We’re not in Kansas AnymoreThe wind on Sunday was vicious. The relentless and powerful gusts made the trees shake, Lake Ontario roar maliciously and foam at the mouth, and the boats wobble and shift in their cradles. One kayaker had to pull over on the highway twice to tighten the straps on the rattling kayak. Cockpit covers and straps made howling noises while cutting through the wind |
Fair Haven State Park/Sterling Creek
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during the drive. Some lighter kayaks had to be held down while being tied and untied so that they didn’t blow off the car roofs. The straps had to be minded as well, since they aspired to become kites. An interesting paddle was underway.
Fair Haven State Park’s beach was deserted and mean-looking. Ontario Lake was beautiful in its rage, its deep turquoise waves and bright white caps glistened in the sun. Although it looked everything but inviting, Bob and Dave L. tempted the fate and went to play in the waves. As Bob described it later, he was well hydrated by the Maytag style bath the lake |
Aneta |
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Anne |
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Greg |
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Roger |
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treated him to. A wave took him by surprise with no time for an Eskimo roll. He did a wet exit and scrambled back up with David’s help. This is a perfect example of what not to attempt while you’re by yourself.
Due to the wind it felt brutally cold. Everyone was bundled up. Yet the weather was not a deterrent, as we had a turnout of 21: John, RL, Bob, Dave L., Dave F., Larry, Anne and Roger, Patty, Christine and Phil, Lynn, Greg, Kim W., Susan, Cindy and Rick, Tish and Gene, and Aneta and Robert. Edgar the Hitchhiker Dog also participated, although securely tucked in under mommy’s sprayskirt. We cut across the pond and proceeded to Sterling Creek, which was relatively wide and surrounded by reeds on both sides. It was scenic and would have been serene if it weren’t for the fierce wind. We saw several beautiful Red-winged Blackbirds and a swan nest with its majestic occupants. The birds didn’t seem to mind the weather at all. The wind was behind our backs and we were cruising at top speed. As a matter of fact, we didn’t need to paddle at all. Without paddling, we were propelled by the wind at about 2 miles per hour, and if we used the paddle as a sail, it was even faster. This was an unprecedented experience. Unfortunately, it wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of struggle we’d have on the way back…
After completing three miles, the trip leader ordered a retreat. That’s when the crusade against the wind began. Oh, was it work! The wind pushed the kayaks sideways, caught on paddle blades and upset the stroke, and attempted to reduce the effort of paddling to nothing. Yet we pushed on with a vengeance, anxious to avoid mishaps. We started hugging the reeds and zigzaging between meanders so that we always had the wind coming straight on. The progress was slow and difficult, but every so often we caught a wind-free break, which we used to rest and regroup. The final section through the pond was the worst. The pond was much wider than the creek, so the wind was attacking us straight on with full force. Every stroke was a battle, and it felt like a water treadmill, except we actually did make small progress. One by one all paddlers arrived to safety. That was probably the best upper body resistance training ever.
We helped one another load and strap down the boats while doing our best not to click the ruby red slippers by accident. Nobody blew away. We can pat ourselves on the back for another hairy trip completed safely.
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