Tag Archives: kayak

Health and Long Life, Hiking and outdoor beauty, Travel

Friends don’t let friends miss out on all the good things in life

October 17, 2020 Cherry Leave a comment

Friends don’t let friends miss out on all the good things in life – or – Purple Bliss is just an Emotion on the Water

The first thing you need to know about Janice is that she is older than I – by about four days. This is not the case with so many of my friends. I have a friend of 43 years who never lets me forget she is younger – by four months. Yet I will forgive her generously for this age bias because she accompanies me on beautiful hikes – even invites me. We have enjoyed many adventures together. Thank God for my newer friends who admit they are older. But the thing about friends – older and newer, younger or elder – is that friends don’t let friends miss out on all the good things in life.

Yes, I have friends with an uncanny ability to sniff out the best things in life and then foist them on me. Take Linda, for instance, she tracked me down in Canyonlands and proceeded to hike me to her favorite places in my own backyard. Then, she came to visit me at Glen Canyon and beguiled me with stories from her Lake Powell memories. But more importantly, we kayaked down 11 miles of the John Wesley Powell route of the Colorado River from Ferry Swale to Lee’s Ferry and I have pictures to prove it.

Janice and I have more things in common than just our June birthdays. I met her through Sweet Adelines so it may be safely assumed we both love to sing. But what, I ask you, is ever safe about singing? It is such a gateway drug. First you are sitting on chairs and then practicing on risers and before you know it you are preforming on stages and soon you find yourself not only singing in the streets, but dancing in the streets. I have made many unique friends in this way.

So yes, Janice and I have a June birthday month in common, we are both about 5 foot three or four depending on how you round it, we love to hike and travel, we share a love for singing – and we were both working in public schools at the time we first met – I as a music specialist and Janice as a resource teacher. But in one area, Janice and I are complementary opposites. Janice is a champion foister. I am the foisted upon. Definitely to my benefit.

After my first stint with Sweet Adelines, I moved to Seattle. Janice kept in touch. When she found out I was coming back to Colorado, she immediately engaged her recruiting persuasion. Why would I not want to sing tenor in a newly minted quartet? Sigh. Four of us made beautiful Musique together. But no. Singing and dressing alike was not enough. We must do bonding activities together – the chorus that plays together stays together. Janice and two other Sweet Adelines were going kayaking on the Colorado, would I come?

I was stubborn and full of lame excuses like not having a kayak or PFD. But Janice knows how to foist. She had an extra kayak and PFD. She told me when to show up. She gave me specific instructions on what to wear and what to bring. Those Adelines laced me into the PFD, seated me in a vessel, handed me a paddle and shoved me off. Up ahead, Janice led in her Purple Bliss. Bringing up the rear, I floated in Janice’s original hunter green kayak, taking to the water like a duck.

When I know it’s right, you don’t have to ask me twice – but they did. We also floated the Gunnison that summer. And I spent a fair amount of time kayak shopping in local sporting goods stores.

Seven years later I was still single and kayakless, but I now had a good deal of experience under my belt having rented all manner and style of kayaks for recreation. Sit in. Sit on. Inflate. Deflate. Lake. River. Back-haul. U-haul. Tie in the truck. Shove in the van. Mount in the kayak carrier. Kayak carrier – what a great concept! Janice bought one – a kayak rack – for her motorhome. The rack was second hand – and came with two kayaks. Worst of all for Janice – and best of all for me – Purple Bliss would not fit in the carrier. She was too skinny – at both ends.

And then Janice began her attempts to foist Purple Bliss on me. It took her two years. During that time she visited me twice at Lone Rock. She dined me, tried to wine me, hiked with me and once even lent me the hunter green kayak to go exploring slots in the nether regions of Lake Powell. Every time I mentioned kayaking on social media, she followed up by promoting Purple Bliss to me.

In early October I arranged to meet Janice at her place, ostensibly to sign two of my books which she had ordered on Amazon, but with a covert motive to kayak shop – to see if the purple kayak would ride on top my car. Janice let me do it myself. It fits and rides charmingly. We finally agreed on a price. The transfer took place ten days ago. Janice has released her favorite vessel and I am adoption happy. I have been on the water four times in less than a fortnight.

Purple Bliss is a specialty kayak built by Emotion and brokered by REI. She is designed especially for a small woman. She weighs only 34 pounds. She is a thing of both beauty and independence. I can hoist her to the rooftop of my Rav4 (aka Silvergirl) and take her down – after all, she weighs less than a grandchild – even if she is 10 feet long. We go everywhere together – just the two of us – with a step stool and a purple and red paddle and a red PFD. Friends don’t let friends miss out on all the good things in life.

Emotional Health, Goals and Dreams, Health and Long Life

Dress to meet the love of your life

August 22, 2020 Cherry Leave a comment

You know the old adage: get up, dress up, show up?

Some time back I heard additional excellent advice along the same lines. One of those motivational, handsome, hip, spiffy, well-chiseled, broad-shouldered – but I digress. Anyway, one of those motivational, dress for success, guys advocated rising each morning and dressing as though you are going to meet the love of your life. Everyday. That seems a bit extreme to me. But I get the point. Most women apply makeup for special occasions – as do I.

So yes. I put on lipstick when I hike. I wear makeup in the Great Outdoors -mostly because my lipstick is a moisturizer and also sunscreen. When I am working – even the most casual of jobs-I dress up – I pay attention to what I wear. I have always recognized and followed good advice. But pandemic. Isolation. Living alone. Some things were neglected the second quarter of 2020.

Today I remembered. I bathed and groomed with care. I put on my makeup. I chose a favorite outfit. I’m now dressed to meet the love of my life – so I am convinced I’ll find the perfect kayak.

Emotional Health, Health and Long Life, Hiking and outdoor beauty, Spiritual Well Being

October

November 3, 2019 Cherry Leave a comment

To begin with, She didn’t turn the heat on until October 30. October was a very beautiful month.

Beautiful in that she got out a record number of times – every weekend – to hike or kayak or hug the trees – the beautiful, blazing- fall-festooned trees. She travelled a little bit for work and saw other communities adorned with yellows, golds, orange hues, and sometimes even reds.

She ate right. She planned lunches and cleaned up left-overs.

She made every effort to sleep right.

She got away from work and outside a record number of times.

She even got outside with her work a few times.

She was not often alone in her outdoor exercise.

There were friends.

Quality friends who came to visit; kindred spirits to host.

Yes. It was a very good October. Not often did she wake with that sinking feeling – that feeling of dread.

Never did she have to say, “It is too hot to hike.”

Often did she say, “It is so beautiful, my spirit is refreshed.”

Frequently she said yes to kayaks and hiking sticks and shorts and sandals. This is a good thing, a very good thing, for winter is coming and soon it will be too cold to slosh through calve- deep creeks on a trek to somewhere beautiful. She didn’t do any canning this year, but she did prepare for winter. She stored up the good times.

Character, Emotional Health, Family

To the Lake or To the River?

May 12, 2019 Cherry 1 Comment

Lone woman paddles around Lone Rock, finds biceps.
Yep. There they are. Not only can I see them, I can feel them. Just call me River Mouse…

As I stuffed items in my daypack, I tried to review everything Janice had taught me. Chubs for the sunglasses. Sandals for the feet. Tie ons for the hat. Tethers for just about everything essential. A little dry sack for the phone. The phone? Last time I left my phone at home. Back then my phone was a phone and I had a little camera. Back then was three years ago; wait! Has it been three years or seven years? Back then I made makeshift ties to keep my flip-flops on my feet. Back then Janice loaned me a dry sack for my lunch and essentials. Janice also loaned me a kayak. Yesterday, I rented.

These days I am more comfortable on the water and more comfortable in my own skin and more comfortable alone. Nevertheless, when you rent, you have to read and sign three pages of paper; paper that says you are responsible for anything that happens to you. Back then, Janice and I and the other women we kayaked with knew we were responsible for everything that happened – including the poison ivy – but that is Janice’s story.

One of the pages you sign says that you were given an opportunity to inspect the vessel before embarking. The young rental attendant walked ahead of me on the floating dock, turned left on an extension where three kayaks were moored, grabbed one by the rope, chose a different one, “This one,” she said. “Get in, I hand your things.” Fortunately, I had just taken time to snap on my PFD.

Stepping in to a low kayak from a dock feels much less secure than shoving off from a beach with all items organized and secured ahead of time. I plopped on the seat back and had barely achieved balance when she passed me my backpack and the oar. My experiences with Janice were on the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers. This is the first time I have ever stepped into a kayak bobbing in 20 feet of water. Let me tell you, I felt much more secure stepping into the shallows of the Colorado River, though if I were to believe my mother, “The Colorado River is treacherous with undertows, stay away from the river, people have drowned there!” Suffice it to say, I have not stayed away from the river. I paddled a portion of the Gunnison, which joins the Colorado in Grand Junction. I paddled a portion of the Colorado from Palisade toward Grand Junction. I drive down Highway 128 as often as possible. I have hiked to the confluence of the Green and the Colorado, I have been swimming in Bullfrog. I swim often at Wahweap; and last weekend I rented a kayak two days in a row and paddled around Wahweap Bay in Lake Powell.

Lake Powell, you will ask, what has that to do with the Colorado River? Everything. Every drop of water in Lake Powell is merely stored water of the Colorado River and its tributaries.

My brother doesn’t think the lake should exist, doesn’t think the dam should have been built. Be that as it may, that water, that Colorado and Utah and Wyoming snow melt, cannot help the fact that it is dammed up. I have followed the river and it is unlikely I will stop following it anytime soon. There are people I love that are dammed up – anal – and I still make the effort to visit them out of love and respect. And, dammed or not, I will still visit the river as often as possible.

Emotional Health

An Effort to Visit the River

May 3, 2019 Cherry Leave a comment

An effort to visit the river

The first time I tried to get out on the water, my attempts were frustrated. I was balked of my best-laid plans. I knew water was exactly what I needed for self-care and restoration, so I went to rent a kayak. They were too cautious to rent it to me – because I was alone. To be fair, the wind was kicking up and I do know that exacerbates the entire process of hoisting the bark to the car top and then unloading the vessel and transporting it to the water. Yet, it feels unfair when folks are immediately skeptical of you because you are alone. If you wait until someone can go with you, there are so many adventures you will miss. Yes, they were skeptical of my being alone – and skeptical of my vocabulary. Apparently my use of the words “tether” and “dry-sack” were no more acceptable than being alone.

On my way home from that curtailed attempt, I discovered another kayak rental shop where the boats were already in the water, accordingly, I returned the following weekend. I tethered my hat, rolled my phone in the tiny dry sack, packed a lunch and essentials in a daypack and arrived in time to rent a kayak for two hours.

The young rental attendant walked ahead of me on the floating dock, turned left on an extension where three kayaks were moored, grabbed one by the rope, chose a different one, “This one,” she said. “Get in, I hand your things.” Fortunately, I had just taken time to snap on my PFD. I stepped aboard, plopped on the seat back, she passed me my backpack and the oar and walked away. There I was, bobbing in 20 feet of water, somewhat balanced, sitting on top the back of the seat that should have been properly adjusted and supporting my back, holding a daypack that needed to be secured in bungees either fore or aft and holding an untethered uni-paddle. This felt much more precarious than stepping into a river and shoving off a fully loaded and secured kayak. So much for being trained and prepared. Somehow I maneuvered the back support from my butt hold, vaguely attached my daypack and reversed out of the parking space. And my rear was immediately wet. Which brings out a major difference between sit-in and sit-on kayaks. A major difference, but no major problem, for I had remembered my river mentor’s (Janice) sage advice and I was not wearing cotton panties. The open lake was glorious. I paddled straight to the other side, beached my bark (which was actually polyethylene not wood) and walked toward some rock formations I had been longing to explore. Lunch was had on a sand dune. Returning to my kayak, I took a leisurely exploration counter-clockwise back to the marina. As I paddled, I noticed soreness beginning, right there in the purlicue, where my thumb joins my hand. By the time I reached the marina, a layer of skin sloughed off. But that did not dampen my enjoyment, nor did it stop me from repeating the whole kayaking process the following day – even better prepared with moleskin and paracord.

River or Lake, this no mere water; it came from Colorado – as did I.

Cherry Odelberg