A kayaking year in review and moving past 50

Entering my 5th year of white water kayaking during my 50th year of life, I decided to start this blog to record my progress in kayaking over the year 2011. I had a good year in 2010, making new friends in Montreal - as we moved there for the ongoing school studies of my 3 daughters - and tasting new rivers and new surfing sites.

Montreal has several very good sites for in-town surfing. This includes Habitat 67, the Lachines rapids with the formidable Big Joe, Pyramide and Gaetan and then the bunny wave up stream right next to the shore (Vague à Guy). On the North East side, there is also Ile St-Jean.

Working on my spin at Ile St-Jean

The label says to wash in cold water...

I had a busy long weekend of September that started with Benoit Renaud and the running of the waterfalls of the famous 7 Sisters on the Rouge river, between Montreal and Ottawa. Wow! Also, the water was surprisingly warm; like lukewarm soup.

After the first drop

Doing the 2nd drop

Still in one piece

I then drove over to upper New York state to do all 3 Beaver sections with friends from Ottawa, for Beaver Fest. The Taylorville section  (class III) was very enjoyable, then moved to the Moshier section (class IV+) the next day after too much drinking - all that water and still thirsty. I did skip most of the Moshier falls section; too many people everywhere during the Beaver Fest and recalling about good friend and kayak mentor Bill who got 6 broken ribs in that section, the year before. Somehow that thought wasn't very conductive to kayaking. Moving on to the Eagle section (class V) and brought some poison ivy as trophy and month long souvenir...

A month later I went back to the Beaver with TJ and Francois and we did the Taylorville and Eagle sections, the Moshier section was not running. Buddies from Ottawa were there as well. Brought soap and made sure I wasn't going to bring back another poison ivy souvenir...

TJ on Taylorville

Francois setting up for a nice boof

Jack down the main part on the Eagle section

Little Class V; nothing to it!

The 2011 shall be a great vintage. And I am starting the year with a bang; a trip to the kayaking paradise of Pucon, Chile, in early February with a group organized by good old bad boy Billy-Bob Harris. On the program; some of the oldest trees on earth, narrow canyons left by ancient lava streams, volcanoes and waterfall galore! Stay tuned!