Why is it "we get too soon old, and, too late smart"? On Sunday I made a very silly error in judgement which could have been very grave -I was very fortunate. While the water was fast and turbulent in the North Saskatchewan River beyond Rocky Mountain House, it was most likely doable (class 2 at the most) in a properly weighted kayak. Quite simply I had too much gear and provisions to be stowed in the kayak. So, I put the excess on the top of the cowling and secured it with ropes and cords. As any seasoned kayaker knows, this is fraught with peril because you now have more weight above the naturally designed centre of gravity of the kayak. As I needed all this gear for my trip, including cart wheels to get me around dams and the like, I "assumed" I could "brace" myself down -I have done it on more tranquil rivers. Not very bright!
I tipped and lost some gear and after 45 minutes in the water I grabbed a "snag" like it was a long lost cousin and was able to secure the kayak and scramble to shore to deal with my potential convulsions. After working to pump out my cockpit and get at my gear in the hatches, my body temperature went up. I still had SPOT call for help which arrived in the form of the Rocky Mountain House Fire Department.
I am currently reflecting on my lapse in judgement at Blythe's place in Calgary. While I want to continue, I need to rethink and likely amend my itinerary to reflect logistics, judgement, safety, and most of all the stress my "accident" had on those who are my support group through the SPOT system and other communication devices. I also need to replace key things like GPS and charts, which were lost in the river.
I will post my decisions in the next couple of days.
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