Summer has arrived for the Capt'n

Cranking it up...

Got in a good work out this morning... 2 hours moderate 4.5 pace. It was so nice being out on the water after the holiday hoopla. Long live the “O” Dark Paddle!!

I got my motivational phone call from Mark this morning. We both feel like we are on track for the MR340. How does one prepare for a 340 mile canoe race? Paddle paddle paddle… cry and paddle some more. Nothing else will suffice. you got to spend time with the paddle.

The makings of a logistal nightmare!

More pressing is the HAC adventure on the Wisconsin River. I really need to get some call backs from parents and get a more accurate head count. It looks like 34 kids and adults on the river. Why do I torture myself like this…

No free weekends no free lunches -

June 1st and 2nd - 90 miler on the Wisconsin River - tentative solo
June 8th 9th 10th - MadCity Paddle with the club - confirmed tandem Emily
June 15th 16th 17th - Callie Rohr Race - confirmed tandem Marissa
June 25th -29th - HAC confirmed paddle the Wisconsin River
June 30th - confirmed paddle sailing rendezvous Lake Mendota - Madison

55 days till the MR340!!

I feel the need to paddle, a lot and then some – The Capt’n

"O" Dark 30 Paddle - Marissa

Marissa and I got out on the Rock River this weekend for her longest paddle this year. We got in a brisk 3 hour paddle in perfect paddling conditions.

We paddled the Sawyer Sumersong. We have been paddling the Bell Mystic, but we thought we would try a boat a little shorter and a lot narrower. We really got it moving during some intervals. Marissa's smile tells all.

Now this is my kinda training, Marissa takes a little nap as we head it back to the put in. Tough on a little kid, up before the dawn and paddling into the heat of the day.

All smiles, Marissa awakes from a very short rest. It could have been the paddle drip on her head or my salty pirate songs. Either way she was back in the stoker seat giving it her all.

We are undecided on which boat to paddle in the Callie Rohr. Both have their benefits. I think we'll get back in the Bell Mystic and give it another try. Larger boat more comfortable but harder to trim the boat.

Another treasured moment - The Capt'n

Black River pictures and insights

Here is a shot of a very young Bald Eagle. I couldn't believe how close I got to him. He never flew off, just stood his ground. We saw numerous pairs of bald eagles on our paddle.

Here is a picture of Hotel Kruger. Luxury camping with all the bells and whistles. It was really nice being sand free and really cozy.

In preparation of the Callie Rohr and Missouri 340. We're getting focused, setting goals. Here are a couple of inspirational quotes.

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. -Andrew Carnegie

Communication is the common denominator to all successes and failures. It is so important to have the same vision and goals for any competitive endeavour. - The Capt'n

Great morning - again

Where the heck am I? The Bahamas?

The weather has been outstanding. Light breeze in the morning to keep the bugs down to a manageable hum, Glass like conditions and temperatures in the mid 70’s… perfect!

The Captain of the “O” Dark 30 lives as I was on the water before the sun came up. Another 2 hour paddle before work with some speed work thrown in… Paddled the Rock river in between Jefferson and Fort Atkinson. Not a soul on the water, but a few ducks and geese.

Alert the media! Marissa (daughter 10yrs. old) has a sleep over birthday party and Emily (daughter 15 years old) is stepping up to paddle the Mad City Paddlers’ 3 day paddle on June 8th 9th and 10th. With me!! This in un-presented – I wonder if she knows she can’t paddle with a cell phone stuck to her ear?

Emily says she reads my paddle blog. We’ll soon see. :-) – The Capt’n

Great couple of mornings

Monday: Great paddle on the Crawfish river. I did an hour and a half at race pace. Felt really good. The boat felt like it was flying once I got all the gear out of it from the weekend on the Black River.

Tuesday: Another gorgeous day. Paddle the confluence of the Rock and the Crawfish rivers. Ground out an hour up- river and did a series of intervals on the way back to the put in. I started to get a little sloppy with my stroke near the end, so I slowed and got back on track with technique. It was a really good work-out. I really felt like I met my goal today.

I’ll take Wednesday off from paddling and will get back in the boat on Thursday. I’ll do some long hikes with the dog (load my day pack) and walk the hills around the Waterloo River basin Wednesday after work.

I had issues loading up all my Black River pictures from the weekend. I’ll give it another try tonight.

Check out the M340 race website. The field is starting to fill out and there is some good banter on the discussion board.

Mark said our new Kruger Cruiser is almost finished… He and Jack C. will be doing a 100 miler in it in a couple weeks to break it in. I plan on doing a 90 miler + on June 2nd down the Wisconsin River scouting the Hardcore Adventure Camp route.

Mark shared with me some notes that he had taken while discussing long distance expedition paddle training with Verlen.

I'd share them with you, but I need all the advantages I can get!! Here is a quote that will give you a hint of what Verlen suggests. :-)

Time to hurt a little - The Capt'n

Kick’n Back on the Black

We had an outstanding time on the Black River. I packed heavy and loaded the Sea Wind to the Gills.

I had never paddled a Sea Wind fully loaded. When I did the WaterTribe UM I had the necessary gear and then some, but this time out I was testing performance under heavy load...

The first test was having 4 hour paddle up river fully loaded. Have you heard of up a creek with out a paddle? How about up the Black with out a map!? I’m such a noodle. I’m two hours into it, when the river splits. I had been grinding it out in a two mile an hour current going 1.9 -2.0 on the GPS when I am in a conundrum.

Do I go left or do I go right? Both directions had equal flow. I took a compass bearing and opted to go left. I knew I need to stay north and I felt the northerly direction would hedge my bet.

Paddling another hour or so I come across a couple of canoeists – I ask,” Excuse me, lovely day, um – do you know what river we are on, there was a split an hour ago and I don’t have a map?”

Reply: “You’re headed the wrong way, yers supposed to be going down stream”…. Laugh laugh, chuckle, chuckle… Boy you’re loaded for bear! Where you headed, Canada? (More laughing).

Well I did get out of them that I had gone the correct direction, so I had that going for me.
Just around noon I met up with Bill who was coming down from Black River Falls. A wave of paddles and a howdy do—then “How much gear did you bring!

I replied--- everything. It’s a test, damn it!

So I swung the boat around and we retraced my route back to Melrose. We pulled out at Melrose and persuaded s family fishing on the bank to watch our gear and boats as we shuttled cars down to North Bend.

We got back on the water about 4:30pm paddled down river for another hour and found this awesome sandbar to camp on.

Setting up hotel Sea Wind

I set up the Sea Wind Tent and made camp. Poor Bill was sitting in the sand under his tarp system, while I broke out a table a folding chair. Bill couldn’t believe all the gear I could stuff in the Sea Wind, and I was thinking the same thing. I easily could have come with a third of the gear. But it was a test, right?

Sleeping in the Sea Wind was wonderful. I leveled it off in the sand threw mat sleeping bag and pillow in, listened to some music and dosed off. It was as good as any small cruiser I had ever slept in. Very toasty and well ventilated. Nice job Dexter, the tent is a hit!!

On Sunday the wind had switched out of the north east. The temperature had dropped by 20 degrees and we had some nasty weather headed our way. We paddled down to North Bend and got off the water just before the weather cut loose. A small squall blew over and we had cloudy skies as we packed up.

Bill the lucky bastard!!

Bill pulled a fast one on me... he decided to stay up there another day and do some more scouting. I on the other hand had to head back, ( I’ve said it quite often: This work thing keeps getting in the way) I shuttled Bill back to his car and said our good byes…

The test: - my findings.

I had a lot of gear and the Sea Wind was outstanding under such a heavy load. Bill and I could barely carry the boat 5 feet with all the crap I brought.

Sleeping in the Sea Wind is wonderful. I was warm and very comfortable. It was nice not having to deal with a wet tent and ground cloth. I was packed up in five minutes, while Bill need help folding his wet and sandy tarp system

Even fully loaded, I had less draft then Bill in his Sawyer. Numerous times Bill had to get out and pull him self across sand bars. I on the other hand floated right over in less then 4 inches of water.

I love my new Jetboil cook set – very easy to operate and clean up is a snap.

A banana in the bottom of your food sack is a bad thing. Very messy.. :-/

Less gear-- more beer...

It was a great trip on a river I had never been on before – pictures to follow – The Capt’n

Gone Paddling

Bill and I will be spending the next couple of days on the Black river. Bill will be leaving today and will be putting in just below Black River Falls and pulling out in Melrose.

I will meet up with Bill on the river on Saturday. I 'll put in at Melrose and paddle upstream. It will be an O dark 30 start.

This will be my first time on the Black River. I have driven over it numerous times, but now I get the opportunity to paddle it. Looking forward to experiencing a new Wisconsin River.

Remember the TP - The Capt'n