I hopped over to Saranac for a day or two, even though I am incredibly poorly set up for summertime adventure at this moment in time. I forgot my sleeping hammock, don't have a flat paddle, and didn't even put a canoe on top of the car. Despite all that madness, I took the afternoon and rented (at some expense) an aramid Wilderness from SRCO. A quick stop at ADK Outfitters got me a Badger paddle; I like those guys a lot and typically do shuttles/rentals at SRCO and actual purchases from ADK. I picked a Badgertail with decent grain and no sapwood, maybe 2 inches shorter than optimal because I spend most of my canoe time kneeling. It came with an interesting stretchy sock that will no doubt grace one of my recurve bows in the future.
I threw rain gear and a lunch into a thrift-shop duffel bag and had a pleasant few hours messing around Floodwood, Middle and Polliwog ponds, despite the annoyance of some beam winds. This was my first time in a factory-made boat in four or five years, though, and it made me realize a few things: in a skin-on-frame, your gear stays dry. There is perhaps half an inch of space between the wooden frame and the skin; any water shipped just drips below the ribs and into no-man's land, where it doesn't bother anybody. Not so in the aramid! I also realized my homemade paddles are plenty up to snuff, and despite being a little more expensive in terms of hours invested, I'll probably keep making my own. The Badgertail seems to be varnished over its full length, and I'll probably sand off the throat and oil the shaft instead.
Saw the requisite pair of loons and a bald eagle, and realized just how out of shape I am. I kept my boots off and paddled and portaged barefoot.
It was also the first time in a while I've paddled a boat I couldn't kneel in. There is a standard footbar in the Wilderness, so I couldn't just turn it around and kneel paddling stern-forward. Sitting was a different vibe, for sure, but not entirely unpleasant. It marked the first 'upper tier' boat I've ever paddled and while I can't drop 2 or 3 grand on a canoe, I can remember how this one felt and try to adjust my next build to include some of its benefits.
I threw rain gear and a lunch into a thrift-shop duffel bag and had a pleasant few hours messing around Floodwood, Middle and Polliwog ponds, despite the annoyance of some beam winds. This was my first time in a factory-made boat in four or five years, though, and it made me realize a few things: in a skin-on-frame, your gear stays dry. There is perhaps half an inch of space between the wooden frame and the skin; any water shipped just drips below the ribs and into no-man's land, where it doesn't bother anybody. Not so in the aramid! I also realized my homemade paddles are plenty up to snuff, and despite being a little more expensive in terms of hours invested, I'll probably keep making my own. The Badgertail seems to be varnished over its full length, and I'll probably sand off the throat and oil the shaft instead.
Saw the requisite pair of loons and a bald eagle, and realized just how out of shape I am. I kept my boots off and paddled and portaged barefoot.
It was also the first time in a while I've paddled a boat I couldn't kneel in. There is a standard footbar in the Wilderness, so I couldn't just turn it around and kneel paddling stern-forward. Sitting was a different vibe, for sure, but not entirely unpleasant. It marked the first 'upper tier' boat I've ever paddled and while I can't drop 2 or 3 grand on a canoe, I can remember how this one felt and try to adjust my next build to include some of its benefits.
