billvoss

I plan to arrive around 4pm if someone else posts they will join me. Forecast looks warm.

I find the Icon more comfortable than the Front Entry when draped. I have never used suspenders with any drysuit. I notice the back zipper against the PFD for the first few minutes, kind of like when first putting on a watch, then I forget about it. Switching to the Icon did not change what PFD I used. My only real concern in your case would be your shoulder issues. Agree you should try one on.

I expect to arrive around 4pm this Wednesday for the final Walden session on the calendar for 2017. Last week the water temperature was 78 degrees according to The Walrus. However, with the cooler air temperatures predicted this week some form of thermal protection is now recommended for comfort. Concord public schools resume this Wednesday. That combined with the cooler air temperature forecast makes a closing unlikely. However just in case, plan B for this week remains Whites Pond (See the Walden Wednesday Plan-B options Discussion Thread for Whites Pond logistical details). Basically if you don't get a space marked for car-top boats, park at the school. Definitely do NOT park in the private beach club's upper parking. While I am very open to continuing Walden sessions into September on a week-by-week basis, I will be in Maine next week, arriving home late the following Tuesday. So others will need to step up and organize next week, and perhaps announce the following week as well.

Have fun. Unfortunately I cannot join you this week.

Looks like the weather is being agreeable today. I plan to be at Walden or if Walden closes Plan B Whites Pond today around 4pm.

As of Sunday there is a chance rain will cancel this week's rolling practice. If weather permits, I'll again plan to arrive around 4pm assuming someone else posts they want to join me. Last week's plan B diversion to Whites Pond was very successful (See the Walden Wednesday Plan-B options Discussion Thread for Whites Pond logistical details). We had a good turnout, and it was easy for some people to arrive later than others. In my case I even paddled White-Water this Saturday and Sunday because of paddlers I met on Whites Pond last Wednesday. So in the rather unlikely event that Walden closes but we are not rained out, I'm definitely heading to Whites Pond again this week. However, I still hope to enjoy Walden's waters. If you haven't attended before, see the NSPN Calendar Entry for other useful details.

Plan B today. Whites Pond. See the Walden Wednesday Plan-B options Discussion Thread for details.

Leaving in a few minutes.

I still plan to attend. As of 9:30am, the NWS point forecast is very good with only a slight chance of showers before noon: I suspect the forecast might be different inland.

I expect to attend again this week. We will miss you Jeff.

I'll plan to arrive around 4pm assuming someone else posts they want to join me. Different plan B than last week. If sometime this Wednesday Walden tweets that they are closed, this week's plan B experiment is Whites Pond (See the Walden Wednesday Plan-B options Discussion Thread for details). Basically, if I see online before I leave that Walden has closed even if they plan to reopen, or if I find myself locked out of Walden when I arrive, I'm heading to Whites Pond. Otherwise I will enjoy Walden's waters. If you haven't attended before, see the NSPN Calendar Entry for other useful details.

Unfortunately Chebacco conflicts with my weekly surf night. Come visit Walden and show us how a Norwegian would do it.

Jane I'm trying to collect ideas and get a better idea of what others, especially the regulars, prefer. Plan-B is what we do if Walden closes. Options include the Concord River, and Whites Pond, and any other ideas someone can suggest. Plan-C (poorly defined - sorry) covers any options that are not very close to Walden, but seem more attractive than the close options in other respects. Upper Mystic might be a plan-C option.

This thread is to discuss Plan-B options for the few times each year Walden reaches capacity and closes on a Wednesday. My ideal Plan-B: Is very close to Walden for last minute redirects. Has generous easy free parking. Has clean deep water making it rolling and rescue friendly. Is friendly to late arrivals. Bathrooms are highly desirable. Does NOT have invasive plants. August 9th, 2017 Walden closed for the second Wednesday this summer, so I paddled with Dan on the Concord river. It was a very nice 2 hour and 15 minute paddle. A 7 minute (9 to 16 minutes at rush hour) drive from Walden makes it a very good last minute option. The put-in is free with plenty of street parking. However, it does have invasive plants, it was shallow (I scraped bottom at least 5 times), and water quality was suspect making it neither rolling nor rescue friendly. Within a few minutes of launching, paddlers are also out of sight of the boat ramp, making it less than friendly for late arrivals. Driving to the put-in, I discovered the Concord Visitor Center has some public bathrooms a few minutes away. The put-in itself lacks bathrooms, but is sufficiently wooded and private for improvised solutions. Google Maps describes the put-in as 181-299 Lowell Rd, Concord, MA 01742. White Pond is also close. An 8 minute (10 to 16 minutes at rush hour) drive from Walden. However, AMC Boston’s White-Water paddlers have their pond social there on Wednesdays. That means a crowded boat ramp where we should be extra polite, we can drop kayaks but cannot park. We have to park at the school a couple of blocks away which is a walk, but is also free parking. The pond is rolling and rescue friendly. Practice would take place right at the put-in so it is very friendly to late arrivals. We would put-in right next to a PRIVATE members only swim beach. Technically non-members are not supposed to use the beach restrooms, and there is not enough privacy for improvised solutions. Though I have heard of people getting permission from life-guards to use the restrooms. I have also seen the restrooms closed and locked. I do not know the current invasive plant status of White Pond. The AMC Boston group often goes to a local pizza place afterwards, if we are friendly we would probably be welcome to join them. Google Maps describes the put-in as 5B Plainfield Rd, Concord, MA 01742, the school where we would park is Willard Elementary. Some other options were discussed in the weekly July 19th thread after the first Wednesday Walden closed this summer. The Upper Mystic lake in Arlington/Winchester/Medford was interesting until I saw that Google estimates the rush hour drive on Wednesday from Walden to Mystic at 24 to 50 minutes. Unfortunately, the traffic tends to get worse the closer we get to Boston. Does everyone like the idea that if Walden closes on Wednesday we go with Plan-B even if Walden reopens in the afternoon? If we go with that plan and Walden closes before noon, we could probably relax the "Is very close to Walden for last minute redirects" ideal if there is a much more attractive Plan-C option. Anyone have any other Walden alternative suggestions? Any strong preferences among the Plan-B/Plan-C options?

Plan B it is. See you at the Concord River around 4pm.

Anyone joining me?

While it is possible the lighthouse keeper and his bride were both proficient in morse code, it seems more probable to me that the lighthouse keeper told his bride something like. I'll flash the sequence (1,4,3) to say "I" one letter, "love" four letters, "you" three letters every time I'm out at the lighthouse thinking of you. Like Cathy I choose to believe it may be true because, well love.

After cancelling for weather last week, I'm definitely looking forward to visiting Walden this week. The forecast currently looks nice for this Wednesday. I'll plan to arrive around 4pm assuming someone else posts they want to join me. Same plan B as last week. If sometime this Wednesday Walden tweets that they are closed, this week's plan B experiment is the Lowell Rd boat ramp which Google Maps describes as 181-299 Lowell Rd, Concord, MA 01742, about a 7 minute drive from Walden Pond which was discussed in this previous Walden thread. Basically, if I see online before I leave that Walden has closed even if they plan to reopen, or if I find myself locked out of Walden when I arrive, I'm heading to the Lowell Rd boat ramp hoping to find a friendly face joining me there. Otherwise I will enjoy Walden's waters. If you haven't attended before, see the NSPN Calendar Entry for other useful details.

I guess we cancel this week.

Now that I've packed my car, I checked the forecast. Do we cancel?

We had a great time last week at Walden. The forecast looks good if a little hot for this Wednesday. I'll plan to arrive around 4pm assuming someone else posts they want to join me. With a predicted high of 89 degrees Walden may be very popular this Wednesday. So same plan B as last week. If sometime this Wednesday Walden tweets that they are closed, this week's plan B experiment is the Lowell Rd boat ramp which Google Maps describes as 181-299 Lowell Rd, Concord, MA 01742, about a 7 minute drive from Walden Pond which was discussed in this previous Walden thread. Basically, if I see online before I leave that Walden has closed even if they plan to reopen, or if I find myself locked out of Walden when I arrive, I'm heading to the Lowell Rd boat ramp hoping to find a friendly face joining me there. Otherwise I will enjoy Walden's waters where Dan has assured me: If you haven't attended before, see the NSPN Calendar Entry for other useful details.

I'll probably join you this week.

At Pepperrell, since the convenience store was sold, at least last year the new owner did not want people parking in the lot and grass across the street. You might get lucky and snag one of the boat ramp spots not reserved for town residents (paid parking). Though I don't recall any of them accommodating trailers. The other parking alternative is the Horace Mitchell Primary School some blocks away. Walk there and then drive down to the boat ramp to collect gear. Google map. Note, when doing a white-water shuttle, while we might throw kayaks into the back of a pickup truck or onto a trailer if available. Usually the shuttle just transfers the drivers not the gear from one end to the other. It is much more common to leave most cars at the destination, not the put-in, but that is certainly not required. However, I would encourage sending as many cars as possible to the take-out, and just leaving whomever happens to be running late to guard gear at the put-in. While sea kayakers describe a trip as BIB at 10:30am, the white-water equivalent would be SHUTTLE at 10:30am. For WW, the briefing and launch happen whenever the shuttle happens to finish. I'm in. No change to my float plan info from last week. (Sorry, while I'll happily shuttle if I arrive early, I'm not volunteering to set my alarm even earlier than planned.)

FYI, I asked my friend Jerry who regularly runs Gerrish counterclockwise trips. He wrote back:

I'm open to a change in venue. I've done the circumnav, but I don't know the timing needed for the inside portion.