It Takes A (Kayaking) Village

Another blogpost about the adventures of motherhood and kayaking from guest-blogger, Lori Neufeld

Dan and I learnt very early on, even before Finley was born, that paddling as a family would require a lot more hands than just ours.  But we didn’t expect to have so much support from our families, friends and the paddling community.

Christine Haylock -My dear friend and the editor of my blog posts!  She's full of wisdom and encouragement.  Kayaking photo taken by Dan on the Kananaskis River.

Finley has some pretty great people to stay with when it’s an “adults only” day on the water and we’re grateful for the many hours that our parents, siblings, and others have spent caring for her.  But it’s been other kayakers that have surprised me the most by their patience and willingness to help whenever possible.  From rocking an upset newborn at paddling festivals, to unloading my gear while I get Finley out of the car; our paddling friends are always stepping up to the plate.  They’ve blessed us with all sorts of gifts, given up their own paddling time so I could get on the water, and continue to carpool with me, even if that means some extra work or an early curfew.  They’ve lugged strollers and diaper bags through airports, done laps around the pool with a toddler in tow, and one of my friends has even started his own, “get young mothers who paddle on the water” program;  I’m currently the only member.

Sierra Stinson -Auntie Sierra swears she's never having kids of her own, but she adores Finn and is always up for an adventure!  Kayaking photo by Hayley McKee at Pushbutton on the Ottawa River.

So what can you expect when you invite a new mom like me on your next paddling adventure?  Well, first off, THANK YOU!  Yes, my life is in chaos some days and I spend more time washing laundry then wearing it, but I still want to go kayaking!  I won’t always say yes, but I really appreciate your invite.  Secondly, when I get into the car and look like I’ve been up all night… I have been.  But give me an hour or so of peace and quiet and I’ll be good as new.  When we get to the put in and you notice that I’m taking far longer than everyone else to suit up, don’t worry.  My gear just doesn’t quite fit the same as it used to and I’ve got hip pads to adjust and clothing to work my way in to.  If this is a day that the little one is coming along, you’ve got a whole new set of challenges to work with.  Between extra clothing, carseats and piles of snacks, you’re losing at least 2-3 seats in your shuttle vehicle.  But there will be Goldfish crackers for all!  You might feel more like a Sherpa than a paddler and wonder why I packed so much stuff.  Trust me, it’s all necessary.  Throughout the day there will be many bouts of crying.  If I’m not stressing over it, you don’t need to either.  Kids are funny and mine talks about those tearful times with memories of laughter and joy.  And at the end of day, when you’re unstrapping my boat and I’m chasing my runaway toddler down the sidewalk, know that this might have been the only day this week that I’ll get to exercise, socialize, and enjoy my favourite hobby.  I’ve got another sleepless night ahead of me, but I’m more energized than ever.

Cathy Woods -An art teacher by day, Cathy is great with kids and has a passion for getting them outdoors.  Kayaking photo by Dan on the Kananaskis River.

Continuing to kayak during this stage of parenting has been a lot more work than I anticipated.  But it’s not impossible, especially with others who are so eager to help us.  So whether you’re one of our close paddling friends or support another kayaking mom, Dan and I salute you.  We’re beyond grateful for everyone supporting us on this journey.

Andy Hill -Andy was terrified to go near Finn when she was first born.  Now they're buddies!  Kayaking photo taken by Thomas Farren at Bus Eater on the Ottawa River.

Steven Walker -At only 18 years old, Steven paddles hard, he's the kindest and most helpful kid around (we're not sure how his mom got so lucky!) and he babysits for us on weekends!  Kayaking photo by Dan at Sturgeon Falls.

Judy Wilson -A true river mom, Judy's constantly checking in on me and helping out.  I don't know where I'd be without her!  Kayaking photo taken by John Woods at Fort Whyte Alive.

Cultus Lake Summer SUP Series

Ken Larsen of Pure Life Paddle Boards in Chilliwack, BC is doing great things in the Fraser Valley programming from a Beginning SUP course, to warm locale tours in Costa Rica to River SUP.

to introduce people of all ages and abilities to Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP).  Pure Life Paddle Boards offers a variety of

We want to help Ken promote SUP and are excited to let  you know about two fantastic programs you want to get involved with:  Cultus Lake SUP Series and the Youth Program, the Fraser Valley Rippers (we will tell you more about Ken's youth program in an upcoming blogpost)

What is the Cultus Lake SUP Series?

A series of 8 fun races hosted by Main Beach Boat Rentals and Pure Life Paddle Boards, intended to continue growing the paddling culture and community at Cultus Lake. The events will follow the same format as last year with each race including shorter and longer course options, followed by a barbeque and numerous draw prizes donated by local businesses.

Who is this series intended for?

These events are truly all-inclusive! Everyone is welcome to come and participate, regardless of paddling experience. Last year saw participants with age differences spanning decades, parents paddling with kids, countless first time paddlers and even dog owners paddling with their four legged companions. Two different course length options will be available for every event.

Where does this series take place?

All events are run out front of Main Beach Boat Rentals at Cultus Lake.

What is the cost to participate in the SUP series?

The cost is only $10 per event and includes race entry, a post-race barbeque, and an entry ticket for the prize draw. If you are in need of equipment, Main Beach Boat Rentals is providing gear for a reduced rate of only $10 more.

When do the events take place?

They start May 13th and continue every second Wednesday right through to August 19th. Registration runs 6-6:45pm and the races start at 7pm with BBQ and prizes afterwards.

One Fishing Adventure After Another

If you are dreaming of some kayak fishing in 2015 take a look back at the 2014 fishing season of Nikki Rekman Sales and Kokatat Regional Paddler, Laura Demers.  If you want some kayak fishing advice you can also contact Laura at Western Canoeing and Kayaking in Abbotsford, BC where she is the in-house kayak fishing and SUP expert.
    

Ross Lake

       In mid July I came across the opportunity to go fly fishing in the backcountry west of Quesnel, BC on the Blackwater River. The special invite from Marlin, my boss along with good company from friends couldn’t be turned down.  This was going to be the first time I ever went fly fishing.

The Cabin

    The trip took a downward turn before we even left home when we found out that there was a forest fire burning fairly close to where we had planned to go.  We decided to make the most of it and go anyways, although not to our original destination.  We came up with some alternative fishing options and set forth on one adventure after another.

          For our first adventure we loaded up our Clipper Tripper and Tripper-S canoes for a trip down the nearby Euchiniko River. I geared up with my Kokatat Orbit Tour PFD, can’t live without it. We bumped, dragged and portaged down the shallow river only to catch a few squawfish.  It did give me a chance to work on my cast while I only snagged a few trees ;)

I'm pretty sure I wore my Kokatat Wool Core for a total of
7 Days and no one even noticed because unbelievably it
smelt great!

      The next adventure was to tackle a section of the Blackwater River where the fishing was supposed to be better.  This time only three of us went and so I spent a decent amount of time soloing the Tripper-S while dragging a fly behind.  Then, bang I caught my first ever trout.  Landed it in the boat...didn’t use a net...I’m sure you know what happened next.  My first ever trout hoped and bounced itself right back to where it came from!

First moose I've ever seen!  She sat there just long enough for
me to get out the SLR camera from my Overboard Dry bag.

  Alas the fish.  We were there for 5 days and on the first day Marlin let us know about a fishing whole on a creek with no name.  My friend Sandra and I ended up going there day after day and being successful after everything else failed.  

And for the final adventure.  As we drove home a couple days early Sandra and I decided we just hadn’t had enough.  We arrived in Abbotsford after nearly 8 hours of driving only to re-pack our gear, load up our kayaks and drive 2.5 hours in the middle of the night back the direction we just came from to Ross Lake and the Skagit river.  With only 3 hours of sleep we awoke early to get to the fishing and the fishing was good!

1st Trout on 

Here’s to the best job ever for letting me enjoy my adventures!

Kayaking the Aleutians DVD is available for PRE-ORDER

We are happy to announce that we will be distributing Justine Curgenven and Sarah Outen's DVD, "Kayaking the Aleutians" in Western Canada.  They are en route to us now, contact us today to pre-order your copy.

Justine and Sarah

"No-one has succeeded in kayaking the length of the remote and stormy Aleutian Islands which stretch from Russia to Alaska. Explorers Justine Curgenven and Sarah Outen set out to paddle 2,500km along the archipelago to the nearest road confronting more than 20 long crossings which separate the tiny unpopulated islands. Sarah faces an even more formidable challenge as this is part of her round-the-world human powered journey and she has limited kayaking experience. Alone for 101 days in one of the windiest, roughest places on earth, these two women are swept away from land by unknown currents, pounded by rough seas and approached by bears. Experiencing an edge-of-your-seat journey, they gain a rare insight into themselves, the rich wildlife and the lives of the few people who live in this harsh yet beautiful landscape." 

Music: Chilled Out Ocean by Videoblocks.com. 

Filmed & Edited by Justine Curgenven. 
ZatzWorks Stabilzed Aerials by Scott Dickerson & Daniel Zatz

The Paddling Adventures Have Begun

I'm not going to lie, I am not a huge fan of our Wet-Coast (aka West Coast) rainy weather; even though its probably been one of the sunniest winters in years. Most folks would escape to  a warmer/drier climate but not me, I headed to the winter wonderland of Northern BC.

After landing in Smithers it was a 2+ hour drive to the small village of Fort Babine and our put-in on the Babine River. As you can see from the photos the weather was stunning but warm it was not.

Paddling in the winter obviously means having the right gear and well Kokatat Watersports Wear delivers, as usual.  My favourite piece, the Goretex Whirlpool Bibs and Mark's the Tempest Pant kept us warm and dry on the bottom.  The Goretex Full Zip and Anorak Jackets kept us dry up top.

Check out this ice-breaker

Winter wonderland!

Temperature was approximately -11 deg. Celsius and the snow depth at the put-in was about 4'.  Water was low this year and snow was deeper than the last time we were up.  This made for more challenges at the put-in and take-out and a few spots where we bottomed out en route.

Photo credit: Melaney C.

Home Sweet Home Photo credit: Melaney C.

So excited for another season of paddling adventures ahead. Looking forward to hearing all about your time on the water too.  #gobecauseyoucan