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Cool Mornings
- Great Paddling
I had missed a couple of night training
sessions this week due to work commitments so I felt compelled
to get up for morning training. It was going to be a cold
6-7 degree morning but I knew if I was to get up, cold or
not I had to be in a positive mind the night before.
The near full moon was fading in the
western sky, when I walked towards the river. Pink galahs,
magpies and mud larks called out from trees and power lines.
Just to hear the morning chorus of birds was worth getting
out of bed for. It was just starting to get light and apart
from a cloud or two low in the sky it was perfectly clear.
Dew was clinging to the grass and dew
drops were falling from the vegetation and trees. As I approached
the river mist was rising all along it, like a rising cloud
only a few metres off the water. There was no doubt it was
cold but with my pogies wrapped around my hands, thermals
around my body and a beanie covering my head and ears I was
warm and I felt proud that I made an effort to be paddling
on such a wintry morning. To sleep in and to be warm is such
a delight, but it means no exercise and I was letting the
world go by, when I should be experiencing it. It is so worth
the effort when you are out there paddling.
I headed downstream towards Ascot. The
mist was layered in patches and drifting across the river.
The dew settled on my cag and the cold numbed my nose but
my hands were warm in my pogies.
Large groups of cormorants and darters
flew overhead. Why was it that in summer they flew in small
groups or by themselves but in winter they fly along the river
sometimes in packs of hundreds? At times you can see them
in such huge packs that they fly over you for five minutes
without a break in the pack. It's an amazing sight.
A pack of 20 Ibis also flew over but
they were truly out done by the cormorants. Then a lone pelican
flies over like a seaplane, no movement in its wings, but
gliding so fast.
I passed Ron Courtney Island where about
60 ducks were landing and gathering. They collect there because
a nearby resident feeds them every morning and evening. I
pass the spot where our new house will be situated when it
gets built, the wait to get it built is agonising.
At Claughton Reserve I turn to head
home just as the sun started to rise. Its bright rays were
lighting up the wings of the ducks that were airborne, and
turning the mist into a fire as it turned into a light red
colour. The tree tops were shining bright and with every minute
that passes a bigger portion of tree is lit up as the sun
gets higher in the sky.
I moved passed Ascot Kayak Club and
the sun is streaming through the trees on the northern side
creating shadows and bright sun rays that were intermingling
with the mist. It was eerie.
So far I have seen no-one on the river
and my occasional paddling partner Alaine doesn't have the
willpower to face these chilly mornings so she is missing
out on such a stunning scene. It would have been great to
see a dolphin but I didn't.
At Sandy Beach a flock of white cockatoos
take to the sky screeching like a thousand crying babies.
28 parrots alone or in couples sit on branches chewing and
chirping away. I have paddled thousands of kilometres along
rivers around the world and you still can't beat this part
of the river for the variety of bird life. Three pelican were
close to shore looking as if they were on a fishing excursion.
Ducks were everywhere, alone in pairs and in groups.
The sun is now bright and to escape
being blinded I used the trees on the eastern side to shade
me. The mist, although now I little less, was still rising
and drifting above the water surface. You don't have to be
on a lake in a cold country to experience the mist, we have
it here so get out there. Cobwebs hanging between trees and
grasses were dripping with dew. Not a spider to be seen, it
was probaly too cold.
As I get closer to home the squawk or
ah ah ah aaaah of a raven comes from the tree top. If lifts
off and flies across the river making the most annoying and
disturbing bird sound. The sound always reminds me of a rubbish
dump or some evil introduced bird from Europe, but it is native
to Australia.
I paddled passed my pull out point,
went a few hundred metres further and then turned to go home.
The reflection in the water of the trees along the river was
so sharp and stunning. It was like looking in a mirror seeing
two beautiful views of the same. I pulled up to my take out
point warm and really happy that I decided to paddle on such
a cold morning.
It was so worth being on the water,
a good reason to get up every day.
****************************
Tea Tree Race
Samatha Pilton and Ben
Pope, female and male race winners
To save doing a car shuffle
before the race I decided to paddle from the finish of the
race at Amiens to the start at Bolland's Bend. This way I
could also check the river out on the way. I didn't really
know how long it would take but as long as I got there before
the entries closed I would be okay. The water was low but
as I found out it didn't really matter how low it was, it
was still really tricky and testing. I could see that some
paddlers were going to have a little trouble and even I knew
there were a few sections where I would find it a little testing.
By the time I reached the bottom of
Bells everyone was ready to listen to the briefing. I was
given the number 10 bib, one in front of Lawrence but behind
his sons Matthew and Nicholas. I was now under pressure to
keep in front of Lawrence, a rival for many years and to try
to pass Christopher and the twins.
We paddled downstream beyond two rock
bars to start the race. About 35 paddlers mingled around waiting
their turn to take off. Paddlers started off in one minute
intervals, Dave Worthy being the first away. Warren Southwell
was the starter so every minute he did a countdown, the next
to go was Darryl Long. Apparently, I was told later I took
off with a rock placed on my back deck which stayed there
until the first corner.
Organiser Patrick Irwin
speeding along
I approached the first tricky section
knowing the route but because I was trying to do it at a fast
pace I run into a section of shallows. I cursed myself for
being beached like a whale momentary and this was just the
start of the race. With no time to lose I clawed myself across
the shallows and I was off in a flash heading towards the
next obstacle. Young Nicholas Greed who had started a minute
in front of me had taken a slower line so I was catching him.
He was only 14 years old, nevertheless I still took delight
in catching him up.
We had a longer stretch to paddle before
the next tricky section. I approached a very narrow entry
that couldn't be noticed from afar but I knew it was there.
I could see that Nicholas had taken the wrong route and as
soon as I cleared the narrows I could see him beached on a
fairly high sandbank. He acknowledged my pleasure in passing
with a smile.
In the distance I could see his twin
brother Matthew. I knew he would take some catching up but
I tried. I was hoping that at every tricky section he would
falter just a little to allow me to catch him. I hit another
tricky section with a branch blocking my entry. I skimmed
off it, ducked and with a little push I was through. Clearing
the S bend I had managed to gain a little but on the long
straight Matthew managed to keep me at bay.
The water was low but at some of the
tricky sections it snaked back on itself, created eddies and
then snaked back into the trees. With the way the water flowed
it was more testing than you would have thought. I approached
one such section. Having experience I managed not to eddy
out or get stuck in the trees so I lost little time but I
knew some of the less experienced paddlers would have trouble
with this one. I was hoping Lawrence would, not that he's
less experienced, I just wanted anything to hold him back!!
As I got closer to the railway bridge
I weaved my way towards it, ducked under a tree and then I
saw Matthew stranded on a sand bank beneath the rail bridge.
He pushed himself off and fled but not before I got a little
closer. I soon scooted to the right of a line of old exposed
bridge pylons and a stump that was neatly positioned to hit
boats broadside, luckily mine wasn't one.But this was another
section that I thought would trouble a novice paddler.
I was now close to the Upper Swan Bridge
and after a sneaky look over my shoulder I couldn't see Lawrence
or any other paddler behind me so I was pretty pleased, but
I was still hoping to catch Matthew which would make my day
even better. Everything was going okay, I was weaving around
all obstacles and channels like a 63 year old usually does,
but then I took a route I knew I shouldn't have taken and
landed on a sand bar. Bugger just when I was catching Matthew!
A few minutes later I got a fright when
I heard a paddler coming up from behind. Was it Lawrence?
My fears were put to rest when I recognized it as Ben Pope.
He was given a number 16 bib, starting six minutes behind
me, (because he was late registering ) and he had caught me
well before I reached the end. It makes you realise how slow
you are against the faster paddlers. Imagine how far ahead
he would be at the end of a long race like the Avon Descent?
I weaved around a few more trees sections
where it narrowed without too much trouble and reached the
Forbidden Island where I had a choice to go left or right.
The left passage was narrow, had a few tight sections but
there was lots of water to get through without having to strain
but being tight and with a couple of trees blocking the way
it was a risk. The right route was wider, shallower, very
open but with no obstacles to get hung up on, until the end
of the island that was.
I took the right side and although it was shallow it was still
quite clear. At the end of the island I could see Matthew,
who unfortunately was still in front of me, have a little
trouble. The main section of water flowed slightly right and
curved around which wasn't the route to follow. A better route
was to go straight over a more direct higher spot which had
water trickling over the weed. It was more direct and with
speed you could get over without beaching. It worked well
but for the unwary the trees beyond the drop had to be avoided.
I could see a few novices running into them.
Peter Liddle broke his
paddle at the last drop so paddling C1 style and was the first
Wavehopper
With about 150 metres to go to the end
I tried to increase my pace and once over the line where Robyn
Khorshid was timing I counted 60 seconds. I knew if Lawrence
hadn't reached me by the time I got to 60 I would have beaten
him. It was sweet when I had finished counting and he was
no-where to be seen.
I watched on as 25 other paddlers came
over the line, many with stories of capsizing, being beached
or hung up in trees. Peter Liddle had broken Jane's, his wife's
paddle on that last little drop. Luckily he didn't have far
to paddle with one blade.
I came 8th WW, 1 minute 36 ahead of
Lawrence and 27 seconds behind Samantha.
For afters we had soup and sandwiches
provided.
Results here: http://www.wa.canoe.org.au/default.asp?Page=27729
Anita, Matthew, Nicholas
and Lawrence Greed. Lawrence is crying because I beat him.
Organiser John O'Sullivan
at the end of the race
Rob Jarret having a great
time in his pink wavehopper
**********************
WildWaterRacing
Upper Swan Ti-Trees Race
Sunday the 15th June
The third of six races
for the 2014 Wild Water season is scheduled for Sunday the
15th June, to take place
this year from Bolland’s Elbow to Amiens on the Upper
Swan River. This is the same course as last week.
The race is open to all WWR boats or boats with no rudders
or alternatively have their rudders tied up.
Venue: Bolland’s Elbow (bottom of Bells Rapid)
Registration: 8:00hrs to 8:30am (No Registration after these
times)
Briefing: 8:45hrs am
Start: 9:00 am
Entry Fee: $10 for CWA members and $20 for non members
Registration:
Online registration open till 6th June at 8.00pm (or on the
race day till 8:30am) at:
http://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=23868
All queries to Patrick Irwin on 0414 370 145 or email pat.i@mac.com
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