Aging gracefully behind the paddle, your thoughts?

That reminds me of a comic I saw some time ago. I do have similar feelings…
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - 2012-06-24 (smbc-comics.com)

1 Like

Oops, sorry I’m late replying to your post. I did not paddle at Topock, though I vaguely remembering someone from my former club went there, not necessarily on the same trip as yours.

The only stretches of the Colorado River I’ve paddled were near Dotsero/Grizzly Creek/a takeout in Glenwood Springs. Record high flows in May 2003, potentially dangerous for two of us three people who were beginners to kayaking. Nobody died, hahaha. But not a smart thing to have done it then.

1 Like

Here is the stretch of the Colorado we want to do

We flew over it and we have a plan

Topock Gorge is a mountainous canyon and gorge section of the Colorado River located between Interstate 40 and Lake Havasu.


My husband always says we have to keep our bucket list cleared out because he never knows when he could bite it :expressionless:

1 Like

We’re hoping to do that section come winter. In the long run I would like to have done all, or most, of it from there to Yuma.
At the moment we’re in SoCal working and will probably hit a 10 mile section or so on the way to Tucson. It will be hotter than we’d prefer but ya have to hit it when you’re there and at least if it gets too much the water is right there, not like summer biking.:grin:

1 Like

We are from San Clemente. Have you checked out Havasu Falls? I wonder if you can float anywhere near there?

I know it’s Indian land and you can only hike in.

Duh I guess not, water :sweat_drops: fall.

I tell the kids I may look old, but I still have the mind of a child! I am not sure how to feel when they shake their heads in agreement!!

3 Likes

I’ve told my daughters that men get married so there will be at least one adult in the family and it isn’t him.

2 Likes

My wife is clearly in charge.

Havasu Creek enters the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon below this spot. It is possible to hike up the Creek to the first falls from the Colorado River.

1 Like

Thanks, I wonder how many hours? Is it shorter?

Isn’t it like eight hours round trip the normal
way?

We have a rental house near there that we might use some day so it’s on my list of things I want to do.

Definitely gets a little toasty in the summer.

I have heard it said that a woman wants just one man to satisfy her every need. But a man wants every woman just to satisfy his one need.

Former oxygen junky here, who loved summiting mountains, 100 mile uphill bike rides, swimming across Walden pond and back every am, and dancing all night. At age 65, after a total knee replacement, and a vestibular injury that affects my balance, I’ve learned to appreciate taking photographs in the nooks and crannies of New England lakes, rivers, and Atlantic ocean rock gardens. Watching seals herd Pogies into balls in Penobscot Bay, or bald eagles raise eaglets along the Nashua river, or Sand eels swarming in the turquoise water of Merchant Row, and experimenting with framing and photographing and editing these sights has me pretty happy these days. My challenges are now learning to turn my kayak into position and get my camera ready in time to capture the harbor porpoises surfacing behind me in Muscongus Bay, or the moose swimming in Lake Mooselookmeguntic. You have to keep an ear out for the sound of them exhaling, and have the camera prepped and ready with your best guess as to f stop and shutter speed and ISO. Then there is trying to find the best composition to convey the beauty of seafog hovering over an island, or a heron poised to nail a fish, without losing your paddle or dropping the lens cap into the water. It’s a very different activity than going fast and far and enjoying your strength, but it engages the eye and your sense of beauty and satisfaction that you can maneuver yourself into a different sort of time and place that maybe is more in tune with what the animals you are watching are experiencing. Thanks for providing this space for this sort of meditation.

8 Likes

Aleksander Doba paddled across the Atlantic 3 times, twice in his mid 60’s then 70
From the wiki:
“He died while climbing Kilimanjaro after reaching the mountain summit”

It sounds like your climbing days are over, so no worries, keep on paddling.

2 Likes

Evolutionary biology :smile:

I’ve paddled Topock Gorge twice, but it’s been a while. I’m thinking of paddling it again during winter 2024.

3 Likes

You need a permit to hike there. Most people camp for the night. Havasu Falls & Havasupai Falls Arizona - Hike, Permit & Trip Tips

1 Like

Seems that enough of us are interested that we could do a group multi-day paddle . . . other than the fact that some are on the other side of the planet. :smile:

3 Likes

No Go 80’s??? No way! I am 83 now, retired Firefighter/Paramedic, and still love kayaking. I lead kayak paddles every week for retired folks and we have a great time. Here on Cape Cod we have many retirees who want to have fun, and we do.
We paddle from 10 AM to 2 PM, stopping for lunch at 12 noon. People stop kayaking here when they move away or die. Other than that, they just keep going. Yeay old people!
Margot

10 Likes

Good for you. My friends think going out to dinner and tasing wine is a big adventure. I plan to stay at it no matter what. I have few friends left to camp and hike with at 73.

3 Likes

I’m in the middle of my 82nd year, have been paddling kayaks for 38 of those years and owned 15 kayaks. A few years ago, I sold off the last of my “long boats” and bought an Epic GPX and, more recently, a 13’ Hornbeck New Tricks pack canoe. I recall the late paddler extraordinaire, Bart Hauthaway, who became something of an evangelist for short, light, double-paddle craft and his oft-repeated credo that “light weight boats get used more often” I can only affirm that Bart was spot-on. The question now is whether to sell the Hornbeck and order one of Bill Swift’s beautifully designed little pack canoes or put my name (and a thousand $$$ deposit) to hold my place in line for an equally lovely Placid Oseetah. Joe Moore at PB claims about a one year minimum wait time for one of his much desired boats. Decisions!

2 Likes