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Winter 2001

Volume 6, Issue 1

wetblades

Inside this issue:

Prez paddles in circle	Book Review
Ten rules	Club Assets
Pool Rescue Session	Event Schedule
Executive for 2001	President's Corner

Komoux Valley

Paddlers Club

Box 10045

Comox Ave.

Comox, B.C. V9M 3S5

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Is published whenever we get enough stuff.

The Club meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7: pm at the Comox Rec Center till daylight saving time at which time we meet at 6:30 pm outside at a site decided at the previous meeting..

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Membership is $20.00 per person and $25.00 per family.

Editors: Barb & Norm

Barb Dobree

337-8690
The Pres Paddles in Circles??
Bowron Lake Provincial Park Canoe Circuit While repairing the lashing of my canoe cart I glance now and then at my surroundings. The guide from Beckers Lodge is explaining to my sister in law and her friends how to strap a canoe on a canoe cart. There are a total of 3 parties in various states of excitement unloading their vehicles and arranging their gear in confused piles here and there. I look at my wife Blanche neatly sorting our equipment besides our rented Prospector canoe and I get a snug feeling of satisfaction. Two years ago we were just as excited as most of the first time paddlers here this morning. The autumn air is cold and the sky is cloudy. There is some snow left over from last night's storm just besides the trailhead. While I do not think that it snowed enough to hinder our progress on the portage trail, it would be a disaster if more snow were to come our way. Eventually our party of three canoes starts on the portage trail. The word portage is loosely used here because we are not carrying our canoes but pulling them along on canoe carts on packed trails. The trail is wide and well groomed, just as I had remembered it. But I know that the frequency of mud holes and rocks will increase as we proceed. I will not attempt to describe our day to day progress in a canoe log style but instead I would like to describe the Park in a general way The Bowron Lake Provincial Park canoe trip is a journey linking Mountain Lakes, Rivers, and Portages that brings you back to your starting point after approximately 115km of paddling, lining, pulling or portaging your canoe or kayak for at least 6 to 8 days. While you are certainly away from civilization in the park, you would be hard pressed to paddle an entire day without seeing another party and we have always camped with other parties since the rules dictate that you must camp at designated areas. The number of paddlers is restricted to protect the environment. Canoe loads are restricted to 60 lbs. while on the trail in order to protect (cont'd)	them from wear and tear on rainy days. And believe me there are a lot of rainy days! Shelters are strategically located throughout the park where you can cook under a roof and dry your wet equipment by a wood stove… if you can light a fire. While these amenities may lead one to believe that this is not a wilderness trip at all, rest assured that the presence of grizzly bears quickly dispel this thought. The bear is a barometer of wilderness and when in his territory you must play by his rules. That means using the bear proof caches and, of course, not bringing food in your tent. For me, the highlight of the trip is the Isaac river Chutes at the bottom of big Isaac lake. The lakes rapidly narrows and empties in the river at the chute. Unconfirmed reports mark this site of an old Hudson's Bay Company outpost during the fur-trading era. The flat area to the river left at the chute is an excellent camping area complete with cooking shelter. Although the chute, and the haystacks that follow it are only rated class II whitewater, the remoteness of the location as well as the cold temperature of the water dictates that if you are not one hundred percent confident in your paddling skills you should use the portage. But if you have confidence and faith in your strokes, running the chute is an exhilarating proposition that you are not soon to forget! For my wife Blanche, the best place on the circuit is at the mouth of a small creek on Lanezi Lake where she caught an enormous Dolly Varden three years ago. Rimmed by amazing mountains, the lake is green with the glacial melt water of the Cariboo River and the clear water of the creek makes the location ideal for camping. In the quiet dusk, when the sun caresses the tops of the mountain peaks, and the loons ghostly vocalize their melancholy songs, she says that it is then that she feels closest to God. If you love the outdoors, the Bowron Lake Provincial Park is a magical place where you can reconnect with the spiritual world. Once you have done the circuit, you will certainly want to return. We do. Index


President’s Corner The mornings still greet us with a crisp layer of frost and the buds are swelling on the lilac bush, it is the season to bring the paddling equipment out of its winter quarters. If I been diligent last fall I would not have to do any maintenance on it. Unfortunately I did not get to all of it and some pre season work is required on some of the gear. Washing the tent and drying it thoroughly before storage was a must in the fall and thank God I had done that. The soot on my white gas stove tells another story. As I bring more stuff out of the closet, I will no doubt find one or two things to wash, adjust, polish, shine, replace, inspect, and more of the same. Then, when everything is ready to use, I will no doubt start searching for new books to read, shopping for new equipment, and daydreaming about far away paddling destinations… as if we don't have enough right here in the Valley! In the meantime I will continue to meet with my fellows Club Members every First Thursday of the month and continue learning more and more. Our workshops on Kayaking and Canoeing along with assertive and friendly discussions about the merits of different types of paddles or the virtues of speed versus manoeuvrability will keep alive my love for paddling. The interaction is beneficial to me as it provokes my mind to consider new concepts and ideas about our common favourite pursuit. All this writing about paddling is making me think that it be time for a small day trip. Hum… Maybe the Sayward Lakes roads are free of snow…. I wonder if I need to bring my Long Johns and the tent just in case ... Keep your Paddles in the Water , Michel Gauthier Index

Ten rules of the canoe

Every stroke we make is one less we have to take.

There is to be no abuse of self or others.

Be flexible.

The gift of each enriches all.

We all pull and support each other.

A hungry person has no charity.

Experiences are not enhanced through criticism.

The journey is what we enjoy.

A good teacher allows the student to learn.

When given any choice at all, be a worker bee and make honey!

- Created for the Paddle to Seattle by David Forlines, Quiluete.

Index

Executive

President: Michel Gauthier

Vice-President: John Wolsey

Secretary: Barb Dobree

Treasurer: Kim Porter

Trips: Kal Szucs & Kim Porter

Membership: Marian Rowatt

Phone Cttee: Helene Wickins &

Leigh Trask

Newsletter Editors: Norm Neiderer & Barb Dobree

New President needed for March.

Phone Michel if you are interested ! 339-5397

Index

Pay Up Now!

If you would like to receive our next newsletter with all the spring and summer trip details, please send your cheque to the address on the front, along with the copy of the enclosed form, signed waiver and:

$20 per individual

$25 per family

For Sale

Canoe—17 foot glaslight Clipper Tripper; bucket seats, wooden yoke, dark green

Price reduced: $1300.00

Phone Sue or James

@ 334-0741

Day Trip Check List

One paddle per son
One spare paddle
Sponge
Bailer
Bilge pump
PFD
Spray skirt
Water
Food
Line
Raingear
Toque
Change of clothes in drybag
First Aid Kit

Carry on Your Person:

Matches-waterproof container
Knife
Fire starter
Whistle

Feet across the world

By the time you reach middle age, you’ll have walked around the world three times, logging the equivalent of a staggering 75,000 miles, just by doing your daily activities!

Source: Fitness Magazine

Study shows contributing to newsletter lowers cholesterol while enhancing sex life!

Simply fax or email your information: articles, recipes, trip reports, classifieds, trips, safety issues, anything you think would be useful to share with your fellow paddlers.

FAX: 337-8692

EMAIL: dobreeb@mars.ark.com

Club Assets

Did you know that your Club has the following items:

Large, Group First Aid Kit

VHF Radio

Selection of paddling videos

Aluminum storage box

If you would like to borrow any of these items for a Club trip or entertainment, please contact, in advance:

Barb Dobree

337-8690

dobreeb @mars.ark.com

Index

Pool Sessions

Janice Kyle of Tree Island Kayaking will be holding rescue and rollover clinics at the old swimming pool in Courtenay. Four hours of practice for $35 seems to be a good bargain for beating yourself up!

Dates:

Rescues (Self, of course!)

Sundays, April 22,29 or May 27 from 4-6pm for $20 per 2 hr. session.

Rolling (with whoever !)

Sundays, April 22,29 from 6-8pm for $35 for both sessions;

Or Sunday, May 27 from 6-8pm for $20.

Interested? Contact Janice:

339-0580 or tree@island.net

Index

Read This: (Now!)

Due to difficulties with different memberships in both kayaking and canoeing organizations in B.C. that have offered liability insurance for trips in the past couple of years, the membership decided that:

- we will not belong to any organization, therefore, we will not have any insurance coverage.

- we would create an new membership form and liability waiver that puts the responsibility on the individual.

- the trips will have “Contact Persons” rather than leaders.

Club Web Site

Our internet savvy president has set up a tentative website. The site has information about the Club for prospective members as well as links to other sites. As discussed at our last meeting, we would like to keep it simple, but informative. There is a link to a membership application form and also to other sites of interest. This is a free service from Yahoo.

Check it out at:

http://www.geocities.com/komouxpaddlers/paddlers.html

Book Review

Kayak Cookery

The book is called Kayak Cookery which is a handbook of provisions and recipes by Linda Daniel. The soft cover book costs $19.95 (in Cdn.) and is available locally. Isbn 0-89732-236-3.

Linda's Kayak Cookery will show you how to be a culinary master on the water. The book reveals the art of making food complement the situation, from ways to getting pleasantly and properly fed to turning simple ingredients into celebrations. From Crab Benedict and Shiitake Stir-fry to Split Pea Soup and Sourdough Cobbler. Daniel has mastered the art of gourmet cooking in the wild. Isn't it time you became a wilderness chef?

I personally tried a few of her recipes and enjoyed them thoroughly. Well that was a down and quick review for the masses.

The working Maytag Repairman -

Kim Porter

Index

Event Schedule

As usual, all events are subject to change!

Ratings are as follows:

Easy: Protected waters, up to six miles paddling one way.

Moderate: Up to two miles of open waters; up to nine miles one way.

Strenuous: Open Crossing, portages, over ten miles one way.

In most cases all trips are suitable for canoes and kayaks. If you are unsure please call the contact person.

EventOrTrip	Date	Contact	PhoneOrE-mail	Rating
Pool Sessions: Rescues and Rolling(see notice in this issue)	April 22, 29May 27	Janice KyleTree Island Kayaks	339-0580tree@island.net	Fees: $ 20/sessionOr $35/both
Nanaimo Paddlers ClubRegatta at Spider Lake	May 6	Barb Dobree	337-8690dobreeb@mars.ark.com	Easy and fun time playing in our boats with another club
Quadra IslandHyacinth Bay	May 19-21st Long Weekend	John Wolsey	339-2176moon-snail@home.com	EasyVehicle access to campsite
Beaver HarbourDeer IslandPort Hardy	Late August early September	Dave and MarieClegg	339-2332dmclegg@home.com	ModerateIsland Hopping
Monte Cristo Lunch	July high tide	NormanNeiderer	339-2130neiderer@mars.ark.com	Easy Fine Dining Experience!

Index