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ISK "As If" Drill a Great Success!
What better way to start a crisp, fall day than to head out on a 14 mile paddle with 16 other lucky kayakers chomping at the bit? After so many grey November days, the skies parted for our November 11 "As If" drill, allowing for a lot of camaraderie and information sharing on a nearly motor boat-free Lake Minnetonka. (You can't make this stuff up!) The premise of the "As If" paddle is that we pretend we're on a real trip so we can work on leadership, navigation, group dynamics, communications, and any other area of interest in a relatively safe and populated area. Some came along just to fit one last paddle in, while others were very concentrated on the drill. Regardless, there was plenty of room for anyone's agenda.
Click here to see pictures from the "As If" Drill event.
After everyone arrived and got their gear ready - many prepared as if they were going on a legitimate camping trip, complete with tents, stoves and sleeping bags - we gathered in the parking lot for instructions. After Jeff Forseth's outline of the day's events, Ted Snyder's discussion on hypothermia, (including avoidance, warning signs, and resolutions), and Pete Kuhn's review of required gear, we were ready to break into three roughly equal groups, each of which assigning themselves a leader and a navigator. Leaders reconvened at the Official ISK Parking Lot Tailgate HQ (aka the back of the truck, where the coffee cake was housed, thank goodness) and discovered that not only was the route already well-planned, but each group was to paddle different routes to ensure an authentic small-group paddling experience. After discussing expectations, leaders reconvened their groups and discussed the parameters of the day - with special emphasis on not paddling under any docks! Darn it, we were so tempted...
We all headed to shore and gracefully (you know who you are) got in our boats. There were a wide range of abilities and speeds, but everyone stayed together in their respective groups as we paddled into a mild 8 MPH head wind and once in awhile shouted out a bearing or spun a map around, comically trying to figure out just where we were. Each group also had a pit stop built into their route if needed which, for Group 3, at least, was a welcome arrival after all that coffee. After stretching and chatting a bit, we all got back in and hit the water, headed toward lunch and the day's half-way point.
After arriving at the city park on Big Island, everyone grabbed their food and headed to the lone picnic table for more laughter and ribbing. It's always interesting to see what others bring to eat - Powerbars, Spaghetti-O's, cookies, vegetables... whatever we could dig out of the fridge - although some people had their camp stoves revved up for the Five Course Meal Deal. Part of going on these little excursions is the chance to see how others do what they do, and from packing to food preparation this trip was no exception. The continuing warm weather and calm conditions made it that much more enjoyable and after lunch, as we began to relax and get comfy, Ted spoke a bit more detail about hypothermia. It turned into a discussion around different people's experiences and close calls with cold conditions, with many questions and suggestions about what gear to bring as prevention for different scenarios. Jeff and Michelle (who yes, did bring her famous cookies) pointed out that they had become borderline hypothermic during a canoe trip in the middle of the summer (July), highlighting the need for vigilance. Pete led a discussion on types of equipment needed for extended day trip.
And then it was time to choose new leaders for the return trip, receive our new routes, and hop back in the boats on sheer, glassy water. You cannot beat paddling on a flat sheet of water while listening to migrating loons off to the side. A few powerboats were lighting up the water, but they were no match for us reinvigorated paddlers. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits as we headed away from shore and conversations ranged all over the map. Nobody really tested any capsize scenarios or tried any towing drills, although a few did some very impressive sculling braces to cool off; hypothermia was the least of our worries as all that GoreTex and neoprene makes for some warm paddling! Many people were on their docks or boats (the muskies weren't having anything to do with those clanging metal pancakes they call bait) and shouted greetings to us as we paddled by - fifteen minutes of fame for all!
The return trip seemed immensely faster than the voyage out, but everyone arrived safely on shore and because it wasn't a race, it didn't matter that Group 3 arrived first. After the rest of the groups arrived, some of us went off for pizza and beer while others had to return home. If this was our last outdoor paddle either as a group or as individuals, there was no better way to say thank you and goodbye to the 2007 paddling season. See you in the pool!
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