Annisquam, etc. 9/14

[lhunt]

LeonG and I set out for a routine clockwise workout around Cape Ann. The plan was a hard fast paddle, so the start of the trip was pretty much nose-to-grindstone with only sporadic conversation along the lines of "where should we have lunch". (The lunch options for this paddle always seem to be either too early or, for lack of a better word, too "stark".)

But 6-1/2 miles into it, we suddenly discovered that neither of us really wanted to work so hard. It was a beautiful day, clear as a bell down on earth and partly cloudy up above. So at Halibut Point we decided to abandon the whole cardio-vascular health thing. We turned around, and had lunch at the peerless Annisquam Lighthouse while the sky entertained (like this).

Then, while the little squall finished mustering itself on our right, then rained itself out and disappeared again to nowhere, we meandered along the shore towards Essex Bay. There was brilliant sunshine on our left, and dark gray gloom on the right. The effect on the very white sand at the back side of Crane's Beach, it occurred to me later, was a little like a slow motion disco ball, brilliant one minute, dark the next. Put that together with the spikey little tidal race and there was a whole 70's dance thing going on.

Well, as so often happens in kayaking, words fail to describe. You just "had to be there". But I thought I'd share the pictures, at least :-)

Happy paddling!

Lisa

[kate]

Beautiful photos, and I didn't have to keep up with Leon to see these scenes

thanks for sharing!

kate

[lhunt]

Well, let's be honest. No one "keeps up" with Leon. He "keeps down", or he paddles alone. I've suggested a drift anchor, but he's not amenable. It's fun to try, though.

[Scott Lundquist]

Lisa, thanks for sharing that, you clearly should do such writeups more often! And all the photos are nice, but the one you posted with the story is really striking; no doubt 10x better in real life. -- S.

[Pintail]

<...suggested a drift anchor, but he's not amenable. It's fun to try, though...>

The trick, Lisa, would be in attaching a small drogue/sea-anchor without his knowing!

Lovely photographs, by the way! It seems as though you paddled as far as a circumnavigation, anyway...

[lhunt]

Lovely photographs, by the way! It seems as though you paddled as far as a circumnavigation, anyway...

Thank you, kind Sir! Yes, we got the distance (almost), just not the speed this time. Speed being, as you know, inversely proportional to the number of pictures taken. This was "way more better", though.

Lisa

[brambor]

Great pics Lisa. I love the mood.