Lallen

Al, Just a heads up that the Blackburn Race is Saturday, July 17th in case that influences your plan to leave from Gloucester... Lorrie

I'm with Suz on this one. Can't tell you which thermometer is best to use, but it can't hurt to carry one, especially on a multi-day trip. Doesn't take up a lot of space, either. Plus as the spouse of the poster on this topic, I want you to know if my temp is 100 degrees or 102, since the higher it is, the more I can whine and request a tow. After all a husband named "Scout" should have all the first aid gear though that won't stop me from complaining about how heavy your boat is to carry with it all loaded in it!

Thanks, Bob!

Hi Les, Since we have a number of women planning to come who may not have paddled out of Lane's Cove before, do you have some directions you can post for the put-in? I have two AMC friends who are coming up from Boston, and since I'm directionally challenged would be great if I can pass along the directions to them. Thanks, Lorrie

Yes, Leon you should be wary of the women-especially since I now have a Greenland stick and am not afraid to use it :-)

Hi Al, Many thanks for the offer. I think she actually just found another option. But if for some reason that falls through, will let you know. Hope to catch you on the water soon.

I have a friend who wants to join the women's paddle on Sunday who does not have her own boat. Does anyone have an extra they would be willing to loan her for the day? She is tall, medium/slender build. Let me know if you have a loaner she can borrow for the day. Thanks!

Great, Marcia. We'll look forward to having you join us! Leslie will be posting the launch site on Friday, since the weather forecast will influence where we leave from.

Emilie, you handled the "christening" of your new boat with grace, especially if your goal for the weekend was to bring it back in one piece. Les, I'd love to spot you & practice rolling at Walden. I had a blast this weekend and highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to take their skills up a notch. Great company, some of the world's finest coaches/paddlers, options for how much risk/excitement you want, and loads of fun. I learned how to ease myself into surf and conditions in such a way that I can enjoy it. After an initial freak out entering conditions for the first time with my new Greenland stick, I went back to flat water to warm up with some rolling. Jen Kleck, an awesome West Coast coach, quickly decided rolling abuse and "kayak S&M" was in order to move beyond my perfect Walden Pond roll. She banged on my boat, knocked me over, made me roll repeatedly as fast as possible and simulated rough water conditions. Then I headed back to the "soup zone" in the surf with Paula and my new friend Prudence. Three of us sat in the waves without boats and practiced bracing into the waves with Greenland sticks-laughing the whole time. A kodak moment only no one was taking pics... Next up we got back in our boats and practiced bracing and rolling into the waves. My confidence rose a notch when I was back-surfed and my combat roll worked. The next day I spent refining strokes in flat water, surf & rocks. Day three was a treat with Nigel Dennis, patriarch of British kayaking and Jen leading us through rock gardens, followed by surf play. By the end of that day I was enjoying a rather lively tide race, with another successful combat roll in the middle. I also enjoyed living vicariously through the tales of the expedition paddlers. As cool as it might be to experience the thrills of paddling in far away places, worrying about ice flows closing behind you in Greenland with no ability for search and rescue, or paddling for weeks with Water temps of 102.5 in Madagascar is a little too extreme for me...

Phil and I plan to attend. See you Saturday. Thanks,

I demoed the AA with the keyhole cockpit last weekend in NH. Must say, SWEET!

I have a friend who has confirmed she will be joining us that day. So we can include her in the count.

Sound good-June 27th it is! I'm in. Lorrie

Hey Les, So have you finalized the date? Either Sat 6/26 or Sun 6/27 still works on my end. Once you confirm the date, I also know a couple of other women who might be interested in this trip. Both are relatively new paddlers, and this would be perfect for them. Thanks, Lorrie

I sometimes have difficulty with dizzineass and nausea when rolling, too. I have noticed that when the water is particularly cold it happens much more quickly. I'm not sure why, but both the nausea and dizziness definitely seem to come on fast in cold water. Maybe it has to do with how the cold temps affect the inner ear. I'm told Bonine can help though I haven't tried it for this purpose. The only other thing that seems to help is if I pace myself and only do a few rolls at a time, then work on something else for a bit, then go back to a few more rolls...

Many thanks to the organizers, and to all of my fellow group members. Peter & Rick S did a fantastic job sharing their knowledge and leadership with us and giving us an opportunity to learn by trial and error. Everyone was enthusiastic and it was a great chance to both practice hands on skills as well as learn new ones. We're very fortunate to have such experienced folks willing to share their expertise with us, and I'm looking forward to the next workshop.

Hi Leslie, I am up for helping you with this-the only caveat being my Saturdays in June are already pretty full. I am available either Saturday, June 26th, or Sunday, June 27th. Does either of those dates work with your schedule? If so, I'd be happy to help. Lorrie

Katherine, I just want to clarify that like Bob, I too, said I wouldn't be comfortable leading/initiating a trip because of my own skill set. I haven't yet taken leadership training, and consider myself to be an intermediate paddler. But I am more than happy to help my fellow paddlers in any way I can-whether they be more or less experienced than me. When Phil and I started paddling with NSPN a few years ago, we had done mostly Level 2 trips. The first trip we did with NSPN was a club organized trip around Crane's Beach, designated as a Level 2 trip. Knowing what to expect in terms of the distance and conditions was a great introduction for us. We then participated in a Level 2+ trip, handled it and felt more comfortable as we got to know people. We were at a point where we wanted to push our skills, and there were plenty of opportunities for us to do so with the club. We've both benefitted immensely from going out with different groups in different conditions. We've only been members for a few years, so we don't really know the difference between the "old" NSPN and "new" NSPN. Welcome to the club-we look forward to paddling with you! Lorrie

Can't wait to "do my Greenland thing"! Lorrie

What if we selected some dates on the calendar and all those willing at a Level 3+ or more skill level picked at least one date over the summer when they would organize and take out a group on a Level 2 or 2+ Paddle? I personally wouldn't be comfortable leading a trip by myself, but would be more than happy to act as a co-leader and assist on such a trip. Are there others who would be willing to volunteer for just 1 date over the summer to do this?

I'll be out of town for this first session, but do plan on attend the other two with Phil.

Phil and I are in, assuming this weather clears! Looking forward to it!

Hi Al, We have a few friends that are avid skiers and relatively new to kayaking who we'll share this with! Look forward to paddling with you this Spring/Summer! Lorrie

Hi Judy, I have the Kokotat with the drop seat and like it. My suit is relatively new, so I do sometimes have difficulty opening the zipper without some assistance. If I keep the zipper well waxed this is less of an issue, but as it wears off it sticks again. The only other difficulty I have is getting my spray skirt on over the zipper on the drop seat-my spray skirt is snug and gets caught on the zipper. I've thought about getting another spray skirt with a different type of opening to solve this issue...

We might be able to kick your butt, except we'd have to catch you first