One Square Mile of Hope

They did for Guinness record last year in New York. It's called One Square Mile of Hope. 

I would love to be on one of those boats! I would never capsize. (But if I did, it would be very scary too!)

Deep Creek Open

If you're in DC area, you might want to drive up north and see this! I am going there (to watch) for sure. Deep Creek Open and U.S. Nationals Canoe/Kayak Slalom– September 8-9, 2012

June 26: National Canoe Day in Canada

Happy Canoe Day! (I want to be in one of those boats! Looks like fun!)

"In 2007, the canoe was named one of the Seven Wonders of Canada via a CBC Radio feature in which over 1 million votes were cast. In celebration of this, the Canadian Canoe Museum founded National Canoe Day"

Source: National Canoe Day website

Riverbend Park, Great Falls, VA (Teaser Version)

Looking West

Check out the rest of the photos from my photo page. 

When your hobby is depending on the weather condition it could be frustrating. Today is such a gorgeous day, sunny, cool and breezy with bright blue sky and white cloud.

T_T

But we got too much water from the rain early this week so we were not allowed to be in the river.

Isn't that sad ? The river, the boats, the paddles, PFDs were right there in front of me. Oh and a snake too.

But safety comes first. I suggest call the park before you come in. :)

Anyway, I took a Rental Classification class with Riverbend Park today because Riverbend Park allows only people who participate their class or tour to rent their boats (kayaks, canoes or row boats). Since I don't own a boat, I'll do anything to be able to rent a boat. ha ha.

Canoes and row boats

Sit-on-top kayaks (Regular ones are also available.)

This was supposed to be a 30-minute class but the instructor was kind enough to extend it to over an hour just to make sure he covered the topics as much as he could since we couldn't go into water we just had class on land. (Warning: I don't recommend you to learn how to paddle just by mocking like this on land. You should to be on and in the water, feel it, work yourself around it and try to get into trouble as much as you can when your instructor is with you.)

Honestly I took two 6-hour kayak classes and still learnt new things.

After you finish this $26 class you will get a two-year rental certification signed by your instructor and a free half-day rental for this year.

You can find a rental rate from here. (Half-day rental for a single kayak is only $15!)

Looking East

In case you don't know much about this park like me Riverbend Park belongs to Fairfax County. There are trails connecting to Great Falls and I was told that it connects to the Occoquan River as well. (Search Fairfax Cross-County Trail.) I was also told that the parking is free unlike Great Falls. Oops, we'd better support the parks, right ?

My water shoes were little dry today.

Check out the rest of the photos from my photo page. I promise I'll be back here soon! Thanks for checking in. 

Have a happy and safe paddling.

Concrete and Cardboard Canoe

When I was freshman we built a cardboard chair and competed to see whose would stand most weight. But this is definitely more challenging!

Cardboard Canoe Race
Concrete Canoe

My Solo Canoe: Burke Lake Park, Virginia

Back to the lake for the second time. (My first time was during the summer. I posted the photos when I had a chance.) My main goals today were to take photos of fall foliage and to practice my cross-forward stroke.

I got there around 1:30 but the staff suggested me to wait until 2 pm to get a half-day rate. Thank you! (Ah oh, did I just spill out the secret to the world ?) And I was lucky enough that the only canoe at Burke Lake was available right at the moment I arrived. They better get more soon. So I was never far from that canoe during that half hour.

Today's Lessons:
- I found it helped a lot to pull my torso and hips toward the front while I was pulling my forward stroke.
- There was no point to fight the wind. Just let the boat spin.
- After being told that I should sit at the end of the tandem canoe by a staff at the lake, I checked with my instructor afterward and he told me that it was totally to sit in the middle when I paddled solo on the tandem canoe otherwise the front of the boat would lift up from the water which made it harder to control the boat.

- Don't forget to bring a lot of drinking water and snack with you on the boat.

Visit Burke Lake Park:
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelake

Today's Babbling:

I felt a bit more comfortable paddling around the lake since I was exploring it for 4 hours last time.

The lake was in gorgeous golden color instead of rich deep green in summer. The view from the middle of the lake was totally different from the shore. You will love it.

It's a bit windy on my way back to the launch area. I had to let the canoe spin 3 times since my correctional strokes didn't work well. I was trying to use sweep strokes to push the boat back but it's just too much work. It's easier to let it go.

The rental here closed at the end of October. So until next year!

This kid was learning how to fish.

Along the shoreline.

Just like a painting.

A gorgeous dead tree.

Since it's windy there was no mirror reflection but it's still pretty anyway.

The wave that got me.

You just have to be there.

NP

Actual Post Date: November 22, 2011

What I will be babbling about

My sister and I grew up being told to stay away from any water trip even though we both had weekly swimming lessons for over a year when we were in elementary school.

Decades passed by.

Early this year, June 2011, my sister had a business trip in Calgary, Canada. So we planned to meet up and spend a week vacation together in Banff and Jasper. Since I was the trip planner I had found that canoeing is quite famous there and the lakes are absolutely gorgeous. It would be our lost not to be on the water.

So here I am...during the period of 5 months I took a private canoeing lesson a week for my big trip, paddled on two lakes in Canada (I wish I could do more but it was raining while we're there.), paddled solo at the lakes (where I can find a boat rental) in my neighborhood and dragged my friend to take a kayak lesson with me (Thank goodness she enjoyed it though she's not into it as much as I am...yet.) This winter I will be taking a swimming lesson again to strengthen my swimming skill and to feel more comfortable in the water, so hopefully I'll be ready for more paddling next Spring.

I was asked why I was into this in all the sudden. I don't know. I was just hooked by it. Maybe it's the skill I need to have (I like technical stuff), the work against or along all the fluctuations caused by the water and the wind, the experience to be on the water or simply the views I had never seen from a shore.

Currently I only concentrate on the flatwater paddling since I am a newbie and no risk taker. It probably sounds less interesting to some of you already but I hope my experience will inspire ones who still hesitate to join this activity. Don't let any fear stop you. Start small.

I'll start posting a real blog next month since I have a professional license exam coming up at the end of this month which is no fun at all compared to paddling. But we have to prioritize things, don't we ? This is not an instructional blog. I simply want to share my experience as a newbie paddler on what I learn from lessons and from my practice, where I paddle, where I want to paddle, my anxiety (ha ha), photos (photography is my other hobby.) and any useful paddling information I find.

You're so welcome to share your paddling experience here.

Until then,
NP working on my cross forward stoke