20th March 2020                                                    CDU Newsletter 643

Terry 0417 977 330

terry@canoeingdownunder.com.au (email)

https://canoeingdownunder.wordpress.com/  (website)

https://www.facebook.com/canoeingdownunder/ (facebook)

https://terrybolland.wordpress.com/ (trips & achievements)

With the COVID-19 disrupting virtually every event in Australia and threatening to infiltrate the older population - bugger that's me - organised gatherings and races are taking a big hit. However I see Europe have not cancelled events in July and August so there is some positive people out there.

Although I will be paddling I will be 'social distancing' and that might mean not going to races if they are on. Having the 1.5 metre rule does mean wash riding is not advised - now how am I going to keep up with my competition?

Keep safe everyone.

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If you are an Ascot Kayak Club member check out what they have put in place. You will find it at the end of the newsletter. 

Australian Canoe Sprint Championships
Penrith NSW, 11th-15th March 2020

Results Here: https://canningriver.paddle.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2020/03/20200315-Canning-Classic-2020.pdf

Photos Taken by Simone Burge and Carol Griffiths

The lead group head towards the last turn.
 

65 year old Peter Pawlo is amazingly fast.
 

Young Kai the only junior.
 

John Dinucci and I fighting it out.
 

The chase is on with Veronica and Julie.
 

The lead group heading home.
 

Gergely Balázs Nagy and Mike Drok fighting to the line.

 

Me coming over the finish line.

 

The group behind crossing the line.

After 12 weeks of backpacking and cycling thousands of kilometres around the U.S. I arrived at Lake Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River by cycle. It was here that I was going to start a 4000km journey down the third longest river in the world. With its tributaries it drains more than 2.6 million square kilometres, including all or parts of 31 States. Starting in the north near the Canadian Border the Mississippi finishes in the Gulf of Mexico south of New Orleans. On my long journey to the ocean I was going to be self supported and alone to enjoy a journey of a life-time.

But first I had to cycle from the headwaters 60 kms to the nearest town of Bemidji, take apart my cycle, place it in a box and send it to New Orleans 4000kms away and then hitch hike back to the headwaters at Lake Itasca. Just doing that was quite an ordeal.
 

By 11.00am I had loaded my kayak next to Lake Itasca with 20 individual day packs of food, and my kayaking and camping gear. A small crowd clambered across the barrage of rocks in front of the river entrance. They cheered as I exited in the shallows before them, guided the kayak between the boulders and paddled off along a narrow stream.
 

Within metres I was out of sight, slicing through the shallow clear water and around the first corner. I ducked under two footbridges and startled a young deer drinking from the stream. Minutes later a road intersected the river and the water fed through a narrow culvert. The banks were impenetrable so unwilling to attempt a portage I decided to risk the culvert. It was too small to paddle through, so I leapt out of the kayak and started pushing it towards the culvert. Crouching low, I started my descent through the tube and then noticed the light at the end and a worrying small rapid beyond it. But it was too late to turn back; the grade steepened, the water accelerated and I lost all footing on the slimy bottom. As I held onto the kayak’s stern I was dragged along and completely out of control. However I had a few moments to wonder if there was any metal or sharp objects protruding the concrete at the end but luckily I sort of skated out of the culvert and splashed over the rapid and into a deep pool that made it difficult to get back in.

Narrow channels. Some too tight to get my long kayak around the corners.
 

I eventually got back in and after a few hundred metres a beaver dam completely blocked the river which made me portage over it. Soon after another portage had be scrambling over another beaver dam and marshy area. An egret watched on. I’m sure it had a smile on its face.

Then came a small rapid which I was able to paddle down but the second half was too shallow, too rocky with a steep small drop. I jumped out and lowered the kayak down but halfway down the kayak started to drift sideways as I was about to lose grip.

I could imagine it getting broadside to a rock and breaking in half and having all my gear floating down the river but luckily I was able to push the nose upstream and avert a disaster. I then grabbed my rope and quickly attached it to the bow handloop and lowered the kayak down to an eddy.

As I was trying to sort myself out and get back into the kayak the mosquitoes ravaged me. How pleased I was to get going again. It wasn't the best start to a river and it didn't get much better. Before me were a multitude of narrow channels, swamps and reed beds blocking the entire river.

Small rapids were a hazard.

At times the current flowed freely around boulders and beaver dens but then the river widened into swamps with a multitude of narrow channels that often led nowhere. I periodically became wedged between bushes, reeds and narrow bends which were too sharp for my long kayak and impossible to portage because of the soggy swamp. Spiders and leaches dropped from the overhanging reeds and foliage into the boat. One leach latched onto my foot and I could feel the spiders crawling all over me as the mosquitoes attacked me at the same time. I was having fun.

The river continued to widen, zig zag, meander and then narrow again. Reeds metres high often blocked all passages and left me guessing as to how I was going to fight my way through them. The water just sieved through the reeds and at times I could see the underwater reeds face the direction of water flow which gave me an idea as to which way to paddle. It was a frustrating time though, I was working hard but getting nowhere or paddling in the wrong direction. It had been a hard day and the light was fading which was a cause for concern to be lost in a swamp at dark. It was bad enough being tormented by the black flies and mosquitoes.

Eventually I saw a bridge which had a grassed area at the side of the track, not perfect but it had to do. An eagle was perched in a tree, a beaver was swimming and slapping its tail, swallows were zipping around, dragon flies were hovering in their hundreds and the mosquitoes were biting. I soon retreated to my tent and within minutes a million mosquitoes were clinging to the outside and dying to get inside. With the darkness fire flies started flitting around and frogs started croaking. It was my first night on the river and in a place so riddled with insects.  I was in bed by 11.15pm. 

Ascot Kayak Club COVID-19 MANAGEMENT PLAN

The spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the world has now affected the lives of all of us. The AKC Committee is committed to our number 1 priority of ensuring the health and safety of all our members, which now includes minimising the risk to members of exposure to and contracting COVID-19.

Today, Paddle Australia has released the PA Guidance To Paddlers and Paddle Clubs document, which in conjunction with the latest advice and mandatory regulations of the Federal and State Governments, forms the basis of the AKC COVID-19 Management Plan. Given the continuously changing regulations implemented to manage COVID-19 our plan will be updated accordingly to ensure that AKC remains compliant with all regulations and minimising risk to our members.

I encourage all members to access the Paddle Australia Website and familiarise themselves with the latest comprehensive advice. We will also place information throughout the club for our members benefit.

The club will continue to operate however within the below management strategies and Government mandated regulations.

1. If you feel unwell, or believe you may have come in contact with someone who may have been infected with COVID-19, STAY AWAY FROM THE CLUB and seek appropriate medical advice. If unsure err on the side of caution.

2. If you require to undergo a period of SELF ISOLATION you must serve the mandated full period before returning to the club. If unsure err on the side of caution.

3. Exercise good hygiene. We are installing an external hand wash station during known busy periods for all members to use. Please consider bringing your own hand sanitiser as the club is unable to access any at this time.

4. Clean all the AKC equipment you use thoroughly. This includes boats, paddles, PFD's and gym/ergo equipment. Specialised washing equipment for PFD's and paddles will be made available during known busy periods.

5. Maintain the social distance of 1.5m and avoid physical contact with other people. A good rule of thumb is to place your paddle across your shoulders and turn a full 360 degrees. If you make contact with another person you are too close. During known busy periods we will be spreading our training squads across the two beaches to enable people to maintain a safe distance from each other.

6. Our current training squads will continue at this point in time, however we will review these weekly and discontinue them if deemed to be high risk, or mandated to by the Government.

7. The gym is potentially one of our highest risk areas. Ensure you bring a towel and some antiseptic wipes to clean the equipment during and after use. We are currently considering a cap on numbers in the gym at any one time and the real possibility of closing the gym. We will keep you informed.

8. Avoid team boats. We encourage members not to paddle in their private team boats.

Effective immediately all AKC club K2's, K3 and K4's are withdrawn from use and members are not permitted o use them until further written notice from the AKC President.

We are very fortunate that our sport is primarily outdoor based and gives us an opportunity to continue paddling in these unprecedented times. If we remain diligent in practicing the above risk management measures, with a bit of good fortune we will be able to paddle our way through the COVID-19 crisis.

We all belong to the best Kayak club in the world. Look after each other, your families and yourselves.

See you out on the water. (from a distance of least 1.5meters)
 

Mark Sedgwick
President
Ascot Kayak Club