Why does it always seem so different when a paddler revisits a coastline a year or years later? Sure, there's a different rocky berm at previous landings possibly, or different patterns of beach dispersal and weather, etc, but the second time back always seems less mysterious, smaller, less hazardous and less invigorating. The first time I went to north Brooks, it was so intimidating and otherworldly. Now I just kick my feet up, read a book, mentally go over the hazards in a orderly fashion, and yawn. The first time I circumnavigated Sidney Island off Victoria, it was like this long trek, wild winds wickedly beating me up off the south end, and scary crossings in the chop. Now I do laps around it without a second thought. The first time I paddled out of Bamfield, the Deer Group was so forlorn and foreboding. Now it seems like an natural extension of the peninsula, separated by a itty bitty bit of water. I guess the answer is somewhat obvious, but I was wondering if other paddlers have suffered the same change in perception so acutely the next time they went paddling in the same area again. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e. headers/footers/sig lines/extraneous text from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.] Ok, Doug after I got over my jealousy of you for being able to do all those cool trips :-), I began think about what you said. If you are referring to the addrinaline rush inherent to a first time paddle, especially if the paddle is to be done at a place that sounds as forboding as some of those places, I suppose you are right. But, at least on one level, I have to disagree. I'm just a poor paddler who, basically because of finances, is restricted to the south east coast. Every Year, I take a group people from my Church (mostly Furman University Students, and mostly beginners) to Capers Island, SC for a weekend paddle. I am not yet a certified guide, so I tend to err on the cautious side when I do these trips. Even though The release form I make them sign basically says that they are commiting suicide if they paddle with me and I can not be held responsible, Deep down inside, somewhere in the vast crevices of my dark heart, I would really rather they all get back alive, so I get nervous when the wind is blowing just a little to strongly, especially if its not in just the right direction. I always take the same route, yet still take my gps, and set up an alternate route, just in case. I spend more time worrying about my group when one of those barges pass us by in the ICW then I do enjoying a good wake, and you wouldn't believe how close have I come to cursing God when the stern wave is just a little too high (which doesn't have to be very high at all). I say all that to say that those trips, I hope, are well beneath my skill level, and you'd think, very routine. But every year has been very different in many ways. I've never encountered the same paddling conditions, weather conditions, or even the same challenges related to having 5-10 beginner paddlers along. I have to tell you I wouldn't trade that routine trip for the world. Mystery still hasn't left our little two night stays on a remote island (actually its not so remote, its only about 10 miles from Charleston) that you can paddle to in as little as an hour if you take the most direct route. Thx, Rich By the way, I have to say, the closest I ever came to real trouble while on that trip was this last time we went - the, time, I would like to think, that I had the most skill of all the trips. We'd been paddleing all weekend and I was finally starting to relax. The Beginners seemed to be doing quite well in the fairly strong stern wind that was whipping whipping up some pretty good waves from the rear, and hey, it was help us cut a two and half hour paddle in half. So, I started trying to take some pics. Then one of those barges I was talking about decided to pass us. I was so concentrating on keeping my camera still, that I didn't hear my sweep warning me, or the boat (and those boats are loud. . . most have been my A.D.D. :-) ) Anyway, here comes the wake, right across the beam of course, and, without my paddle in my hand, over I go. By the time I got the camera stowed, and my paddle in position, I was almost too out of breath to do a roll (no, I'm not skilled enough to do a hand roll yet). I should have just bailed because my sweep panicked and decided to try to get to me to do a T-rescue even though I wasn't signaling that I needed one, and my head hit his boat, as I was trying to make it up. By the time I did bail, I think I must have been blue because everybody in the group looked like they'd seen a ghost when I popped out of the water. Oh well, All's well that ends well I guess. It was great time to show assisted rescue techniques to a bunch newbies :-) dalloyd_at_telus.net wrote: >Why does it always seem so different when a paddler revisits a coastline a >year or years later? Sure, there's a different rocky berm at previous >landings possibly, or different patterns of beach dispersal and weather, >etc, but the second time back always seems less mysterious, smaller, less >hazardous and less invigorating. > >The first time I went to north Brooks, it was so intimidating and >otherworldly. Now I just kick my feet up, read a book, mentally go over the >hazards in a orderly fashion, and yawn. > >The first time I circumnavigated Sidney Island off Victoria, it was like >this long trek, wild winds wickedly beating me up off the south end, and >scary crossings in the chop. Now I do laps around it without a second >thought. > >The first time I paddled out of Bamfield, the Deer Group was so forlorn and >foreboding. Now it seems like an natural extension of the peninsula, >separated by a itty bitty bit of water. > >I guess the answer is somewhat obvious, but I was wondering if other >paddlers have suffered the same change in perception so acutely the next >time they went paddling in the same area again. > >Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug Lloyd" <dalloyd_at_telus.net> asked: >> Why does it always seem so different when a paddler revisits a coastline a year or years later? Sure, there's a different rocky berm at previous landings possibly, or different patterns of beach dispersal and weather, etc, but the second time back always seems less mysterious, smaller, less hazardous and less invigorating. >> The simple answer is that you are an adrenaline junkie, Doug [grin]. The truthful answer is that I think we all feel that. The feeling is not unique to paddling ... think of other first-time experiences: in love, in driving, in travel, at work, etc. I would not want to push this analogy too far, but my first visit to a new place has an exotic flavor, similar to getting to know someone for the first time. Subsequent visits to a paddling area take on the character of visiting with an established, cherished friend. I like and appreciate both kinds of experiences. Places I have frequently visited are not boring, but they do elicit a different kind of pleasure response. I like to see how the subtle things have changed, how the wildlife are different ... and, if I have new companions who have never been there, how the place is new through their eyes. The vicarious is mine, also, but, what do you expect -- I'm a teacher. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Rich said (snip): >But, at least on one level, I have to disagree...I always take the same route, yet still take my I've never encountered the same paddling conditions, weather conditions, or even the same challenges related to having 5-10 beginner paddlers along. I have to tell you I wouldn't trade that routine trip for the world. Mystery still hasn't left our ...< Thanks for your candour and insight. I'd agree with you totally. Every favourite spot I go back to paddle again always has a new orientation depending on a number of natural and intrinsic-to-self factors -- otherwise why would we go back. I just really have come to find its the second, third and more times back one paddles the same route where the subtleties are noticed; but its that jump between the first and subsequent times where the difference is noticed. If it were not so pronounced, I'd not have posted so. I do like to go back to an area again and again if it is one I find intriguing. But any time out paddling is still better than at home mowing the lawn or whatever. :-) Also, going back gives me a chance to try more risky sea conditions and heavy weather trials. Once one knows the egress points, what's around the next headland, or where the hazards are worse, then the safer one is if one must challenge such venues. For me, I'm looking forward to the Oregon coast hopefully next winter. Careful with that boat wake! Remember, if it crests, swells, moves fast, then ride it! Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
dalloyd_at_telus.net wrote: >Careful with that boat wake! Remember, if it crests, swells, moves fast, >then ride it! > Preach It Brother!! Just remind me to have the paddle in hand next time :-). > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >~~~~~~~~~~ >"Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said >clearly should not be said at all." >Ludwig Wittgenstein >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > -- Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop_at_Netscape! http://shopnow.netscape.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Rich replied: dalloyd_at_telus.net wrote: Careful with that boat wake! Remember, if it crests, swells, moves fast, then ride it!>Preach It Brother!! Just remind me to have the paddle in hand next time :-). Doug replies: There's a reef system off Nootka that extends far out to see. On a high tide with a moderate swell, cresting but non-breaking wave sets move at just the right height and speed to allow extremely long rides with little effort. One paddler I know, Doug Alderson, rides for 100's of meters twirling his paddle above him. Man I hate that guy :-) Ahhh, those endless summer days... Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:34 PDT