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