| Way back when in February I went to the | | | | to get back up freaked me out.So I decided |
| Outdoor Adventure Show and I twisted my | | | | that in the future I would try calmer water |
| friend Leslie's arm to go on a | | | | sports such as canoeing or sea kayaking on a |
| learn-how-to-kayak weekend with me. We booked | | | | calm lake, instead of facing mortal danger on |
| 2 days including meals, kayaking lessons and | | | | the rapids. To reassure all of you readers |
| camping accommodation with a company called | | | | though: all the other kayaking students did |
| Equinox Adventures that has a rafting and | | | | fine, they went upriver, and came down |
| kayaking camp located on Calumet Island in | | | | through some mild rapids and had a great time |
| the Ottawa River.So Friday we got ready, I | | | | paddling themselves around on the Ottawa |
| picked Leslie up from work and we headed off | | | | River on Saturday and Sunday. And Christine, |
| on Highway 401 east of Toronto. We got stuck | | | | our guide, was very helpful, and there was |
| in rush hour traffic for a solid hour and | | | | always another kayaking student around to |
| half until I decided to go north of the | | | | help you if you were in trouble, so |
| highway to take a country road. We stopped in | | | | assistance to safety was never far |
| for a nice little dinner in Belleville, and | | | | away.Saturday evening we actually watched a |
| after driving through the beautiful | | | | safety video for whitewater kayaking and in |
| countryside in Eastern Ontario and after | | | | the video I realized that advanced whitewater |
| getting lost on the winding roads near our | | | | kayaking is a pretty dangerous sport and the |
| destination, we finally set up our tent at | | | | risk of drowning or hurting yourself by |
| about 11 pm, illuminated by the headlights of | | | | getting entrapped in rocks or "strainers" |
| my car.The Equinox river camp is very basic, | | | | (fallen tree branches that stick out of the |
| located around an old farmhouse are 3 | | | | water) is substantial and must be avoided at |
| different campgrounds (for noisy, semi-noisy | | | | all cost. We also learned that working as a |
| and quiet campers..), an outbuilding with | | | | team and rescuing one's team mates are |
| extremely basic men's and women's bathrooms | | | | critical life-saving skills. By this time I |
| that have 2 toilet stalls as well as 4 | | | | had already decided that I would trade my |
| functioning shower stalls in a co-ed shower | | | | second day of kayaking lessons in for some |
| and an outdoor eating area covered by tarps | | | | mountain biking on Sunday, combined with a |
| that are draped over metal railings. Luxury | | | | little photo safari of Calumet Island.So |
| accommodation this is definitely not.Saturday | | | | Sunday morning, after my interview with |
| morning we got started early, we actually got | | | | Krista, she was kind enough to lend me her |
| woken up by the mooing of cows in the farmers | | | | mountain bike and I grabbed my camera and |
| field next door at about 6 am. Other campers | | | | started my discovery of Calumet Island, a |
| reported that some of the cows took a walk | | | | large island in the Ottawa River wedged |
| right through the camp ground and actually | | | | between Ontario and Quebec. I cycled through |
| left some sizeable paddies behind. It was | | | | forests, rolling hills, grazing pastures and |
| fabulous to be in a tent again after not | | | | past a few extremely well-kept country |
| having gone camping for about 8 years.... We | | | | properties. I spent about an hour cycling on |
| got a simple breakfast, some pancakes and | | | | dirt roads to the edge of the Ottawa River |
| pre-packaged muffins (some of them a little | | | | where I started to experiment with my camera |
| furry) and we started picking our kayak gear | | | | a little bit.My brother-in-law Roger, a |
| and headed off with our knowledgeable guide | | | | consummate graphic designer and visual |
| Christine and her helper Krista in a van to | | | | artist, had recently taught me how to do |
| the Ottawa River. We got suited up with our | | | | close-up shots of plants and other objects, |
| life jackets, helmets and sprayskirs, and | | | | so I started experimenting taking close-range |
| then put our kayaks in the water.I had a | | | | shots of plants and flowers right next to the |
| devil of a time getting my sprayskirt over | | | | Ottawa River. This was the first time I |
| the kayak's opening because it was so tight. | | | | experimented with this photo technique and I |
| We started with simple paddling exercises in | | | | have to say I was reasonably pleased with the |
| the calm waters of the Rocher Fendu dam and | | | | outcome once I came home last night and |
| first learned how to do a "wet exit": after | | | | downloaded the images.On my way back from the |
| you tip the kayak and are underneath the | | | | river I had an interesting encounter: I drove |
| vessel (panic time for most people) we were | | | | by a barn and saw 2 horses grazing in the |
| taught to rip the sprayskirt off and swim our | | | | distance. They looked up and noticed me, and |
| way out of the kayak.Paddling was quite | | | | as if on cue, two other horses came out of |
| difficult since the angle of the blades of | | | | the barn as well. They started approaching |
| the paddle is offset, so while your right | | | | me, as I was standing on the side of the |
| hand is supposed to stay still, the left hand | | | | road, behind a wire fence. All four horses |
| is supposed to tilt a little so the left | | | | came trotting towards me. About half way from |
| blade of the paddle goes into the water at | | | | me they stopped in unison, checked me out, |
| the proper angle. I had a bit of a problem | | | | then looked at each other, figured they had |
| with that since my right arm is way stronger | | | | seen all they needed to see, and trotted off |
| than my left arm (from playing tennis) and I | | | | in perfect coordination again. It was a |
| couldn't get the entry angle of the left side | | | | really comical cross-species encounter and I |
| of the paddle right, so many times I ended up | | | | ended up chuckling to myself when the horses |
| going in a circle off to the left, having to | | | | disappeared again into the barn.After my 2 |
| paddle 3 or 4 times on the left side just to | | | | hour mountain biking excursion I spent the |
| straighten myself out again. The kayaks are | | | | rest of Sunday exploring the island in my car |
| perfectly flat on the bottom, so there is no | | | | and drove through rolling hills and farm |
| hull to help you out with the tracking on the | | | | land. Upon my return to the camp ground I |
| water.Paddling got a little more difficult | | | | spread out a blanket under a tree and did |
| when we went up the Ottawa River and my own | | | | some open-air reading. All the other campers |
| personal faulty technique caused me to veer | | | | were gone to either river raft or kayak, and |
| off to the left all the time, causing me to | | | | the campground was totally quiet, all you |
| get caught in the current of the river, | | | | could hear were the crickets and an |
| drifting downstream, against the direction of | | | | occasional moo from a cow. It was serenity at |
| where we were trying to go. I then realized a | | | | its best. The other rafters and kayakers came |
| few things: that the currents on a river as | | | | back in the afternoon and they all reported |
| big as the Ottawa River are extremely strong | | | | that they had had a fabulous time at their |
| and that my upper body strength was waning | | | | respective water sports.At about 4:30 we |
| pretty quickly. I really developed some major | | | | headed back out on the road and did a nice 5 |
| respect for the river and for the skills | | | | hour highly scenic drive through towns like |
| involved in kayaking.To be honest, I never | | | | Eganville and Bancroft that are surrounded by |
| quite got the hang of it. We were taught | | | | rolling hills, lush green forests and ancient |
| skills like "ferrying", i.e. getting across a | | | | rock faces, before we headed into the serene |
| current at an angle, or the "T-rescue", where | | | | lake district of the Kawartha Highlands. It |
| a second kayak comes up to you after you have | | | | was a perfect weekend - a combination of |
| tipped your kayak and are trapped underneath | | | | adventure and relaxation under crystal blue |
| the boat in the water. You are then supposed | | | | skies, and it just taught me how beautiful |
| to tap on your own kayak 3 times to make | | | | the back roads of Ontario can be.Susanne |
| noise to alert other paddlers that you have | | | | Pacher is the publisher of a website called |
| capsized. Then you have to reach along the | | | | Travel and Transitions( Travel and |
| side of the boat to locate the second kayak, | | | | Transitions deals with unconventional travel |
| and then you put both hands on the other | | | | and is chock full of advice, tips, real life |
| kayak and twist yourself out from underneath | | | | travel experiences, interviews with |
| your own vessel with a flick of the hips.I | | | | travellers and travel experts, insights and |
| have to admit, I am a pretty athletic person, | | | | reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests |
| and I love speedy sports like downhill skiing | | | | and many other features. You will also find |
| and mountain biking, and I am actually pretty | | | | stories about life and the transitions that |
| good at them. But some things about | | | | we face as we go through our own personal |
| whitewater kayaking gave me the chills, just | | | | life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| the idea of getting entrapped upside down | | | | stories in our first travel story contest( |
| underneath the kayak, possibly snagged by a | | | | and have a chance to win an amazing adventure |
| rock underneath the water, and not being able | | | | cruise on the Amazon River. |