Putting the A(c)k in Kayak
Aug. 4th, 2003 11:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aceofkittensI was so seethingly jealous of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
toastmantom's fabulous canoeing adventures, that we rented a kayak and went out boating on Lake Del Valle.
As most of our adventures, this one ended up having a later start than we'd planned. First, we had to go get the kayak -- a lovely little yellow "sit on top" tandem number. Then we had to find the lake. Despite my pointing out a sign that indicated the lake was in a certain direction, the SO chose to keep driving in another direction entirely, and that added another 30 minutes to it. Then we had to set up the kayak, which -- considering that we've gone kayaking exactly once before, was not as easy as you'd think. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, "Well, perhaps we're going to drown. C'est la vie."
It was a lovely day, but a little -- okay, a lot windier than we'd figured it would be. I was wearing shorts & a tank top, though, as always, I had one of my hoodies, which proved to be a good thing. And, as always, I was covered in sun screen. I'm very obsessive about sun screen... not that it did me any good today.
We started paddling against the wind, which kept just getting worse and worse, as did the waves. But we really wanted to make it to a certain point on the lake, as there is a nesting pair of bald eagles there, so we kept at it. Alas, we made piss-poor progress, and as I kept belting out at the top of my lungs (because it was hard to hear over the wind and the splashing water), "The weather started getting rough.. the tiny ship was tossed..."
Yes. Yes it was.
One moment, the SO casually said, "Ok, we'll go this way now." The next moment, the kayak was flipping over and I was under it. What ensued was one of those tragi-comic moments, as we flailed around, trying to 1) right the kayak, 2) catch the oars, 3) catch the water bottles, and 4) climb back onto the kayak without capsizing it again. ("If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the water bottles would have been lost...") Thank god the water was perfect -- warm, balmy. If I had been wearing a swimsuit, it'd have been perfect. Unfortunately, I was wearing the things you are NOT supposed to wear on the water -- cotton -- and it was now heavy, soggy cotton.
Shell-shocked, we began to paddle toward shore for a break. "But -- the guy at the rental place said these are nearly impossible to capsize," the SO said, in wonder. "I GUESS HE WAS WRONG!" I shouted back. "Well, and it's also that we're totally inept." (**Quote of the day)
Once on shore, I just couldn't get warm (I have a bit of a problem at times with temperature regulation, because I am really a lizard) until I'd stripped off all my clothes except for my underwear. (Don't you all wish you were there!) Then I just sort of lay there like a beached whale, making pathetic keening noises and shivering, and getting a third degree sunburn all over my legs, because naturally, my sunscreen washed off. :P
The story has a happy ending though -- eventually, we got back in & the wind died down. We kept on going, saw the eagles (though not the nest), a bunch of vultures, magpies, ducks, etc. I also saw fishes jumping around and some kind of crazy ground squirrels on shore. It was really a lovely, lovely day. But my legs are on fire! And the funniest thing is that the sunscreen came off in patches, so I'm sunburned in an odd pattern.
Can't wait to do it again! :)
toastmantom's fabulous canoeing adventures, that we rented a kayak and went out boating on Lake Del Valle. As most of our adventures, this one ended up having a later start than we'd planned. First, we had to go get the kayak -- a lovely little yellow "sit on top" tandem number. Then we had to find the lake. Despite my pointing out a sign that indicated the lake was in a certain direction, the SO chose to keep driving in another direction entirely, and that added another 30 minutes to it. Then we had to set up the kayak, which -- considering that we've gone kayaking exactly once before, was not as easy as you'd think. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, "Well, perhaps we're going to drown. C'est la vie."
It was a lovely day, but a little -- okay, a lot windier than we'd figured it would be. I was wearing shorts & a tank top, though, as always, I had one of my hoodies, which proved to be a good thing. And, as always, I was covered in sun screen. I'm very obsessive about sun screen... not that it did me any good today.
We started paddling against the wind, which kept just getting worse and worse, as did the waves. But we really wanted to make it to a certain point on the lake, as there is a nesting pair of bald eagles there, so we kept at it. Alas, we made piss-poor progress, and as I kept belting out at the top of my lungs (because it was hard to hear over the wind and the splashing water), "The weather started getting rough.. the tiny ship was tossed..."
Yes. Yes it was.
One moment, the SO casually said, "Ok, we'll go this way now." The next moment, the kayak was flipping over and I was under it. What ensued was one of those tragi-comic moments, as we flailed around, trying to 1) right the kayak, 2) catch the oars, 3) catch the water bottles, and 4) climb back onto the kayak without capsizing it again. ("If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the water bottles would have been lost...") Thank god the water was perfect -- warm, balmy. If I had been wearing a swimsuit, it'd have been perfect. Unfortunately, I was wearing the things you are NOT supposed to wear on the water -- cotton -- and it was now heavy, soggy cotton.
Shell-shocked, we began to paddle toward shore for a break. "But -- the guy at the rental place said these are nearly impossible to capsize," the SO said, in wonder. "I GUESS HE WAS WRONG!" I shouted back. "Well, and it's also that we're totally inept." (**Quote of the day)
Once on shore, I just couldn't get warm (I have a bit of a problem at times with temperature regulation, because I am really a lizard) until I'd stripped off all my clothes except for my underwear. (Don't you all wish you were there!) Then I just sort of lay there like a beached whale, making pathetic keening noises and shivering, and getting a third degree sunburn all over my legs, because naturally, my sunscreen washed off. :P
The story has a happy ending though -- eventually, we got back in & the wind died down. We kept on going, saw the eagles (though not the nest), a bunch of vultures, magpies, ducks, etc. I also saw fishes jumping around and some kind of crazy ground squirrels on shore. It was really a lovely, lovely day. But my legs are on fire! And the funniest thing is that the sunscreen came off in patches, so I'm sunburned in an odd pattern.
Can't wait to do it again! :)
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Kayahity yak don't flip back
Date: 2003-08-05 08:46 am (UTC)Darn you Ace, for living a life full of high jinx!
Re: Kayahity yak don't flip back
Date: 2003-08-05 10:55 am (UTC)Re: Kayahity yak don't flip back
Date: 2003-08-05 04:27 pm (UTC)'Tis Beyond My Reach!
Date: 2003-08-05 11:56 am (UTC)Glad that you got to spend time with all of the stupid little foodies. I look forward to seeing your plaid legs!
What foul wind blows hence??
Date: 2003-08-05 02:59 pm (UTC)No, really, I'd like us to go together. It's so much fun!!! :) And I'll be better prepared next time (with a swim suit and Wheat Thins).