As they paddled ahead of us, we had to negotiate paddling under viaducts and overhead freeways, replete with the sounds of abundant traffic overhead. But, once past these, the slough meanders through a quiet forest dotted with sprawling corporate offices. All of the office windows were floor to ceiling, with desks, computers, and filing cabnets organized into little cubicles. I imagined that if I worked there, I'd be looking out of the window most of the time, wishing I was gliding along on the water.
Walking trails lined the parkway, and large expanses of grass separated one building from another. A thicket of brush - mostly blackberry canes - lined the shoreline, so very few places offered a path down to the water. We enjoyed seeing large turtles sunning themselves on logs along the shoreline. They'd drop down off the log as we approached. mallards floated alongside us, as they have become used to people frequenting the area, so do not scurry away.
This paddle is the first of many we hope to have with Taraz and Megan. It was fun to watch how they work 'their system' in tandem, pulling the canoe through the water and maneuvering around obstacles. They have a little practice ahead of them, which will hopefully damper Taraz's eagerness and enthusiasm, so he does not paddle so animatedly! He places four strokes to Megan's one very carefully placed stroke, and he has a penchant for racing. But, then, we do too, and we cut him off and won......even with George doing all the paddling, and me filming the event! I told Taraz that he will build up the muscles in his arms and chest after he's done a few years of paddling. And, I warned Megan to be careful about portaging long distances over the years. It can take it's toll on the cartilege in the neck and shoulders. George and I were caught in a storm a couple of years ago, and the wind forced us out of the water. It started raining, and we had to portage our canoe about a mile around the lake on a trail, rather than paddle. We dragged the canoe part way too. That was my last 'over the head' portage. It caused some compression issues, and it's taken me a couple of years to work out the pain and improve the range of motion to my neck. Of course, I was 60 at the time, and should have been more careful, perhaps just waiting out the storm with an improvised shelter until the wind and rain stopped. But, we were in the San Juan Islands, and had a ferry to catch on our way home, and could not dither away the time.
Naturally, it was fun to watch Megan and Taraz, and to imagine the enjoyment they will have in the future with their canoe. Megan has received certification in canoeing courses at the Maxwell School up in Canada. This is a comfort to me, as I know she is going to have her hands full taming Taraz's zeal, making his strokes count. We were pleased to see her occupying the position at the rear of the canoe, the power position, as from that location she can correct any maneuver made by Taraz up in the front. He, however, is responsible for steering, for ascertaining submerged hazards, and must learn to hold his balance in rough water, compensating for sudden changes. This demands a lot of focus and vigilance.
All of us went to Cascade Water Sports in Bellevue, where George and I purchased our canoe 7 years ago, and we ordered a green Adirondak canoe for them from Wenonah, one just like ours. The man who helped us was on an Olympic canoeing team several years ago, and knows his gear.
He pointed out the importance of getting canoes that were similar if we planned to canoe together, that way everyone goes at a fairly uniform speed and stay together. Some canoes are so heavy they do not go fast, even if they are smaller. The Adirondak has a reputation for speed, to cover a lot of ground easily, and that makes it an excellent touring canoe. The tough-weave fiberglass fiber is durable and light, easy for portaging and lifting. It is also very stable on the water, with very little give in turbulent water. We wanted to purchase something that would be very reliable, but also guarantee 'easy paddling', so it doesn't become a chore. Often, this can be the pitfall of some canoes - the inexpensive kind bought at Costco can ultimately become a chore to paddle and load. A few trials on that type, and many owners give up on canoes. They switch to kayaking with ultra light types or the inflatables. (The photo here is of kayaks. All of the canoes were indoors.)Puget Sound has abundant water courses, with all kinds of water - saltwater estuaries, lakes, and rivers. These are just waiting for Taraz and Megan, and I hope they will have hundreds of adventures, just like George and I, with canoe camping and daytrips, and with hiking side-trips. I'm so happy for them. I think they are off to a good start!
