The Paddler Autumn/Fall issue 2017
The International magazine for recreational paddlers. The best for all paddling watersports including whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, expedition kayaking, canoeing, open canoeing and rafting. All magazines are in excess of 150 pages and absolutely free.
The International magazine for recreational paddlers. The best for all paddling watersports including whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, expedition kayaking, canoeing, open canoeing and rafting. All magazines are in excess of 150 pages and absolutely free.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>The</strong>PADDLER 100<br />
Hap Wilson<br />
I was racing with Hap Wilson, a Canadian<br />
paddling icon, environmentalist and North<br />
America’s best known guide. We had just an<br />
hour-long warm up paddle together the day<br />
before from Algonquin Outfitters at Oxtonge<br />
Lake to Ragged <strong>Fall</strong>s. Perfect preparation for an<br />
80-mile race with 20 challenging portages,<br />
paddling lakes, rivers during daylight and<br />
darkness! We were kindly equipped with a brand<br />
new Swift Canoe, 18ft 6 inch Kaywaidan racing<br />
cruiser. <strong>The</strong> all carbon outfitting and carbon<br />
Kevlar finish make for an excellent fast canoe,<br />
which was incredible comfortable. Although not<br />
an out and out racing canoe, we kept pace with<br />
faster boats and overtook plenty.<br />
It is fair to say that our approach to the race was<br />
‘gentlemen racers’, which resulted in a tortoise<br />
and hare approach, with fast cadence paddling<br />
and overtaking following by leisurely portages,<br />
planned food stops utilizing our stove and even<br />
playing the harmonica. This might have reduced<br />
our overall speed and record-breaking ability but<br />
it did not diminish our enjoyment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 80-mile race follows the same course as the<br />
50-miler before looping back in a giant<br />
‘horseshoe’ shape back upstream. Only in<br />
Canada would you paddle a race up and down<br />
stream with portages up to 1,700 metres over<br />
hills. It’s brilliant and changes your perspective on<br />
new journeys across old lands. <strong>The</strong> race start<br />
resembled a post apocalyptic scene with<br />
paddlers racing across Fairy Lake, through mist<br />
with an eerie sunlight.<br />
<strong>The</strong> river section downstream was lovely with<br />
some interesting portages around beautiful<br />
waterfalls and other features. As we reached<br />
Bracebridge at the 50-mile mark, it seemed we<br />
were on the homeward leg. Paddling upstream<br />
in the dark presented a few <strong>issue</strong>s including<br />
snapping a paddle on the rock garden in one<br />
white water section (swifts). Hap was not<br />
retreating and demanded I paddle harder, which<br />
had little effect with the limp paddle. Eventually<br />
we conceded and liberated the spare paddle.<br />
Portaging the big dam, with its many steps and<br />
inconvenient chest height barrier was a little<br />
tricky to say the least.<br />
Richard and Hap
Change language