Nancy Hill

The Suunto card compasses are good for plotting courses on charts. For a handheld compass, you can't beat one that is specifically made for that purpose. I use a Vion mini 2000 handheld compass. I've always carried the plotting compass (I have a Suunto) and a handheld/bearing compass. http://www.pioneer-research.com/vion/vion.asp -Nancy

Les, Talk to me about this at the next pool session. In a nutshell - you'll probably be fine with the Scout since you are petite. You might need a pad under you since air will be able to circulate around you and you will be compressing the fill in your bag as you lie on it. If you get a more expensive model there are add-ons for them that will not fit the Scout (I think). The more expensive models are also guy-ed out asymmetrically which, according to Hennessy, makes it easier to lie on your side. I'm not sure that is true. I only had trouble with my Hennessy Expedition model when rain came in from the end when it was quite windy. I ordered the Hexagonal tarp for more coverage and I am happier with it. All-in-all I love my Hennessy hammock, but there are times when I still prefer my tent. When I got mine, there was only the bottom entrance available - now they have the additional choice of a zippered side entry - might be easier to get in and out. The people at Hennessy are very helpful. I'd give them a call if you have questions. -Nancy

Joyce successfully completed 3 rolls in a row on each side. She made it look easy. When she moved on to her own kayak, she nailed a few rolls in hers as well, but by then tiredness had set in and it was time to quit while she was ahead. -Nancy

My husband (Wayne) and I did not use an outfitter, but I do know of one in the Western Fjords. I'd look into a trip with them: http://www.borea.is/Borea/ It looks like they have decent equipment and the Western Fjords are beautiful. If you have time, try to do some hiking, too. -Nancy Hill

Image #1 is a sand storm blowing out to sea near Onslow, Australia.

Nice pictures, Lisa. Thanks! -Nancy

Thanks, Gene and Bob. That's just the information I needed.

I can easily find information about launch areas on the North Shore, but find limited information on the islands in the Marblehead area. I can see potential landing spots on Google earth, but I have limited knowledge about what islands might be the most interesting to visit. It is also unclear whether some are private or hard to land on (Bakers?). Is there anything I should know in advance before visiting Bakers, Children's or Tinkers? I've already gone out to Misery and Little Misery. I'd appreciate some local knowledge about the area. Thanks. -Nancy

Here's a link to a good article about weathercocking by Greg Stamer (he talks about a Greenland kayak, but the facts apply to any kayak): http://www.gregstamer.com/2012/04/22/techinques-to-avoid-broaching-in-greenland-kayak -Nancy

Pru, the same thing happens to me with my Fuego skeg control. I tried filing it to be smoother and that helped a little (kept me from drawing blood), but I still hit the darn thing. I finally wrapped a piece of thin neoprene around it and glued it so it would stay. It's not pretty, but makes it a lot softer when I do hit it. When I was in Iceland, I paddled an Explorer with the skeg control that was remarkably low and not at all in the way. In fact, I just checked a photo and see that it was right along the deck seam. I don't recall seeing a skeg control so low on any other kayak. It was great. There was no way I was going to hit it. I will definitely consider where the skeg control is on my next kayak, not only for my thumb, but for my paddle. I have taken quite a few chunks out of my Greenland Paddle on the darn skeg control. Let me know if you come up with a good idea. -Nancy

You've probably already bought your stove, but I'll put in my 2 cents worth anyway. My favorite stove is my (canister-type) Soto OD-1R. It's only good for small diameter pots, but that's fine with me. I looked online for the Brunton Stove Stand that I sometimes use with my canister stoves (Soto or Optimus Crux), but it is discontinued. I found a similar item that looks interesting. http://www.amazon.com/Olicamp-329015-Xcelerator-Titanium-Stove/dp/B007S3MHI0 One difference is that the stove is included, whereas the Brunton included just the stand with braided line; I supplied canister and stove of my choice. I bought it for instances where I might want to use a windscreen. I know that my reply does not help you use your REi coupon, but the stove is interesting and someone might want to give it a try as it got good reviews a few places. The MSR windpro and whisperlite have the same remote canister setup but they are a lot more expensive. Maybe worth it? I don't know. I wonder why Brunton discontinued the one I have. It seems like a great idea and I have never seen anything else like it. As far as gas stoves go, I had a bad experience on a MITA trip where my companion's MSR stove leaked the first night out and was not field-repairable. Mine lasted through the trip, but decided to just about blow itself up a few weeks later on a different trip. I brought it back to REI where they looked at me like I was nuts. Then, they started the stove and couldn't turn it off because there was a leak below the shut off and it continued to burn. That was in the store and was quite interesting! I now carry my Soto and my Optimus as a backup. They are so small that I don't mind the extra space one more little stove takes. -Nancy

If you call them they will probably tell you they close the launch in early December or earlier if there is a snow storm or ice. However, I would always call ahead because they have, in the past, arbitrarily closed it early for no good reason. That usually happens somewhere around mid/end of November. When the gate is closed, we often carry our kayaks down to the water from the upper lot. There is a paved walkway with a few steps at the bottom. A kayak cart would work well for a kayak too heavy to carry over that distance. No one has ever told us we could not put our kayaks in the water just because the launch was closed. -Nancy

Even after practicing loading and unloading the kayak, it is nice to have a map or list of what goes where, so you can pack the same way each time. For me, it's easy to forget the details and one small change in location of an item can totally throw me for a loop. Other things to consider are the order of packing so that you can remove certain essential items first. I like my tarp to be readily available so I can set it up and put everything under it if it is raining. -Nancy

Not just the Exped, but the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pad sounded like someone crinkling a bag of potato chips every time I moved. It kept me and those in neighboring tents awake wondering what I was doing. I exchanged it for something else that is completely silent. I think it had to do with how much air was in it. When it was inflated to its max it was not noisy, but too firm. When I let enough air out for it to be comfy it got very noisy. It's best to try out all your gear at home before heading out. Benadryl never worked for me and I decided to try (at home first and have someone hide all the car keys!) a sleeping pill called Ambien. It works great, but I have read that some people who take it get up in the middle of the night and do strange things (like driving!)and do not remember in the morning. That could lead to some interesting situations and memorable camping stories. As far as I know I have not done anything strange in the middle of the night, unless friends are keeping a secret video log. -Nancy

Besides the obvious needs, I'll mention some optional things that you might want to think about. The only item that I left behind and really missed on a MITA trip was a pillow. Stuffing clothes in a bag didn't work for me. There are lots of compressible pillows to choose from. For comfort, I like my therm-a-rest trekker chair. You stuff it with your sleeping pad, but instead of getting my sleeping pad dirty, I bring a therm-a-rest ridge rest closed cell foam pad to use. I cut the ridge rest pad so that it fits between my seat and the forward bulkhead in my kayak. It's just the right length to stuff into the trekker chair without any folds (folds are OK, though). It's easy enough to shake the water off of it and leave it out in the sun to dry before needing to use it. The foam pad doesn't give as much support as an inflated pad, but it works well enough for me. When I expect hot weather I bring my small hammock with small sil-nylon tarp, but it rarely gets used when I am with a group. I use it often when I am alone and expect to do some reading. If I get a rainy day, I would rather be in my hammock with the tarp than in my tent with limited visibility. I can manage without a hammock or chair, but I do appreciate the comfort. Between the two I like the hammock the best, but a chair works better when sitting with a group. Depending on where you are going, think about how to protect your food from hungry critters (bear-vault, hanging). -Nancy

I plan to arrive at around 4:00 -Nancy

While the paddler is clearly a good roller and comfortable under water, it is amazing how he finds unique and interesting ways to recover. These are not Greenland rolls (for the most part) as most are done wrong and/or mislabeled. People interested in learning Greenland rolls can attend Walden Qajaq Society pool sessions and meetups or take classes with Cheri and Turner. We are fortunate to live in an area where a number of people knowledgeable in Greenland rolling are available to help you. The paddler in this video probably does not have the resources available to him that we have. Recent local pool session videos of Greenland rolls can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/user/WaldenQajaqSociety A good video of a series of Greenland rolls, with and without paddle, can be viewed here: A good collection of rolling videos of individual rolls can be seen at Cheri and Turners site, kayakways.net -Nancy

Ty, of course you and Emilie are welcome to join us anytime. -Nancy

I was the person who sent Emilie a private message and I did suggest that she reword her post to avoid making a wrong impression. I sent what I thought to be a cordial, welcoming message, which asked her to tell us more about herself and fiancé and included the phrase: "Your post pretty much boils down to - Hi, my fiancé and I want to come to Walden for some free rolling lessons, please bring kayaks and a paddle for us. You might want to reword that." The reason I suggested she re-word her original post was that she had put off some people who thought she had been too forward in her request. My thought was if she told us more about herself and her fiancé, people would be more likely to reach out to them. The suggestion was intended to be helpful and the rest of my message was intended to be friendly. Following that, I wrote: "I want to add that we do welcome and look forward to meeting more people who are interested in Greenland-style paddling. Part of the mission of our society is to mentor those who have the desire to learn more about Greenland kayaking. We do look forward to meeting you and your fiancé. Even if we do not have an extra kayak for you, you might want to join us anyway, as you can still learn things about Greenland-style paddling and rolling in your own kayaks." In my second and last message I wrote (based on Emilie's prior message in which she thought that extra kayaks were usually available): "Kayaks are not generally available, but if we know a person is coming who would like to try a Greenland kayak, we do make an effort to bring an extra as long as we know something about the person, including weight and height. If you see a post for a meet up that fits with your schedule you may want to inquire about the availability of a loaner kayak and in that post, tell everyone a little more about yourself. So far, nothing is planned for this weekend, but that could change." None of us had any idea who she was. It seemed to me and to others that saw her post on the Walden site that she was being presumptuous, especially since no one knew who she was. All members of Walden Qajaq Society have spent countless hours working with countless people who wish to learn more about Greenland kayaking. We have asked for nothing in return other than getting some enjoyment out of watching others come to realize the benefits and fun of learning Greenland rolling and skills. It is hurtful to read Tyson's comments about our group, based on private messages from me to Emilie that were meant to be welcoming and friendly. As far as I know, neither Emilie nor Tyson has ever met any of the regular Walden Qajaq Society members. It is sad to think that they may not get to enjoy the camaraderie of others with a similar interest so close to home. I know this is not in keeping with the original subject. I apologize. I hate to think that the Walden Qajaq Society’s reputation would be damaged by 2 private emails that I sent to Emilie that were intended to be helpful and friendly. -Nancy Hill

First, let me say that both Ed and I are able to balance brace by getting into the proper position. It is not quite as simple as just lying in the water, although the right kayak helps. For me, it was achieved after a lot of practice sculling and trying to rely less and less on the paddle over time. Yes, Suz is right, floating with your back arched does change your body position in the kayak, and it changes it in a positive way. It forces your water-side thigh to be in contact with your thigh brace/masik while offering more flotation. She is also correct in assuming I am using a GP. However, sculling from a position that offers maximum flotation is much better than trying to scull from any other position, and "floating" on your back does that (as does sculling on your chest with a recovery on your front deck). You can use a euro or GP, just make sure you always have a climbing angle on the blade when it is moving through the water. If the blade dives (any blade), you will follow it down. Granted, a GP is more forgiving and is more buoyant, but it does not guarantee success. I have many kayaks and there are a few that I can not balance brace, but I can scull for support in them. Once I lose the contact with my thigh brace, it is all over and the kayak turns over on me. It is easier to have good contact with the thigh brace/masik, if your back is flat on the water and arched. If you round your back to pull you leg in, you will sink. You need to be in a kayak that allows you to have this good thigh contact. I am not just envisioning this, as I have a lot of experience in sculling for support (since it took me so long to learn to balance brace!). Another advantage of lying on your back is that your nose is out of the water and you can breathe. If you are on your side, it is tempting to keep your head up out of the water to breathe, and that will also doom you to failure. I have the advantage of learning a lot of these skills in a low volume kayak with a GP which makes everything easier. What it has taught me is that body position is paramount to success and repeatability. I can verify this by how much my skills have improved in my sea kayak. I believe that depending on the paddle too much is a reason so many people fail their scull or roll. If body position is off, you can only make up for so much by depending on the paddle. -Nancy

I agree with Ed, that it is the twisting of your torso to get your shoulders flat in the water that causes your lower/water-side thigh to press against the masik or thigh brace. The key thing here is to have your lower body as low in the water as your kayak will allow. A wide coaming helps, and the ability to let your hips drop to the lower side of the kayak helps (it may seem counter-intuitive, but hip padding is not a good thing in this case). Some kayaks are just about impossible to balance brace and scull because they do not let you get your lower body into the water. To illustrate: Imagine floating in the water on your back (no kayak) with your legs twisted to one side and then imagine someone lifting your hips out of the water. Your head and shoulders will sink! If you do not have good thigh (or knee if that is all you have) contact with the kayak, you can not hold it away from you at an angle. The arching of your back with shoulders flat in the water is key, but thigh contact is essential if you want control over the kayak. I do not know what Suz means by "crunching one side of the body". Everything is extended and the legs can remain completely relaxed (even though you will feel pressure against the thigh brace due to your body position). A 6', 230# guy will certainly be at a disadvantage, unless he has a low center of gravity. It helps to learn in a kayak that is easy to brace and scull because it will tell you what the correct position feels like. It is then likely that the skill will transfer to other kayaks. Another issue might be flexibility. If you can't get both shoulders in the water with your back arched you can forget about getting into a balance brace position. I know this was about sculling, but it is good to learn the balance brace position as a position to scull from. It will make everything else easier once that position is understood and mastered. -Nancy

I think PeterB hit the nail on the head when he said: <snip> this scenario could have played itself out on a CAM trip, a led trip or even a professionaly run trip. Given that the put-in was within sight, it was entirely reasonable to assess that the paddler electing to leave the group could do so without incident. <snip >, but his subsequent errors in judgment, piloting, and navigatiion were so extraordinary that no paddler could reasonably be expected to have predicted them . <snip> What happened on Saturday was not attributable to failings in CAM, or any other model. and its a mistake to presume that led trips, or any other model , preclude the possibility of exactly the same scenario playing itself out. Under the circumstances described in this and other posts, there was no reason to expect that Gene was going to be in danger by paddling back alone, plus there is nothing about the CAM that obligates a paddler to stay with a group. I've gone on trips where I made it clear to others that I had to leave early and would paddle back alone. It was no big deal. Possibly, the vague description of the trip plans (maybe circumnavigate the neck, find some surf, etc) were a factor in Gene's decision to go. If it had been planned as a "surfing" trip, he may not have gone. Good surf with the tide just right is not always easy to find on a nice day, so I can see the attraction of staying and playing. Perhaps those who are interested in looking for good surfing opportunities should make it clear to others (before they go to the trouble of driving to the put-in) that they might be spending a majority of time in the surf, if they find it. Then, if other non-surfers want to go, there might be rule that there has to be at least 2 or more non surfers that can split off from the main group and stay together. If I had been there and someone wanted to go to shore, I may have offered to accompany them, but on a clear, calm day in an area close to the put-in, I would probably stay and play like everyone else did. Since it was not planned as a surfing trip (correct me if I am wrong), it may have been nice if the surf time was limited and the group (or part of the group) continued on to paddle in calmer waters as a courtesy to Gene. Of course, I wasn't there and I am not certain of the exact reasons Gene chose to leave. I could imagine that this type of thing is likely to happen again - someone going on a trip and getting themselves into a situation that was not expected - and wanting to leave. That's why it is important for the trip plans to be very clearly stated and if they change it should be with all in agreement. -Nancy Hill

I became interested in reading more about the Common Adventure Model a few months ago and found a few papers online that were interesting. As I understand it, the CAM came about years ago as a way for colleges to avoid being sued by participants in college sponsored outdoor adventures. In addition to your excellent description of the CAM on the NSPN site, two good articles can be found here for those who do not understand the CAM in detail. http://www.isu.edu/outdoor/CADefine.htm http://www.isu.edu/outdoor/CALitReview.htm They're lengthy, but interesting and informative. Since decisions are to be made by the entire group in the CAM, that can present some problems with people who are spread out. Kayakers can be spread out from each other, making a discussion impossible. It might be a good idea to gather everyone together when a group decision has to be made (someone wanting to leave the group, for example). -Nancy Hill -Nancy Hill

Back in January, Kevin attended a Walden Qajaq Society pool session in Waltham. He had so much fun that he wanted to share his experience with NSPN and asked if we would come and give a Greenland skills session for the club. We were happy to oblige, and last night, 8 members of the Walden Qajaq Society showed up with tuiliks, paddles and kayaks to outfit the members of NSPN who had signed up for the session. We all had a lot of fun once everyone was outfitted and shoehorned into their respective kayaks. I hate to make excuses, but I was having a lot of trouble with my camera. Here is a link to the pictures I salvaged from the much larger set that was taken last night. Some were taken by me and some were taken by Miriam Levine (even though my name shows in the corner). http://picasaweb.google.com/nanchill/NSPNG...feat=directlink -Nancy Hill