Off to the Islands

Off to the islands again this weekend. The weather is looking great, Cowboy Junkies are playing at the "Big Top". Camping on Rocky and Ironwood. Life is good.

Summer Storms

After a day working in an aircraft hanger with the temperature around 90F (32C), the plan was to load the boat and stop by the lake for an evening of rolling to cool down. After a stop by the hanger to load the boat, another stop to pick up some after paddling refreshments, the clouds started to roll in. So My after paddle refreshments turned into a before the storm photo shoot. Just when the line of black clouds went by, the 60 mph (97 kph) gust front came through. Then as I turned to run back to the Jeep, I see a guy in a fishing boat racing back to the boat launch. Now there was at least 15 minutes this guy had to get off the lake before the storm hit. You'd think with all the lightning and thunder he'd get off the lake before the winds and rain ... must have been some good fishing!

Devils Island

First trip to Devils Island! I'd planned trips there a number of times, but the weather always made the trip iffy, and the whole reason to go would be to explore the sea caves. This weekend proved to be an exceptional time for cave explorations.

Intro to Lake Superior

The "SKOAC Intro to Lake Superior" trip went well this year, I hope everyone got something out of it, and will use last weekend as a stepping stone to their own paddling trips out to the islands. Basswood Island is a great first trip because the channel is well protected from the open lake, even if the winds come up, the waves are relatively small.

We did get a circumnavigation of the island in, and checked out the shipwrecks Fedora and the Ottawa. A walk through the woods to see the brownstone quarry would have been brutal with the mosquitoes, a couple people tried, and were beaten back in short order.

Now I have a couple days to get a bunch of wet gear dried out, re-packed, and drive up to Little Sand Bay for the short crossing to York Island for Thursday night, then Devils Island for the 4th. It looks like we'll have an interesting and fun group going up this time, although the plans have been a bit dynamic, and evolving daily, it looks like Dave and I will be the first to arrive and will be picking up the permits. Summer is here!

Lots going on!

June has been a busy month, and its not over yet! Getting into my first real teaching assignments with the SKOAC "Basic Strokes and Rescues" class last week was a great experience. I enjoyed the class, the people, the day. Meeting new people, and taking a part in their first learning experiences is rewarding. This weekend is the "Intro to Lake Superior" group. Some of students who took the class earlier will be up on the lake this weekend, we'll do a crossing out to Basswood Island, spend the night, do some navigation clinics, and generally have some fun. But first I will be flying out to Newport Rhode Island on a work related trip, then return late Friday and drive up to the lake. Wish I could spend some time there! Only a mile from the coast, and I'll be in an airplane hanger the whole time!

Anyway .. Just a quick post to say I hadn't forgotten my blogging responsibilities .. the only place I have Internet these days is at work, so I need to get in early to do my computer stuff. Like I said .. lots going on!

Be back Monday.

Apostle Weekend

I'll have to add another "favorite" campsite to the list. Seven of us spent last weekend in the Apostles, both nights were at campsites I hadn't been to yet. I'd been to Stockton Island, but never camped there, and after some exploring through the woods to find the campsite we had originally signed up for, we discovered not only the long trek through the woods, but the mosquito's would be of biblical proportions. A quick phone call to the park service to switch campsites for the beach site was in order. A nice weekend on the islands with some good friends was what I really needed for a battery recharge.

Storm Rolls

Out paddling in the rain last night. It's really a peaceful time to be on the lake, the jet skis and speed boats all seem to disappear, you get the whole lake to play on. I didn't use the whole lake, but I did head out into areas that would normally be "danger zone" to a lone kayaker on a sunny weekend. The lakes are warming up quickly, the dry suit is no longer needed here in the city lakes, even a wet suit is going to be to much for a afternoon paddle. After a short workout paddle I spent some time working on rolls, the "storm roll" has been a hard one for me for a long time, after some coaching by Ron S over the weekend, I was able to hit it a couple times. Then last night it started working real well. Its odd how once you figure it out, it then seems so easy. So many things in life are like that, not just rolling. It's to bad so many of life's lessons aren't as easy to learn as a simple "storm roll".