2010 - The Year of the Inuit

It's been a while since I've pasted anything about my favourite place, the arctic, but here's something interesting. The Inuit are having a year long festival of sorts to let folks get to know them and their world a little better. I think that's a great idea, especially because so many people here in Canada and around the world still think of people living in 'snow-houses' and eating raw seal blubber for diner every night. There is still a bit of that life-style when Inuit are 'out on the land' as they say, but there is so much more! This new web-site is a great way to see what's really happening in the arctic these days and a chance to bring yourself up to date. Check it out at Inuit2010.

Changing Opportunities In A Warmer World

The photo shows a vigil held on a beach in Ottawa last fall. People had gathered to bring attention to the problems posed by global warming. What were they thinking! Obviously not many kayakers were present at the event. With the undeniable increase in the average temperature of the planet, we will have more liquid water and less ice. In turn, this will raise ocean water tide lines several meters above present levels when all is done. For kayakers, the result will be even more water available to paddle on! That's the good news. On the down side (a minor point, really), there will be fewer places to paddle. For example, many island countries will be disappearing especially in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. If you want to explore the Maldives you'd better start making plans soon. The Florida Everglades? Do them now, because they'll be gone as well along with much of the southern state itself. The off-shore high-rise Miami hotel island tours will probably be a replacement venue. Fewer gators, but lots of sharks! Texas and the gulf regions? Look for big changes ahead. Homeland Security folks might want to look into getting some floating stations...

Are you into city paddling? Seaside places like New York will open up to new paddling adventures. For example, it is predicted you'll be able to paddle through Times Square on New Year's Eve - surely a unique experience! The truly adventurous can look forward to crossings of the Arctic Ocean from Canada to Russia. In short, whole new opportunities will be opening up as others close down. We're re-writing the coastal kayaking maps of the world, so don't bother buying any more coastal paddling guides. They're almost out of date! Sadly, Canada's coastline will not be changing very much at all thanks to all the high cliffs we have everywhere. As usual, it will be same old, same old, for us, I'm afraid. We'll probably even be keeping the same old Prime Minister (yawn)!

With all this to look forward to, it makes one wonder why so many people have gathered in Copenhagen for the next two weeks to try and prevent us paddlers from having a little fun... I highly recommend getting together with some kayaking friends this week and next and holding a beach vigil - while you still have a beach - to protest! Personally, I'm going skiing. This may be one of the last winters to go unless I follow the retreating snow line as it moves farther north...

December Paddling Surprises

Last year at this time, I was no longer paddling. Two years ago, I was on my 100 day paddling challenge to myself, but missed paddling for a few days on account of a snow storm. I was back on the water by December 4th, however, paddling day #90. It was -6°C and snowing still. Today I went for a nice paddle in windy, lumpy conditions. It was #57 of the year, so I'm way off my mark of '07, but ahead of where I was last year. In '08, I only managed to get out 51 times in total, I don't recall why I didn't continue paddling into December last year. It was great to out there today. Plus 6°C, sunny with a nice breeze, cresting waves driving down the lake. Perfect!

In fact, two odd things happened. First a large fish, perhaps a bass, nearly slammed into my bow as I was surfing down some waves. That's never happened before. I've seen fish jump out of the water now and then, but never so close as to nearly smack themselves into the hull. The other oddity was a large brown bird, most likely a young snow goose, flew right up to the kayak and only veered off when about a paddle length from me. I was sure it was out to get me!

All in all, an interesting day on the water! I decided to have a quiet lunch under some overhanging trees. It was much too wild to eat out on the lake itself.

Look What I Missed!

It's no secret that I've become a geocaching fanatic recently. I've discovered it's a fun way to motivate myself to get out, to hike and see places in my neighbourhood which I've passed by, thinking there was little to interest me. How wrong I was! With one kayaking/geocaching adventure weekend now completed, I'm eager to do more.

I began wondering what I missed in the way of caches during my summer's travels. The map above gives you some idea. I either paddled or hiked past hundreds of caches! They are hidden almost everywhere. Had I been more aware of this activity, I could have added a whole new layer to my travels making them even more interesting.

Most of the caches are on land, but some are within reach of a paddler. The fact that those water-side locations are few in number has only increased my eagerness to begin placing some caches some of which would only be available to those paddling. I have a few places already chosen and I'm sure there will be more to come...

Dreamtime With Paul and Freya

Freya continues to hurtle along Australia's south coast on her 'Race Around Australia'. In a few short weeks she will complete the circle only done once before.

I was looking around for some biographical information on the first person to paddle around Australia: Paul Caffyn when I discovered a short piece on his Amazon.com page. Here is a brief excerpt:

"In December 1981, Paul set out from Queenscliff near Melbourne and spent the next 360 days achieving the first kayak circumnavigation of Australia. This 9,420 mile paddle is acknowledged as one of the most remarkable journeys ever undertaken by kayak. Paul had to contend with a tropical cyclone which nearly swept him off a small offshore islet in the Coral Sea, raging surf, tiger sharks which frequently bumped into the kayak in the Gulf of Carpentaria, crocodiles, sea snakes and three sections of sheer limestone cliffs. To overcome the three 100+mile plus long sections of cliffs, Paul used Nodoz tablets to stay awake and lomotil to keep his bowels dormant during these overnight paddles. The longest stint along the awesome Zuytdorp Cliffs in Western Australia, took 34 hours of continuous paddling. After 10 years of trying to interest a publisher in a book about the Australian trip, in April 1994 Paul finally self-published his story as The Dreamtime Voyage.

Sadly, most of Paul's books are not readily available, but perhaps Freya's journey will prompt a publisher into returning them to the market. In the meantime, go, Freya, go!

Map from vskc.org, Australia.

Oprah's Secret Paddling Life

For those who follow such things - I don't - the news is out that Oprah Winfrey will be ending her career as a TV host and general commentator on all things entertaining as of September 2011. You might be wondering what she will be doing with her life after that point...

Wonder no more. It appears Oprah has a secret life! Never one to wonder who she was meant to be, she's been seen out trying on her new career, kayaking. In the picture above a bunch of paddlers hit the beach. Is one of them Oprah? I'm sure of it, because a few minutes later, the camp all set up, she was changed out of her paddling gear and caught on film imbibing the post-paddle drink of the day: Fireball.


I can hardly wait for her new TV series: Paddles With Oprah! This may just be the shot in the arm our sport needs to pull out of the post-recession blues, not to mention all of us getting into more classy camp clothing...

Paddling Out To Lunch

It was a beautiful day, so I took myself out to lunch. The spot I had in mind doesn't take reservations, but I went anyway, hoping there'd be room. I launched and headed up the river to the beach I'd reserved, in my head at least...


Under the bridges and out on the lake.


A perfectly calm lake awaited me...


Almost there. It should be just around the corner...


Yes! Not a soul about. I'll enjoy a quiet, leisurely lunch lanqushing by the lake...


It turned out Wilson was there. I don't know why. He never spoke the whole time I was there. Typical. Anyway, it was a perfect lunch, cheese, nuts, hard cider, quiet.