Is the 2022 Kayak Season Over?
It is mid September, but wildfire smoke has made kayaking unhealthy for the last week. This situation could continue into October when we leave the country for a month and then return in November. Our kayak season will end once we leave. We will await ski season, once back in Sandpoint. But kayaking could end now if the smoke perseveres near the current murky level. The lake level draw down starts September 19 as well, so launch sites will begin to disappear until spring of 2023.
We currently have 4 kayaks and I'd like to sell one - and I'm not sure which. Each has its virtues:
Current Designs Slipstream - best fit, but not quite enough storage space
Valley 17.3 Etain - fits nearly as well, has more storage space and a bit faster
Current Designs Squamish - unusual in that it is carbon fiber and below 40 pounds, likely on the slow side
Necky Looksha IV in kevlar - not for potential sale, my wife's favorite, our only kayak with a rudder instead of a skeg
Hopefully a sale will occur in spring.
As I look back on the season, I had great fun, with the standouts being
a trip to Nanaimo to kayak with dear friends in July
sharing some paddling on Lake Pend Oreille with my youngest granddaughter and her boyfriend in August, both visiting from Austria.
I have been dealing with arthritis in my left shoulder, bone-on-bone according to the X-rays. With shoulder (and related) exercises plus massage twice per month, I have been kayaking without shoulder pain. However, the pain afflicts me afterward - yet I am typically ready to go again the next day.
My rolling partner and I had far fewer practices than in prior years. To my dismay, I have lost my roll despite knowing my fundamental problems. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe next year. I like to practice with a friend to avoid the need for frequent wet exits, which really makes a session incredibly inefficient. I had a fairly dependable roll 3 years ago, so I could avoid wet exits and practice solo.
