Pictures from outdoor exercise.
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@UncleMac
It is actually a section of river I really enjoy, but is less convenient to get on. Shuttle is so much easier when the put-in and take-out are on the same side of the river or there's a convenient bridge somewhere in the middle. Not so for this section. There's a take-out on the other side of the river that would make for a ten-mile paddle. Actually, now that I think about it, there's another put-in on the other side of the river above our put-in that is about 5.5 miles upstream, so we could make a 15 mile paddle using those two access points. I might start doing that because it eliminates the last few miles that are my least favorite part of this section and adds a little on the top.
This route had an advantage. Well, aside from being nice and long, the take-out is a half mile from my house (and only another half mile or less to one of the other folks. My friend in the new kayak was coming from an hour upstream, so we left one vehicle that can carry two boats and four people at take-out and took our two vehicles directly to the put-in. The person coming from upstream didn't have to make the extra drive all the way to take-out to set shuttle. Then, when we got done, we just dropped off two boats at my house, then piled two boats on the truck and all four got in to go back to put-in. Traveler from upstream just went that way. The other three of us drove back to happy hour to rehydrate.
There's several sections of various length that can be strung together. Sometimes it means only like eight miles unless you want to tackle a much longer paddle.
The slower boats were usually behind us. They fell farther behind than normal because, it seems, one of them didn't understand this was supposed to be a PADDLE trip, not a FLOAT trip. We might have been home an hour earlier if they had used the stick in their hand. We also took a long time because we found a lot of agates.
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A nice run AND it's close to home? Perfect!!0
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A nice run AND it's close to home? Perfect!!
Some of the friends I go paddle locally with appreciate this resource as much as I do. We often state out loud how fortunate we are not only to have the skills to paddle, but have this resource in our back yard. Some people don't think highly of our local river - it was extremely polluted as recently as the '70s. Through our efforts, the river is healing. We are also grateful that, compared to most people on the planet, we are extremely wealthy to even be able to own a kayak or canoe, much less own more than one.
If I walk out my front door and measure the distance to the river's edge at the bottom of the boat ramp, it's just about exactly 0.5 miles. I can paddle upstream from there a few miles. Sometimes it's really nice. Sometimes the first mile or so is very crowded. I can drive downstream where the river slows and get farther upstream if I want. My friend said, "What a great gym."
We almost always see Bald Eagles, and we saw some really big ones yesterday. We always see Osprey spring through end of summer/early fall when they head south. We almost always see Great Blue Herons, Kingfishers, and Green Herons. Earlier in the season there were scads of Cedar Waxwings. This time of year the sky is filled with tree swallows. Turkey Vultures soar overhead. We see hawks of various types, and often see deer.
There's a chance I'll drive about an hour tomorrow to join some friends for a Class 3 whitewater trip, but I really should focus on getting my raft ready for a longer trip in a few weeks as well as a multi-day canoe trip next week.
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So much awesome, @mtaratoot... so much awesome...0
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I did a short paddle today; about ten miles. It was another scouting for that big trip next week.
I found a few agates....
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What do you do with your agates? I've never been rockhounding... panned for gold once in Alaska as part of a tour but that's about it.0
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@UncleMac
I stopped picking up rocks many years ago. I figured they were happier where they were than where I was taking them. About 20 years ago, I was dating a woman who liked agates, and I got started again. Now it's kind of just something I do when I'm kicking around on gravel bars. Lately I've been lucky at finding them. No idea why. Maybe it's like four-leaf clovers and chanterelles; once your eyes are trained, they just SEE them more often.
The small ones - I have used them to fill glass containers that I use to force paperwhites and hyacinth in winter. Every one of my hoseplants and bonsai have one appropriate sized and particularly pretty agate. I used to have a bowl of them in the bathroom I kept filled with water so they shine.
Lately I've been finding fist-size and larger ones sometimes. That one in the picture is actually bigger than it looks. It's kind of flat and bigger than my hand, but one end has a cleaner cut where you can see the stripes. The other day I found one bigger than a bowling ball. That one I'm not 100% sure it's an agate, but I'm 96% sure. It could be chert. It's so big not much light penetrates. It's roundish and has been rolling down the river, so the exterior isn't "shiny," It has texture, and it has little pits with some drewzy in them. It's "almost" translucent, so I'm pretty sure it's the biggest agate I've ever found. Maybe 15 pounds? Estimating from my habit of picking up SCUBA weights.
I have a friend who has a rock saw and a tumbler. He does fun things with agates. I am hoping to rent some time on his saw and cut a face on the one in the picture and polish it up. I kind of want to cut the huge one too, just to see what's inside.
I also have piles of different kinds of rocks, including agates, in various nice places in my landscape so I can see them when I'm in the yard.
I might buy a rock tumbler. For fun. Not a saw; that's too big and expensive. If I can use my friend's saw from time to time, I can make even medium sized agates into shapes that will tumble easily without breaking. Maybe some day when I slow down I'll decide to make jewelry, but that's not currently in my plan
I gave a Staghorn Fern to that same friend and his wife as a wedding present. I let them pick from the five that I had at the time (all started from one, and I've given three away over the years). I told him to also check the rock in each one as that might also sway which one he wanted to take. He thought that was pretty cool.
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@mtaratoot, isn't it amazing how we humans adapt and learn?Lately I've been lucky at finding them. No idea why. Maybe it's like four-leaf clovers and chanterelles; once your eyes are trained, they just SEE them more often.0 -
This shaggy dude with the blue eyeglasses was on the short, not-very-exercise-y walk I took in the nice cancer/healing garden next to the university's radiology building. Things are a little weedy - I think it's probably largely or wholly volunteer-maintained - but there are always beautiful blooming and foliage plants, plus a flowing (human-made) stream with a couple of small waterfalls leading to a pond that has koi and several varieties of waterlilies.
I stopped picking up rocks many years ago. I figured they were happier where they were than where I was taking them. About 20 years ago, I was dating a woman who liked agates, and I got started again. Now it's kind of just something I do when I'm kicking around on gravel bars. Lately I've been lucky at finding them. No idea why. Maybe it's like four-leaf clovers and chanterelles; once your eyes are trained, they just SEE them more often.
(snip)
@mtaratoot, I'm sure it works that way for you with quite a range of other mushrooms/fungi, too, doesn't it - though I admit some of them don't try very hard to hide?
My botanist-trained buddy is excellent at scanning new-to-her outdoor spaces and instantly spotting any unusual/special plants, like unusual terrestrial orchids even when they aren't blooming: They just jump out to her somehow as not part of the average plantscape. It's sort of the same idea, but in reverse? As I've learned more about my local wild plantscapes, even though I'm still super-unknowledgeable in the grand scheme, I can do some of that in a small way sometimes, too.
(snip)
One very dear friend recently got a new boat. I've been on the water when she's paddling it a few times so far, and it's clear she loves it. I think it is a great boat for her. Today she said to me, "This boat really cruises." She's used to whitewater kayaks which are much slower. It kind of annoyed me that I was struggling to keep up with her when she was paddling at a relaxed pace. My canoe is 3.5 feet longer, and it's a fast canoe. Especially when the wind came up, and maybe even when not, I wouldn't be able to catch up if she wanted to ditch me. Which is actually really cool!
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@mtaratoot, you know how frustrating this is, don't you? You didn't even tell us what kind of boat she had! How am I to boat-geek, with so little information? 😉🤣0 -
@mtaratoot, you know how frustrating this is, don't you? You didn't even tell us what kind of boat she had! How am I to boat-geek, with so little information? 😉🤣
More later, perhaps, but to answer this question it really doesn't matter. It's a good boat for HER.
As it happens, they call it a "transitional" kayak. Idea is it's somewhere between a recreational and touring. Two watertight hatches. Thirteen feet long. Glass plus Aramid layup. No rudder. Skeg.
She was able to go test paddle a few boats in June, and that got her special pricing.
The same boat comes in a 14' model. Maybe even faster. She can load her 13' boat on her vehicle by herself, and storage is easier. The longer model had THREE watertight hatches - forward, aft, and a day hatch. The day hatch on the longer boat took away volume from the main rear hatch, and that's the most important space for packing gear.
I think she's going to love it. Wouldn't be a good boat for me, but for what she wants, I think she'll get miles of smiles.
I have no intention of advertising models of boats, but if you must know....It's a Current Designs Vision 130.2 -
Another nice 20 mile day on the river.
We had lunch on a tiny gravel bar in the middle of the river, just for fun.
The folks I went with spend a lot of time looking for agates. At least they are fast when they paddle.
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@mtaratoot, you know how frustrating this is, don't you? You didn't even tell us what kind of boat she had! How am I to boat-geek, with so little information? 😉🤣
More later, perhaps, but to answer this question it really doesn't matter. It's a good boat for HER.
As it happens, they call it a "transitional" kayak. Idea is it's somewhere between a recreational and touring. Two watertight hatches. Thirteen feet long. Glass plus Aramid layup. No rudder. Skeg.
She was able to go test paddle a few boats in June, and that got her special pricing.
The same boat comes in a 14' model. Maybe even faster. She can load her 13' boat on her vehicle by herself, and storage is easier. The longer model had THREE watertight hatches - forward, aft, and a day hatch. The day hatch on the longer boat took away volume from the main rear hatch, and that's the most important space for packing gear.
I think she's going to love it. Wouldn't be a good boat for me, but for what she wants, I think she'll get miles of smiles.
I have no intention of advertising models of boats, but if you must know....It's a Current Designs Vision 130.
Thank you. You know I profoundly fan-girl Current Designs (own a Willow) and Wenonah (which of course is really the same outfit). Personally, I wouldn't go as short as a 13'-14', because long, skinny boats make me swoon-y, but that looks like a really nice boat. Now I can properly boat-geek, which makes me happy. Appreciate it.1 -
@mtaratoot, you know how frustrating this is, don't you? You didn't even tell us what kind of boat she had! How am I to boat-geek, with so little information? 😉🤣
More later, perhaps, but to answer this question it really doesn't matter. It's a good boat for HER.
As it happens, they call it a "transitional" kayak. Idea is it's somewhere between a recreational and touring. Two watertight hatches. Thirteen feet long. Glass plus Aramid layup. No rudder. Skeg.
She was able to go test paddle a few boats in June, and that got her special pricing.
The same boat comes in a 14' model. Maybe even faster. She can load her 13' boat on her vehicle by herself, and storage is easier. The longer model had THREE watertight hatches - forward, aft, and a day hatch. The day hatch on the longer boat took away volume from the main rear hatch, and that's the most important space for packing gear.
I think she's going to love it. Wouldn't be a good boat for me, but for what she wants, I think she'll get miles of smiles.
I have no intention of advertising models of boats, but if you must know....It's a Current Designs Vision 130.
Thank you. You know I profoundly fan-girl Current Designs (own a Willow) and Wenonah (which of course is really the same outfit). Personally, I wouldn't go as short as a 13'-14', because long, skinny boats make me swoon-y, but that looks like a really nice boat. Now I can properly boat-geek, which makes me happy. Appreciate it.
Two things.
She said to me, "This boat really cruises - I am barely touching it." I told her welcome to the world of fast boats.
I eventually got close enough to chat and made sure she knew that with my long, skinny, fast boat, I couldn't catch her if she decided to race.
Point two must have felt good, and also reminded her we need to set the right pace for the guests we're helping get down the river next week.
To be honest, I'm shocked how fast it is for 13 feet. Seriously. It's a nice boat. She's going to love it
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Another moonlight row this week. That's me at front right, port-side stroke seat, wearing yellow. (Yes, port - we're facing the stem.)
Lovely night.
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My house sold... so I did a fast road trip to Prince Edward Island where I looked at 12 houses in 2 days and made a conditional offer on one... Offer accepted... I'm back in Ottawa now as the realtor is dealing with the inspections etc to clear the conditions.
Seven days of driving... I'm exhausted and wired...2 -
I'm not sure that photo loaded right?
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Just back from five days of paddling with a group of about 120 boats. It was the 20th annual time the event was held - the last two years it was cancelled due to COVID. It's in part a fund-raiser and in part a way to connect people with what's a really nice river that people often overlook. The organization is a non-profit that aims to protect and restore that river. I'm a big supporter.
We went 85 miles with excess heat four of the five days. It was moving water, not whitewater. I was in a canoe. Most folks were in sea kayaks, some of which were very sleek and fast. Others were in slower "recreational" or "transitional" kayaks. We even had a few paddleboards. The paddleboards were mostly slower except one racing board. Meals were catered by land-based crew, and I gained a pound or so.
The first two days the river is faster and has more hazards from rootwads, strainers, and submerged logs just below the surface. It has more swirly currents. That's where the safety boats were most important. The lower river is wider and slower, but there's still current to help us make the miles. I really liked when the river was calm and made reflections. It was often pretty windy in the afternoon, and that made it even harder for the paddleboards.
Volunteers got a big break on registration costs. Essentially we paid for our food. Meals were catered, and a big van took our personal gear from camp to camp. We got to paddle mostly unloaded boats which is very sweet. Food was really good for the most part, and I enjoyed myself with abandon. No regrets. I helped with this event several times in the past, but I've had to skip it the last decade due to work. No more work, so I got to go again. People who remember me enjoyed getting to work with me again, and I enjoyed spending time with them. One volunteer came up to me and asked my name and said that he's been volunteering many years and didn't recognize me but many other people seemed to know me. Yeah. Great trip. I'll go next year if they put it on. Next month is a two-day trip in the lower river I'll help with, again just paying for my food.
Today is a recover and clean-up day, then I start to et ready for a five-day whitewater trip.
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I was planning to drive to the river this afternoon, meet my group, and set up camp. We were going to get our launch permit tomorrow morning and then go float.
At least our launch date wasn't today because we would have got down there yesterday and when we got to the ranger office they would have told us to go home because the river is closed because of a fire.
Now my group has a few days to think of something else to do. All our food is already purchased, prepped, packaged, and packed. All my gear is ready to go in the truck or already loaded in the raft. I have two pounds of GROUND coffee....
So I won't have pictures to share this time around. I am sad.
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