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Despite a threatening week-end weather report which was responsible for rescheduling Baldwinsville's Seneca River Days Duck Race, 24 paddlers met at the Onondaga Lake launch opposite the State Fairgrounds. Because a number of regulars were keeping their passports in use paddling on the Rideau Canal, it was a pleasant surprise to see so many paddlers, especially the new faces.
The winds were coming across the lake straight at us at our 1:00 launch time. The water was nearly the same color as antifreeze with frothy whitecaps taking dead aim at our kayaks. However, our launch was uneventful and resembled a polished military drill in efficiency. rick tried to round everyone up and keep us hugging the shore to lessen the impact of the winds, but it was hard to do because of the waves. Efforts to keep boats upright involve facing into the pounding waves, while nudging along shore results in waves crashing into and over the sides of kayaks. Few people on this paddle had spray skirts to help them keep dry.
In spite of the wind and waves, new paddlers who soon earned tired arms received on-the-job training in good stroke techniques. Most reported instant relief in their arms, but noticed their stomachs felt like they'd been doing crunches all afternoon. That's a good thing!
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At our halfway mark, Rick again rounded up the crew to take a vote. The question on the floor was whether to beach at the park to stretch and snack, or to return to our vehicles. Tired arms voted to head back. By this time, the wind had been reduced to a refreshing breeze, and the waves which would have pushed us easily back had all but disappeared.
The group dispersed into tiny pods of conversations. The need to keep together for safety had dissipated jsut as the wind had. The take-out resulted in no traffic jams because our arrival times were so staggered. As usual, everyone on shore pitched in and helped each other get out of our boats without dumping. The score was paddlers-24, lake-0. Some boats had a second chance at the lake while people traded to try out different models. We loaded up our kayaks on a variety of mounting systems, ranging from stuffing them into pick-up trucks, tying them onto two 2 x 4's, up to the luxurious Hullavators.
Seven hungry and thirsty paddlers joined the biker crowd at Quaker Steak and Lube for conversation and reflection before returning to our real lives filled with work, chores, and responsibilities. Looking forward to next Sunday!
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