2005/06 Alaska Trip - Road West - Whitewater kayaking lessons |
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Friday July 1st
The next day was Canada Day. Sandie was looking after Evan while Karen and Stewart took me over to Cultus Lake and the Chilliwack River for whitewater kayaking lessons with the Purple Hayes school. There were no other students so there were just the three of us and instructor Kai. These were very small kayaks, which turn very easily, but are hard to keep upright and in a straight line. We practiced strokes, and also wet exits and T-rescues, both ways to recover from a capsize, so we spent a lot of time upside down in the water.
Unfortunately, by lunchtime I could no longer hold the paddle. I’d hurt my elbow earlier in the week, carrying buckets-full of rock, but it had seemed to be recovering OK. Now, all I had to do was turn the paddle to get pain in the elbow and paralyzed fingers. So I had to sit out for the afternoon session and watch Karen and Stewart practicing for Eskimo rolls.
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Saturday July 2nd
Saturday’s session was at the Chilliwack River, practicing all the same techniques but this time in moving water. My elbow was worse than ever, so, as I wasn’t going to be kayaking, I took Sandie and Evan along, and we rushed along the dyke watching them on the river.
Karen was in much better shape than me but she was feeling the strain of hours of paddling and flipping over and recovering.
Sunday July 3rd
We went back to Cultus Lake, where Karen and Stew were doing more practice on the Eskimo Roll.
Evan had a good splash on the beach there. We were all back to the river in the afternoon. Stewart was trying to master the technique of entering a “seam” where two streams of water come together. Each time he went over, but successfully rolled and came back up again.
My elbow was still bad so the company was kind enough to refund most of my fees, something they didn’t have to do, as the injury was all my fault, not theirs.
In the evening, we took a quick trip out to Bridal Falls for a break from kayaking. Phil might be interested to see that the hollow log is still there and still good for photography.