Monday, May 30, 2011
A photo of the new boat
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The New Boat
I am at Suzanne's with her husband Greg waiting for her to return from having an MRI scan which has revealed two broken bones in her foot as well a sprained ankle. She will have to wear a moon boot for 6 weeks and take it easy for the following weeks which is big disappointment with summer around the corner and a move to a new job in California.
Well I have gone for the big and beautiful-boat that is. I am the proud owner of a Current Design Solstice Titan GT. It is dark blue all over with a red trim for the cockpit edge. I also bought a small trolley,aPFD and the gun for firing flares. It comes with four flares and I am looking to being able to say "Is this your lucky day punk"I am not sure if I am going to be able to bring it back to NZ.
We stopped at a bigger supermarket on the way back to the house and I was able to get some long life milk and milk powder as well as toilet paper and more crackers so I think I am pretty well set except for a weather radio which I hope to get on the way to the lake.
With all that is happening I don't think we will get away much b/4 mid afternoon so I am not likely to get the boat in the water today
Well I have gone for the big and beautiful-boat that is. I am the proud owner of a Current Design Solstice Titan GT. It is dark blue all over with a red trim for the cockpit edge. I also bought a small trolley,aPFD and the gun for firing flares. It comes with four flares and I am looking to being able to say "Is this your lucky day punk"I am not sure if I am going to be able to bring it back to NZ.
We stopped at a bigger supermarket on the way back to the house and I was able to get some long life milk and milk powder as well as toilet paper and more crackers so I think I am pretty well set except for a weather radio which I hope to get on the way to the lake.
With all that is happening I don't think we will get away much b/4 mid afternoon so I am not likely to get the boat in the water today
Friday, May 27, 2011
Another Successful Day
I went back to Mid West Mountaineering first thing. I think I have decided on a PFD even though I couldn't get one exactly as I wanted. I bought a smoke flare,safety knife and some bug proof clothing.I was tempted to buy some ordinary flares if only because of the awesome looking pistol used to set them off.It would satisfy those who thought I should take some sort of fire arm to shoot it out with any bad guys. However,as I don't plan to do any night paddling there didn't seem to be much point. I left without telling the assistants of the choice of kayak I had made but promising to be back in the morning.I bought a small pocket mirror at the pharmacy next door,not out of vanity, but to tie to my paddle if I need to see over the grass in the wetlands if I take the wrong path.
I jumped back on the train and got off near the Metrodome to walk to the river.I was quite staggered to see the amount of turbulence below the St Anthony Falls and the amount of water going over them. I wouldn't want to be swept over them. I was pleased to see the water into the lock. while fast flowing,was quite calm. It was good to see in real life so I know what to expect when I turn up again in 3 weeks. I watched a tug with two barges lock through.
Feeling hungry, I decided to see if I could find the grill I had passed yesterday without taking note of it's exact location. One of the main streets leading away from the river has been made into a pedestrian mall and it is lined with restaurants with outdoor seating. On Thursdays it has a number of produce stalls which made for a very pleasant ambience. I located the grill without any difficulty and for $7.95 enjoyed bacon and eggs,hash browns and toast. The menu is signed with greetings from Pres Clinton who popped in for lunch some years ago. If it was alright with Bill it was certainly alright with me.
I realised there was a Target Store nearby and suspecting there might be groceries sold I headed over .I was right and have now purchased a week or so of food-oatmeal,juice,tuna,rice,pasta dried fruit,bananas and crackers. The only thing I couldn't find was any long life or powdered milk and dried veges.We will probably stop at a bigger supermarket on the way to the lake tomorrow. I also need to stop at an out doors store as the only piece of gear I am missing is a weather radio. It might be good to know if a tornado was heading my way even if there was nothing I could do about it.
I phoned Suzanne from the agreed rendezvous spot at 2.30 and within 20 minutes I was picked up and taken back to their place where I am now. We are going out to a very posh restaurant called Sea Change which is situated in the futuristic Guthrie Theatre on the river. (I checked it out this morning-"Time spent in reconnaissence....." and all that)
The plans have been made for the w/e. Tomorrow will probably just be spent driving to the lake.I don't think we will get away b/4 midday. We will probably just set up camp when we arrive although it might be nice just to wet my new boat and try it out. Greg and Suzanne aren't planning to take their boats. Suzanne has sprained/broken her ankle doing zumba (I knew there was a reason I hadn't taken it up apart from the fact that white men can't dance) so probably won't be doing much of anything. They are quite happy to drive me to the far end of the lake on Sat morning and push me off into Elk lake and leave me to circumnavigate that looking for any further streams b/4 portaging/paddling the 100yards or so into Lake Itasca and the 6k paddle back to the "official start". The time it takes for me to do that will determine how far I will try to go on the first day. I am only planning to do 30k to Coffee Pot campsite but if time and conditions allow I would like to push on to the next campsite 20k further on.if at all possible.
This may be the last post for a while although I will ask Suzanne if she can take some photos to send through when they get back.
I jumped back on the train and got off near the Metrodome to walk to the river.I was quite staggered to see the amount of turbulence below the St Anthony Falls and the amount of water going over them. I wouldn't want to be swept over them. I was pleased to see the water into the lock. while fast flowing,was quite calm. It was good to see in real life so I know what to expect when I turn up again in 3 weeks. I watched a tug with two barges lock through.
Feeling hungry, I decided to see if I could find the grill I had passed yesterday without taking note of it's exact location. One of the main streets leading away from the river has been made into a pedestrian mall and it is lined with restaurants with outdoor seating. On Thursdays it has a number of produce stalls which made for a very pleasant ambience. I located the grill without any difficulty and for $7.95 enjoyed bacon and eggs,hash browns and toast. The menu is signed with greetings from Pres Clinton who popped in for lunch some years ago. If it was alright with Bill it was certainly alright with me.
I realised there was a Target Store nearby and suspecting there might be groceries sold I headed over .I was right and have now purchased a week or so of food-oatmeal,juice,tuna,rice,pasta dried fruit,bananas and crackers. The only thing I couldn't find was any long life or powdered milk and dried veges.We will probably stop at a bigger supermarket on the way to the lake tomorrow. I also need to stop at an out doors store as the only piece of gear I am missing is a weather radio. It might be good to know if a tornado was heading my way even if there was nothing I could do about it.
I phoned Suzanne from the agreed rendezvous spot at 2.30 and within 20 minutes I was picked up and taken back to their place where I am now. We are going out to a very posh restaurant called Sea Change which is situated in the futuristic Guthrie Theatre on the river. (I checked it out this morning-"Time spent in reconnaissence....." and all that)
The plans have been made for the w/e. Tomorrow will probably just be spent driving to the lake.I don't think we will get away b/4 midday. We will probably just set up camp when we arrive although it might be nice just to wet my new boat and try it out. Greg and Suzanne aren't planning to take their boats. Suzanne has sprained/broken her ankle doing zumba (I knew there was a reason I hadn't taken it up apart from the fact that white men can't dance) so probably won't be doing much of anything. They are quite happy to drive me to the far end of the lake on Sat morning and push me off into Elk lake and leave me to circumnavigate that looking for any further streams b/4 portaging/paddling the 100yards or so into Lake Itasca and the 6k paddle back to the "official start". The time it takes for me to do that will determine how far I will try to go on the first day. I am only planning to do 30k to Coffee Pot campsite but if time and conditions allow I would like to push on to the next campsite 20k further on.if at all possible.
This may be the last post for a while although I will ask Suzanne if she can take some photos to send through when they get back.
Weather
The weather around here sure changes from one extreme to another very quickly. After having a deadly tornado the day b/4 I arrived yesterday was 58 degrees with a cool wind. You don't see many people on the streets nor are there many street level store fronts Everyone gets around using internal walkways through the buildings which are linked by 1st floor sky walkways.
The temperature is forecast to rise to 85 degrees early next week and to remain in the 80's for the rest of the week. Which reminds me I must get a weather radio today when I go back tothe kayak shop this morning. Unlike NZ I can't simply turn on my VHF to get a coast guard forecast. I also still need flares,a safety knifeand mirror
Finally ,remember,a good friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though he/she thinks you are slightly cracked
The temperature is forecast to rise to 85 degrees early next week and to remain in the 80's for the rest of the week. Which reminds me I must get a weather radio today when I go back tothe kayak shop this morning. Unlike NZ I can't simply turn on my VHF to get a coast guard forecast. I also still need flares,a safety knifeand mirror
Finally ,remember,a good friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though he/she thinks you are slightly cracked
Thursday, May 26, 2011
There Goes the Weight Loss programme
Weight loss programme? What weight loss programme? Oh,that? Well I haven't got on the river yet so it hasn't officially started. The restaurant I went to is called Chilis and it has 2 for 1 Margaritas and beers. At the least the food was reasonably healthy-make your own Fajitas. I ended up nursing a couple of Blue Moon beers (one of my favourites in the States) (alright a few) and watching the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Bruins and the Lightning-it brought back memories of my grad year in Toronto all those years ago when we had a key to the student common room and used to let ourselves in to watch Hockey Night in Canada,play shuffle board,use the pinball machines and eat junk food from the banks of machines. In fact Minneapolis reminds me very much of Toronto and I guess the climate is similar. It is certainly a very green town and very clean. It strikes me as a very liveable city.
I have finally made contact with Suzanne and sorted out my plans for tomorrow. I shall go back to the kayak shop with my spray skirt and see how it fits the kayaks and perhaps buy the PFD,a set of small binoculars,(to watch birds and seek out landing and camping spots. I am going around to Suzanne's place mid afternnoon to use her computer ,then we are going to dinner at a seafood restaurant. I also will try to find a supermarket. There is a Walmart some miles back down the freeway but it looks like it will be quite difficult to get to by public transport.
And so to bed (Samuel Pepys)
I have finally made contact with Suzanne and sorted out my plans for tomorrow. I shall go back to the kayak shop with my spray skirt and see how it fits the kayaks and perhaps buy the PFD,a set of small binoculars,(to watch birds and seek out landing and camping spots. I am going around to Suzanne's place mid afternnoon to use her computer ,then we are going to dinner at a seafood restaurant. I also will try to find a supermarket. There is a Walmart some miles back down the freeway but it looks like it will be quite difficult to get to by public transport.
And so to bed (Samuel Pepys)
Bloody Computers
When I arrived at the motel last night I was able to get on to the ondemandit site to check my office e-mails. Think I could do it today I just can't seem to get the website up again. Similarly, I cant even get the xtramail site at all.I am not allowed by the computer to get on to facebook as it is blocked. I can only access this blog. Maybe I will try at Suzanne's tomorrow night.
This is a great motel even though it is a lot further from the airport than the ones I had checked out a few weeks back. It is cheap ($55 a night plus tax) with a standard continental breakfast. It has a big indoor pool which I haven't used yet. My room is perfctly fine and the bed is great
A change of plans tomorrow. I will not be going to Lake Nokonis to test kayaks as they are not taking any of the 3 that I am interested in. I sat in the Storm and Titan at the boat shop. The Titan is a mighty fine fibreglass boat and I am sure we could have a happy and fulfilling relationship over the next 2 plus months if I bought it, but I am leaving it to the last possible moment to make my decision
This is a great motel even though it is a lot further from the airport than the ones I had checked out a few weeks back. It is cheap ($55 a night plus tax) with a standard continental breakfast. It has a big indoor pool which I haven't used yet. My room is perfctly fine and the bed is great
A change of plans tomorrow. I will not be going to Lake Nokonis to test kayaks as they are not taking any of the 3 that I am interested in. I sat in the Storm and Titan at the boat shop. The Titan is a mighty fine fibreglass boat and I am sure we could have a happy and fulfilling relationship over the next 2 plus months if I bought it, but I am leaving it to the last possible moment to make my decision
What A Day
What a great day. Did everything I had planned.Took the shuttle back to the airport and hopped on the Light Rail to Downtown,something I had planned from NZ. As my wife is fond of saying "Time spent in reconnaiscence(? she can't spell very well) is seldom wasted" She also says "First secure your perimeter" (I must find out more about her past.
After walking around town for an hour I took the train back to the kayak shop where I spent time looking at the camping gear,PFDs and boats. I didn't buy anything but set off across the river for a Rotary meeting. My first glimpse of the river was very exciting. It is certainly flowing fast and if it is still like this when I get back in 2-3 weeks I will be in for a fast ride. I had quite a long walk and can feel the pounds slipping away already.
After lunch I went back to the kayak shop and bought matches,gas cylinders,water purifier,water purifying tablets,insect repellent.
I then hopped on the train to Mall of America where I found the perfect T shirt for my wife but unfortunately had to buy another one for me too,so I could get advantage of a two for one deal.Train back to the airport just in time to get on the waiting shuttle back to the motel. Off to a chain restaurant in the car park for dinner.
Haven't made contact with Suzanne who is providing the ride to Lake Itasca but will try again after dinner.
Still got to get food though did get some freeze dried meals at the kayak shop as a back up
After walking around town for an hour I took the train back to the kayak shop where I spent time looking at the camping gear,PFDs and boats. I didn't buy anything but set off across the river for a Rotary meeting. My first glimpse of the river was very exciting. It is certainly flowing fast and if it is still like this when I get back in 2-3 weeks I will be in for a fast ride. I had quite a long walk and can feel the pounds slipping away already.
After lunch I went back to the kayak shop and bought matches,gas cylinders,water purifier,water purifying tablets,insect repellent.
I then hopped on the train to Mall of America where I found the perfect T shirt for my wife but unfortunately had to buy another one for me too,so I could get advantage of a two for one deal.Train back to the airport just in time to get on the waiting shuttle back to the motel. Off to a chain restaurant in the car park for dinner.
Haven't made contact with Suzanne who is providing the ride to Lake Itasca but will try again after dinner.
Still got to get food though did get some freeze dried meals at the kayak shop as a back up
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