A moment of zen

(This was supposed to publish last night,,, wordpress delenda est)

Made it to the lake today. While my upcoming year goal of 100 miles a month hasn’t started, yet,, I decided to push a bit today.   Only problem I had: Flat BOREDOM,,,   I have spent so much time on this little lake near home, I can tell you details about it that I doubt the fisthermen know. (mostly because I can get in places they can’t)  

And its Way DOWN right now.  When I first started paddling, I did the whole circuit with the GPS logging me.  came out to just shy of 11 miles.(thats strict shoreline hugging, I didn’t do that today)   Water levels are down 5 feet from then and doing the half circuit, I only logged 4 miles today.   Might have stretched that to 7 but like said; bored.     same old scenery, same old channel cat that shadows me on one section, same ol’ Heron hanging at the headwaters.

and those headwaters,,,, (see pic)

That greenery in front of the trees?   That’s usually underwater and I can coast right up that creek into the treeline.  It looks like forestry came out and cut some channels for the creek to flow through until such time as the lake rises.  WAY LOW!!!   I know we had a dry summer, but man,,,, that’s sayin’ something.

Going forward with my paddling goals, it WON’T be on this lake.  Laurel has hundreds of miles of lake I have not paddled, and lots and lots of cliffs and (if it rains) waterfalls, so I have new and exciting to me things to look forward to.   The miles will happen, Cumberland lake is even bigger, and there are sections of the Cumberland river (downstream of me) that I would like to paddle as well (usually an overnight, so I have to work on a pickup option.)

This is where I differ so greatly from most of the local paddlers.  Most only want to float along with the current, OR get into the wilder rivers for short sections of WW.  I like covering distance, seeing things, and not always with current under me to move me along.   I want to take days to do some trips, camping along the way, and REALLY prefer water that dances.  The water today was so tame as to be GLASS and that was flat boring me to tears.  No wave chop, no fetchwaves, most of the waves I encountered were my own wake catching up to me in my slow-downs.

But, that can all wait.   My actual moment of Zen came, not on water, but on the porch.   I decided that whatever crap I did to the hull of Lyssa, MUST come off.   That top end I saw today,,,, pathetic by what I know she is capable of.   and those speeds dropped precipitously AFTER I re-gelled her hull.   Thats all coming off and I managed a great deal of  what was left today.  Still a couple small sections that feel ‘wrinkly’ and I will get them tomorrow.   No more Gel-coat on this girl!   I can hear the difference in the gel vs the epoxy paint they used while I was sanding.  The paint has a deeper timbre to it and the gel ‘sings’ and makes lots more dust.  

And I now have the epoxy to redo her hull and get that glassy finish.   I want my ‘little red corvette’ back!!!!