Memorial Weekend.

Memorial weekend was a blast. Spend lot of time on the water, I get a bit of sun poisoning to prove it.

Let start with Sebago Open House on Saturday. I get there at 8:45AM, and before I know it it was 6PM in the evening. I help with the first two morning paddles. We get a good big group of people waiting to paddle by 10:30. I wasn't expecting to get out till at least 11AM, but the weather was good, and apparently most people decide to stay in the city for the weekend to save on gas money. I end up taking the lead on the first paddle. I don't mind leading the trip, except for the talking part of it. I hate public speaking ( I hate talking to stranger period so one or 10 really don't matter.) I try to hand it off to Steve, but he kicked it back to me. I managed not to mess the orientation too bad. The wind was blowing at about 10 to 15 mph with some strong gust. We only have one guest cutting the trip short. The rest of the group went half a mile up against the wind toward the head of the bay, then back down to the end of the marina and back again to the dock without any mishap.

Laurie already have a large group of new guests line up for the second paddle. I take 15 minutes or so to get something to drink, and just wander around getting used to the huge number of people hanging around. I think this may be our most successful open house that I can remember.

The second paddle I take point. I try to keep a slow study speed. We did not goes more then pass the dock on our way back. Phil wanted us back because there is another large group waiting to go out. I was fine with that I need to get back and eat something anyway, it was 12:30PM. Another group of trip leaders take out the next two groups of guests.

I don't do much mingling. Just eat my hot dogs and try to keep out of the way. I talk to some member that I haven't seen for a while. Embarrassingly I don't remember any of their name. I get to get better to retaining name.

I was railroad into a war canoe ride as I was waiting on the dock. The canoe is perfect for small children, because it take about 8 people to paddle it, and it is relative stable. The canoe ride itself was ok except for the one kid that keep yelling that he want to get off, that his sister is getting him wet. Definitely one kid I would not want on the car ride on a long trip. I was so glad when we finally get back to the dock.

I help with one other trip out before having enough. After the last trip goes out, the rest of us on land get the unused boats wash and put away. It was 4:30 when the last paddle come back.

I don't know what I did but I did not leave till almost 7PM.

Monday I help with Phil first Jamaica Bay trip. I get there early, 10AM but not earlier then Phil who is already in his paddling cloth when I pulled in. It don't take long till everyone else show up. We launch a bit after 11AM. At the first stop before the bridge I decided to see if I can turn my long, 17 feet boat 360 degree with just two stroke. I was leaning way back to do a reverse sweep stroke when my right knee come loose from the knee brace. I wasn't able to return the boat to an up right position but I was not fully capsize either. I have my back arched and extended when I lost control of the boat, the boat stay on it side but I can't get the leverage to get the boat back up. Since I am in a sculling position I decide to get up with a sculling roll. I manage to get up enough to get some air but no luck getting back up. After trying a couple of time to scull back up with one leg inside the boat and the other almost outside the boat, I wisd up and decided to fully capsize the boat and set up properly. I get my head completely under water and re-seat myself. I was definitely tire and running out of air by that time. Seating upside down, under water, I decided that the group need a demonstration on wet exit and t rescue so I slide back out, and come up beside my boat. Elizabeth was there, I up right my boat, she pulled it up and empty the boat, and I am in my boat in less then 2 minutes. A very efficient rescue.

I manage to stay up right the rest of the trip. The wind was stronger then we expected but there was no problem getting to Mill Basin. We stop many time to let everyone catch up and rest. We explored the right inlet with all the expensive house. I was more interest in the Coast Guard cutter on dry dock. It was a beautiful piece of machinery.

We were supposed to explore the left inlet on the way back but it was decide by the majority of the group to start heading back since it was already 1PM, and exploring the left inlet will mean getting back to the clubhouse at 4PM at the earliest. Phil asked my to take point since I had a radio ( a very staticky one at that.) I take a slow pace and keep everyone very much together till pass Mill Basin Bridge. At the Mill Basin Channel, and the turn north east there is a sand bars that cause all kind of weird waves, normally I would preferred to go as far out as I can pass this send bar and the weird waves as possible but there was a boat full of fishermen pulling out so I decide to the shore side of the boat, which is a bit close to the sand bar but not onto it. I was cautions the people to my side to keep away from the sand bar, and staying head of the couple of faster paddles and rolling with with the waves that collide at the sand bar when the guy next to me, named Joe, capside. I yelled capsize right away and asked Severn to do the rescue because I don't want to lose control of the lead group. But in the confusion Severn did not hear me so I end up taking hold of Joe's boat.

Joe was standing in waist deep water so there is no danger of him floating away. He insisted on waking his boat 50 feet onto the beach, which I thought will take too much time but I decide not fight it. I let him dragged his boat onto shore, and see two other boat, headding right onto the sand bar. They end up end up beach and have to drag their boats where they can launch without being push against the shore. At this point there were a lot of yelling and confusion. I end up trying to round up the lead group before they get to far. I managed to catch up with the lead group and get everyone raft up so we can wait for the people that beached, and the group that went further out to get way for the crazy waves.

I had the group wait for 5 minutes before the wind blow us toward shore. It was decided that we should continue to our bridge rather then wait their for the rest of the group to sort themselve out. I don't know how that was decide because that wasn't my idea. I would preferred to maintain that position till I get everyone together but the group was nervous about getting blow to shore and fighting the wind and current which were getting worst. The group very much break up by itself and started paddle to Paerdegat Bridge. I wasn't able to catch up with the lead group of paddle so I told everyone to paddle to the last green nun before the bridge and wait. Of course everyone was eager to get under the bridge and into the protection of the inlet so I end up telling Elizabeth to make sure everyone wait on the other side of the bridge. We stayed there till Phil bring up the rest of the group. We did a head count and miraculously we have the same number of the paddlers as when we left the dock.

It was an interesting paddle, and a learning experience. I keep on re-running the trip over in my mind and trying to see if I should have done anything differently. I felt I lost control of the group after the capsize. I should have been more assertive in keeping the group together. It is not just in this paddle thought. In every group paddle I have been in, the paddle back always became a free for all.

Back to the Woods

Spend last weekend at the ACA cabin in Harriman Park.

The drive up there was a nightmare. I left at 8AM, and did not get there to well over 10AM. BQE was worst then usually. Thought I can seat through the traffic and skip on the 5 dollar poll for the tunnel but end up taking the tunnel anyway. I learned why the B.Q.E is back up when I get the the tunnel - the outbound tube was close so both outbound and inbound traffics are going through just on tube so the speed limit is 25MPH. Take a good 30 minutes to get out of the tunnel to Manhattan.

The rest of the trip up was uneventful. Some heavy traffic delay here and there not nothing major.

I stopped by Campmore, buy some butane for my BBQ. Get to the cabin a bit before 11AM.

I ran into Stevie as he parked his car at the group camping parking lot, and ran into Ade and Joy as the walk up the road.

John, Pete and Cody were already working on the window in the cabin when I walked in. Get my food stashed away in the fridge before helping John removed the old window. The window replace went smoothly. Me and John removed the old windows, Pete and his son Cody put up the new window. We had an hour lunch break. We return to worked after lunch and get everything done by 2PM.

Cody and I joined Stevie, on the water after we finished up the window. Adele and Joy just went back to the cabin as Cody and I get ready for the water. I did on Eskimo roll just to test out the water. We send a good amount of time doing the English Gate. Stevie show is the English gate exercise with Eskimo rolls throw in. At the end of his demonstration, on his last Eskimo roll, Stevie had cramp on his leg and have to wet exit his boat. It was a total surprise. I have not seen Stevie wet exit in such a long time that I was total did not see that possibility. Cody was closest to him so he went over to stabilize Stevie's boat so he can get back in. I had to come in on the other side when Stevie have problem getting in to his boat. After Stevie get back in his boat and pump out the water we decided that that was enough fun for the day.

Come back and check back into dry clothing, and went to Stevie's camp site to help him prepare the fire. It was raining all day on Friday so getting a fire started with all the wet woods was difficult. Stevie and his toys get a fire going in no time thought. We spend all afternoon by the fire eating and talking.

Joy somehow get her feet cut on some broken glass bottle while wandering around the back of the camp site. She decided not to used her tent which she already seat up so I decide to use it instead of sleeping in the cabin. I was cold most of the night. I wake up at 3AM to a big chill and fumble around my backpack looking for my sweater. I did not get up to do my morning constitution because I really do not feel like going behind the tree in the freezing night. Get up good and early - 6AM.

John, Cody and I decided to set out for a short hike before breakfast. I took my trail map, and nothing else. We end up making several critical mistake on the hike. I should have turn back when I did not find my landmark - the Dutch Doctor Shelter which indicated out turn from the Red Trail to the Yellow trail. It turned out I take the wrong trail map with me. I was 99 confidence that I every see this part of the trail before on my previous hike but we keep pressing on. We end up at an overlook with spectacular view of the valley, but no where near where we should be in order to get back for our 8AM breakfast appointment.

At the overlook we find two sleeping backpackers, a guy and his girlfriend. I decided to swallow my pride and asked the girl for direction. We continued on the Red trail further then we should have. We doubled back till where I am sure we make the wrong turn. We walk a couple of feet on the wide mining trail, and around the turn was the Dutch Doctor Shelter and the junction of Red and Yellow Trail. We take yellow trail which goes around a hill and back into our lake. Without a map I did not take the unmarked trail to the lake instead we goes around the hill, and then along the shores of the lake to get back to the road that would take us back to the ACA camp. We make it back by 9AM. We take a half an hour hike into 2 hours.

We run into the hikers at the dinner where we had breakfast.

After breakfast John, Pete and I decide to go for the hike again this time with the proper map. We decided to do it in reverse. I had to use the facility so I told John and Pete to go ahead without me. I ran after them but did not find them. I was surprise because I did not expect them to go too far in the 3 minutes I take to use the restroom. We agree to go counter clockwise on the trail but I did not meet them till half way into the trail. John forget that we agree on going counter clockwise. I leaded them on the unmarked trail toward the lake and we get back in less then half an hour.

Stevie was still out due to leg cramp, and was taking a nap so I end up paddle along after my hike. I did not paddle to far just from our dock to the swimming dock and back, with a couple of roll thrown in for fun. I rolled a dozen time with a couple on my off side. When I get back John, Pete and Cody already left for their trip back to the city. I planned to go home after lunch, at about 2PM. Joy wanted a ride home with me instead of waiting for Stevie's midnight ride back to the city. Adele convince me to wait till 5PM to start back home. I decided I was in no rush so I waited till I was bore by 4PM so we started home. Joy was good company the whole ride so I did not notice the traffic jam we encounter along the way.

It take 2 and a half hours to get back to the city. I drop Joy off at her place, ran into her boyfriend Adam who pulled his car right behind me at I was parking. I also meet the long hear about Bruno, Joy's Pit Bull. A sweep little fella.