couple inches lower. It should shed the wind a LOT better, but not carry as much gear. It will be a good "go out for the day" boat. I can fish from it. It's a fair bit tougher than the ultralight. I am not planning, at least for now, to sell the ultralight. I need to figure out good storage, though.
If I don't love it, I can pass it on.
I have read lots of reviews from people who used to own them that wish they had never sold them.
If you are looking for something more "backwoods" suitable, look for an old Rendezvous. They are "whitewater" boats, but not the kind of whitewater I run in plastic boats or rafts. I kind of want one of those too. But I'm also trying to stay grounded in reality; I can only paddle so many boats in any given month.1 -
I paddled an Advantage for five days many years ago. I had volunteered as a pod leader for Paddle Oregon, and they loaned me one. The first two days, I wasn't sure I liked "sit and switch" paddling. Someone asked me at lunch the first day, or more told me, "You're a whitewater paddler, right?" I said how did he know. He said he could tell from my first stroke. He showed me that I should skip the J-stroke (or Canadian stroke) and just point where I want to go, use a bent shaft paddle, and switch sides. Point and shoot.
About day three I started to get it. Heel it over on edge and it will spin, but give it power and it goes fast. I've been looking for one for over a decade since then.
Last year I stumbled on the "eggshell" boat and bought it. I truly love it. On paper you might not think it's that much different; it's only six inches shorter. It's also 2.5 inches narrower at the gunwales (not quite much difference in waterline width), and the gunwales are a couple inches lower. It should shed the wind a LOT better, but not carry as much gear. It will be a good "go out for the day" boat. I can fish from it. It's a fair bit tougher than the ultralight. I am not planning, at least for now, to sell the ultralight. I need to figure out good storage, though.
If I don't love it, I can pass it on.
I have read lots of reviews from people who used to own them that wish they had never sold them.
If you are looking for something more "backwoods" suitable, look for an old Rendezvous. They are "whitewater" boats, but not the kind of whitewater I run in plastic boats or rafts. I kind of want one of those too. But I'm also trying to stay grounded in reality; I can only paddle so many boats in any given month.
I don't love the Rendezvous, personally: Prefer boats longer, narrower, less rocker. Around here, we're 99.75% flat water, not that much above class 2, and since I don't love whitewater anyway (I know that's shocking, in your world), I'm happy to portage around it in those rare cases.
I'm OK with the standard layup, like the flex-core aramid in current terms, for general conditions I'd paddle in, including backwoods (if I were doing that again). (It's probably less rocky here in general than when you are, though Algonquin is pretty rocky.)
The problem with the very specific Advantage model I have is that it's not just the lightest regular touring-type layup, it's a very very old kevlar (term used then vs. aramid) boat (1980s? 1970s? dunno) that's 5 pounds or so lighter than even the current-model ultra-light Advantage models, and an older technology besides: Very fragile. Gunwales are wood but not the current touring laminated type; they're also extra lightweight and somewhat fragile. According to the previous owner, a guy who owned a local canoe shop, it was literally built for racing, then he modified it from kneeling to tractor seat because he (like me) had knee issues. I'm not even sure it was a standard stock model. I've had it since maybe the 1980s, I think. I don't worry about the fragility at all for recreational day-tripping in most local circumstances, but if I'm going to be 4 days or so away from cars and roads . . . maybe worry a little.
As a tandem camping boat, we paddled a Sundowner, fiberglass with some reinforcement, so a mixed layup. It served us well. I still have it.
After I was widowed in 1998, I wanted a solo performance touring boat with some hull capacity for camping purposes. Unfortunately, I was around 60 pounds heavier then, so the Advantage was a little lower-capacity than I wanted (or I might have bought one in a standard kevlar layup, as then available). Instead, I bought a Voyager (17'6", mid-40s pounds in the then-standard kevlar, different from current ultra-light). It's also a sweet boat for flatwater touring, but now it rides a little high for my much lighter self . . . probably a bit high even with full gear for a week or two. Obviously, that's a concern wind-wise, for lake use anyway.
If I were in the market for a solo camping boat, I'd maybe look for a more recent Advantage, with a sturdier hull than my current one has, but I'm not canoe camping at all these days - spending much more time rowing for fun, going to rowing camps on vacation, usually. For the occasional recreational paddling with friends, I'm happy to paddle the Advantage . . . or the Voyager with a loaded cooler in one end, and maybe a couple of cement blocks in the other (😆), or the Willow (Current Designs kayak). (I do have a little boat addiction problem, myself . . . !)
I actually mix up paddling styles; I can do fine Northwoods-style (single side paddling) or hit'n'switch in either boat, and have both bent and straight paddles. In some conditions, standing poling is OK too, but the Voyager is probably more friendly for that, with appropriate load. (We have some slow, shallow rivers/creeks where poling works well, at least in stretches, but I've done more of it in tandem boats.) If I were doing more recreational paddling, I'd maybe get a double paddle for the Advantage - I think I could find one long enough. (The size I use with the Willow is too short for the Advantage.)
Bottom line: You and I like different boat styles, I think.1 -
The Voyager is a very capable boat. I think I'd enjoy it. My Encounter is a great boat, but it's kind of HUGE with high gunwales. The Voyager is actually narrower than the Advantage, and it's more capable.
I did buy the boat. I probably shouldn't have. It was in much worse condition than it showed in pictures. I told the seller I thought I was just going to pass, and told him why, and told him I was bummed about it. I told him if I made him an offer it might be insulting. He made ME an offer, and I figured I should just take it home. I think I'll love it. It has a racing seat; it may have come with that or someone put it in. It's tractor style like many Wenonah boats, but narrower so you can fit your feet next to it if you kneel, but it doesn't have any foot cups glued in. I plan to sit.
I stopped by the paddle shop to get some foot bar straps and look for some hardware to replace the rusty stuff in there. They didn't have that, but I found some at a local hardware store. Also took the opportunity to stop by the dive shop since I was down in that city. Also the fish market and a 2nd hand store I like. I found a nice Lodge enamel cast iron Dutch oven.
You for SURE wouldn't like SOME of my canoes. Or maybe I'm wrong. You probably wouldn't like the Outrage. You don't have the option to sit; it's a foam pedestal with a strap (Mohawk outfitting) across your legs. It treated me nicely, but I was SO ready to get out of that boat after four hours.
I'm going to contact Wenonah to see if it's possible that my particular Advantage is a mix of glass and kevlar with a gel coat. Some day I'd like to try to paddle a carbon boat, but I don't think I should own one. Who knows - will I buy more boats and maybe sell some? Could be. You do know how many boats one person needs, right?Just one more....0 -
Loving the boat and river jargon. Don't understand most of it, but loving it none the less.2
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d_thomas02 wrote: »Loving the boat and river jargon. Don't understand most of it, but loving it none the less.
Same here. lol
How's your forge work going?0 -
I paddled an Advantage for five days many years ago. I had volunteered as a pod leader for Paddle Oregon, and they loaned me one. The first two days, I wasn't sure I liked "sit and switch" paddling. Someone asked me at lunch the first day, or more told me, "You're a whitewater paddler, right?" I said how did he know. He said he could tell from my first stroke. He showed me that I should skip the J-stroke (or Canadian stroke) and just point where I want to go, use a bent shaft paddle, and switch sides. Point and shoot.
About day three I started to get it. Heel it over on edge and it will spin, but give it power and it goes fast. I've been looking for one for over a decade since then.
Last year I stumbled on the "eggshell" boat and bought it. I truly love it. On paper you might not think it's that much different; it's only six inches shorter. It's also 2.5 inches narrower at the gunwales (not quite much difference in waterline width), and the gunwales are a couple inches lower. It should shed the wind a LOT better, but not carry as much gear. It will be a good "go out for the day" boat. I can fish from it. It's a fair bit tougher than the ultralight. I am not planning, at least for now, to sell the ultralight. I need to figure out good storage, though.
If I don't love it, I can pass it on.
I have read lots of reviews from people who used to own them that wish they had never sold them.
If you are looking for something more "backwoods" suitable, look for an old Rendezvous. They are "whitewater" boats, but not the kind of whitewater I run in plastic boats or rafts. I kind of want one of those too. But I'm also trying to stay grounded in reality; I can only paddle so many boats in any given month.
I don't love the Rendezvous, personally: Prefer boats longer, narrower, less rocker. Around here, we're 99.75% flat water, not that much above class 2, and since I don't love whitewater anyway (I know that's shocking, in your world), I'm happy to portage around it in those rare cases.
I'm OK with the standard layup, like the flex-core aramid in current terms, for general conditions I'd paddle in, including backwoods (if I were doing that again). (It's probably less rocky here in general than when you are, though Algonquin is pretty rocky.)
The problem with the very specific Advantage model I have is that it's not just the lightest regular touring-type layup, it's a very very old kevlar (term used then vs. aramid) boat (1980s? 1970s? dunno) that's 5 pounds or so lighter than even the current-model ultra-light Advantage models, and an older technology besides: Very fragile. Gunwales are wood but not the current touring laminated type; they're also extra lightweight and somewhat fragile. According to the previous owner, a guy who owned a local canoe shop, it was literally built for racing, then he modified it from kneeling to tractor seat because he (like me) had knee issues. I'm not even sure it was a standard stock model. I've had it since maybe the 1980s, I think. I don't worry about the fragility at all for recreational day-tripping in most local circumstances, but if I'm going to be 4 days or so away from cars and roads . . . maybe worry a little.
As a tandem camping boat, we paddled a Sundowner, fiberglass with some reinforcement, so a mixed layup. It served us well. I still have it.
After I was widowed in 1998, I wanted a solo performance touring boat with some hull capacity for camping purposes. Unfortunately, I was around 60 pounds heavier then, so the Advantage was a little lower-capacity than I wanted (or I might have bought one in a standard kevlar layup, as then available). Instead, I bought a Voyager (17'6", mid-40s pounds in the then-standard kevlar, different from current ultra-light). It's also a sweet boat for flatwater touring, but now it rides a little high for my much lighter self . . . probably a bit high even with full gear for a week or two. Obviously, that's a concern wind-wise, for lake use anyway.
If I were in the market for a solo camping boat, I'd maybe look for a more recent Advantage, with a sturdier hull than my current one has, but I'm not canoe camping at all these days - spending much more time rowing for fun, going to rowing camps on vacation, usually. For the occasional recreational paddling with friends, I'm happy to paddle the Advantage . . . or the Voyager with a loaded cooler in one end, and maybe a couple of cement blocks in the other (😆), or the Willow (Current Designs kayak). (I do have a little boat addiction problem, myself . . . !)
I actually mix up paddling styles; I can do fine Northwoods-style (single side paddling) or hit'n'switch in either boat, and have both bent and straight paddles. In some conditions, standing poling is OK too, but the Voyager is probably more friendly for that, with appropriate load. (We have some slow, shallow rivers/creeks where poling works well, at least in stretches, but I've done more of it in tandem boats.) If I were doing more recreational paddling, I'd maybe get a double paddle for the Advantage - I think I could find one long enough. (The size I use with the Willow is too short for the Advantage.)
Bottom line: You and I like different boat styles, I think.
The Rendezvous is surprisingly popular boat. It's not one I am looking to add to my quiver. I have dedicated whitewater boats that are maneuverable and can be bashed on rocks. And have. I can take other boats on "mild" whitewater as long as it's not low water where I might hit a rock. The new glass boat should take rock impacts a little better, unless it disintegrates from age and sun exposure.
I had a neighbor that was looking for one. If I got one, Royalex for sure. Bashes rocks.
Funny - it looks like they are making the Advantage again. But I think the entire production capacity for the year is already spoken for. Maybe I'll just paddle it....1 -
d_thomas02 wrote: »Loving the boat and river jargon. Don't understand most of it, but loving it none the less.
Same here. lol
How's your forge work going?
Hard to find time this year. Can't get guys to work. Need nine guys, currently have four. Last week (one week mind you) I clocked 83 hours.
Things will change, though. I told my friend and boss that this will be my last year running a crew. I'm retiring (again) at the end of this season.
Probably still work part-time for him but not more than 40 hours a week.
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Just for variety 😉, here's a photo from outdoor exercise, kind of. It's the nice beer garden at the turnaround of my most frequent current walking route.
Some rowing buddies and I walked there last week, had lunch and a beer. I didn't walk back, not because of beer, but because of schedule constraints. I took this photo today, walked the whole 5 mile round trip 😎 (no beer, though. 😐).
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I thought I'd share some video of my friend Bob surfing his kayak on the Rogue River a few years back. I forgot I had published this video.3
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Looks fun!!I thought I'd share some video of my friend Bob surfing his kayak on the Rogue River a few years back. I forgot I had published this video.0 -
Just getting tidied up from a four-day Rogue River trip. I got home about midnight and unpacked the cooler. I took this morning off to put away some of the gear or at least put things somewhere to air out so they don't rot. It's too hot to do any real washing - excessive heat warning the last couple days and on out through Saturday.
It was HOT the last two days on the river. Luckily, the water was pleasant. Camped at Argo on Saturday night, then launched Sunday. We were lucky to get Horseshoe Bend for our first river night. We got Lower Half Moon on the second night; another great score. Two people rowed out the next morning, and the other seven of us had a layover day. We swam and hiked and ate and played guitar and told tall tales. Group was made of a couple people under 40, a couple in mid-50s, two or three in early 60s and one in late 60s. There was a mid-60s year old woman who did a backflip off the front of my raft. Very impressive.
This is looking upstream at Blossom Bar from a high spot a few miles upstream from our last camp. Normally you scout from above if you are going to scout, and you really can't see the whole rapid:
Food was great. First night was seafood paella. Second night was penne and pesto. Third night was bean and rice burritos with lots of toppings plus a fresh-made lime-cabbage salad.
Can we go back? I forgot to tell that bear something.
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Your trip looks great, @mtaratoot!
My post is not strictly exercise, but it's outdoor, and I'm still on "no exertion" orders after eye surgery last week, so walking is what I've got. This was diverting, at least. The rocks were very warm, from the sun. Parts were kind of intense (I'm glad there was a handrail, because sometimes it was hard to balance and roll feet over the stones in the prescribed ways). When I was done, my feet felt awake!
The outline map of Michigan (both peninsulas!) even has a tiny Mackinac bridge, with Petoskey stones nearby in the outline.3 -
How cool is that, Ann? I like it!!1
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I walked on some rocks without shoes, but it wasn't set up like that really cool reflexology path. It was changing from wet to dry shoes; I fully float my canoe before I get it, then I change into dry shoes for the paddle.
We paddled about 14 miles. Flatwater. Some current. Very little wind. Cool cloudy weather. Good scenery - an intact riparian gallery forest the entire way. I will do this stretch again. I have been trying to get buddy to get out and paddle for YEARS. He always had something else to do. So when, a month ago, he responded to my question of "When are we going paddling?" with, "August 22," I put it on the calendar!
We will go back. Next we might do the next section downstream. This was about 12-14 miles. Very nice. I got to paddle my "new" canoe. It is a Wenonah Advantage that was built in December 1987 for Model Year 1988, so it's almost 34 years old. It has been used & abused and has some amateur patching that I probably should replace. I do like the boat. I like it a lot. It's a vastly different boat than my Encounter even though it's only six inches shorter. It's a lot narrower. It has much lower gunwales. It won't haul anywhere near as much gear, and it's not as dry a ride. It does shed wind, and it's a great day paddle boat.
The friend I went with has a Prism. The Prism is the boat I thought I would end up buying since they quit making the Advantage years ago. His boat is from the mid 1990s and has a custom paint job. I wonder what damage is under the paint.... Looking at the two boats together (Prism and Advantage) clearly show they are VERY different boats. We paddled a little bit up the Luckiamute and I got a picture of him in "The Paisley Princess."
Let's go paddle!3 -
I'm kinda jealous. I've been focusing on my renovations and somehow hanging drywall doesn't seem as appealing as paddling...
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I walked on some rocks without shoes, but it wasn't set up like that really cool reflexology path. It was changing from wet to dry shoes; I fully float my canoe before I get it, then I change into dry shoes for the paddle.
We paddled about 14 miles. Flatwater. Some current. Very little wind. Cool cloudy weather. Good scenery - an intact riparian gallery forest the entire way. I will do this stretch again. I have been trying to get buddy to get out and paddle for YEARS. He always had something else to do. So when, a month ago, he responded to my question of "When are we going paddling?" with, "August 22," I put it on the calendar!
We will go back. Next we might do the next section downstream. This was about 12-14 miles. Very nice. I got to paddle my "new" canoe. It is a Wenonah Advantage that was built in December 1987 for Model Year 1988, so it's almost 34 years old. It has been used & abused and has some amateur patching that I probably should replace. I do like the boat. I like it a lot. It's a vastly different boat than my Encounter even though it's only six inches shorter. It's a lot narrower. It has much lower gunwales. It won't haul anywhere near as much gear, and it's not as dry a ride. It does shed wind, and it's a great day paddle boat.
The friend I went with has a Prism. The Prism is the boat I thought I would end up buying since they quit making the Advantage years ago. His boat is from the mid 1990s and has a custom paint job. I wonder what damage is under the paint.... Looking at the two boats together (Prism and Advantage) clearly show they are VERY different boats. We paddled a little bit up the Luckiamute and I got a picture of him in "The Paisley Princess."
Let's go paddle!
My buddy got a picture of me paddling Addie. Yeah. I named the Wenonah Advantage "Addie."
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