Island in a Prarie Ocean

"The wonder of Kayak travel is that it allows you to see all those islands, headlands, and promontories at a walking pace. That's about three miles per hour if there's no wind or current......if human senses---seeing hearing smelling and so on---evolved to work at their utmost saturation when a person is moving at the speed of natural locomotion, then Kayaking offers the traveler on of the most holistic and sensual rides."
Jennifer Hahn-Spirited Waters.

Google Earth view of Elk Island

Clockwise from bottom Phil, Ninon, Scott, Jenny.

Joggers drenched in early morning sweat steamed into then lay cooling in our put in's still frigid water while us four, paddlers packed and launched for Elk Island.
The rumor of rising afternoon winds still a myth never to materialize as we set out to circumnavigate a small provincial park in Manitoba's "Prairie Ocean".
Located in the outer reaches of the Winnipeg River's estuary the island's landscape is littered with "glacial erratic" boulders, limestone outcroppings and Lake Winnipeg's famous sand beaches. All accessible only by water.

Ninon heads from the put in to the Island as a flock of Pelicans rise off her bow.

Pelicans, Vultures, Eagles and Bear tracks pacing our beach lunch spot all punctuated our lazy six hour, nine nautical mile, circumnavigation.

Scott and Jenny parallel Elk Island's east shoreline.

Running north along Elk's east shore beach sifts from flat bar to 20 and 30 foot sandy cliffs. Vultures ride thermals here and towards the north east point Bald Eagles are often spotted. We were rewarded today with two, one juvenile then another, mature.

Jenny and Scott glide along sand cliffs.

As we coasted quietly around that point waterscape is blue sky merging on the horizon with lake.
Punctuated with guano stained boulders.
These are Eagle feeding stations,
I've watched the birds of prey feast on seagull and fish on these rocks.

North past the island lake and sky merge.

Scott drifts on a rare mirrored surface of Lake Winnipeg

More to come......

Spring Training

Dawn (left) dressed for immersion while Jon (right) laughed in fate's face. They flank "The usual list of suspects", with lead instructor Mick Lautt center right leading the charge! Apprenticing Instructor Trainer Jamie Hilland center left.
H'yup!

For most of us it was the first spring paddle, ice still covered most lakes and rivers in Manitoba. The pond we trained in and on only ice free for a few days, when Wilderness Supply's / WAVPaddling's first course of the season got underway May 7th.

It was of course an instructor's program featuring the usual fun and games.

Six candidates rose to the cold water challenge, five were left swimming after the water cleared. Various stages of completion remain, final tasks for certification.

For most, completing a course outline and assisting on a certified Paddle Canada "Introduction to Kayaking" program, will get them out introducing more to the sport.

As always the program featured the unusual rituals and a complicated secret initiation ceremony.

Instructor Trainers Mick and Phil
Damn water IS cold, I froze my stash!

Mick Lautt, lead Instructor Trainer.

Welcome all our new instructor candidates to the
Paddle Canada Program!