Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Day 2 - Enthropy is Real!
Today was another easy 10 miles or so. I bought the Padde Boy All Terrain end cart portage wheels this morning, and got to try them out on a few portages. I made a strap that I can loop over my shoulders to keep the kayak weight off my arms. This works well. Because this system has wheels with a bracket that fits over your kayak, the wheels do not become skewed when a wheel hits a rock. I really like this. What I don't like with an end cart is the weight that you have to support. I'm bringing a Duluth Pack to pack at least the gear stored in the front hatch on each portage.
Another thing I like about this portage system is the ease of putting the wheels on and off. I actually do this while the kayak is still in the water. The wheels then strap to the deck of my kayak behind the cockpit. I can feel that the center of gravity is a little higher, but not so much that it is a concern. I also don't think that I will notice this when I have gear in my kayak.
Anne dropped me off at the town of Inlet this morning. There were some very pretty lake the trail goes through. My favorite section of the trail was in Brown something stream. You put in at the end of a wooden boardwalk. There was a beaver lodge near the entry point, and a beaver dam just down stream. I had to exit my kayak to get it over the beaver dam, and I stepped out too far from the dam. I sank up to my waist.
I made it to Raquette Lake in early afternoon. Anne was waiting for me. She paddled around in the kayak a little. I bought her a spray skirt as a late b-day present this morning. The spray skirt fit well, and Anne did fine kayaking.
I talked to a guy doing invasive species work at Lake Raquette. He just graduated college with a degree in Natural Resource Management. His job this summer is to try to prevent a species of lake weed from spreading into other lakes. It is not yet in Lake Raquette. He told me the name of the invasive lake weed in Raquette, but I do not remember the name. I showed me what it looks like so I will recognize it when I see it. He was also telling me about a study project he is working on with Loons. He has to canoe a lake to record the number and location of loon nests, and then record the number of loon eggs, loon youngsters, and unhatched eggs. He also has to send egg shell samples back to someplace in Maine.
I'm back in the motel looking at all of my stuff spread out all over the room...order to disorder. According to the second law of thermo dynamics, I will have to put a lot of energy into organization this evening and tomorrow morning.
I feel very good doing the short sections I've done so far. I feel no soreness or pain. I was feeling a small amount of pain in my left arm yesterday. I was concerned because this is the arm with the torn tendons. However, I was only concerned because of the distance remaining. It was only a small amount of pain. I had no pain at all today until I kayaked several miles, and then the pain was less than it was yesterday. So far so good or am I being lulled into a false sense of security?
http://fms.ws/81cno/43.74521N/74.78256W
http://fms.ws/81lw7/43.81322N/74.6564W
Another thing I like about this portage system is the ease of putting the wheels on and off. I actually do this while the kayak is still in the water. The wheels then strap to the deck of my kayak behind the cockpit. I can feel that the center of gravity is a little higher, but not so much that it is a concern. I also don't think that I will notice this when I have gear in my kayak.
Anne dropped me off at the town of Inlet this morning. There were some very pretty lake the trail goes through. My favorite section of the trail was in Brown something stream. You put in at the end of a wooden boardwalk. There was a beaver lodge near the entry point, and a beaver dam just down stream. I had to exit my kayak to get it over the beaver dam, and I stepped out too far from the dam. I sank up to my waist.
I made it to Raquette Lake in early afternoon. Anne was waiting for me. She paddled around in the kayak a little. I bought her a spray skirt as a late b-day present this morning. The spray skirt fit well, and Anne did fine kayaking.
I talked to a guy doing invasive species work at Lake Raquette. He just graduated college with a degree in Natural Resource Management. His job this summer is to try to prevent a species of lake weed from spreading into other lakes. It is not yet in Lake Raquette. He told me the name of the invasive lake weed in Raquette, but I do not remember the name. I showed me what it looks like so I will recognize it when I see it. He was also telling me about a study project he is working on with Loons. He has to canoe a lake to record the number and location of loon nests, and then record the number of loon eggs, loon youngsters, and unhatched eggs. He also has to send egg shell samples back to someplace in Maine.
I'm back in the motel looking at all of my stuff spread out all over the room...order to disorder. According to the second law of thermo dynamics, I will have to put a lot of energy into organization this evening and tomorrow morning.
I feel very good doing the short sections I've done so far. I feel no soreness or pain. I was feeling a small amount of pain in my left arm yesterday. I was concerned because this is the arm with the torn tendons. However, I was only concerned because of the distance remaining. It was only a small amount of pain. I had no pain at all today until I kayaked several miles, and then the pain was less than it was yesterday. So far so good or am I being lulled into a false sense of security?
http://fms.ws/81cno/43.74521N/74.78256W
http://fms.ws/81lw7/43.81322N/74.6564W
Day 1 - The Ordeal Begins (Kind of...)
Anne and I drove to Old Forge, NY this morning. We arrived in Old Forge around 4:00 PM, and I put in at the entry point around 4:20 PM. It was a beautiful day to start. The sky was blue and the wind was light and even mostly at my back. Over all, it was a pretty easy day to start the ordeal.
The water was filled with boats and jet skiers. There were truly scary sections trying to navigate around these people. At one point, a young girl nearly ran into me with her jet ski. It looked like she was only about 12 years old. A young teenage boy was sitting behind her. I had to back paddle hard to avoid a collision. This was mostly my experience through the narrower sections of this portion of the trail.
At least the universe remains safe because my hatred of the jet skier remains unbroken. For, it is my hatred of the jet skier that is the most powerful force in the universe. It generates all of the forces that binds the atoms of the universe together. However, this is mostly a thankless job. I can't remember the last time anyone has come up to me to even acknowledge the hard work that I do daily keeping the universe intact and safe.
There were many large houses this portion of the route.
The water does not feel very cold. There were many water skiers out today. I even saw a few people swimming near the shore. One of my concerns when planning for this trip was water temperature. I wanted to make sure I had warm enough clothes to be able to swim to shore. This doesn't seem to be a problem at least in this portion of the trail.
I felt really good paddling the 10.5 miles today. It felt really easy going. I paddled this distance in almost exactly 3 hours, which makes my cruising speed around 3.5 mph. This is consistent with my speed on Lake Erie.
I see no problems completing the entire trail at this time, but it is still early in the trail. Many unforeseen things will happen.
http://fms.ws/8105O/43.71266N/74.96936W
http://fms.ws/8195u/43.75514N/74.79428W
The water was filled with boats and jet skiers. There were truly scary sections trying to navigate around these people. At one point, a young girl nearly ran into me with her jet ski. It looked like she was only about 12 years old. A young teenage boy was sitting behind her. I had to back paddle hard to avoid a collision. This was mostly my experience through the narrower sections of this portion of the trail.
At least the universe remains safe because my hatred of the jet skier remains unbroken. For, it is my hatred of the jet skier that is the most powerful force in the universe. It generates all of the forces that binds the atoms of the universe together. However, this is mostly a thankless job. I can't remember the last time anyone has come up to me to even acknowledge the hard work that I do daily keeping the universe intact and safe.
There were many large houses this portion of the route.
The water does not feel very cold. There were many water skiers out today. I even saw a few people swimming near the shore. One of my concerns when planning for this trip was water temperature. I wanted to make sure I had warm enough clothes to be able to swim to shore. This doesn't seem to be a problem at least in this portion of the trail.
I felt really good paddling the 10.5 miles today. It felt really easy going. I paddled this distance in almost exactly 3 hours, which makes my cruising speed around 3.5 mph. This is consistent with my speed on Lake Erie.
I see no problems completing the entire trail at this time, but it is still early in the trail. Many unforeseen things will happen.
http://fms.ws/8105O/43.71266N/74.96936W
http://fms.ws/8195u/43.75514N/74.79428W
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
GPS
I did some experiments with the SPOT GPS that I bought for this trip. It appears that it does not work under tree cover. It also appears that it might not work if near trees. I might need to find very open places like lakes in order for the GPS to find a signal to send my position. This might not always be easy.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Excitement & Apprehension
With just a couple days remaining before I start my trip, I'm feeling both excitement and apprehension. It will be very nice to be out traveling by kayak. There is stuff you see when traveling slowly like this that is completely missed when traveling by car even if you stop often. It is just a different experience.
I'm also feeling apprehension at the physical and mental difficulty of this trip. I have done enough wilderness solo canoe and kayak trips to know what to expect. The wind and weather often turns against you, and I will be pushing myself to the limits of physical endurance on many days. Being alone for 5 weeks is going to be challenging enough without all of the other potential problems.
There is also so much that can go wrong. Taking a rapid the wrong way in a fully loaded kayak can have disastrous consequences. Being on the open water during thunder storms is one of my greatest fears as is high winds and waves. There are also so many little things that can happen to your boat during a trip. I build all of my own canoes and kayaks. I once followed the fiberglass & epoxy manufacturer's recommendations for materials to build a light canoe only to have nearly catastrophic consequences. It turned out the recommendations were exactly the opposite of what they should have been. I bring a boat repair kit so that I can fix nearly anything that is less than a catastrophic failure.
I'm also going to keep the emergency stuff that I would need to walk to the nearest road with me in a back pack. That way if I get separated from my kayak, I have the means to walk and / or swim to safety.
As I mentioned before, I have limited time to do this trip if I intend to stay employed. I've very grateful that I can take off this time from work. However, I completely understand that the completion of the NFCT in the time I have will be difficult. Everything is going to have to work perfectly. I can't have any weather delays or injuries. I give myself only a 1 in 3 chance of finishing the trail in the time I have. If I am close enough to the end, I can probably do another week on the NFCT later in the summer. However, I am really hoping not to have to do this.
I'm also feeling apprehension at the physical and mental difficulty of this trip. I have done enough wilderness solo canoe and kayak trips to know what to expect. The wind and weather often turns against you, and I will be pushing myself to the limits of physical endurance on many days. Being alone for 5 weeks is going to be challenging enough without all of the other potential problems.
There is also so much that can go wrong. Taking a rapid the wrong way in a fully loaded kayak can have disastrous consequences. Being on the open water during thunder storms is one of my greatest fears as is high winds and waves. There are also so many little things that can happen to your boat during a trip. I build all of my own canoes and kayaks. I once followed the fiberglass & epoxy manufacturer's recommendations for materials to build a light canoe only to have nearly catastrophic consequences. It turned out the recommendations were exactly the opposite of what they should have been. I bring a boat repair kit so that I can fix nearly anything that is less than a catastrophic failure.
I'm also going to keep the emergency stuff that I would need to walk to the nearest road with me in a back pack. That way if I get separated from my kayak, I have the means to walk and / or swim to safety.
As I mentioned before, I have limited time to do this trip if I intend to stay employed. I've very grateful that I can take off this time from work. However, I completely understand that the completion of the NFCT in the time I have will be difficult. Everything is going to have to work perfectly. I can't have any weather delays or injuries. I give myself only a 1 in 3 chance of finishing the trail in the time I have. If I am close enough to the end, I can probably do another week on the NFCT later in the summer. However, I am really hoping not to have to do this.
To DO List - May 24th
- Look into other portage carts at the outfitters in Old Forge - I'm still not entirely satisfied with my portaging system.
- Buy river shoes - I have a feeling I might be pulling my kayak through some shallow spots. There are several outfitters in the Adirondacks that should have shoes.
- Buy a couple more waterproof containers for gear that needs to stay dry. I bought a $250 notebook computer that is very small and should allow easy Internet access while in towns. i should be able to buy something in the Adirondacks.
- Lay out my gear and check my canoeing checklist to see if I'm missing anything. I hope to have time to do lay everything out this evening. Then, I need to make a list of items I have yet to purchase, which should be fairly small.
GPS Test
This is where I am this morning. I'm not yet on the NFCT. I just want to see what it looks like to post the GPS location from SPOT.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.56857,-81.49146&ll=41.56857,-81.49146&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
It looks like I can post a link that others can click to see a map of where I am or have been.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.56857,-81.49146&ll=41.56857,-81.49146&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
It looks like I can post a link that others can click to see a map of where I am or have been.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Wet Run
I finally got out to do some kayaking this year! I did about 6 miles yesterday and about 8 miles today. For some reason, the 6 miles felt much harder than the 8 miles. I was a little worried yesterday. I've been working out really hard the last few weeks. While I know this is no substitute for actually kayaking, I was surprised at how hard those 6 miles were. However, I did about 8 miles today in just over 2 hours with little effort.
I really love my new paddles! The double bladed paddle is made of quarter sawn sitka spruce. Quarter sawn means that the tree rings are perpendicular to the blades, which makes the paddle stronger. Sitka spruce is the wood of choice for the Aleutian Inuit. It's light and durable. I made the blade and shaft thicker than normal so that I can use my paddle to pole through the inevitable shallow areas or to brace myself while getting in and out of my kayaks.
The drip guards I put on the paddle works great! They are made for commerical paddles that can be broken into two sides. They were designed to be slipped onto the shaft when the paddle blades were broken into two. I had to cut the drip guard and zip tie them into place. They keep my hands completely dry when paddling. The only problem I see is that the zip ties can come off if the drip guards hit the edge of the kayak. I think that I'm going to replace the zip ties with copper wire.
My small single bladed paddle works well too. I like to have a back up paddle in case I drop or break my double bladed paddle. This paddle fits onto the deck of my kayak. I made it with a much shorter shaft than a canoe paddle because I will be sitting much closer to the water, and it needed to fit onto my deck. I think this worked out well. While it is not nearly as efficient as a double bladed paddle, it is a nice change of motion.
Finally, my comfy seat is nice. The only problem is the sticky tape does not stay fastened to my kayak. I kind of thought that would be a problem. I will have to take the seat out while driving with it on my car or it might fall out on the highway. Otherwise, it doesn't seem to need to be fastened in place by anything other than gravity.
I really love my new paddles! The double bladed paddle is made of quarter sawn sitka spruce. Quarter sawn means that the tree rings are perpendicular to the blades, which makes the paddle stronger. Sitka spruce is the wood of choice for the Aleutian Inuit. It's light and durable. I made the blade and shaft thicker than normal so that I can use my paddle to pole through the inevitable shallow areas or to brace myself while getting in and out of my kayaks.
The drip guards I put on the paddle works great! They are made for commerical paddles that can be broken into two sides. They were designed to be slipped onto the shaft when the paddle blades were broken into two. I had to cut the drip guard and zip tie them into place. They keep my hands completely dry when paddling. The only problem I see is that the zip ties can come off if the drip guards hit the edge of the kayak. I think that I'm going to replace the zip ties with copper wire.
My small single bladed paddle works well too. I like to have a back up paddle in case I drop or break my double bladed paddle. This paddle fits onto the deck of my kayak. I made it with a much shorter shaft than a canoe paddle because I will be sitting much closer to the water, and it needed to fit onto my deck. I think this worked out well. While it is not nearly as efficient as a double bladed paddle, it is a nice change of motion.
Finally, my comfy seat is nice. The only problem is the sticky tape does not stay fastened to my kayak. I kind of thought that would be a problem. I will have to take the seat out while driving with it on my car or it might fall out on the highway. Otherwise, it doesn't seem to need to be fastened in place by anything other than gravity.
Getting Ready For the Trail
We are doing all the "techy" things to get ready for the trail....
Such as: Working on the GPS and giving Me :-) adminstrator rights to the blog.
Age
Does 48 years officially make me a geezer? To many teenagers that is unimaginably old. The official definition of a geezer is an eccentric old man. I think that most who know me would agree with the eccentric part of the definition so at least I'm on the right path. However, the 48 years have yet to significantly affect my health or mind so maybe I'm not officially a geezer yet. Well, my hair is definitely grayer, but that is more from wisdom rather than age. Our founding fathers had to wear gray wigs so that others would think they were wise. Not me!
I tend to enjoy being out in the wilderness. I've been camping since a child, backpacking since college, and doing wilderness canoe trips since my late 20s. I was 44 years old when I did my thru hike of the AT. I have long legs and I'm usually good about getting an early start. Both traits allowed me to finish the trail in a relatively fast time of 4 months and 1 week. I was also very good about monitoring the little injuries. I saw a lot of 20 year olds on the trail who attempted to power their way through the little aches and pains only to have to get off the trail either temporarily or permanently. Maybe my age makes me more aware of how fragile our bodies really are, and that made me more careful with injuries.
I tore some ligiments in my left arm on September 30th of last year. I was worried if there would be enough time for my arm to heal before this trip. My arm is almost entirely back to normal. I was wondering if this is another sign of aging. However, I've always been very physically active, and have had other similar injuries over the years. About 15 years ago, I had a similar injury with my left hand. I kept re-injuring it by canoeing, kayaking, and splitting firewood. I had to stop using that hand for about three months before it finally healed, and I've never had a problem with it again. I'm hoping I gave my left arm enough time to completely heal too. I suppose I will find out soon enough one way or the other.
I know that I'm going to have to be very careful on the NFCT. Doing anything for weeks at a time can cause repetitive injuries. While I have a goal for a mileage I would like to accomplish on average each day, I also know that I have to be flexible and go with what feels right. I'm trying to manage both the NFCT and what I hope to be continued employment. Both are important!
As for being a geezer, I think I will rather enjoy being a geezer when my time finally comes. I think that geezers are allowed to break social norms with little repercussions. Just think of how much fun that will be!
I tend to enjoy being out in the wilderness. I've been camping since a child, backpacking since college, and doing wilderness canoe trips since my late 20s. I was 44 years old when I did my thru hike of the AT. I have long legs and I'm usually good about getting an early start. Both traits allowed me to finish the trail in a relatively fast time of 4 months and 1 week. I was also very good about monitoring the little injuries. I saw a lot of 20 year olds on the trail who attempted to power their way through the little aches and pains only to have to get off the trail either temporarily or permanently. Maybe my age makes me more aware of how fragile our bodies really are, and that made me more careful with injuries.
I tore some ligiments in my left arm on September 30th of last year. I was worried if there would be enough time for my arm to heal before this trip. My arm is almost entirely back to normal. I was wondering if this is another sign of aging. However, I've always been very physically active, and have had other similar injuries over the years. About 15 years ago, I had a similar injury with my left hand. I kept re-injuring it by canoeing, kayaking, and splitting firewood. I had to stop using that hand for about three months before it finally healed, and I've never had a problem with it again. I'm hoping I gave my left arm enough time to completely heal too. I suppose I will find out soon enough one way or the other.
I know that I'm going to have to be very careful on the NFCT. Doing anything for weeks at a time can cause repetitive injuries. While I have a goal for a mileage I would like to accomplish on average each day, I also know that I have to be flexible and go with what feels right. I'm trying to manage both the NFCT and what I hope to be continued employment. Both are important!
As for being a geezer, I think I will rather enjoy being a geezer when my time finally comes. I think that geezers are allowed to break social norms with little repercussions. Just think of how much fun that will be!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Food
I suppose the next week will be one of the few times in my life where I can eat what ever I want, and not have to worry about the consequences. I think in a normal week in the Boundary Waters, I might lose about 5 pounds in a week. I lost about 35+ pounds on the AT in the first 6 weeks or so before my weight stabilized.
To DO List - May 16th
- Activate the GPS beacon - This should be easy. I will do this on Sunday.
- Look into other portage carts at the outfitters in Old Forge - I'm still not entirely satisfied with my portaging system.
- Look into communications - I have still not decided if I'm going to bring a laptop or tablet. It would be nice to have something to backup pictures and communicate better with the outside world. However, I can also plan on visiting libraries too.
- Install a few more loops into my kayak for strapping gear. I suppose it's always good to have options.
- Buy river shoes - I have a feeling I might be pulling my kayak through some shallow spots.
- Lay out my gear and check my canoeing checklist to see if I'm missing anything.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Strategery
I have limited time off from work to do this trip, and I also really enjoy a good challenge. So my plan is to try to finish the entire trail in about 5 weeks. Yeah, I know, this is going to be exceptionally difficult. I would have to maintain about 22 miles per day in order to meet this goal. I don't know if I can do this.
In the summer, I can comfortably kayak 15 to 17 miles in Lake Erie without being especially tired. Also, depending on conditions, I can canoe about 15 to 18 miles in the Boundary Waters with 7 to 8 portages, and be very tired. However, in the Boundary Waters, I'm usually portaging either a 55 or 75 pound canoe, and need to make two trips on the portage trail to get all of my gear. I'm bringing a lot less gear on this trip.
One of my biggest concerns right now is my portaging system. I have the Mity Mite portage wheels. They seem like they are small enough to bungee to the back of my kayak. However, they also easily become skewed if one of the wheels hits a rock or rut. This causes my kayak to veer off the portage trail. I have a Duluth Pack to carry my gear during the portages. I think this might make it easier to manage the kayak through the inevitable downed trees, bogs, and rocks. Maybe there is simply no good way to portage a kayak. I don't know. Sometimes you just need to endure.
My other main concern is blisters on my hands. I never get blisters paddling a canoe because my hands stay mostly dry. However, water always drips down the kayak paddle onto your hands so my hands will almost always be wet. I have drip guards on my paddle, but I doubt this will be enough. I have a few pairs of gloves to try. I'm not sure what is going to work or not work.
Finally, I've been working out very hard at the gym for about an hour and a half each night. While there is no substitute for being out on the kayak, I'm hoping that I can build up enough strength to minimize the soreness during the first week or so.
As I mentioned before, I really enjoying being out by myself during the day when kayaking, but I become lonely and bored at night. I'm planning on being up early, and paddling as late as I reasonably can. Being alone for 5 weeks is going to be a challenge. Unlike the AT, I doubt that I will be camping with people or meeting a lot of people along the way. The AT was a very social place. Nearly everyone camped at shelters, and that is where you would meet new people to hike with the following day. I'm not expecting the same socal atmosphere on the NFCT.
In the summer, I can comfortably kayak 15 to 17 miles in Lake Erie without being especially tired. Also, depending on conditions, I can canoe about 15 to 18 miles in the Boundary Waters with 7 to 8 portages, and be very tired. However, in the Boundary Waters, I'm usually portaging either a 55 or 75 pound canoe, and need to make two trips on the portage trail to get all of my gear. I'm bringing a lot less gear on this trip.
One of my biggest concerns right now is my portaging system. I have the Mity Mite portage wheels. They seem like they are small enough to bungee to the back of my kayak. However, they also easily become skewed if one of the wheels hits a rock or rut. This causes my kayak to veer off the portage trail. I have a Duluth Pack to carry my gear during the portages. I think this might make it easier to manage the kayak through the inevitable downed trees, bogs, and rocks. Maybe there is simply no good way to portage a kayak. I don't know. Sometimes you just need to endure.
My other main concern is blisters on my hands. I never get blisters paddling a canoe because my hands stay mostly dry. However, water always drips down the kayak paddle onto your hands so my hands will almost always be wet. I have drip guards on my paddle, but I doubt this will be enough. I have a few pairs of gloves to try. I'm not sure what is going to work or not work.
Finally, I've been working out very hard at the gym for about an hour and a half each night. While there is no substitute for being out on the kayak, I'm hoping that I can build up enough strength to minimize the soreness during the first week or so.
As I mentioned before, I really enjoying being out by myself during the day when kayaking, but I become lonely and bored at night. I'm planning on being up early, and paddling as late as I reasonably can. Being alone for 5 weeks is going to be a challenge. Unlike the AT, I doubt that I will be camping with people or meeting a lot of people along the way. The AT was a very social place. Nearly everyone camped at shelters, and that is where you would meet new people to hike with the following day. I'm not expecting the same socal atmosphere on the NFCT.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Comfy Seat
My new comfy seat is actually quite comfortable! I just finished installing it this afternoon. I also replaced the buckles on the hatches, and installed a few new loops to bungee the wheels and Duluth back behind the cockpit. I started to put the Ohio registration letters on, but I ran out of fours. I need six of them. I should have done that over 10 years ago, but I hate having to go through the registration process with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The only reason I'm doing that now is because their funding has been cut, and they are out ticketing as many violations as they can. It's getting harder and harder to hide from them.
I did an experiment with my new Mity Mite portage wheels. I still have the same problem of figuring out how to secure the wheels in such a way that they don't become skewed if one wheel hits a rock or rut. I'm thinking of installing a couple more loops so that I can use to attach bungees to the wheels. I'm hoping that the bungees will help pull the wheels back straight again after they become skewed. I think I'm going to have something like 50 miles of portaging so I want to get this right as soon as I can.
During last year's recon trip, I thought that a Duluth pack to carry most of my gear would lighten the kayak so that I would have fewer problems pulling it through bogs and through downed trees. My plan is to pack my gear in small dry bags that I can take out during each portage. I'm sure I will refine the process as the trip progresses.
I did an experiment with my new Mity Mite portage wheels. I still have the same problem of figuring out how to secure the wheels in such a way that they don't become skewed if one wheel hits a rock or rut. I'm thinking of installing a couple more loops so that I can use to attach bungees to the wheels. I'm hoping that the bungees will help pull the wheels back straight again after they become skewed. I think I'm going to have something like 50 miles of portaging so I want to get this right as soon as I can.
During last year's recon trip, I thought that a Duluth pack to carry most of my gear would lighten the kayak so that I would have fewer problems pulling it through bogs and through downed trees. My plan is to pack my gear in small dry bags that I can take out during each portage. I'm sure I will refine the process as the trip progresses.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Classes are Done!
I just finished submitting grades for the college classes I teach. Now I have some breathing room to finish preparing for the trip. I still work a regular job so my time is not unlimited. However, it will probably feel unlimited at least for a while.
My goal is to be in the water on Saturday May 26th. I have about five weeks off from work. Yeah, I know this will be really pushing it. Maybe I can finish the entire trail in the time I have and maybe not. If not, I should be able to take off another week or maybe two toward the end of summer. This is all the time that I could reasonably take off from work without negatively effecting my projects.
My experience with solo canoe and kayak trips is that I really enjoy being out paddling during the day, and get really bored at night while camping alone. I think for this reason, I will probably be more inclined to travel longer during the day. While on the AT, I had a routine of being up and out very early. This was the "magic hour" when it was quite and many animals were out. I like being out early especially (and maybe only) when it is clear. It's a little harder getting out when it's raining knowing you are going to be wet and cold all day.
My new comfy kayak seat is supposed to arrive today. We will see if it really is as comfortable as it is advertised. I bought the "Mity Mite" portage wheels a few days ago. I think I can install some fittings behind the cockpit to fasten them when on the water. I should be ready for a few "wet runs" soon.
My goal is to be in the water on Saturday May 26th. I have about five weeks off from work. Yeah, I know this will be really pushing it. Maybe I can finish the entire trail in the time I have and maybe not. If not, I should be able to take off another week or maybe two toward the end of summer. This is all the time that I could reasonably take off from work without negatively effecting my projects.
My experience with solo canoe and kayak trips is that I really enjoy being out paddling during the day, and get really bored at night while camping alone. I think for this reason, I will probably be more inclined to travel longer during the day. While on the AT, I had a routine of being up and out very early. This was the "magic hour" when it was quite and many animals were out. I like being out early especially (and maybe only) when it is clear. It's a little harder getting out when it's raining knowing you are going to be wet and cold all day.
My new comfy kayak seat is supposed to arrive today. We will see if it really is as comfortable as it is advertised. I bought the "Mity Mite" portage wheels a few days ago. I think I can install some fittings behind the cockpit to fasten them when on the water. I should be ready for a few "wet runs" soon.
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