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