Just outside of my bedroom... about twenty feet to the northeast... Lays the aforementioned OC-1.. I really wish I could give you an idea of just how big this thing is. It sits atop the westy for now, and that's good because, as soon as it is warm enough, I am going paddling.. Now, despite the fact that this thing is twenty-two feet long, it only weighs a mere 24 lbs.. It's lite! My Cobra sit-on-top kayak at 11'3" weighs in at forty five pounds or so. I am no weakling, but I usually have to drag that thing everywhere. Ok, I can carry it but it's pretty tough and you really can't hurt it so, I just drag it. Speaking of draging kayaks..


Ok... here we go off topic, yet again. Charlie and I once, after a particularly hard run down the Sespe creek... Featuring, many, many, portages, "due to lack of water" and no particular danger. Riding down narrow, little, log ride type chutes with branches that kept getting lower, and lower, and lower, till finally you are just lying all the way back, eyes closed, arms protecting your face, paddle hanging up on everything... and now, in plenty of danger, of being closed-lined, or in kayak terms getting strained, drowned, and stuck, tangled in a mess of branches. It was at the end of one of these log ride chutes that the river just became unacessable. The water rushed off in a different direction, covered by branches so low, a fish would be lucky to get by...

Maybe, this was the topic all along??? Blogging?? It is more like the fog lifting from your mind... Now, where that river took off to, we really couldn't tell.. Our only way out, was to the right, away from the river. That was the only way to escape a maze of trees, brush, thicket, logs, etc... Now, this was about a 6 or 7 mile run which, we should have had plenty of time for, but we hit some snags (real snags) along the way, and now this.. No water.. for the boats. Luckily, I have plenty of water for myself, as we begin to drag the kayaks, down river, well... down the river bed that had part of the river during the storms last year. Right now it was just an obstacle course of boulders, downed trees, the rose valley wild rose, super sharp and spiny, mud, ya know? It was about then I was thinking, I was really glad I put a can chil, some waterproof matches, and a knife to open it in the boat before leaving.

So down the river without water we go. It's seems to be getting darker to me and I think I should have brought, or perhaps even own, a headlamp. I mean we know where the river is but, it is pretty much surrounded by so much growth that it's unpassable. Well, after some considerable dragging we found a small access point. Really we just plowed though it.. The wetsuits offered protection for our bodies so we only had to take branches to the face and eyes.


Into another log chute and we're on our way again. Past some really nice clear pools and rock formations. There is a whole different view when you are on a creek or river. Most of the time, you are in an area which is, barely, if at all, accessable by foot, so it can be very pristine. The river really opened up from here and we began to enjoy an almost portage free rest of the trip.. Arriving at our destination just before dusk. Now.. Here's where the dragging comes in. Straight up a mile and a half road back to the car. I don't know what the evelvation gain was but when you dragging 50lbs of akward kayak up the hill it just doesn't matter...

I guess I would probably do it again with a little more water flow. CFS = Cubic Feet per Second, The measuremnet of water flow in rivers,creeks,steams, and flood channels.

Quickly, back to the original topic.. You can't drag the Vacuum Bagged Carbon Fiber Ultralight Outrigger anywhere. She is as fragile as a baby.. It is quite long, and while light, it is still quite cumbersome. She is in great danger the second she leaves the safety of my roof rack until she is gently set down in the water...