A catch-up post from November 2020, on an evening with a really
bright full moon. I set out from home well after sunset with
the full moon up above the farmland of Aberdeenshire and the
forecast of a clear night to come. The plan was to take a
night walk around the Correen Hills by night. I expected to
be using a head torch for much of the way, but in fact the torch
stayed in my pocket the entire four hours I was out, so bright was
the moonlight.
With all of the surround-sound of craziness hitting us at every
turn, it gets hard to know which way to go sometimes. Even by the
admittedly low standards of the past four years, the last 10 days
have been exceptionally evil and stupid. I saw a bumper sticker
yesterday that said, “Trump won. Get over it.” It took
me a minute to realize that it was a old sticker from 2016, but it
made me think that, at this point, the dude who stuck it there
should probably heed his own advice.
Whatever. I’m doing what I do when the world gets too
dysfunctional: I’m going paddling. It’s always the
right time for a hydrotherapy session, and this 3-day trip around
Cypress Island should do the trick. The weather should be
dece...
I organized and led a group of SISKA paddlers for a "light"
paddle around Cadboro Bay. We noodled along the shoreline out to
Cattle Point, over to Flower Island and back into Gyro Beach.
Conditions were great and we observed many
birds: https://ebird.org/canada/checklist/S79246021 as
well as some harbour seals and one male California Sea Lion! I am
not sure that I have seen a sea lion in close to the beach before.
I can't complain about January paddling conditions today!
Even though conditions were good, it looks like our paddle from
10-12 was during the windiest part of the day!
I det flotteste vejr mødtes Tomas, Karin, Jesper og jeg op
til en lørdagsrotur. Der var ikke mange krusninger på
vandet, da vi nåede frem til fjorden
Og der var næsten færre, da vi roede ud gennem
molehovederne og satte kursen mod stranden.
Tomas tilbød at give en basse, men da bageren ikke tog
Mobilepay, måtte Karins kreditkort svinges. Vi gik tilbage til
kajakkerne på stranden og nød kaffe og kage. NKC levede
på fineste vis op til kælenavnet - Næsted Kaffe og
kage Club - T...
Here's another interesting find in the collections of the
National Museum of the American Indian. Item
90034.000 is a heavily repaired paddle attributed loosely to
the "Ontario Ojibwe". The paddle's original collection date is
unknown but it was donated to the forerunner of the NMAI by A.B.
Comer of New York City in 1919.
The last few days have offered the best conditions for Nordic
skiing in this part of Aberdeenshire for several years. Deep
snow of just the right type, sub-zero temperatures and periods of
bright sunshine have combined to give superb skiing in the forest
just above the house.
Lots of local folk have been out enjoying the conditions, tracks
are well established and make for really good going.
Det var knallvær, peise flatt,
og lå helt klart for en tur mellom Nyksund og Stø. Det er
jo en ferieklassiker, på en måte. Wenche var ikke
tungbedt, vi hadde jo liksom en dag til overs – saken var
grei, vi satte kursen mot Stø for en kjempedag på
havet.
OBS. Dette blir et langt innlegg,
med mange bilder. :) Det ble på en måte tre turer i
én.
Jag har flera gånger lekt med tanken på en liten
lätthanterad kajak för spontana utflykter i omgivningen.
För ungefär 10 år sedan hade idén till och med
ett namn. Den kallades Nim (skånska för liten och
behändig) i arbetsmappen och var en liten kort
”tvålkopp” utan några speciella
kvalitéer bortsett från dubbelfunktionalitet.
Tanken var en ”semipermanent takbox på bilen, som
när som helst kunde bli en lättpaddlad,
lättmanövrerad kajak för surf, fors och tur. Att
kunna följa stundens ingivelse – utforska ett
spännande vattendrag som syns från vägen eller testa
en outforskad fors när man ändå är i
närheten. Att surfa i bränningar medan resten av familjen
solbadar på stranden. Justerbar skädda –
uppfälld har du en enkel leklåda för vildvatten,
nerfälld en rimligt kursstabil utflyktskajak. Låsbart
transportlock skyddar lasten under transport.”
Det blev aldrig någon Nim. Idén kändes
tilltalande, men det stupade på att den skulle vara svår
att bygga, trist att paddla och besvärlig som takbox –
bra-till-allt blir oftast bra-på-inget (liksom
underhållsfritt oftast betyder omöjlig att
underhålla).
Istället följde jag ett annat spår som då
och då dykt upp i kommunikationen på sajten och i
pratstunder...
If you have followed me for a while you know that I love my
sprinter van. I built it out myself from a Dodge cargo van.
Recently my wife and I decided to sell it, and build another one
together, and then take it on an extended road trip in 2022.
I absolutely love this van, and it hurts me to sell it, but I
am excited to be able to build one again with a different mindset,
and to make it right so we can spend more time in it with our dogs
- Eloise has a lot of issues and we need to make changes to suit
her physical limitations.
The van has been all over the southeast United States and out
to Denver, Colorado. She has been great. I love her, and I will be
sad to see her go. But whoever she ends up with will have amazing
adventures with her...
Idag blev det äntligen premiärpaddling för 2021.
Efter åtta opaddlade dagar på året blev det
äntligen lite paddelplask. Olle & Des på ÄSSS skulle
ut en sväng på Rönneå. Väderprognoserna
såg fina ut och fika nämndes, inte mycket att tveka
på. Lite tidigt för oss som är slöa i starten
men ibland så går det ... Läs mer...
Jeg måtte prøve å padle en tur til før det ble
nytt år. For å slippe å løfte kajakk opp i
stativet tok jeg turen hjemmefra. Det var flotte farger, en
skikkelig fin vinterdag.
Sundet lå helt flatt, for vinden hadde tydelig tatt helt
juleferie.
De stora träden berättar av Gert Olsson Vi lånade
denna rejäla bok på biblioteket. Det tog några
veckor innan jag öppnade den. Tänkte att jag skulle bara
bläddra igenom innan vi lämnade tillbaka den. De
fina bilderna på de åldrande och oftast gigantiska
träd fångar dig så fort du öppnar boken.
Texterna är inbjudande ... Läs mer...
I decided to go for a quick SUP paddle around the bay
before sunset. Conditions were idyllic and there were lots of
people on the beach. I saw some nice birds as usual, though the
highlight was seeing a Cooper's hawk as I walked back up the street
to the house! https://ebird.org/canada/checklist/S78908827
As a way to say thanks to everyone who’s made
a donation to the Ikkatsu Project during the end-of-year fund
drive, the new film has been available online for the past week or
so. If you haven’t seen it yet, “Decision,” is
the Ikkatsu Project’s short film about remote beach surveys
and cleanup in beautiful southeast Alaska. You can still watch it,
for one more day, and it’s just a click away.
Thanks to Werner Paddles for their incredible support, Beau
Gaughran for making it all look so good and to everyone who has
contributed to the Ikkatsu Project, helping to continue
environmental efforts in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
Jette från Bohuslän bloggar och youtubar om både
paddling, geocaching och en hel del annat. På youtube är
det Jetteråttan som styr och ställer som alltid verkar
vara med på Jettes utflykter. Mest paddlar Jette kajak men
även sup förekommer liksom en och annan båtutflykt,
diverse pyssel och annat. Jetteråttan och Jette tillbringar
mycket tid ... Läs mer...
I'd received tip-offs from friends during a day of working from
home that the snow conditions were great for nordic skiing in the
forest above the house. As soon as the final Skype meeting of
the day was complete I grabbed my skis and boots and drove up to
the top of the road. The blue sky of earlier in the day had
been replaced with a grey mist which had the feeling of more snow
about it, and it was already past sunset. No matter; if you
don't embrace the darkness at this time of year in Scotland, you'll
have short days out!
It was a very cold day here in Aberdeenshire. The snow has
gone from the low ground to be replaced by hard ice, the snow on
the higher ground continues to build. Freezing fog in the
morning began to lift at lunchtime as I headed out for a walk; my
timing was incredibly lucky.
The last tendrils of fog were dispersing and with my back to the
sun an ethereal phenomenon appeared, just at the edge of
vision. A
fogbow is an uncommon optical effect, similar to a rainbow but
with the sunlight acting on mist rather than water droplets.
It appears as a pale arc and is just so beautiful.
Ronneby skärgård hamnar lätt lite i skymundan
mellan Listerby skärgård, Järnavik
skärgård och Hällaryd skärgård. Ronneby
skärgård är superfin den med. En del bebyggda
öar längst in men flera finfina tältöar, bland
annat Dunsö, St Ekön en bit ut och så Gö
naturreservat och Gö Kalv samt fyrön Gåsfeten
längre ut och Saltärna borta i ... Läs mer...
I decided to take advantage of the beautiful afternoon and get
out for a short, relaxed paddle. Conditions were nice for
birding and I think I may have seen the first example of a
red-breasted merganser where I was confident I could see the red
breast! https://ebird.org/canada/checklist/S78802149
As we roll into 2021, I hope that you are healthy and well
and planning adventures for the year. High on my adventure
list are kayak camping trips. I am dreaming up several
multiday whitewater river kayak trips as well as several on the
sea.
Camping and
Whitewater Kayaking on Mendocino County's Eel River
Given the current state of the world, chances are good that Jeff
and I will continue to hunker down and play in our local playground
in Mendocino County. Fortunately we have an awesome
playground with some great options for sea, whitewater, and surf
kayaking.
Jeg havde engnang en mountainbike hvorpå der stod: "When
the going gets tough, the tough gets going". Det kunne godt siges
om dagens kajaktur i året første snevejr. Jeg bad Knud om
et smil inden vi tog af sted - dette var hvad det blev til:
Det var sådan set OK hele vejen ud ad kanalen, men ude på
fjorden kunne vi godt fornemme at det var pænt blæsende.
Sigtbarheden var ikke den bedste, men vi fik sat kursen lige mellem
Lindholm og Gavnø, og så det fint af sted i medvind de
næste...
För att paddla Blå Bandet eller andra långturer
Relativt ofta kommer frågan upp vad man ska (kan eller vill
är väl mer rätt ord) välja för kajak
för längre turer som till exempelvis HBB. HBB är
förkortningen för Havspaddlarnas Blå Band och
handlar alltså om att paddla hela svenska kusten från
Svinesund till Haparanda (cirka ... Läs
mer...
The start of the year has seen some really cold conditions in
northern and eastern Scotland. For days either side of New
Year the temperature has rarely been above freezing and there's
been steady accumulation of snow, coming in showers on a north to
north easterly airflow. Sunday 3rd January looked to be a
good day, so Allan, Lorna and I looked for a suitable hill to
walk.
Given the prevailing wind and the complete snow cover on high
ground we could see from our homes, we looked for a hill which had
a north or easterly aspect to climb. this would mean that the
bulk of the snow would have been scoured off to be deposited on
south to south westerly slopes, and so give us easier going
underfoot. We chose
Culblean Hill - and it wasn't until after we chose that we
realised Allan and I had...
I have come to the realization that we have some pretty nice
birds that can be seen regularly while paddling around Victoria! I
thought I would try to do a post which highlights thirty of these
with images. (My checklist for Jan 4th: https://ebird.org/canada/checklist/S78679994)
Dan and I went for a morning paddle out and around the islands.
It was raining but not windy when we set out but turned to windy
but not rainy later! In spite of the weather we saw a good
collection of birds (18 species: https://ebird.org/canada/checklist/S78679994).
The birds we see in winter are a pretty lot!
The tide was very high when we set out - possibly the highest I
have seen it paddling so we decided to check out how the cacti were
doing in cactus islet inlet. The main bunch had a small section
underwater which must happen a few times a year. The arbutus trees
looked beautiful in the rain and there is a lichen, moss and fern
covered slope that also looked wonderful.
För ganska många år sedan gjorde vi Raatec.coms
nya hemsida. Vi känner Thomas sen paddling med
Helsingborgskanotiserna i början av detta århundradet,
och han hörde av sig till oss då han behövde
hjälp med lite olika grejer. Sen dess har det blivit en hel
del arbete med annonser, foldrar, reklammaterial, bilder och
uppdatering av hemsidan. ... Läs mer...
Fantastiskt bra support från P&H Kayaks! Fotpedalerna
på min Valkyrie satt för lågt då den var en
tidig produktion. De skickar en ny kajak från England via
Aterra kajak. Även rodret är annorlunda och kanske lite
längre? Kom även med fikalucka på kajaken. Tack
även kajaksidan för transporten från Helsingborg
till Stockholm. Fyndade även några prylar på
kajaksidan.
Editor’s Note: Thanks so much to all the Rangers who
participated in writing this post. Another team effort in the bag!
Happy New Year, everyone! Lt. JG Nancy Soares: For years there were
no women Rangers. Then John Lull sponsored Deb Volturno, who took
her test in 1996. For a long time after that, no […]
I went for an afternoon paddle out to Cattle point thinking that
the winds had dropped and wanting to get my first paddle of the
year in. There was some wind, resulting in a bit of lumpy water. I
ran into Dennis and Sue who were just back from a few days at
Portland Island in their sailboat.
I am also trying to take ID pictures of some of the birds I see
so that I can practice with this old Canon S1IS. A few results
below. At least some of the pictures are in focus and not too
blurry!
Hooded
mergansers and a surf scoter - click to enlarge
New Year Day afternoon. I started the 2021 paddling on
Horsetooth Reservoir with Sea Wind, my expedition canoe. No drysuit
or wetsuit needed, but loading this boat on Toyota 4Runner and
carrying to water was a good crossfit training in
[…]
Året 2021 begyndte med roligt vejr. Jesper, Lars Tomas og
jeg benyttede lejligheden til at smutte uden for molerne i
Karrebæksminde. Men først måtte vi lige give pladsen
ved Græshoppebroen til det lidt mærkeligt udseende skib
der var på vej mod Næstved.
Strømmen var ret kraftig imod os, så vi måtte
lægge kræfterne i for at komme under broen. Det er dog
kun lige ved selve broen at strømmen tager fart. I
havnebassinet på den anden side er der mere plads til alt det
vand der strømmer ind på fjorden.
Top o’ the morning, all. Very thankful to finally be in
the New Year. A blank slate, to this point, and although it’s
impossible to see what lies ahead, I am more than ready to leave
2020 behind. Of course, there are some of last year’s issues
that still need to be addressed. I feel like we all will be wearing
masks for quite some time, for example, and for the next few days
and weeks we’ll be learning legal definitions for terms like
seditious conspiracy and treason, while watching
the darkening comedy on the daily news....
A post on Worthpoint.com features a stereograph by A.L. Hinds of
Benton, Maine. Titled as "Boom
House, Ambijegis Lake", the image was
captured in the 1870s. It features a man in the centre of the frame
carving a canoe paddle with what looks to be a small pocket knife.
The paddle has very squarish lines, much easier to carve than the
typically curved paddles of the Penobscot people in the region.
New Year's Day dawned raw and cold, but mainly dry - a contrast
to the grim conditions of the previous day. Whilst "first
footing" family, neighbours and friends isn't allowed
this year due to Coronavirus restrictions, first footing a local
hill could certainly go ahead.
I chose
Lord Arthur's Hill, the highest of the
Correen Hills, partly because it's very close to home but
mostly because during the most restrictive part of 2020's lockdown
when travel was severely curtailed these were my "go to" hills and
gave such a lot of space and exercise.
...
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