I won’t be out this Saturday, so my paddling is done for 2022. Overall, it was a pretty good year.
I got out for 52 trips including 14 whitewater runs and a week-long camping trip on the Allagash in Maine. With my arthritic knee flaring up more frequently, I know my days of kneeling in a canoe numbered, so I decided to pull the trigger and buy a sea kayak. With much advice from folks here, I ended up with a P&H Capella 166 RM. I didn’t get out in it as much as I would like this year, but I’m sure that I will in 2023. I didn’t do any hiking in the fall, but got out for 9 hikes in the winter and early spring.
The new year starts in Sunday, and I’ll be out somewhere. How about you – what did you do in 2022? Any plans for 2023?
Good year, despite no big events. Won our class in the general Clinton 70 and the adk 90 miler plus a few smaller events but it was a bit busy to fit too much more in. Completed my 5th Marine Corps Marathon 26.2 in October and did a extended hiking excursion in Morocco in November. Probably just cracked 1500 miles total
In 2023, I’ll be returning to the Yukon River Quest for the first time in 5 years and the Ausable Canoe Marathon in July. I’m sure I’ll do the General Clinton in May and the 90 in September. I really enjoy the Adirondack Guideboat race in July in Saranac so will likely do that one too
Competing in a 50K XC race in Feb and doing the Chicago Marathon in October. Depending on how Chicago goes I MAY run Marine Corps a few weeks later for fun
First and foremost, I am alive and in relatively good health!!! With paddling/surfing, I don’t count but know I got a bit of waveskiing and longboat surfing in this past year. A “highlight” is probably acquiring my “dream” surfing longboat – a kevlar Sterling Progression kayak – and starting my learning curve with it.
For the upcoming year, more of the same. I’ll get some more waveskiing in. With the Sterling Progression, I want to scope out some outer Boston Harbor Island breaks, or isolated reef and point breaks. I want to ride some long peeling summer waves with the Sterling and not have to think/keep an eye for the board surfers that frequent the usual mainland breaks.
I’ve got two more paddles planned for 2022 - took tomorrow off so heading up to Crystal River with a fellow WaterTriber to get in some miles (probably 15-17 or so) and then a shorter paddle on Friday to round out the year. I’ll hit 1000 miles for the year sometime on Friday’s paddle, I’m usually around 750 yearly but with training for the Everglades Challenge last spring my mileage was more than normal so I decided to go for the next big number. Should easily get to 1000 miles in 2023 as well.
My big paddling story for 2022 was attempting the Everglades Challenge. It was a LOT of work preparing for the race since I was basically starting from scratch and had never been camping before. Tons of research on gear, setting up the boat and figuring out how to pack everything. The weather and a few other factors precluded me from finishing but I’ll be back on the starting beach for 2023 - hoping for a slightly less obnoxious forecast. I did have a lot of fun training for the race - the sailing rig on the kayak is really fun and I’m glad I finally had an excuse to get one.
I am a day tripper (typically solo), essentially no camping anymore. So I’ll do my 40+ day trips, mostly on our local lake (110 miles around its periphery) and hopefully another lodge-based trip somewhere off Vancouver Island. My youngest Austrian granddaughter and boyfriend might visit for such a trip.
Now at age 82, I’d like to restore my roll which disintegrated last year. My day trips are usually under 9 nmi. In the garage I have 4 kayaks – one for me, one for my spouse, one for guests, and one to sell (probably the CD Slipstream). I also have for sale a scarcely used beautiful Aleutian paddle which didn’t work out for me. Then my gear will match my needs for the ensuing attempt to age disgracefully.
Physically, I have an arthritic left shoulder and other minor age-triggered issues . PT exercises and massage allow me to continue kayaking. This is not that debilitating for my age, so I certainly cannot complain. For me the kayaking is a calming, meditative pursuit – I’ve used up all my adrenaline.
Progess. Not where I expected to be, but pushed to st least equal last year trips. Noticable improvement in consistency (consistently consistent), with progressive incremental improvement. Recovered ability to push myself up out of the kayak seat. Learned to compensate for handicaps. Next year will be better yet.
I still have 20 miles to go to make over 400 for the month (in order to keep the 400/month streak going (currently 41 months). With 3 days left, shouldn’t be a problem.
(due to local hurricanes - I know, excuses, excuses) I didn’t make my paddling every day this year (as in the previous 2)
Made over 5K for the 4th year in a row (over 4K for the prev. 4 years).
Note: these are mostly just short (around 10m) trips (longer on weekends)
To contrast with ‘long paddling trips’, below are the years I paddled around Lake Superior (consecutive years)
I don’t keep track of my paddling but I think I got out around every other day. For me 2022 was a great year for close encounters with critters. In 2023 I want to learn how to use a kayak paddle and keep off the weight I lost in 2022. I’m also going to set one new goal for myself but I never tell anyone my goals until I achieve them.
Very good for me. I went out an average of 5 days a week. Some weeks I was able to go out every day. Long day on Saturdays and most Sundays I got in from 6 to 9 hours. Work days I get out about 3 hours nearly every morning. Only 2 camping trips however.
2023 I am already planning 4 camping trips of 3 to 8 days each.
If nothing catastrophic stops me, I hope 2023 will be even better for kayaking then 2022 was.
I have been paddling for over 60 years.
Health issues have slowed down the trips in the last 2 years.
Next June we are running a river on Oregon for a week. Now I mostly go in drift boats instead of canoes.
Having three fairly decent, but flashy Cl. 2-3 creeks nearby (the Catskill, Esopus and Schoharie) as well as a clean mountain lake, I don’t really keep count of my weekly solo local homeboy paddles…But I did have some highlights/adventures slightly further afield. My main problem white water-wise in 2022, was having my two slightly older-than-me regular partners age-out of the game completely for the most part. But we did get together one last time for an annual release-overnight camp out last August. And as I don’t always play well with others in large group paddles(I usually prefer paddling with groups under 5) this dilemma prompted me to seek out new alternatives. Especially since my wife doesn’t appreciate me running solo anymore, even when she’s my "shuttle bunny."
Thus, I was led into three new directions: On bright days here and there, I was asked by a friend who owns a kayak livery to run safety during his sponsored day trips–Bring up the rear and protect ing many first time tourist-rec boaters from themselves was fun!
The second direction was throwing my ww lot in with a young guy (one-third my age) who let me try out his SUPs in exchange for me showing him the lines on our local rivers. He got to try out rapids for the first time, I got to try out his board(decided to get a new one myself)and I also got a big strong fellow to help me get my canoe on/off the old truck. Think I got the better deal…
Memorable trip wise, I did a 20+ mile Fall day paddle down the Susquehanna from Cooperstown, NY. Things got a little hairier than expected, as we launched late and only made it back to our vehicles an hour after sundown.
And finally in 2022, I got more and more into canoe sailing. No shuttles, no partners, and dare I say, NO PADDLING! For 2023, I’m planning a paddle-sail down the Hudson river and back from Albany to Manhattan island/NYC {my hometown.)
All in all, a pretty good year for paddling. A couple of bucket list things in such as a week at Isle Royale with Michael Gray and completing the full Paddle Antrim (42 miles over 2 days - 15+ mph wind on Torch & Elk on day 2 - the 27 mile day). It was good to get back to Qajaq Traing Camp to see everybody. Otherwise down some on both paddling & hiking. Put some time into building a off-grid cabin on family property up north (OK, if you are not from Michigan that means in the upper part of the Lower Penninsula). Also, my friend who does much of the trip organization has backed off from most things other than day trips due to taking on eldercare.
Next year the plan is to finish the cabin & see what else comes along. I do have a trip planned for late September in Ontario north of Elliot Lake (Flack Lake Loop). It’s a bit of a portage fest but I really enjoy the area.
This was year 2 of kayaking for me. The big step up this year was kayak camping. My wife and I did the Rideau Canal waterway; 200 beautiful flatwater (with locks) kilometers of paddling in 8 days. We really enjoyed it, met a whole lot of nice Americal big-boaters, who were finally able to make it up here after the border closures, and lucked out with near perfect weather.
So… for 2023, I’m hoping for more of the same. Considering 3 days aroiund Phillip Edward Island in the summer, and maybe a spring trip down south-east somewhere to get an early start on the season. Still looking for a good flat water location with no un-portageable giantic dams, crocs, or springtime people-eating mosquitoes.
Are you thinking lakes or rivers? The Southeast is a massive area with plenty of both.
Mosquitos are hit and miss. Rivers and lakes, in my experience, are not bad. Swamps can be horrific at times.
Swamps are beautiful and if there has been enough rain, water flow can keep the mosquitoes to a minimum.
Check out Lake Fontana, NC if you like mountains or Lake Hartwell, SC . Hartwell is in a hilly area. There are several state parks along it.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Lake Jocassee, SC. One of the most beautiful lakes around with a nice campground. It is very popular and if you want to stay there, it’s time to make reservations.
