Off to Washburn

I will be attempting to head north today at the crack of noon in order to make an instructor training session at Living Adventures in beautiful downtown Red Cliff, WI at 6pm. Do not attempt to launch your kayak at Red Cliff Marina this summer however, as it is being turned into a large casino and is a major construction zone. When I called the AINL they told me that they really had not had much communication from the tribe and were not sure exactly when the launch site would be available again. The casino is kind of puzzling in such a lovely location because every casino I've ever set foot in (for concerts or to gorge like an ancient Roman at the sumptuous buffets) goes to great pains to make sure folks don't look outside. That might distract one from shoving money in the slots or hitting 17 at the blackjack table.
The instructor session this evening is the kick off of the Inland Sea Society's Kayak Symposium. As in years past it will be a great weekend. I do believe a person can register on the spot so if time opens up or the inclination to learn some new stuff, no matter what level you are at, strikes you please head north. The Friday tours look to be excellent and the sessions both on and off the water will be as well. This year some folks from Brittany will be over here imparting a bit of French kayaking knowledge and techniques. We will also be drinking some fine wines, meads from the winery in Iron River, beer from Bo at the South Shore Brewery (mmm.....Nut Brown Ale!), and some great food. Fine food, fine adult beverage, and fine paddling; how can you not be all over this thing? Plus it's a fund raiser for the Inland Sea Society, a group active in Lake Superior watershed conservation. Food, beverage, paddling, and a good cause!? Come on people, we want to see you this weekend. I promise that we(most of us) won't make you roll around on the grass like dogs while we sit on a park bench observing. Come on up and lets have some fun!

Training and balance

We did our annual SKOAC beginners course on Bush Lake in Bloomington yesterday, basking in the sun that NOAA assured us would not appear, and introducing a dozen plus folks to the fun and challenge of coastal kayaking. This was my first stint coaching at this class and it proved to be a very enjoyable day. With the tragedy earlier in the week, the three of us debated about if, when, and how long we should discuss what happened. Consensus was yes, at lunch, and for a few minutes during the wind, waves, and weather segment of the course.

Everyone was a bit early and we spent the first hour or so on land going over boats, paddles, clothing and gear as the air and water warmed a bit. There was the usual trepidation about tipping over for the first time with the spray skirt on and wet exiting but everyone did well. I always think about getting people in the water to roll around and get wet before this part of the course but it seems like we never do it. Paddle float reentries went well too, with everyone from age 21 through the mid fifties exhibiting the upper body strength and flexibility needed to get up on their back deck and into the boat. No yellow rainbows observed. The assisted reentry pointed out why its so much better to paddle with companions that can get your butt out of the water quickly, with minimal energy expended, and significantly less pumping. Since the name of the club is the Superior Kayak and Outdoor Adventure Club, SKOAC, we tried to relate what was going on in the 70F flat waters of Bush Lake with the 47F waters and not always so flat waters of Gitchee Gumee. The 'graduation' for some members of the class will be out intro trip in two weeks from Little Sand Bay out to Sand Island, ironically the same route as the ill fated group on Wednesday. The hands on experience and coaching comments set the stage for our luncheon discussion of that situation.

By the time we got through charts and navigation, signaling devices, and into wind and waves it was time to talk about last Wednesdays tragedy. The difficult part about discussing a kayak fatality is walking the line between scaring people away from the sport and being Mayor Larry Vaughn from the movie Jaws. "I'm pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Amity, as you know, means "friendship". Even with just 4 hours of coaching most people were able to point out the problems with Wednesdays tragic crossing and discuss them intelligently. By discussing the situation we would hope that people would begin to move from the 'unconscious incompetent' to the 'conscious incompetent' category in the sport of coastal kayaking. I have a friend who rock climbs. I am a classic 'unconscious incompetent' regarding that sport, meaning I don't know anything about it and I have no idea how much there is that I don't know about. Were I to take a course in rock climbing, I would hope to move into the 'conscious incompetent' range, where I still wouldn't know a damn thing about rock climbing but the instruction would make me conscious and aware of how much I didn't know and the implications of not knowing. The hope would be that knowledge of my own ignorance would prevent me from heading to Palisade Head in the rain with a harness that didn't fit, some WalMart rope, and my buddy holding the belay line in one hand with a beer in the other.

It was gratifying to see the discussion and the student/coach interaction as the information sunk in. Our afternoon consisted of strokes, moving the boat in all directions, and some low bracing. We ended on time and about half the class had things they had to get to and the other half went for a paddle around the lake, learning on the move. This weekend we will be heading up to the Inland Sea Society's kayak symposium on Lake Superior. How things are handled and taught up there is up to greater kayaking minds than mine. But the one thing that we hammered at our class was personal responsibility. We encouraged students to think for themselves, develop their skills, provide input, and take responsibility on trips. If a paddler plans to not bring a map and compass on a trip because someone else will have them, or rely on someone else's spare paddle, radio, or first aid kit, then they need to be on an outfitted and guided trip. We all want to paddle with peers or groups where the abilities are known, and not be nursemaids or mother hens. Trips need a designated leader but the hope is that the leader will be more like an infantry squad leader, leading trained individuals with common attitudes and experiences rather than like a junior high lunch room monitor attempting to corral a group of diverse individuals with different goals and motivations. Like many endeavors in life, thinking ahead like a good pool player, and taking the time to become familiar with the various skills and variables will make coastal kayaking a much more enjoyable and safer sport. Those that spent the time and money to do that last Saturday and those that will do it in Washburn this weekend will find themselves ahead of the game and on track for a safe and enjoyable time on the big lake.

Deja Vu off Sand Island

I normally enjoy an early morning of blogging with a cup of coffee but this morning I woke up feeling like I had a 9am appointment at the dentist for a root canal. Another death has occurred involving people attempting to paddle from Little Sand Bay to Sand Island. When a friend up north sent me the early reports yesterday morning I sat at my desk feeling sick to my stomach. Four young college age guys from southern Minnesota attempted to cross from LSB to Sand in building seas and icy cold Lake Superior water. A lack of awareness, improper and inadequate equipment, and once again bad decisions that build upon one another cost a young guy his life.

Like every other incident of this nature the imprudent decisions accumulate and build upon one another until overcoming them is not an option. The Finlanders up north tell you that when your truck gets stuck in 2 wheel drive, you put in into four wheel and get the hell out of there, you don't use the 4 WD to get yourself in deeper. Lack of training, lack of equipment like bilge pump & paddle float, spray skirts, bulkheads/flotation, or a VHF radio for instant communication, and a lack of local knowledge of the largest and potentially nastiest lake on planet earth all piled up until a bad outcome was about all that could happen. The other factor was likely the feeling of invincibility that all young guys have at that age. I know that mindset very well because I had it.


In 1975 in a plan eerily reminiscent of this ill fated kayak trip, a couple roomates and a buddy and I decided to go backpacking on Isle Royale. I was the 'experieneced' guy having been out there before. In reality I could barely take care of myself much less 3 other guy who said they had backpacked but had actually only managed a couple day hikes in the mountains with packs on their backs. We were dumped off at McCargo Cove in mid May for the hike back to Windigo with woefully inadequate food, cotton clothing, crappy rain gear at best, no insect repellent, and our invincible attitude that only 20 year old boys can have. I knew we were in trouble when the guys started bitching about how heavy their packs were about a mile in. They had of course brought way too much gear including a guitar and a fiddle, and had no idea what carrying them on their backs for 30 miles would entail. I also had to explain that if they fastened the hip belts on their packs and distributed some of the weight it might not feel so heavy. The trip was pretty much a disaster with blisters, insect bites, near hypothermia from soaked cotten, and far too few calories (whiskey has very few calories and a Mountain House 'meal for 4' back then was really designed for four 10 yr old kids) had us limping into Windigo looking more than bedraggled. Everything that could have gone wrong did but other than the possiblity of stumbling off a cliff the stakes were far, far lower than trying to cross 3 miles of open 47F degree water with 50 miles of fetch.


So again I ask, what the hell can we do to prevent this? There are blunt and graphic signs at Meyers Beach about the dangers and the example of the fellow that perished there a few years back. Rangers ask questions and warn paddlers of the dangers. The Coast Guard has a great new brochure on the dangers of paddling the lake. Clubs conduct training sessions and we kayakers will all be answering questions and discussing the situation at work today. One of my fellow instructors got a call from the NPS last fall asking him if his October trip went OK. Maybe they checked an online phone directory or used his license plate to get his number. The authorities are acutely aware of the issue. There is a ton of info out there and a bunch of people willing to provide it. The problem is whether the people shoving off into Gitchee Gumee will listen. I've had Meyers Beach rangers and volunteers tell me that people have told them to 'quit hassling me' in offended tones as they asked questions and inquired about their preparedness. "I know what I'm doing" is a phrase I've heard when a cursory glance at the paddler and their gear tells me that they in fact have no GD idea what they are doing as they stand at the edge of brink, Lake Superior, and look out over the water. I am almost 100% certain that the 21 year old DaveO would have insisted that he knew what he was doing and defiantly insisted that he quit being hassled.

We had a social paddle last night with 3 of the folks that will be teaching our intro course on Saturday. The 'graduation' from that course will be a trip to Sand Island on the last weekend of June, the very same route as the 4 fellows on the Wednesday trip. We plan on explaining and dissecting what happened, how we would handle a similar situation, the built in safeguards and fail safe features of a properly equipped Lake Superior trip, and the the 'weakest link' concept of a paddle expedition. It's too late for the young guy from southern Minnesota and I think that the entire Great Lakes paddling tribe extends its sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of young Mr. Dammen. We need to vow 'never again' and redouble our efforts to make people aware of the possible ramifications of venturing out that big, nasty, unpredictable, wonderful, and awe inspiring body of fresh water, Lake Superior.

Instruction season opener

We love our openers up here in the northland. Fishing season, hunting season, baseball opening day, thoroughbred horse racing, as well as many other events have that exciting opening day vibe. Next Saturday will be the beginning sea kayaking instruction opener for my SKOAC Club. 'Graduation' is a trip to the Apostle Islands two weeks after for some open water and crossing experience. The other club I belong to, ISK (both links on the list to the right) kicked off instruction last Saturday. All of the events mentioned above require lots of preparation and planning and a kayaking class is no exception. Both days this weekend were spent in the water with one more day of splashing to follow on Wednesday. We're rusty but things are coming along nicely.

On Saturday the BessemerConvivialist and I went down to the Minneapolis chain of lakes. Both clubs have lots of paddle events there and frankly by about mid June I'm so bored with it I could cry. The people watching is excellent however, the TinFish has superb lunches right on the water, and the water quality in Calhoun is excellent for practice. Its just the water temperature this time of year that's a bit on the chilly side. Sunday found the ManFromSnowyLegs, WingmanBrian, and I on Long Lake, a lake that has minimal people watching and no food but decent water quality and much warmer water. What it also has is an inflow creek, Rice Creek, that's rockin' this time of year. We played in the current and the MFSL joined me in the exclusive 'I hit a combat roll after screwing up in Rice Creek' club. There are two club members right now with the potential for more on Wednesday. We paddled and played but we also did a bunch of wet exit, solo reentry, and a few different assisted reentries. The discussion and critiquing made me realize that paddling is much more jazz that classicalmusic, more hockey than ballet when it comes to forms and techniques.

We all realize that their are certain constants and principles when paddling. Steve Scherrer has his great list of seven principles. They are rotation, balance, edging, bracing, upper and lower body separation, blade angle-grip/slip, and shaft angle-high/low. I would add one more: Have lots of fun. This ain't golf folks; if your hand is at chin level instead of shoulder level on your paddle stroke you ain't gonna hook your kayak into the rough. If you favor the heel hook over the more standard paddle float reentry, the Romanian judge will not deduct style points from your score. Too often I've seen people that have been far too worried about doing something we demonstrate and teach perfectly rather than just getting the basics down and refining them on the fly. Just paddle. As far as rescues, the deal is to get your rear end back in your boat as quickly and efficiently as possible and that means different things for different people. The two familiar yahoos in the image above demonstrated that perfectly at a Canoecopia event a few years back. It appeared that they had the fun component down pat.

This will be year two of teaching for me. I was thrown into the major leagues at the GLSKS last year after having my ACA Level 3 cert for exactly 3 weeks. My goal, while assisting long time paddling gurus like Mr. Scherrer and Ben Lowry, was to keep my mouth shut, help ride herd on the class, and model what they taught. Then it was back to the minor leagues with our SKOAC group instruction and some traditional stuff. I'm looking forward to the instruction season and hope that I am able to impart that 'paddling is fun' component to our students. It sure is fun for me and I hope the fun is infectious.

Return to Copper Harbor

After a break of a few years we returned to Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw for the Memorial Day weekend. The VoiceOfReason and I met MrEngineerGear and his lady friend the RockClimbingOboist for a weekend of whatever R&R the weather and the lake offered us. Kayaks, mountain bikes, hiking boots, and a worthy beer and wine selection were all alive and in the potential mix. As it turned out, kayaking was the best choice and Gitchee Gumee showed us many faces over the three days.

Ms. RCO is a new paddler but a veteran outdoors person. Wet exits and rudimentary paddle stroke training had been done at Long Lake and we would be watching Gitchee Gumee carefully in this land of the hundred mile fetch in 3 directions. In addition to experienced companions she had an ace in the hole, the venerable QCC kayak. The fit was not perfect but the QCC is nearly impossible to tip over and tracks like a railroad train. RonO, MrEngineerGear and I were at Long Lake last year when I felt that I needed to roll the QCC. Those two stood on shore and Ron told MrEG, "Just watch; he'll hit the first one then get lazy and miss the second one". Which of course, is exactly what happened, to the tune of much raucous laughter on shore. Our Keweenaw padding went fine however and everyone was well within their comfort zone for 98% of the trip. The 2% may have occured when having too much fun amongst the dragons teeth rock outcroppings in 1-3 footers, resulting in an invigorating adrenaline rush.

With a new paddler my brain always reverts back to my first few times on Superior. Depending on her mood she can be intimidating. We saw three distinct moods last weekend. Saturday was as flat as I've seen the lake on the Keweenaw shore, so flat that we located the City of St Joseph, a pulp hauling vessel that sunk in 1942 after her rudder malfunctioned. The VOR commented that we hadn't been out on those rocky reefs before and I pointed out that on previous trips the wind and waves would have caused our chances of joining the City of St Joseph to increase considerably. Sunday gave us a 10-15mph west wind and seas building to 1-3'. I'm sure we all remember the first time that 3 footer lifted up our stern and caused our kayak to yaw about 75 degrees. I had warned MsRCO and she did quite nicely in QCC. We had crossed Copper Harbor earlier and the VoiceOfReason, once again cementing her blog name, suggested that maybe this was time to end MsRCO's testing of her Avocet and get her back in the QCC. Moving from the BMW 320i to the '89 Cadillac Coupe de Ville was a great idea and our downwind leg went nicely. Normally on Lake Superior the wind builds and then begins to drop in the late afternoon. Gitchee Gumee must have took pity on us though, because after lunch at around 2pm it dropped to 7-8mph and just a bit of 'walleye chop' for waves.

It was the perfect progression for learning and becoming confident on the lake. Back at our '40's vintage cabin we kicked off happy hour and grilled steaks. Meanwhile Copper Harbor was hoppin'. Sam from the Keweenaw Adventure Company had organized the IMBA Great Lakes mountain bike summit with a bunch of national attendees and was running shuttles and tours up to the trailhead at the spectacular CCC constructed Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. I strolled down to the general store (no chain's of any kind north of Calumet) and saw a bunch of insipid six packs of beer lined up on the floor. The owner said he was clearing them out and adding more micros. Just when I didn't think it could get any better, he informed me that the abandoned building across the street would soon house a brewpub! I was now officially giddy. Kayak and mountain bike in the summer, Isle Royale embarkation point, plenty of hunting in the fall, groomed classic ski trails in the winter as well as the best glade skiing east of the Rockies at Mt Bohemia, new brewpub, a disdain for Budmiller lite.....we may need to relocate. At dusk the sun came out, which sent us scurrying up Brockway Mountain to catch the sun setting over Lake Superior and distant Isle Royale as well as a nice view of Copper Harbor. It was a great 3 days that could have easily been two weeks. We can't wait to return.