The Purple Mirage Blog

Queen Liliuokalani Video

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-09-16T07:39:50-04:00

docid=8307104026442512620&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> Back from Hawaii and the website has been down for upgrading. I just installed Leopard on the Mac which forced me to upgrade the web page creation software ... which led to a whole lot of publishing problems. ... Our canoe came in something like 63 out of 75 ... which doesn't look that good until you consider that the Hawaiian teams were the best of the best and our boat was primarily novices.

Checking in ...

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-08-19T08:04:40-04:00

But lately I've been totally focused on training for races in the outrigger canoe. ... Well we've had a few races this summer and I have a few photos from the before race and after race. ...In a few weeks we'll have the BIG RACE that I've been training for all summer. ... A huli drill is to practice tipping the canoe over and flipping it back up and getting back in.

Online Dating for Active People

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-07-09T09:44:35-04:00

I tried it back in the 90's when I got back from Nicaragua ... when the internet was still young and the only people online were geeks and programmers. ...I had run into this site a few years ago and since it was geared towards active people I thought that would be a good place to start. ...In short, and I am short, I can read War and Peace, wallpaper the dining room, and fix a gourmet four course dinner for all of your friends on nothing but a table top hibachi in the time it takes you to read this ad. ... • "You are cute as a button and can do many trades but can you make passionate love to keep the man of your dreams coming back just for you."

Lava Falls

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-07-07T19:42:26-04:00

...q=http:%2F%2Fbbs.keyhole.com%2Fubb%2Fdownload.php%3FNumber%3D1136166&t=k&om=1&ie=UTF8&ll=23.719572,-76.03351&spn=0.431253,0.529994&output=embed&s=AARTsJqgjAGSa1kV4AdrI1dJgLCI0xFppA">
View Larger Map ...In addition, I sent an OK signal when we were out on the water with the idea that the OK GPS coordinate would show the direction of our route that day.

Spot Satellite Messenger Review

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-02-26T22:08:10-05:00

I would have had to remove the cell phone from the drybag and make a call while hanging on to my kayak and paddle and keeping the cell phone out of the water. ...And for an additional $7.95/yr you can get the GEOS search and rescue benefit (SAR) which provides up to $100,000 of additional search and rescue resources, including helicopter extraction around the world and reimbursement benefits – underwritten by Lloyd’s of London – for any emergency service expenses incurred. ...Although if I'd had SAR at my fingertips when I was working in Nicaragua back in the 90's, I might not have spent so much time in the hotel. ...It sent a message from the house and 10 minutes later it sent a message with my GPS coordinates from North Capitol Street in DC amidst all the tall buildings.

Canoe Paddling Adaptor

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-02-13T11:02:39-05:00

Dawn (aka Sandybottomkayaker) commented after the Feb 3rd post that she'd like to modify her Concept 2 for a canoe stroke but didn't want to spend a lot of money. ...And the foot position on the Paddle One looks awkward ... more like the foot position in a competition canoe and not the foot position you would use in an outrigger. ... Without the stats monitor to keep track of my progress and race myself (through the rerow feature) I doubt I'd use it very often. ...I've never used either but I'd be more interested in a kayak adaptor for the concept 2 than a kayak specific unit.

Women for Hillary

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-02-08T16:12:36-05:00

So what are we to do when the honeymoon wears off, when the smoke clears from the room and our hero is still chanting change but hasn't done anything substantive. Maybe the plan is to get the country so stoned out that we won't notice that he hasn't done anything. ...Hillary was supposed to be there but when I got there I found out she wouldn't be able to make it. But Dorothy Rodham was there, Senator Mikulski, Governor O'Malley as well as the past two Lieutenant Governors, one of which was a Kennedy.

Erg Workouts

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-02-03T21:47:30-05:00

The club has six and we had over 12 people show up for this Saturday's Erg workout. ...The workouts are similar to what I do on the Concept 2 at home except I don't take breaks between the reps. I do what's called interval training where you go all out for a few minutes then switch to a resting stroke rate for a few minutes then return back to the high intensity workout. But since we have so many people show up for the workouts at the boathouse we take full rests so we can do our reps in shifts.

Homemade Kayak Stand

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-01-20T22:19:11-05:00

If you're a regular blog reader you may remember that I actually own a Concept 2, so it may seem silly to drive all the way in to DC to use one. ...About 12 feet of heavy duty rope or cord, preferably something that won't degrade in the sun and rain if you intend to keep the kayak stand outside. ...Then using the PVC cement coat the ends of one of the four foot sections and add a one foot section on each end using the elbow joints. ...I drilled a hole through the pipe and the bottom near the elbow joints and secured each with some old spectra cord ... which is really strong.

Hillary needs more "Personality"

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2008-01-07T07:17:58-05:00

url=http://www.miniclip.com/games/dancing-hillary/en/google-module.xml&synd=open&w=320&h=290&title=Miniclip+Game+-+Dancing+Hillary&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999&output=js"> ...I voted for Bill and I was a supporter of the Clintons all through the Clinton drama in the 90's. ...I'm also one of those "older Americans" who saw a return to the 90's as a good thing. ...

Antietam Illumination Hike

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-12-02T11:09:44-05:00

The Memorial Illumination of Antietam is dedicated to the more than 23,000 people who either died, went missing or were unaccounted for after the Battle of Antietam. On Saturday, December 1st a group of about 37 Sierra Club members and meetup.com members hiked 11 miles through the battlefields and drove through the nighttime illumination. ... Unfortunately the drive through the battlefield didn't allow time for me to get out of the car and set up the tripod, so I didn't get any good luminary shots. After the drive a smaller group of us met for dinner at the Old South Mountain Inn.

Virtual Hiking in Second Life

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-11-26T18:48:32-05:00

For those who haven't heard of it yet, Second Life is a virtual reality world where you can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want to do. ...In fact, she'll purposely go out of her way to get away from some of them ... who are really bold, especially when you're in the Welcome Center. When you first create your avatar you're "teleported" to the Welcome Center where a series of tutorials teach you how to walk, talk, change your appearance, and teleport. ... One of the first things I learned how to do in Second Life was get my avatar to say "Get Lost."

Backpacking 101

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-11-19T14:50:43-05:00

Then we drove to the trailhead for the Old Rag hike and hiked in about 1/2 mile and set up camp for Saturday night. ...Sunday morning the four of us that camped overnight, Dennis, David, Amy and I, carried our gear back to the parking lot and met up with five other hikers for the hike up Old Rag. This was my first time hiking Old Rag ... which is pretty amazing since it's the most popular hike in the mid-Atlantic region ... or so says the online guide. The total elevation change for Old Rag is less than the White Oak hike and it doesn't have waterfalls but what draws people to the hike is the almost one mile rock scramble with narrow passages between huge boulders and several spots requiring actual climbing.

Billy Goat Trail

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-11-04T20:36:36-05:00

Today I was talking to the Michael, who organized the hike, about organizing a hiking or backpacking trip to Dolly Sods. In a few weeks we might as well try a snowshoeing trip because I hear it snows up there sooner than down here close to sea level. ...The start of the Billy Goat Trail is also the parking lot for the whitewater kayakers that come to play in the rapids at Great Falls. ... And I did feel a little nostalgic about the four kayaks sitting at my house waiting to go out.

Maryland Emancipation Day Hike

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-11-03T18:07:43-04:00

Although slavery was not abolished in Maryland until 1864, the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, outlawed the owning of slaves by its members in 1777. ...The Underground Railroad wasn't really a railroad but a system of people and places organized to help slaves escape to freedom. ...Slaves seeking freedom would often escape at Christmas since they wouldn't be missed for several days or during a rain storm because the rain would wash away their tracks. Although our hike was on a well worn path, the slaves would not have spent much time traveling on such a path for fear of being caught.

Kayak Halloween

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-10-28T18:14:18-04:00

I'm trying to be more evil this Halloween after last year's pirate girl costume that many mistook for a "Mouseketeer" or Musketeer. ... Earlier in the evening Ursula, the she-devil, and I were practicing our evil look at her house ... which came out looking a little less than evil in the photos. ...Ursula and I spent most of the evening dancing, while Charlie, Ursula's husband, took the photos in between eating and watching the World's Series on the big screen TV. ...Before we left they had a contest for best costume and Ursula forced me to line up with the other women ... some of whom had very original costumes.

Dragonboat Picnic

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-10-21T11:52:47-04:00

I left the Delmarva Paddler's Retreat on Sunday, but Monday was a holiday ... for government workers at least. So Ursula suggested we join the DC Dragons for their annual Columbus Day paddle and picnic to the Arboretum. We were hoping to get enough outriggers to fill a six-man for the paddle down. ... The steersman was pretty cool about it ... calling "Hut" whenever we switched.

Delmarva Paddler's Retreat

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-10-20T22:25:40-04:00

On the photo page there are three videos: a video of Alison Sigethy rolling to music, a video of James Hartford playing the bagpipes, and a video of the kayak wedding. I took my SOF racing kayak and worked with Alison in the water on Saturday learning how to do a C to C roll. I thought I had my roll down prior to the Blackburn but I don't think I had a combat roll ... meaning I don't think I could do it under duress. ...ie=UTF8&tag=thepurmir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0978722108">Kayaks of Greenland : The History and Development of the Greenlandic Hunting Kayak, 1600-2000

Quit while you're ahead race

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-07-15T10:04:38-04:00

This was a purely fun race although it had all the trappings of a real race. ... The team just had to show up at the finish line for whenever they'd chosen to quit and signal to the time keepers that they were through. ... KIOCC has a large group of novice women who joined from a neighborhood on Kent Island called Mallard Run. ... So the fun race was a great way to introduce the novices to racing in a more relaxed environment.

Kent Island 22 Mile Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-07-11T21:16:48-04:00

So after the paddle on Saturday I went out with David Shames again at Black HIlls Lake and worked on a modified C to C roll. ...I brought a lot of water in one of those hydration systems but Dave Isbell hadn't put in the hydration hole on the back deck so I could store the water in the kayak instead of on top of the kayak. Because there was so much water it would have caused the tippy Isabella to be even more tippier if stored on the back deck so I gave the water bladder to Bob to store in his kayak and carried a bottle of water on my front deck. ...At Parson's Island I would say there was a stark contrast between those of us who were in the early stages of heat exhaustion and those that weren't.

4th of July Fireworks Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-07-05T21:32:03-04:00

My initial plan was to meet up with my friend Gordon who would paddle over from Roosevelt Island from the Virginia side of the Potomac. ... Then he ran from Jack's to the bridge at Roosevelt Island just in time to see us pass through. ...Being the paparazzi that we are ... we spent most of the time taking photos of each other in silhouette with the fireworks or getting the group in silhouette with the fireworks ... trying to get that great fireworks photo. ...After I told Dave that racers often have to pee in the boat during a long race he told me I needed to get this pump.

Suck Mud ... a true survivor story

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-07-01T21:29:54-04:00

I may modify it by adding another block of foam to the back and filing down the front a little but in the interim we decided to install an old fashioned back band. ...It wasn't an easy paddle because of the wind and the weather cocking but I did make it out and found a real firm sandy beach right outside of the cove with the suck mud. ...The wind and waves were still an issue but at least with a working rudder I had more control over the boat. ...And a sample of size one is not necessarily significant (I'm a statistician so I should know better than to draw conclusions from a single sample) but I did come away with some initial impressions.

Back from Taiwan

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-07-01T21:15:01-04:00

Waiting in line for passport inspection I met two of my team members, Rachel who would be my roommate for the entire trip, and John who joined DC Dragons from Philadelphia. ...I was starting to feel like wonder woman ... flying around the world for the dragon boat races, flying back, never stopping to rest properly and rushing right back to work and out to kayak. ...I was hoping to smoke him in the surfski but the Potomac was covered in hydrilla so deep and thick that it wrapped around my rudder to the point where I could barely inch out 3.5 mph ... in a surfski! ... The Mirage has a rudder but it's sleek and built into the shape of the kayak ... in other words it doesn't suck in hydrilla like the surfski.

Skinning the "Mystery"

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-07-01T21:14:21-04:00

Mystery kayak ...I have this "Mirage" color changing sparkly paint which I may add as a top coat ... but I don't want to lose the translucent effect the skin currently has when the light hits the boat. ...Dave could tell you all about the kayak design software he used to design the hull and deck as well as pinpoint the optimum placement for the cockpit. All I know is it wasn't just a matter of scaling down the design of the Mystery, which was our original inspiration for the kayak.

Coconut Run

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-06-06T22:51:28-04:00

...Until then the main things which occupy my waking thoughts are ... which wing paddle to use for the races ... the Epic Mid-Wing or the Bracsa VII, which power drink would be best for racing the Blackburn, and what am I going to do if I have to pee in the middle of that race?????

Saran Wrap Test Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-05-14T21:16:57-04:00

I didn't really get to test out either function but I did get a feel for how the boat performs. ... The bow is roomy and I have lots of room for my knees which is important for racing but it's also tight. I laid back on the back deck just to get a feel for what it would feel like to roll the boat. ... The next step will be for Dave to put the skin on the boat then he'll start coating the skin to seal it.

Assateague in the Wind

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-05-09T09:51:15-04:00

The only other option I could see would be to paddle south away from the wind and possibly turn the boat around later ... but if I got pushed down the Bay too far it would make a rescue harder. ...After reviewing the options it was decided that Greg and Bela, who had the best 4-wheel drive vehicles, would go with the ranger to the parking lot and return and start carting kayakers and gear out of the campsite. Not the great kayak/camping trip we had planned ... but at least we didn't have to camp out on the island and wait for the storm to pass which would take several days. ...So Bela and his truck finally made it to the kayaks and he made four trips across the beach to cart 9 kayaks back to the parking lot for a total of over 100 miles and maybe at the cost of burning out his clutch.

Sea Kayaking 102

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-05-02T08:34:02-04:00

...The best trip report, of course, was posted by my racing friend Susan. ...The clinic was conducted by Holm Schmidt , who was a member of the 1988 East German Olympic Team. Holm and his wife Melissa were kind enough to offer this racing clinic to a few of us recreational racers (myself included) at Lake Anna.

Is that a "princess" in the canoe?

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-04-27T22:31:24-04:00

...

Kayaking and Blogging

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-03-25T09:59:07-04:00

This weekend Michael Bradley, who is a fellow kayak blogger stopped by for a visit to say hello and see the skin-on-frame kayak that Dave is building ... which I've been blogging about. ...From that list I found out about Michael and some other of my favorite blogs ... like Peter's Paddling Blog and Douglas in Scotland. ... Occasionally he posts a blog or photo that normally would make me cringe ... like the blog about the topless female rowers ... but I love it because it's part of who he is. ...But the occasional glimpse into the lives of the author is enlightening and sometimes humorous, which is why I started including some of the videos of me and my friend Shannon rolling in the pool or photos from my kitchen renovation.

The Frame

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-03-18T09:20:38-04:00

pbwurl=http://w57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/YoSusanita/SOF%20Kayak/1174225916.pbw" height="360" width="480">

...Because I also want to be able to roll this boat in the event of a capsize we made the deck as low as possible while still providing room for my knees. ...t=thepurmir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0071392378&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;float:left; margin: 2px 8px 2px 0" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"> ...I'm expecting that my Huki S1-A surfski will still be faster than this SOF kayak but taking the surfski out in open water still scares me.

Demolition Day

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-03-16T18:26:11-04:00

If I had lived in the house for a long time I might have felt a tinge of sadness as they tore away the old cabinets and tore out the gold appliances ... but I haven't and I didn't. ...But I'll be really glad when it's all over and I can get back to my regular life ... cooking fast and kayaking fast.

Morgan's Run Hike

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-03-04T09:42:38-05:00

I worked hard all week painting the last of the big walls with the 14 foot ceilings so I could join the group going out Saturday to paddle around Chester River and Eastern Neck Island. ... So I joined a Sierra Club hike around LIberty Reservoir ... which looked like a great place to paddle some day although I couldn't tell if it was open to kayakers. ...Several small streams feed into the reservoir which pass through the trail and the hike was advertised on the Sierra club list as having several stream crossing. ...There was a large log across the stream but one of the other hikers volunteered that it could be decaying.

Painting

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-02-15T08:40:11-05:00

Australian kayaker Andrew McAuley was attempting to kayak 1600 km across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand in a Mirage 580. News reports state that less than 75 km from New Zealand his kayak was hit by a wave and he had to exit. ... My friend Bob sent me photos of his kayak and there was one photo of his wife crying beside the kayak. ...Annabel and Maribel pretty much leave me alone while I'm painting, then when I'm done they come and check out my work.

Pool Rolling and Safety Message

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-01-28T12:07:57-05:00

...

It's finally winter!

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-01-21T23:04:42-05:00

pbwurl=http://w57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/YoSusanita/Sugarloaf%20Jan%202007/1169471590.pbw" height="360" width="480"> ...I had been on the "Blue Sky" email list for a month or two but hadn't had the opportunity to join one of their hikes. ... We had a short snack at the picnic tables then Vitas, Roxanne and I hiked to the top while Sally, Alison and Mary followed the road back to the parking lot. ...So I chose to drive down in a rather circuitous route, inching my way down the hills in second gear, careful to steer clear of the cars parked on the side.

Kayak Design

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-01-15T10:31:46-05:00

We could have designed a more rounded hull by adding in more chines but I really wanted a kayak with a solid area of primary stability and secondary stability. ... So what we've come up with so far is a 18 1/2" wide kayak with a 16" wide hull at the water line. ...To get maximum speed I need amble room for my knees so that when I rotate my body through the stroke I can push with the legs. ...Also the less rigid structure of the SOF kayak should compromise speed as well, but I'm hoping that will be minimal.

Winter projects

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-01-10T20:30:14-05:00

Fortunately, Tom, the contractor who helped me tear down some walls and tear up all the floors when I bought the house two years ago has found time to fit my little kitchen project into his schedule. ...Then in the 80's a young man moved into the cottage with his parents and designed an A-frame addition that sits perpendicular to the main house. ... It's small but cozy and the two wood stoves and two fireplaces he designed into the floor plan give it that winter vacation feel. ...So there is another little project I'm working on this winter that is kayak related ... but I'm not ready to blog about it yet.

Winter Workouts

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2007-01-02T11:13:17-05:00

This is a Concept 2 rower that I bought last spring for cross-training. I don't want to sound like an advertisement for Concept 2 but this rower is great!. It has a built in computer monitor which tracks your workouts and provides predefined workouts to keep you motivated. ... I also like the rerow function which allows me to race my previously saved workouts.

Patuxent River Park

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-12-17T22:41:37-05:00

The only way I can see the birds in any detail (because I never wear my glasses on the river) is by paddling up fairly close. ... When I'm sufficiently close to the birds and the kayak is moving forward, I stop paddling and get ready to shoot. ...So when Julio pointed out a group of Muscovy Ducks paddling close to the shore I set my camera up and began paddling towards my photo prey. ... I was feeling pretty good about my incredible skill at not scaring the birds until Gina told me that they were pretty sure the ducks were tame.

The Canada Goose

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-12-17T22:26:27-05:00

On Saturday I put-in at Carrs Warf for a short paddle up the Rhodes River. I was still hoping to see the Tundra Swan but Friday I had listened to a radio broadcast about the migration of the swan to the Chesapeake Bay and they confirmed that it was still too warm. The Tundra swan is a native of Canada and only migrates down to the Chesapeake Bay after the lakes have frozen over up north. We're either experiencing an unseasonably warm winter or just feeling the effects of global warming.

My First "Sweep" Roll

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-12-10T11:44:58-05:00

pbwurl=http://w57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/YoSusanita/Pool%20Rolling%20Dec8/1165793551.pbw" height="360" width="480"> ...

KIOCC Christmas Party

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-12-10T11:35:55-05:00

Shannon and I stopped by the Kent Island Canoe Club's (KIOCC) Christmas party before going to our pool rolling session. ... A few of the outrigger paddlers tried their best to convince Shannon that she should try outrigger canoe paddling but she held firm ... she's totally into greenland kayaking.

Birds in Flight

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-12-01T10:24:31-05:00

This is a repost of an old photo Gina Cicotello took on our kayaking trip to Tangier. ... It was basically this photograph and others she took on the trip that prompted me to buy a new camera. I like the features on the Optio but in the end I decided to buy the Olympus Stylus 720 SW. ...Most kayakers enter the website through the blog page because ... that's the link I've been posting.

Eastern Neck Tundra Swan Watch

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-11-26T22:20:05-05:00

On Sunday Nov 26 fourteen paddlers met again at Bogles Warf landing for another paddle around Eastern Neck Island. ... And we saw some very large flocks of white birds which we think were Tundra Swans. But we couldn't kayak close enough to get any really good photos. To read Hank's excellent trip report go to his site.

Broadkill Prerace Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-18T15:46:22-04:00

Next Saturday there will be a race with over 100 kayaks on this river so I wanted to check the run out before the race. ...I kept the GPS on the whole time we were on the river and even though she paddled very intensely and tensely we still made good time. ... I think she would do fine racing the surfski but I think she's going to race the Simon River Laser instead. ... With all that frantic race boat wake she could huli in the surfski and that would throw the whole race off for her.

Wye Island Prerace Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-24T15:05:37-04:00

I had mentioned to her that I wanted to do the run before the race because of her now infamous Wye Island Circumnavigation Story. ... But last year she and Kathy did a pre-race run around the island and turned a 12.4 mile paddle into something like a 35 mile marathon paddle. ...Susan is planning to paddle her Solstice and I'll be paddling the surfski for that race so we will not be paddling at the same pace. She carefully pointed out landmarks for me to take note of for the various turns and I took pictures with my digital camera.

Rocky Gorge Reservoir

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-03T13:42:27-04:00

On Monday, July 3, I met Rick at the Brown's Bridge put-in for a leisurely paddle around Rocky Gorge Reservoir. Rick was working on different paddling strokes he needs to master for an upcoming BCU coach test in Vermont. ...I kept thinking that this would be a great place to practice paddling technique on the surfski, but it was just so ... quiet. ... I didn't bring the IPOD because I wanted to be sociable, but if I came out alone on the surfski I would definitely bring some tunes.

Rocky Gorge Group Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-08T13:32:10-04:00

Shannon is looking for a new boat to replace her wooden strip boat so I loaded up the Mirage so she could take it out for a test paddle. ...We also picked up two new paddlers at the put-in, Sherman, who paddles a custom made strip boat that looks like it belongs in a museum, and Rowe, who just acquired a plastic recreational boat. ...My friend Russell emailed right before I left the house that he had just got my invitation and couldn't make the Brown's Bridge put-in so he decided to put-in at Scott's Cove and meet us on the river. ... It would have been a perfect day to do a conditioning paddle in the surfski, but this was a social paddle so we kept a nice steady pace of about 4.3 mph.

The Spirit of Aloha

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-09T13:16:37-04:00

What I found was a nice group of people who are serious athletes but who also like to have fun. ...Initially I was worried that my small size would be a drawback to participating, but Chip assured me that for the six person canoes it's all about rhythm. ...The club likes to use nicknames (the only other one I remember is buttercup who set the pace in seat 1) and somehow I got the name surfski ... so surfski (me) was reprimanded more than once on the first leg of our paddle. ...After the second break we headed back to the put-in and some people took out OC-1's ... one person outriggers.

The Perfect Surfski

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-03T13:00:35-04:00

I found out last night I was reaching too far into the water with the paddle and I was pulling back before the paddle was firmly planted, which caused a lot of splashing. ...When I took it to Lake Anna last spring for CPA's annual SK102 event about half a dozen people were unceremoniously dumped in the Lake by the S1-A. Last night while we were doing our Wednesday night team practice Saki got to really test his ability to paddle the S1-A without the disruptions of the wind and waves we had last Saturday for the KIPP paddle. I made sure he had a paddle float because the S1-A is more difficult to remount than his C4 and before he set out he said he was prepared to spend a lot of time in the water.

Kent Island: A tale of two paddles

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-30T12:37:19-04:00

And later that afternoon I joined what remained of the Kent Island Practice Paddle (KIPP) group for another 7 miles in my surfski. ...One of the club members, Chip, has a house with water access about 12 miles from the Yacht club so we were to paddle as many outriggers as we could over to his house. We all met at Chip's house on Thompson Creek around 8:00 then we carpooled back to the Yacht club for a 9 am launch. ...So Anne decided to drive to another part of the island which was closer to Parson's Island, where they were supposed to stop for lunch, and contact them by radio from there.

Great Falls Kayaking

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-05T09:47:33-04:00

But I was thinking I might try to run the Lower Yough (class III+) later this summer so I wanted to get a little practice in on gentler waters. ...After paddling through the canal we still had at least a 1/4 mile hike with the kayaks on our shoulders to get to the put-in. ...So we ended up dragging the kayaks over a small section of rocks to get to the put-in at S-turn. ...But as we were coming back to the take-out at Anglers we ran in to the cutest little guy paddling a baby version of an Eric Jackson kayak.

White Oak Canyon Revisited

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-06-25T07:49:54-04:00

I often think about that hike as a good example of why you should always bring along safety equipment even for a day hike, like a first aid kit, extra food or water, and especially flash lights. ... If for some reason you get injured or take too long on the hike on a cloudy or moonless night you could easily find yourself feeling your way down the mountain in pitch black darkness. ...Farimah wouldn't pee in the woods so we had gone a mile out of our way to get her to a flush toilet at the Visitor Center. ... While there was still some light out Marie and Dennis had run ahead to get the flashlight while Farimah and I felt our way back in the darkness using the glow from Farimah's cell phone to light the footpath of the trail.

Loyalsock Flatwater Challenge

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-06-12T23:10:21-04:00

The race was split into two classes: the recreational class would do a 6 mile loop up and down the river and the racing class would do two loops for a 12 mile course. ...Susan was paddling a Solstice that has served her well in many, many races ... but she's also the proud new owner of a Mark 1 surfski by Custom Kayaks. ...I adjusted my IPOD and switched it on to a selection of fast kayak music I had selected specifically for the race ... mostly AC/DC with a little Bon Jovi thrown in. ...As I was chatting with the other racers after the course, Ron runs over to me and says, "How would you like to compete for the state championship?"

Nanticoke Kayak Race

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-16T22:57:07-04:00

In fact, I'm allergic to so many things (cats, dust, mold, pollen, ... air) I just stopped keeping count and decided to take the allergy pills every day. ...By the time I got to the put-in my eyes were tearing, my face was swollen and my hands and feet had started to swell as well. ...I usually feel a normal rush of adrenaline when I'm competing and adrenaline is the drug of choice for allergies ... so I'm thinking that the race might actually be therapeutic. ...So around mile two I decided to take the bold step and stop a casual rec boat kayaker coming down river and ask her to clean the rudder.

Eastern Neck Island

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-23T22:16:17-04:00

I really didn't think the trip would go as planned but when we got to the put-in we found that most of the kayaks were loaded, ready to go and people were anxious to get on the water. ...Because the wind had picked up and we had such a big group Marshall redirected the trip to paddle up Church Creek which was more sheltered from the winds and growing waves. ...We stopped for a quick lunch along the shore of Church Creek but the wind was picking up and Marshall decided we should head back to the put-in at Bogles Warf. ...When we got back to Bogles Warf, Shannon, who is still trying to decide on her next kayak, decided to test paddle and roll Peter's red Anas Acuta.

Chesapeake Bay Island Hopping

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-06-20T12:20:12-04:00

I had toyed with the idea of driving to Janes Island Thursday night and camping, but not sure what the final plan would be I opted to stay connected to the internet Thursday night and drive down early Friday morning like everyone else. ...We unloaded the kayaks and gear onto the dock and left Bob to guard our gear while Uber Bob, Gina, Rick and I drove the cars to Saxis. We had just dropped the cars off at Saxis and begun the drive back to Crisfield when Gina realized she left her wallet in the car with all her money and credit cards. ...But we couldn't find a launching ramp at the dock and we didn't want to drag the kayaks, which were loaded down with gear, up several feet to the docks.

Chimney Rock

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-07-02T12:08:38-04:00

Most of my photos didn't come out but I did like this photo of the sun coming through the trees and hitting the sign for the Appalachian Trail. We didn't see a lot of wildlife on this hike except for the lone bald eagle soaring overhead while we lunched at Chimney Rock. The forecast was for temps in the 90's but the streams were filled from the rains last week which sent a cool breeze through the air. ...I got home a little too late and slept in a little too long to make it to my scheduled kayak outing but I hope to get out tomorrow.

Parramore Island

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-02T11:54:36-04:00

The above photo was taken on Parramore Island by Marc Webster on a trip to the Virginia Barrier Islands with kayaktraining.com. ... The action you see brewing in the distance hit us while we were on the water paddling back to the put-in at Quinby - torrential rains, and then (I swear) hail! ... All these islands (18 of them stretching from Chincoteague down to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel) are owned by the Nature Conservancy. ... I've been down there about 6 or 7 times and continue to be stunned anew each time I go."

Sandy Point State Park

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-06T11:37:35-04:00

We had originally planned to start loading the boats around 11:00, but she got in late Saturday night from a photography assignment and I didn't sleep well, so when she called around 10:00 I was more than happy to start later. ...Like usual I started out taking the pictures but since Shannon is a real photographer she couldn't resist telling me how to set the scene. ... We had to paddle around to get the best view of the bridge and to get the sun in the right position for optimum lighting. ...Some really good shots of me got all blurry until we figured out how to reset the camera.

Manhattan Circumnavigation

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-13T09:48:16-04:00

On Saturday I visited New York City for the first time and I saw it as few people get to see it ... by kayak. ...Susan's friend Chris had volunteered the use of his sister's condo as a crash pad and honestly if we hadn't had a place to stay the night before and after the paddle I doubt I would have gone. ...And if it hadn't been for the traffic around Baltimore, Harrisburg and all the points in between there and New Jersey ... we would have been right! ...We were paddling around 6 mph which I thought was a decent pace, but Jerry had another planned break for us at a waterside bar on the Hudson River.

Kent Island Practice Paddle #5

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-20T08:59:57-04:00

In fact, most of us were prepared to go the distance all the way from Hemingway's to Love Point, which would have been about 29 miles. ...The only reason I mention speed at all is because on the last trip there was concern that some of the group was paddling too fast. ...The forecast for the day was for 1 to 2 foot waves and westerly winds which means we were hit by most of the heavy surf and waves for the first 10 miles of the paddle. ...Once we started paddling again I got my second wind and by the time we made it to Kent Narrows I was ready to go the final 5 miles to Love Point.

Pier 7

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-17T08:00:31-04:00

The South River feeds into the Chesapeake Bay so it offers a variety of paddling opportunities from the protected waters of the river to the more exciting choppy waves of the Bay. ...As we were coming back to the beach for the evening dinner we were greeted by Greg with a very serious looking camera. I think he was taking photos of everyone tonight and we were just lucky enough to get photographed as well. ...I know she was just looking for a good rolling boat but the dimensions on this boat look like it's going to be FAST.

Broadkill Race

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-08-27T21:36:05-04:00

So she didn't know my race strategy (I'm so new to this I really don't have one yet) and I didn't know her race strategy. ...The smaller group of racing kayaks were clearly focused on winning but the majority of the racers, who showed up in all kinds of plastic vessels, seemed to be there mostly for the fun of the event. ...The Broadkill river is tidal and for both the pre-race and the real race on Sat we were definitely aided by an incoming tide for the first 5 miles of the course. ...I figured the lactic acid in my arms would move out by about mile 5 and then I'd have a chance to pass the white rabbit.

Kayaking in the Adirondacks

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-09-11T21:27:47-04:00

In September I attended a CPA organized trip to the Adirondack Lakes in New York. ... I started working on a separate blog for the trip but ... kayaking got in the way.

Wye Island Regatta

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-09-17T19:16:09-04:00

It was the dead of winter but I managed to talk three paddlers I knew from the Pier 7 Pirates into going out with me on the very calm and flat Patuxent River: Brian Blankinship, Alan Dixon and Mark Donigan. ...So my goal for the summer was 1) to master paddling the surfski on the Bay in wind and waves and 2) to race in the Wye Island Regatta. ...And in August I got a taste of what it feels like to go the distance with someone who is equally matched and just as intent on winning when Susan and I competed against each other in The Broadkill Race in Lewes, DE. ...I had trained all summer in the surfski in various degrees of wind and waves but I didn't know if I could do it in a race.

Circumnavigation of Kent Island

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-09-24T17:43:47-04:00

On the first leg down the west side of the island we encountered brutal head winds which slowed the pace down to three mph only to be rewarded later when we passed Kent Point and the winds turned in our favor sending us surfing towards Parsons Island, at one point reaching a top speed of 7.9 mph. ...It wasn't the ideal launch site but most of the land on Kent Island is privately owned and we were grateful that Marshall had found this one. ...I had set my GPS to stop collecting speed data when we dropped below three mph under the assumption that if we were moving less than three mph we must have stopped paddling. ...The direction from Parson's to Kent Narrows is almost due North and I was hoping for a significant increase in speed because we'd have the wind at our backs and the tiding coming in.

The Religion of Purple

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-09-26T17:35:25-04:00

I have a purple kayak and purple pfd and I had joked about painting my house purple. ...Shannon cast me a sly smile and said, "Have you seen the purple house in Takoma Park?" ...According to the The Purple People Website, the color purple is a color of the highest spiritual vibratory rate. ...I just find it humorous that I've been a practicing Purple Person in my Purple Mirage with my Purple PFD and my Purple Bandana ... and I didn't even know it.

Elk Neck Kayak Trip

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-10-01T17:02:21-04:00

And the group got in a full day of kayaking on the Elk Neck River and enjoyed a potluck dinner at the campground, all the while watching the sky as the clouds moved in and the sky turned grey. ...I'm calling it an annual event only because as long as I've been a member of CPA there has been a fall Elk Neck kayaking trip. ...As we were leaving the picnic spot Shannon was trying some kind of creative entry into her kayak and fell out into the water spraining her wrist. ...Ralph had secured a group camping site at the Park and arranged for everyone to contribute towards a group potluck, which meant we had way too much food.

Eastern Neck Wildlife Paddle

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-11-20T21:44:45-05:00

The Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is located at the confluence of the Chester River and the Chesapeake Bay in Kent County, Maryland and is a major feeding and resting place for migratory and wintering waterfowl on Maryland's Eastern Shore. ...Marshall has been organizing kayak trips around the island through the different seasons to see the various types of birds which migrate and nest at the refuge. ... The highlight of the Fall/Winter paddle is usually the majestic Tundra Swan which rests on Eastern Neck Island during its Fall migration from Canada to North Carolina. While we did see a small flock of large white birds which we think were Tundra Swans the real mass migration of thousands of birds has yet to occur.

Shackleford Banks, NC

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-11-15T19:04:42-05:00

On Veteran's Day weekend I met a new kayaking friend, Dee, for a kayak trip to see the wild horses of Shackleford Banks. ... I had read a few of her trip reports where she wrote about doing solo kayak trips out along the Outer Banks in NC, paddling in heavy surf and dealing with water streaming in the cockpit during difficult surf launchings. ...With a forecast of high's in the 70's and water temps in the 60's it looked like a perfect weekend for kayaking so Dee and I made plans for a kayak/camping trip out to Shackleford Banks. ...Normally I would be a little hesistant about embarking on a long kayak/camping weekend with someone I had never met, but we had exchanged so many emails and it seemed we had so many common interests I had no doubts about the weekend.

Sugarloaf Mountain

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-10-15T23:06:00-04:00

On Saturday October 14th I joined a group of hikers from the Maryland Outdoor Club and the Catholic Alumni Club (CAC) for a four mile hike up Sugarloaf Mountain. ...The hike was led by Bob Cianflone, who is also a kayaker and member of Chesapeake Paddlers Association where he is known for his very humorous and sometimes sarcastic comments to the CPA listserve. ...After dispensing with the waivers, Bob gave the group a short history of the mountain and a detailed description of the various types of snakes one might find on the hike as well as descriptions of the types of spiders which reside in the port-a-potties. ...We had the first frost of the season that night but the sun came out in time for the hike and we enjoyed perfect fall weather.

Chincoteague Island

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-10-17T22:48:05-04:00

The weekend of October 6-9 I participated in a sea kayak training weekend on Chincoteague Island, Va. The training was conducted by Steve Rohrs, Julio Perez, and Rick Wiebush of kayaktraining.com. It was a long weekend of training, touring and relaxing in a spacious beach house right on the water in Chincoteague. Prior to the training I had filled out my skills assessment form and requested more training on trip planning and navigation, two areas that I would like to improve in.

Halloween

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-10-31T21:00:38-05:00

My great Assateague kayak camping plans got cancelled due to rain, wind and cold which left me in town with nothing else to do but go to halloween parties. So Saturday night Shannon and I went to two halloween parties. ... I created a whole separate album for the evening and I even made my first MOVIE using iMovie on the MAC. ... It takes a few minutes to load but it's pretty cool.

Blood Mountain, Georgia

purplemirage@gmail.com — 2006-11-08T18:30:50-05:00

So after having a leisurely breakfast and packing sandwiches and drinks in the car we drove 1 1/2 hours north through winding mountain roads to the Blood Mountain Wilderness area. ...Some interesting facts about Blood Mountain are that it is the highest peak on Georgia's portion of the Appalachian Trail and the state's sixth highest mountain. ... According to some websites I found it came from a bloody battle between the Cherokee Indians and Creek Indians long before white men arrived in the area. ...At the peak we were rewarded by gorgeous views, an old cabin now used by hikers on the Appalacian trail, and a mass of boulders which created small kid-sized caves that kept Jackie and Daniel busy exploring while the adults lunched on the top.