2008 WCP Spring/Winter Paddle post wrap up comments

[mick_allen]

what a nice weekend meeting everyone.

i think the reason everybody is so great is that every single one of us is or is trying to be self reliant: we can wash our own dishes, make our own food, camp setup, etc etc etc and whatever we can't quite do, we'll try to do next time.

great, great attitude. and the inclement weather just gave one more thing for all of us to unite against.

and after that really, all you have to do is paddle, fool around at or in the waters edge and have fun.

wonderful meeting you all. there was just not enough time to really talk, so i guess we'll have to do it all over again sometime!

mick

.

 

[DarrenM]

I'll post some photos later tonight when I get home, or tomorrow (probably tomorrow).

*****

Hey Dan... It was tomorrow yesterday...

 

[greg0rn]

For those of you in Vic and considering a day paddle, I'll head out from Willows or Cattle Point this sat at 11 for a paddle around Trial & Discovery.

Inpayne, this is short Mark's territory, but he's in New Zealand.

I love that area very much, but have lots of respect for the conditions there, especially with strong ebbing and southerlies. I'll go one day with flat tides. In the meantime, Alan from SISKA and I will be paddling on Saturday along Esquimalt shores from the bridge on Esquimalt Lagoon towards Victoria harbour. We usually have relaxed pace. 10:00 otw.

 

[Robert_Meier]

I've blogged the event (link below) with lots of other pics! Here's a smattering of pictures from the event:

Thanks RichardH. I particularly liked this photo you took:

 

[RichardH]

RM - That is one beautiful boat. Glad I could get it with some sunlight on it for a few minutes.

Inpayne - I'd be psyched to play around trial and discovery, but I doubt my skills at edging and bracing & rolling are up to entering the kind of eddy lines out by trial island at full running current. I may see you on your way back from paddling if you're going to be a masochist and fight the ebb all the way from trial to discovery.

For anyone looking for a paddle in the oak bay area that is for scaredy cats who can't take a little measly current in enterprise channel: I'm going out tomorrow (saturday) around ten mile point and out to gordon head heading into slack, northerly flow. I'm Leaving from cadboro bay on the water @ 1400 (2PM).

-Rich

 

[inpayne]

I may see you on your way back from paddling if you're going to be a masochist and fight the ebb all the way from trial to discovery.

I know.... I'm weak for a little exertion. Perfect conditions tomorrow for a natural treadmill.

I'll be out for about 4 hours, so you may see me heading back through Baynes.

 

[Dan_Millsip]

After much sorting through many photos, here are some of my pictures from last weekend. I've left out many of the people shots because there are so many in previous posts in this thread.

Heading across Plumper Sound on Thursday:

Arriving at Beaumont Campsite -- paradise in the north:

Relaxing on the beach on a cool but comfortable Thursday afternoon:

The next day, temperatures take a dive:

But luckily, we came prepared with the MSR Pavillion tarp:

A bit cosy at times, but it was warm(ish) and dry:

A few hours later on that same snowy day:

Chillin' on the beach:

Mick takes advantage of the (barely) unfrozen water, suits up, grabs the underwater camera, and goes snorkelling:

Meanwhile, under the big tarp, Houston also begins to display strange tendencies -- we figure it must be the cold air...

More paddlers arriving:

Beaches of Beaumont. The two coves are separated by a grassy knoll where we set up the tarp - group camping is to the left, single tent sites are to the right:

Maddie tries out a drysuit for the first time (thanks Kasey!):

There was no shortage of good food at Saturday's pot luck dinner (it was worth being there just for Kayakwriter's apple pie and pineapple upside-down cake, mmm...):

AstoriaDave is presented with a Werner carbon paddle as a token of our appreciation for his helpful, informative, and often humorous and insightful contributions to the website over the past three years:

It takes a few minutes of holding it in your hands before you fully appreciate the feeling of being the owner of a new Werner paddle:

On Sunday, after paddling to Plumper Sound to say goodbye to the mainland paddlers, I stopped and played around in the current underneath the bridge and noticed an incredible amount of sea life clinging to the pilings and nearby rock:

We weren't sure who these ominous looking fellows in the unmarked boat were as we paddled towards Port Browning on Monday afternoon:

Seaplanes were something that there was no shortage of:

A few photos of Kasey and Candikayak taken from the bridge:

The view towards Poets Cove one evening from just outside the big tarp:

Accessing the internet on Tuesday afternoon at Poets Cove - underneath the dock was perfect for shielding the monitor screen from the bright, cloudy daylight:

It's a Zen thing:

Do you know what this is? Hint: it was present the entire weekend underneath the big tarp:

Thanks to everyone who attended and for making this another very enjoyable spring paddle weekend. It was truly a pleasure meeting each of you and I look forward to next years spring paddle.

*****

 

[mick_allen]

no, no idea. what the heck is it?

it looks like condensation on some sort of flat, shiny surface facing slightly up but low to the ground.

top lid of a pan on the ground?

anyone else got an idea?

.

 

[Kasey]

on some sort of flat, shiny surface facing slightly up but low to the ground.

.

OK Mick....how do you get "facing slightly up but low to the ground"? :?
:lol:

 

[mick_allen]

OK Mick....how do you get "facing slightly up but low to the ground"?

i/m prob wrong, but i swear i see a reflection from below - of the end of the picnic table in all the 'droplets' - espec the large one in the upper right quadrant.

and facing up as all the 'droplets' look slightly flattened.

.

 

[DarenN]

OK Mick....how do you get "facing slightly up but low to the ground"?

i/m prob wrong, but i swear i see a reflection from below - of the end of the picnic table in all the 'droplets' - espec the large one in the upper right quadrant.

and facing up as all the 'droplets' look slightly flattened.

.

yeah but where's waldo?

 

[dvfrggr]

i/m prob wrong, but i swear i see a reflection from below - of the end of the picnic table in all the 'droplets' - espec the large one in the upper right quadrant.

.

I think you got it right Mick, Condensation on the underside of the MSR Pavillian Tarp!
Great Shot Dan!

Dave R

 

[Dan_Millsip]

There was some condensation on the underside of the tarp, but it's not what is in the photo.

Mick is the closest, although there is no edge of a picnic table in the reflection.

As I was sitting under the tarp one morning, I looked at a water bottle that was on the table (it was there the entire weekend) and noticed the small droplets on the inside of the clear plastic surface. I took a stove heat shield and placed it about two inches or so behind the bottle -- combined with the copper coloured light created by the tarp, it created the effect in the photo. The camera was set to maximum macro for the shot and the lens was nearly touching the bottle.

*****

 

[Dan_Millsip]

Here's another "abstract" photo that I took on the weekend -- this one is of three trees that were not far from the location that waverider had set up his tent:

(I tried using this photo as a background wallpaper image but it was just too busy and I kept losing track of my mouse pointer).

*****

 

[elmo]

Perfect conditions tomorrow for a natural treadmill.

:lol: Keep on paddlin' brother!

 

[Maddie]

It was a very enjoyable weekend. The snow just added a little more variety.

Here is a picture I drew on the saturday night after the Potluck Dinner.

 

[Kasey]

Here is a picture I drew on the saturday night after the Potluck Dinner.

No Maddie, I'm sorry...you can't be an expert paddler and an artist - you have to leave some titles for "those who came before you" (which means us old folks)! :lol:
I saw you working on that - keep shooting for the moon and you'll make it!
8)

 

[Kasey]

Likewise for you two Oakanoganites. Becky is in a lather to share stories and adventures with you two. She does not have many female paddler buddies of her age and demeanor. We might drag the Bartender up your way this summer and see if it works on fresh water.

Would love to see you and Becky up this way Dave - let us know when you're heading up and we'll arrange some paddling!
8)

 

[waverider]

Cool you finished it! (now is the time you present the idea of putting it on t-shirts and taking orders, remember I said I would buy one)

P.S remember the deal 10% of the profit is mine. ( my ideas aren't cheap, as I don't come up with many of them :lol: )

 

[Doug_Lloyd]

Here's another "abstract" photo that I took on the weekend -- this one is of three trees that were not far from the location that waverider had set up his tent:

(I tried using this photo as a background wallpaper image but it was just too busy and I kept losing track of my mouse pointer).

*****

Dan,

You don't seem like an abstract kind of guy...so it was cool to see some of your pics, not to mention the variety and detail. The pictures of the Oakanoogian girls was kinda cool: the shoot down off the bridge isn't a perspective I've thought of before for photography.

You forgot your erotic sealife pics. Here's mine from Pender's outer shore:

Maybe it's not erotic...just a sick mind.

(Please, no off-colour replies back or Dan will say it's all my fault.

Doug L