Thanks a lot Ian for organising the first trip of 2010.
It seems as if we have been a little slow getting on the water this year but at least we made it before the end of January, “just”.
It was a crisp morning today (31/1/2010) at Hartlake Bridge on the Medway and it was very sunny even though, there was a hard frost on the ground. I was dressed up like “Michelin Man” because I wasn’t sure how cold it was going to be. In retrospect I realise that I was wearing to much, not that I was getting too hot but because I just couldn’t move.
Julia was wearing her new “Teddy Suit”, which kept her “snug as a bug in a rug” under her salopettes, whilst Ian wore his new “Sweet Helmet” which had extra padding to keep his head warm plus his new very grippy boots.
The three of us actually got on the water just before 11am and given Julia and I (Ian went paddling on the Dart last weekend) haven’t been padding on a river for about 2 months now, we were still able to keep up a reasonable pass and within 20mins we got to the first lock.
A quick portage and back on the river so we reached the second lock by about 11.45am. We must have reached the next lock and the canoe shoot within another 20mins and Ian and I went down the shoot which was great but the water was freezing.
Ian and I had a quick play at the bottom of the shoot before my fingers were frozen solid, so we quickly got out and I put on some wolly socks over my hands to warm them up, and it worked.
We had some lunch, and quickly got back on the water. At 1.30pm we arrived at Yalding after a good bit of exercise, a good warm up for the new year and a “cracking day on the river”.
By 2.10pm we had got changed and had strapped 3 boats on our roof including the open boat and then we drove back to Hartlake Bridge were Ian put his boat on his roof and we were home by 3pm.
It was a good day out and we all enjoyed the opportunity to get back on the water again. So thaks to Ian for motivating us all to get on the water and go paddling.
Hope to see you all on the next Club Trip.
Adrian