Schweitzer's Nordic Trails Have Opened Early.

 

It is now the season for cross country skiing in North Idaho. This view from the Schweitzer trails shows a fragment of Lake Pend Oreille, lying about 2800 feet below the Nordic trail system. 

I have accrued 7 Nordic (classic) ski days so far this season. At age 84 (in a few days) I have probably abandoned lift-served downhill skiing. I am more fragile and the downhill ski runs have become very crowded with too many reckless skiers, as evinced by the number of accidents. It feels as if there is a target on my back.

The Nordic skiing is off to a good start at elevations above 4000', but in town there is not yet enough snow. Although Schweitzer likely loses money on the Nordic skiing, it does a splendid job of grooming those trails - many on a daily basis.

Currently I average about 9 km per outing, but hope to increase the distance as the season progresses. The terrain is hilly, not friendly to a beginner. However, there is a relatively flat area located at the roundabout a mile or so before arriving at Schweitzer's base. We hope that it will be groomed as Christmas approaches, maybe 3 days per week or so. This roundabout trail is rather short and perhaps only attractive to beginning Nordic skiers, but perfect for skill development.

Goals for the 2025 Kayak Season

Before the next kayak season I tend to list goals for that coming season. Typically I don't achieve all (sometimes only a few) of them. So, here are my 2025 goals.

1. We have 3 kayaks - one for my wife and two others. Those other two are:

• Valley Avocet

• Current Designs Squamish

I hope to sell either the Avocet or the Squamish, my preference being to sell the Avocet. Used sea kayak sales have not been good for the last two or three seasons. Once either kayak is sold, I may replace it with a significantly cheaper kayak, meant for guests.

2. My Greenland paddle is a one piece. I would like to modify it to be a two piece.  I do have a ferrule for this modification.

3. I have a goal to kayak a total season's distance exceeding 200 nmi.

Were the 2024 Season's Goals Met?

Just before the kayak season I listed my goals for the 2024 season. So, how did it go?

1. I sold the Current Designs Slipstream. I was unable to sell the Valley 17.3 Etain, but traded it for a Valley Avocet. At any rate, we have 3 kayaks instead of 4. So this goal was more or less satisfied.

2. The Avocet for which I traded the Etain has a similar (not identical) back band problem for my particular back. This has been fixed with minicell foam. So this goal was more or less satisfied.

3. In the CD Squamish, I added some minicell padding between the coaming and my thighs. No further outfitting was needed. So this goal was more or less satisfied.

4. At this point, I have sold one kayak (CD Slipstream), not two. Had I sold another, I was planning to replace it with a cheaper classic. So this goal was not satisfied.

5. I sold the Aleutian paddle. The Greenland paddle remains. I haven't modified it to create a two piece. As mentioned in the pre-season post, somewhere in the garage I have a ferrule ready to use - if I decide to do so. This was not actually specified as a goal.

6. I did not paddle a distance exceeding my 200 nmi goal nor did I paddle as many as 40 days. Hence, these goals were not satisfied. 

Note: I reached a season's distance of 195.56 nmi on Sept. 17, which was more than the 2024 season. We then spent 10 days in NM and I had limited enthusiasm to continue kayaking in October once back in Sandpoint.

7. The Sand Creek Challenge was cancelled. It probably will not return. So this goal was nullified.

8. I did not recover my roll. Currently at age 83, I may abandon attempts to do so. This goal was not satisfied.

 

Current Favorite Kayak

 

 

 

 

 

At this point I have 2 kayaks, a composite (maybe kevlar, maybe carbide) CD Squamish and a fiberglass Valley Avocet. I've had the Squamish for a few years whereas the Avocet was acquired in a recent trade. By now I've used the Avocet enough times to have an opinion.

The Avocet, at 16', is slightly longer and slightly narrower than the Squamish, but with a bit more rocker. I expected the Avocet to be the faster of the 2 kayaks, but could not really verify that. If anything, the Squamish seemed faster. 

The Avocet has a third hatch (a day hatch) which I like. It wants me to fuss with the skeg, which I don't like. The Avocet seems more nimble than the Squamish. It is in unusually good shape. The Valley hatch covers will eventually need replacement - as Valley hatch covers typically do.

The shorter Squamish, at 15' 8", is very light - just under 40 pounds. Unfortunately, it has no day hatch. Remarkably, it does not weathercock in the conditions I paddle (typically under 10 knot winds). So I rarely use the skeg and never need to fuss with it.

Because the Squamish does not require me to fuss with the skeg, it has become my current favorite. The fact that it is so light makes handling it easy while on shore. This preference could change.

Now, with 2 kayaks in my diminishing fleet, I would still like to sell one. I have the Avocet on Craigslist. However, sea kayaks are not selling well over the last two years, so I am not hopeful. I am not eager enough to sell, so that I am not offering it at a bargain basement price.

First Impressions of Avocet

I have now tried my Avocet twice. First it was a rolling session. Then the next day was a modest outing in slightly windy conditions.

Rolling Session

I had a decent roll several years ago - just a roll on my strong side, unwilling to expose my bad shoulder on my other side. I lost this roll and have been trying to get it back over the last few years. The Avocet has very good thigh/knee pads. so I was somewhat hopeful. I have a rolling partner (who has an excellent roll). This spares me the wet exits from failed rolls. So, how did it go?

My first rolling session went poorly i.e. no success. I am keeping my head down longer, but my torso rotation is tragic. Matt was quite successful, rolls on both sides and a reenter and roll. The only small failure was a failed off-side roll, but he recovered with a good side roll, not requiring a wet exit.

An Outing - from 3rd Avenue Pier to Rocky Point and Back

I won't get much information from this outing. Perhaps I'll find how significant the weathercocking is. Recall that my CD Squamish does not weathercock in the weather conditions I paddle. And, is the speed slightly better than the Squamish? The Avocet should be slower than the Valley Etain (gone, traded for the Avocet). Those speed differences may not even be noticeable. So, how did it go?

The day was windier than expected, but nothing above ~7 knots. The boat weathercocks slightly, easily tuned out with the skeg. The back band isn't quite right for my ailing back and calls for some adjustment. I shortened my outing because of this discomfort ... before it became painful. I was not yet able to get a good reading on the kayak speed.

I will revisit these topics as time goes on.

Other

I've made three minor modifications to the Avocet, after the first outing described above.

• installed a Keel Eazy keel strip ... these have worked well for me in the past, considering the gentle conditions in which I paddle
• stuffed some minicell foam behind the seat back to enhance support for my injured back ... we'll see how well this works next time I paddle
• installed some bungees under the deck fore the coaming, where the manual bilge pump is stored
  

Composite Valley Avocet

I have traded my Valley 17.3 Etain for a Valley Avocet, both composite kayaks. The Avocet will fit me better, but will be slower, even for slow me. The Avocet specs are:

 

• 3 Hatches
• Skeg
• Length 488 cm (16')
• Width 56 cm (22")
• Weight 24 kg (53 lbs)
• Load Suitability 46 - 82kg (101 - 181 lbs)
• Coaming: length 83.82 cm (33"), width 45.7 cm (18")
• Suggested Paddler Weight: 100 - 190 lbs 
• Serial #: DKJAV129K607
  

I want to check the actual weight at some point. Manufacturers sometimes report the weight of the kayak without hatch covers, seat, skeg, rigging, etc.

The Avocet should be slightly faster than my Squamish. The latter being both shorter and fatter. The speed difference is unlikely to be noticeable. Unlike the Squamish, the Avocet has a day hatch which I like. The 17.3 Etain had a removable pod fore the coaming, which I did not like.

The Etain back band was modified to better support my back injury. The Avocet has a different back band which may prove adequate, so we'll see. I plan to install a keel strip, a paddle park and likely make other minor modifications.

Avocet users claim that it is very maneuverable, albeit somewhat slow and with a tendency to weathercock. If it does weathercock, I will attempt to load the stern much heavier than the bow. It may be too difficult to move the seat more toward the stern.

My next blog will give a report on the Avocet's characteristics as I experience them.

August starting, 2024

Here I review whether I have so far reached any of my preseason goals  (see Feb. 28, 2024 blog).

1. Having sold the CD Slipstream I am down to 3 kayaks, but am still somewhat interested in selling one more - maybe the Etain.

2. I have reconfigured the back band of the Etain and it is now comfortable enough. The seat back looks ugly, but will be refreshed. In any case, the Etain is again usable, allowing me to keep either the Squamish or Etain. Sea kayaks are not selling well at this point, impacted by the popularity of rec kayaks and SUPs.

3. The Squamish now has appropriate thigh/knee padding for rolling ... I hope.

4. If I sell the Etain, I will keep my eye out for yet another kayak for guests. But I would be fairly picky, perhaps some older and relatively cheap classic such as an NDK/SKUK Explorer or a Boreal Design Ellesmere.

5. The Aleutian paddle has been sold and I may modify the GP paddle so it becomes two piece.

6. I am just over halfway to my season's goal to kayak a total distance exceeding 200 nmi, but we'll be gone for a third of September so August will make the difference. However, I am unlikely to reach my 40 day goal.

7. I decided to forego the Sand Creek Challenge, but it ended up being cancelled anyway. With Jason Wiley out of the picture, the city may not start it up again.

8. I have practiced no rolling, but may do so in August.

2024 kayaking - progress or not

In an earlier post, I had discussed some of my 2024 kayak season goals and now list progress so far. The items below mimic those in the February 28, 2024 post.

1. As wished, I sold one of my kayaks, the Current Designs Slipstream. 

Goodbye Glass-Slipper.

2. I have not yet modified the back band of the Valley Etain 17.3. This is an easy task, once I know I will keep the Etain for the season.

3. I have added some minicell padding on the Squamish, between the coaming and my thighs, meant to help my roll. Upon further inspection, any hip padding now seems unnecessary.

4.I have sold one kayak, but not yet two.

5. I sold the rather long Aleutian paddle, truly a work of art. I may modify the one piece Greenland paddle to make it into a two piece with a ferrule (lurking in the garage).

6. My goal to kayak at least 40 days and a total distance exceeding 200 nmi. is in jeopardy. The lake level is not being raised as usual, because of a gate problem at the downstream Albeni dam. Hence, the Sand Creek level is still quite low and the potential creek distance is well below where it usually is at this point. I often use the more protected creek when the lake winds are high - so in this windy spring I've not had this option.

7. I have abandoned my intent to enter the annual Sand Creek Challenge. Not only is my conditioning insufficient, but the race itself might be abandoned because  the low water level does not allow the usual course length. At any rate, I do not relish the laughter of the spectators.

8. Practice to recover my roll is not yet attractive with

• a water level that is too low for our practice site
  
• a water temperature still lower than our druthers
  

Unrelated: We may consider a kayaking trip to Nanaimo where there is splendid coastal texture for paddling. My wife and I had done many day trips there over the few years when I worked there. The Kalispell duo is sailing off Turkey. Upon their return, we'll see if we can make a plan.