Speaking from personal experience, being with Tom gave everyone else courage. He was the best at figuring out how to escape from the most dire situations. So, with our grant money burning a hole in our bank account, and an overwhelming task ahead of us, Tom and other members of WRT were driven to get the work started. He and I had waited since 1993 to get busy “fixing” Matheson’s mangrove forest.

First, to help you understand the areas under discussion, is a sketch Tom did during this time period. The area on the left is Matheson Preserve, and on the right is Biscayne Bay. Our journeys were therefore highly influenced by the conditions on this large body of water. Paddling back into the teeth of a northeast wind was brutal.

Sunday, 11 November 2001

Project: “Baitfish” FAF 1096

Location: Matheson Hammock

Time on Location: 7 am→ 1 pm

Weather: Breezy, cold, seas 2′→4′   Low tide (10:30 am) Threat of rain

Canoe: Sure-Do

Guides: T. Kazo, Rob Council

Passengers: 0

Summary: The low tide makes the day’s workload difficult. Our return trip will take us out into the ocean. We were intent on retrieving several canisters of fluid that was suspicious in nature. We had to alter our plans as the tide receded and would not allow us to gain access.

We continued to areas that could be penetrated, removing several (5) plastic oil containers with heavier than water fluid (to be disposed of) plus other oil containers discarded by local fishermen and boaters. Total of 3 large bags of trash and 2 blockage logs (3′ x 5″ thick) were taken from the area.

Rough weather would not allow us to continue.

-TK

Kevin Rapczynski is standing where we usually park the tow vehicle and trailer for unloading.

Saturday, 17 November 2001
Project: Operation Baitfish FAF 1096
Location: Matheson Hammock
Time on Location: 7:30am→3:30pm
Weather: Windy, 20 mph N.E.    High tide peak 10:04 am       Seas 2′ increasing
Canoes: Sure-Do, Duzzit, Dark Deceiver, Did-it
Guides: Tom K(azo), Kevin R(apczynski), Adam C(asper), Rob C(ouncil)
WRT Volunteers: Dr. Rose Resendez, Ed C.

From right, Adam Casper looks on while Robert and Kevin make slow progress through the corridor. The bottom of this tidal creek was clogged with fallen trees, and deep sinkholes were also a real hazard.

Summary: The weather is not conducive to good canoeing but the tide is. We ran the coast south to the southmost entry point of the project. We worked our way to the clog. We took notes on what equipment will be necessary to remove the log jam. We entered into the north trail, removing much debris.

This area can be treacherous to both canoe and human. There are also bottom sink holes that have no apparent bottoms. These will all be tested, checked, and marked. Runoff sediment could possibly be the reason for this problem. Severe damage by Hurricane Andrew, uprooting large trees etc. may be another cause.

Our return trip was rough with seas at 3′ and a NE wind of 20 gusting to 35 mph. All canoes were loaded with trash and tires.

-TK

Robert Council (left) and Adam Casper loading up the trailer; one of those days when our volunteers could paddle right up into the parking lot.

Sunday, 18 November 2001
Project: Baitfish FAF 1096
Location: Matheson Hammock
Time on Location: 7:00am-3:30pm
Weather: Winds 20(+)mph N.E. Gusts to 35 mph. Hi tide 10:27 am
3′ seas    Sunny, cool
Canoes: Sure-Do, Doer, Duzzit, Dunnit
Guides: Tom K(azo), Rob C(ouncil), Kevin R(apczynski)
WRT Vol. Members: Dr. Rose Resendez, Ed C
Summary: We took advantage of the 3′+ seas by heading out into them and then after 1/4 mile, making a long southward arc. This enabled us to surf almost to our southmost entrance. We came equipped with saws, pulleys and line. We removed the “Clog” (a way point named after its definition- “clogging up the waterway.”)
We then started on the north trail (was completely clogged). We chopped, sawed and removed approx. 1/4 mile of debris and uprooted, dead flora…One roll of film was destroyed by sun exposure.
We proceeded NNE, most of the time wading waist deep in detritus. Many bottom logs had to be moved or removed. This was necessary to enhance corridor flow. Many of these logs had to be cut (by hand) for removal. The movement was slow and brutal. We removed several large trees (dead). The bottom should now have some relief.

Looking for logs in all the wrong places

Our desire is to have runoff and tide flow wash the sediment out and into a “hook” exit in the bay, causing a small delta. This can then be planted with red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle). This in time would create a crescent internal circular corridor for baitfish.
It is important we complete a rough corridor before late spring. This will allow us to observe blossoms and breeding of bait fish if we can get them to use the corridor. This would cleanse the mangrove area.
Our return trip took us up the coast close to the mangroves. Eleven bags of trash and debris, plus two tractor tires were also retrieved and brought in for removal. Several large trees were chopped up and dispersed at the work site.

-TK

Loaded down with a large tire and other items of marine debris, Kevin and Robert are zipping right along. Note the condition of Biscayne Bay beyond: breezy and rough.

Saturday, 15 December 2001

Project: Operation Baitfish FAF 1096

Location: Matheson Hammock

Time on Location: 6 am→ 1 pm

Weather: Hi tide, raining, mixed winds, 67°  Bay waters very choppy. NNE→E 20 mph

Canoes: Dark Deceiver, Duzzit

Guides: T. Kazo, Rob Council

Passengers: Volunteer- Linden F.

Summary: When we arrived in the Park, no human was in sight. The seas and skies were very threatening. Tide was high with winds gusting 20 mph +. We headed south through the forest. The overcast had stopped the rays of daybreak. It was almost like traveling at night. The storms of the past several days have left the project area littered with debris and flotsam.

We entered the North Entrance. Approx. 600′ of black nylon trap line had come ashore and entangled itself within the mangrove structure of the area. The winds and rains were fierce. We spent 4 hours filling 15 bags (6′) of this plastic black trash. If this were left for a later date, if would have totally entangled the area and would destroy new growing flora.

We headed back only when the tide got so low that we were scraping bottom.

-TK

Sunday, 16 December, 2001

Project: Baitfish FAF 1096

Location: Matheson Hammock

Time on Location: 7 am→2:30 pm

Weather: Overcast- raining- tide reaching peak. Increasing wind 10 mph +

Canoes: Dark Deceiver, Sure-Do, Duzzit, Can-Do

Guides: T. Kazo, Rob C., Dr. Dave, Shara D., Kevin R.

Volunteers: R. Baker, C. Baker, B. Figini

Summary: Today again, it is not a good day to be on the bay. Our main interest is to remove the remnants of trap line fouling the flora of our work project. We managed to unravel and cut 11 more bags of line from the coast and entrance area of the project. We stored them (bags) in the shoreline.

We then proceeded into the south fork of the project. We loaded 2 canoe loads of rotten logs and tree debris that we had been cutting for several weeks.

We now have one complete corridor completed southbound and two westbound. It was rigorous trying to transport all the trash but we managed.

Our biggest problem is that in our absence, more flotsam compiles along our shoreline, than we removed the time before.

—TK

A typical view of the tangled mess within the Preserve, with Robert just seen beyond, paddling through the maze.

Saturday, 22 Dec. 2001

Project: Operation Baitfish FAF #1096

Location: Matheson Hammock Park

Time on Location: 9:30 am→ 1:20 pm

Weather: Small Craft Warnings: 3′-5′ seas in Bay    Winds to 35 mph, scattered rain— very cold 50º — incoming tide

Canoe: Dark Deceiver

Guide: T. Kazo

Passengers: 0

Summary: Another bad day on the bay. White caps into the parking lot. Not good weather for canoeing. NE wind very cold. Just enough water was present to scout the shore line to the north entrance of the project. Last week many hundreds of feet of trapping line was removed from this entrance area. Several 4″ float balls were staged in the mangrove wash before our departure.

Today I attempted to locate them and in turn learn something of the force and direction of fresh water runoff and its influence of the area. Four out of six balls were located and positions marked. The area will be gridded and results formed as to influence.

—TK

Saturday, 5 Jan. 2002

Project: Baitfish FAF 1096

Location: Matheson Hammock

Time on Location: 7:00 am→ 10:30 am

Weather: Very rough, seas 7′ in Bay. E→SE wind 25(+) mph – 40 mph gusts— very cold, 57º

Canoe: Sure-Do

Guides: Tom K., C. Doyle

Passengers: 0

Summary: Winds were so bad that we had difficulty taking canoe from trailer. We hoped to enter into North entrance and check any water flow changes with comparison to wind direction. We were not successful. We were unable to fight the fierce winds as we entered the open bay.

—TK

Sunday, 6 Jan. 2002

Project: Baitfish FAF 1096

Location: Matheson Hammock

Time on Location: 7:45 am→ 11 am

Weather: Very rough seas  9′→12′    Winds 30 mph (+) Scattered showers. Bay is covered with froth. Small Craft Warnings

Canoe: Duzzit

Guides: Tom K., Craig D.

Passengers: 0

A 2nd attempt was made to gain entrance on the north side of the project. Again another failure. Within 30′ of the beach (2 boat lengths) we were swamped 3 times in a short period of time.

Better luck next week.

-TK

Wisconsin, with its 84,000 miles of rivers and 15,000 lakes, is full of places to paddle, float, fish, or just watch and listen.

The BLM has a share in all this beauty, since we manage about 500 islands in Wisconsin’s rivers and lakes. These are the islands that were omitted from the original land survey back in the 1830s and 1840s. We don’t manage all the islands. Many of our islands are close to other state-owned islands or private islands, and it is critical that you determine whether an island is public land before you use it.

Have you visited any of our BLM public islands?

For more information and detailed locations with maps of these island visit the Public Lands of Wisconsin website.

The put-in at Crieff

Almost immediately after setting off, we met the main challenge of the day, a grade III weir (maybe it was less on the day), and once it had been scouted out from the bank and a descent path decided upon, we took turns to paddle down whilst the other took up position below with a safety line just in case of any spills, thankfully there were none. We spent some time ferrying back and forth below the weir, aiming for eddies on both sides of the flow and in the middle too, with mixed success at hitting the target and staying at the same river level despite the varying strength of flow.

Weir at Creiff

Playing beneath the weir

A perfect lunching spot

Within minutes of leaving the weir we spotted a nice rock feature standing out in the sunshine and decided to have lunch, barely a kilometer from our put-in, but it was lunch time and we’d spent a good amount of time and energy playing already.

Curious horse

The remainder of the journey down to Crieff was pretty chilled out, just some very easy rapids but very pleasant and it has whetted the appetite for a return to this section and to more of the river which is navigable above and below this stretch.

Kitchen clean                        25 swats paddle or hairbrush  almost

Laundry washed 2 loads         5 swats paddle or hairbrush per load  done

Laundry folded  2 loads          5 swats paddle or hairbrush per load  done

Laundry put away  2 loads    10 swats paddle or hairbrush per load  done

Thought I did really well yesterday.  I got all but one last sink full washed and one not put away, so it has been argued down to 5.  All the loads requested were done, but …found a load in the dryer that I had run 3 days ago…  so thats 5 for not being folded, 10 for not being put away and 6 with the switch for how long it took.

20 plus 6 switch, not too bad, right…

Well, dropping the kid off at school I nearly sideswiped a school cop.  He didn’t write me a ticket but did tell me to pay attention.  20 to teach me to pay attention.

Going back to pick child up, I was SUPPOSED to pick up my meds and then take her to the library.  I get to the school to discover I forgot my purse.  I remembered a book to read while waiting, but not the purse with the drivers license in it or the library card, or the money for the co-pays.  10 for not picking up my medicine.  15 for the library, cause I broke a promise.  and another 15 for driving without my license.

all told… 60 plus the 6 with the switch….

sore and contrite.

Have at least 3 more loads for today’s chores

Date: Saturday, 10 Nov. 2001
Project: Operation “Baitfish” FAF #1096
Location: Matheson Hammock
Time on Location: 7:00am-3:00pm
Weather: Winds NE at 18mph, partly cloudy, 76°, low tide going into high
Canoes: “Sure-Do”
Guides: T. Kazo, Rob Council
Passengers: 0

Summary: The wind was up, making our paddle south a little testy. We located a Third World 55 gal. oil drum 7/8 full of a fluid heavier than water. This was marked and pulled out into the flats area for helicopter disposal.

Approx. 300 yards south of the drum the skeletal remains of a female leatherback turtle were observed. These were gathered and bagged. It will have permits applied for and be used in an educational class. Students will get the opportunity to reconstruct the structure. Fifty yards south of Turtle #1, we found remnants of Turtle #2. This was only a partial skeleton. Not much of it could be retrieved due to the detritus.

We entered the South project entrance. To a great surprise some baitfish (glass minnow) started following us up the corridor. This is a good indicator.

Debris and trash in the area is still very evident. It will take time, much removal equipment, cuttings and trash bags to attain an acceptable degree of cleanliness.

GPS Readings from Start Point to South Entrance Clog

Start 25° 40.301′     80° 15.663′
Clog 25° 39.665′    80° 16.065′

We entered the North Trail and started removing and cutting dead wood. During this endeavor we also found an old now dust rotted bale of Cannibis sativa. These remnants were collected and discarded and scattered.

Our first bird of the inner mangal is believed to be a roseate spoonbill. A foraging nest was observed. To this date the only birds of note are two great blue herons that on occasion follow WRT canoes in hopes for a handout.

We have found this area to be extremely fragile due to pollution and human disregard. The habitat (mangal) has been thoroughly ransacked and raped by storm and pollution intrusion. Careful and delicate removal of these “cancers” in time and proper habitat reformation will abound again.

Seven bags of trash and two tires were recovered and brought to the Park for disposal.

-TK

Going back over Tom’s reports has been an emotional experience. I’ve been an editor for over twenty years, and have edited writers from all over the world, and of all levels of education, but Tom’s use of English was unique. He loved to play with words, loved to make people think with unusual descriptions. He would sometimes refer to “Project Baitfish” as “Operation Baitfish” and I can attribute this to his Army service in Vietnam.

We chose “Project Baitfish” because of the vital importance of the little guys to the health of the ecosystem of beautiful Biscayne Bay. With the restoration of the historic tidal creeks and corridors of Matheson’s mangrove forest, baitfish (and other, larger species) would again have their nursery. The term we learned for such an important area was, “Essential Fish Habitat.” That pretty much sums it up.

Tom’s vision was to pull out the manmade debris and the dead wood which clogged the tidal creeks, so that normal, healthy tidal flushing could do the rest. That he called such items “cancers” makes sense, because they do tend to attract more debris and grow to a malignant condition, effectively killing the ecosystem. Turns out canoes were the best vessel possible for this miracle to take place.

In the photo near the beginning of this post, Robert is dealing with the 55-gallon drum, and that tire won’t be there too much longer. Note in what we call our “canoe view” that the tide could not be lower! But there were advantages to all tide conditions, in that we could reach different areas for varying projects.

“Mangal” is a term used to describe a mangrove forest habitat. What we set out to restore were remnant passages of Snapper Creek, which was artificially straightened back in the 1920s and made into a canal deep enough for boat passage. At the time Tom wrote this report, it was impossible to venture into these waterways, so choked were they with hurricane-felled mangrove trees.

There were two distinct areas for our attention at this time; the Northern Corridor system which is most visible on the 1992 satellite photo below, compared to the nearly-invisible Southern Corridor. The “clog” Tom refers to was a few hundred yards up the Southern Corridor; beyond that was a branch that trickled northward. This was historically the link between the two remnant systems.

Note that in this satellite photo taken in the months after Hurricane Andrew, Matheson Hammock’s marina are bereft of boats, and the houses in the developments are a mess. The red color indicates the temperature of the surface; the green area indicates cooler areas which happen to be the ones where there are some surviving mangroves.

Earlier in this post, and below are some of the photos we took of the leatherback turtle Tom mentioned, to include the eggs she never got to lay. Leatherbacks grow bigger than any other sea turtle; note the size of that femur! Can get some real swimming power with that back leg. The puzzled young man below is student volunteer Joseph Lopez, attempting to put the skeleton back together again (he could not). However, last we heard, Joseph was studying veterinary medicine in another state, which makes me very happy.

Lots of good kids have grown up in our canoes. And Wildlife Research Team will find a way to continue to provide those opportunities, because it’s never been more important to do this.

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Kitchen clean                        25 swats paddle or hairbrush

Laundry washed 2 loads         5 swats paddle or hairbrush per load

Laundry folded  2 loads          5 swats paddle or hairbrush per load

Laundry put away  2 loads    10 swats paddle or hairbrush per load

Patrick took some time to share this experience and his thought process leading to the design of the K-9 Float Coat. Here is his story. To see our latest K-9 Float Coat, click HERE.

Thoughts of heading down to that favorite swimming hole, lake, or the ocean make me appreciate those childhood swimming lessons.  Those early experiences opened my eyes to a new world, and life was never the same after that first dip.  In and around water is where I choose to spend the majority of my time.

Fast forward to 1996 where whitewater kayaking consumed every spare moment. Of course Otis, my Australian Cattle Dog was always by my side–the perfect companion for road trips, camping, and river running. Our days on the rivers were spent with good friends, paddling our kayaks while Otis would join us by running down the riverside. During more technical drops, he would boulder hop and dive in and out of willows and fragrant lupine. In the flat-water, Otis would swim out and join me on my kayak.

As we both adapted to this whitewater environment, it became apparent that I had a significant safety advantage–helmet, dry top, paddle, and ergonomic lifejacket.  Otis seemed content with running the river “naked”, but I started to become concerned for his safety as we upped the ante. So I outfitted Otis in a canine flotation device from a respected whitewater company. One of our first trips using his new gear was a 17-mile paddle down a wilderness run on the upper forks of the Kern River in California. At one point as Otis ran the riverside, the granite walled up and cliffed out, impeding his down river progress. This required me to ferry him across to the other side, just above a significant drop. As I grabbed a hold of his flotation device to lift him onto the kayak, he slipped out of his lifejacket and into the water. After a few seconds of extreme concern for Otis’s safety, I was able to scoop him up and get him back into his jacket, and ferry him safely across to the other side where we completed the run.

Back at camp, I fitted his jacket again, this time trying to tighten the straps to keep Otis from slipping out.  No matter how I adjusted the straps, Otis could easily spill out of the jacket.  This experience inspired me to create a better canine Float Coat.  My goal was to design and build a Float Coat that would allow Otis to run and swim unencumbered, while staying in his coat no matter how I tried to pour him out.  With this new Float Coat, we could both continue our waterborne adventures with a renewed level of confidence, safety, and fun.

I invite you to discover the added benefits and fun that can be had by adding Ruffwear gear to your adventure.  Take a dip for me and remember, it all starts with a doggy paddle.

Chow,

Patrick Kruse

Early morning reflections of the National Museum

You can see the fog building in down near the wetlands.

The Commonwealth Bridge is looking pretty cool.

6.15am

I just love seeing things from a different perspective

At Warp Speed…..Photo bombed by the guy’s from the ‘Burley Griffin Canoe Club’

6.25am: The fog is just starting to roll in…..Oh Yeah!

6.27am: Misty

I love the dull reds of the ornamental pears.

I wasn’t the only one out on the lake taking it all in.

Nice to catch up and have a chat.

Even the scullers slowed down to experience it.

6.47am: It’s amazing the transformation that took place in 30 minutes. Every morning is different.

Nothing ever become real ‘til it is experienced.” John Keats

Canoeing on Kluane Lake – photo courtesy of travelyukon.com

This is the first trip since my older son was born almost 12 years ago, that I’m not doing with my family.  I am both exhilarated and terrified.  It is going to be like nothing I’ve seen before with people whom I’ve never met.  I’m going on a 30 day NOLS Outdoor Educator course.  Half of our time will be spent on a looong hike (12 days?) and the rest of the time will be running whitewater in canoes.  Luckily these aren’t new concepts to me, but we will be learning a whole bag of new skills and how to break them down and teach them to others.  What I most hope to gain from this experience is the ability to help others safely navigate the outdoors with confidence.

My ultimate dream is to run the Nahanni river with Fraser and the kids.  This is one big step in that direction.

I want to thank my wonderful employers (Mountain Equipment Co-op) who fund this amazing experience for two staff every year.  This was my lucky year and I’m going to take full advantage of this unbelievable opportunity.

I haven’t even gone yet, but I’ve already learned this…dream big, do what you love and no matter where you are in life, never stop growing.

The numbers are just a trick played by your mind ‘polished’ with social conventions, norms, rules, customs and other blah n blahs! You can always check the strength of these so called ‘guardians’, the ideas, against the natural element, say for instance water, and washed these shackles will be for sure; freeing you and giving a chance to be yourself!

So, here I started; moused through the RSVP platform and found myself at the start of an amazing weekend trip, my very first adventure trip to Dandeli; yonder to the white water of River Kali. I flowed, drowned, floated, choked, laughed, screamed, survived and LIVED!

Several stages of being one with the nature weaved together, thanks to modern technology!

The rocking ride.

The much ‘awaited’ collision!

The ‘content’ n thoroughly happy me

A chatty gathering of the thrilled group around the camp-fire. The warmth ensued from those flames paved way for dreams untold…

A peaceful night out in the tent amid the nature, twinkling starts and night chill.

Starting off for the next installment of fun. The whole group together.

SMILE MILE!

As outlined in the prior post, the Rogue Adventure Race was an unsupported 24 hour race of long distance cross-country navigation, using a compass. The event included mountain bike (MTB), trail running and paddling legs, and we had to carry all our gear with us (including food and water).

This post could be all about times, speeds, points, and placings. But that’s not my style. If it is your style you could always check out the race website. Our team was TEAM CHOO CHOO. The race organisers really excelled with the race tracking IMO, as our loved ones at home were able to follow us online throughout the race using supplied GPS trackers (a mandatory item in the bottom of our packs)*. These GPS systems also had an emergency SOS button on them, that E and I considered pressing at 11:35pm when it looked like we were about to become leading actors in the next Wolf Creek movie (in our minds anyway), but that is another story for another blog post. (I will see if I can talk E into writing it, as an ex-cop E handled the situation way better than I, who just wanted to lie down like a stick in the long grass and cry and wait for daylight while chanting “mumma”).

This post instead is about the fun/crazy things that happened along the way. E and I always have a laugh when we are together, and spending 2 whole days together (1 day racing, 1 day getting to and from the location)  meant for lots of abdominal workouts and crazy jokes.

PRE RACE
We raced around like tools the couple of days before the race getting all the gear ready. There are a lot of things you need to take for an unsupported 24hr race.

Luckily hubby is an old-school adventure racer so most of what we needed was pilfered from his gear room (aka messy fecking garage). We also ordered some last minute essentials from local adventure racing company Area 51. Greg the owner was also racing and is the most helpful man on the planet. Check out their website – a great local business.

I got my bake on and did some cooking prior to the race for food to take out on course. I hate all the shop racing food (gus and power bars make me vom) so cooked up some treats. I will do a separate post on endurance race nutrition with recipes etc.

Fri arv we loaded up the ute. First challenge completed – getting all the gear to fit in the car. High five.

We drove out to the location of the race headquarters, Imbil, a small town about an hours drive from our place, and thanks to the OzTent on loan from E’s partner, had a bed set up in 10 minutes. Those tents are the bomb. Totally want one.


We chatted with some of the campers at the camp ground who offered to make us hot cups of coffee if we happened to race back past them in the coming day. Lovely lovely generous strangers.

Don’ tell anyone about this next bit, but we then fired up YouTube and watched some videos on using compasses for reading maps. Given that the race required intermediate compass and map experience, we turned the volume down low and hoped no-one could hear the videos haha. We had a team of Korean pro-adventure racers camping next to us and we were waiting for someone to pop their head into our tent and say “no, girls, if you are Youtubing how to use a compass at this late stage, then this race is not for you”.

PRE RACE
The morning of the race we had some cereal and bananas for breakfast and dropped our MTBs (mountain bikes) and a plastic tub of gear out at a designated point and then headed over to race HQ about a 30 min drive away.

[Spend your money on bike gear instead of Tupperware!]

We got our maps and were given 2 hours to prep for the race and plan our course on the maps. There were 3 maps in total that we had to work on and plan 4 different discipline legs on.

We raced the clock trying to get as much course prep done as we could manage, but really only made it through the first map, before contacting them all and getting our clothes on and packs ready for race start. Have you ever tried to contact things in a rush. Talk about a fecking mess. It was bubble city. We then headed down for the race briefing where we were given a few more ‘clues’ about the course.

[Pic from Rogue Adventure website - that is us on the far left in the blue tops and pink caps]

GO!

LEG 1 – PADDLE
44 teams headed off. We had to run to the first check point (CP) before getting out the big plastic canoes and paddling down the river to get the next 9 CPs. This was so much fun as there were mini rapids and obstacles all the way down the river. It was so beautiful (apart from a couple of dead animals we had to navigate around).

[Pic from Rogue Adventure website - that is us up the very back of the pic popping a valve trying to carry the heavy canoe down the path]

[Pic from Rogue Adventure website - think we need to work on our timing!]
At one point we had to leave the canoes and head off on foot to grab a couple of CPs. We made a mistake here and started following other teams and lost our location on our maps – and got a bit lot lost. It is here we lost our water proof camera (more on that later). We tramped around the bush and rivers for awhile before finding our way back to the main river an hour and a half later, and hopped back on the canoes and headed back on course. It was here we paddled along with one of the other girls teams for awhile which was fun. Because we had not done much rapid paddling we spent some of the paddle going backwards down the river, which was kind of fun too. All up it was a 20km+ river paddle with the foot trek on top of that. We managed to get all but one CPs along this leg, with the last CP right on dark just before 6pm, climbing up a rock face to get the point. It was beautiful and took our breath away. Just before we finished this leg we saw a couple of platypi which was all kinds of awesome.

[Pic from Rogue Adventure website]
We then headed in to the transition point where we had to lift the heavy canoes into the truck (fecking ouch!) and get our bikes ready for the next leg. It was dark by this stage and we switched on our Ayup lights on both our helmets and bikes.

LEG 2 – MTB

It was starting to get pretty cold by this stage so we rugged up in thermals and Goretex jackets and headed off on the bikes. We made a decision to go for the CPs the furthest away, as we wanted some good navigation practice and there was a bit more dirt road this direction rather than just grass trails (which can be difficult to spot in the dark). Our plan was to try to clear all the CPs on the northern side of the river and then check the time before either heading back to HQ or attempting some CPs on the southern side of the river. As a result of this decision, we went hours without seeing a single other competitor. This was empowering but also fecking scary as shiz at the same time. We found the first couple of MTB CPs and started to get some confidence up and a bit of a hang of the MTB navigation. We both had maps on mapboards (which is not usual in races), so we both shared responsiblity for the navigation, and as a result both learnt a lot. At one point we had to cross a river that had the bridge washed away, and practiced our tight rope walking skills to get us and our bikes over to the other side. Total Indiana Jones style.

We had a scary Wolf Creek incident around 11:30pm just before heading towards the Forest, where a ute seemed to be driving back and forth stalking us a bit. So we actually turned all our lights off for about 15 minutes and rode in the dark. Luckily it was a big bright moon so we could still see our way. Let’s just say we were very happy to reach the forest and head onto some skinny grass trails away from where cars could get to.

In the forest we navigated to another couple of CPs and hit all the ones we aimed for. We were ecstatic when we ran into 2 guys from the race at CP13 and worked with them to find that one before waving goodbye and heading off in different directions again just after midnight. I think that is what I loved about this race the most, that teams could get the CPs in any order, so everyone was on a different course and it wasn’t just a follow the leader (and trodden grass path) that some of the races are like.

We then turned and rode back to the river picking up another 3 CPs along the way. We met some fun guys at CP16 and they helped us locate that one which was a bit difficult to find in the dark (it was hidden 80m out in the scrub from the closest bike drop point). We got back to the river (and to a water refill station) about 1:30am. It was here we realised we were really close to where we had lost the camera earlier in the day, so made a decision to leave our bikes, jump a fence and head off on foot to find the camera. We trecked for about 10 minutes and then up ahead saw eyes peering at us through our lights. After pooping ourselves (remembering the Wolf Creek incident not many hours prior), we realised they were cows and pulled ourselves together and headed on. We walked on a bit further and then saw another couple of sets of eyes peering at us about 5 metres away. Cow, cow, cow, cow, big horns….. feck its a big fecking bull! We both turned and bolted as fast as we could back along the trail and back over the fence. I am not a fast runner (my rolling along jogging pace is 5:50 and my sprinting pace is high 4:50s), but E swears we were clocking along at 3:00 pace. I don’t even remember climbing back over the fence. Feck. Heart was a pumping and we collapsed in a fit of nervous giggles on the safe side of the fence. It was at that point we decided that the camera was dead to us. lolz. At least the incident had woken us up a bit and given us some extra excitement to stay awake at 2am.

We kept going on the MTB course and went and picked up 4 CPs on the southern side of the river. One of them was up a huge hill that went up and up and up and up and our legs were screaming after about 20 minutes of up. It was shortly after this we decided to call an end to leg 2 and head back to HQ, getting back shortly after 3am.

LEG 3 – TREK
We went back to our tent and had a full change of clothes to try to get warm and sat and ate to try to revive a bit. We didn’t dare lay our heads on our pillows as that would have been the end of the race for us. We got out the maps for legs 3 and 4, and decided that a lot of the treking was a bit too advanced for our skills (a lot of it was bush bashing up large mountains with not many identifiable points to take compass bearings from). We instead decided to go for one trek CP that was up a big mountain (but on a trail), and then come back to HQ and prep for the final paddle leg (we both have paddling backgrounds so were kind of looking forward to this leg).

We headed off after 4am and located the trail and headed up the big huge mountain. It went up and up and up and then up some more. It got to the the point where we could not walk up anymore, so we put our full-finger MTB gloves back on and scrambled up the mountain on our hands and knees. It was hard work and character building to say the least. I am not sure how long it took us to get up the mountain, but as we reached the peak and located the CP in the scrub at the end of the trail, the sun had started to peek through the clouds and we were treated to the most magical view looking across the mountain tops, seeing the tallest of tree tops poke through the mist and streams of light fight the dark night. The sight was all kinds of rad and filled our hearts.

What goes up must also come down, so we then turned and attempted to head back down the mountain. Easier said than done. It was way too steep to walk down so we got down on our bums and hands and feet and slid down the rocky dusty trail like kids sliding down a slippery slide (a very rocky slippery slide). It was hard and I had a big fall here onto my wrist but slowly we made it back down the mother fecking mountain, back to HQ. Time wise, it was a long time to spend just to get a 60 point CP (we were chasing it for over an hour), but it was just the thing the both of us needed to pull us out of our sleep monster 4am funk.

LEG 4 – PADDLE
The final leg in the race was a paddle, but different to the first paddle which followed a river system, this was a paddle on a big open lake. We jogged down the the start (ok yeah well we walked!), got the heavy canoes out of the truck, carried them down the boat ramp, took a compass bearing to where we thought the first CP would be and paddled off. We quickly found 3 CPs by following the lake edge on the north side and then headed out to the middle of the lake to find the 100 point CP (clue: dead tree). This was heaps of fun as we cruised through a dead tree graveyard in the middle of the lake to locate it. The bird life on the lake was amazing and we saw at least 10 different types of birds.

[Pic from Rogue Adventure website - that is not us but this is the 100 point CP we found]
At this stage our injuries (from my trek fall and E’s MTB stack earlier in the night) started hurting like a mofo, so although we still had another 3 hours of race time available to us (and another 300+ points of CPs able to be found on the lake), we made a decision to head back to the boat ramp and back to HQ. We paddled over to the other side of the lake, and got another couple of CPs on the way back home and headed back to HQ. We finished the race just after the 21 hour mark, tired, sore, but happy. Here is a post-race selfie we took with Es phone on getting back.

POST RACE
Tired and hungry we took 59 attempts to load all the gear back into the ute. That shiz would just not fit back in (I think because our brains had stopped working by that point – we were flat out stringing 2 words together). We didn’t stay for presentations as we wanted to head back home asap.

Overall, it was the most amazing thing I have ever done in sport. It was so challenging physically and mentally and I would not have dreamt I could do half the things E and I accomplished in the race. We just had so much fun, I sit here laughing and snorting out loud remembering and I will be smiling my face off for the rest of the year thinking about our little adventure. E was the most amazing race partner and I love her long time.

Massive props to the race organisers Rogue Adventure. It was a beauty of a race, and so well run. Both E and I feel so lucky to have been able to participate in their amazing race.

Also an extra special thanks to two very inspiring ladies, the Aunties from TriAdventure. It is these two ladies who planted the seeds in E and my heads that yes we can do this. We can get out there and give these amazing races a go. If you live in Qld and are interested in trying adventure racing, you should look these ladies up at TriAdventure. They run weekend courses (sometimes for girls only) that will introduce you to all the skills required. Thank you Jan and Kim for all the love. xxx

* Yes it did cross my mind quite a few times in the race that hubby might be sitting at home on the computer, watching our ‘dot’ and thinking “why the fug would they be going that way?”. lolz. He totally was.

One of the most important features of our website is WRT’s restoration of R. Hardy Matheson Preserve. That’s why we became a nonprofit: so my wonderful but sorta crazy partner, Tom Kazo, could do what no-one else had been able to do: “fix” the mess Hurricane Andrew had made of this jewel of Miami-Dade County in 1992.

Tom and I paddled along Matheson’s shoreline in June of 1993, before Matheson Hammock Park had even been able to reopen. We found a put-in place far up the canal that runs by the marina. The word “devastation” has been over-used but that’s the only way to describe what remained of this magnificent mangrove forest. The two photos below were taken that day.

The fact that a major hurricane had not hit South Florida for a very long time is what caused the mangroves to grow so tall. Down they went like bowling pins. The tidal creeks, a nursery to dozens of types of the fish which populate Biscayne Bay, were hopelessly blocked. This “Essential Fish Habitat” was no longer able to live up to its name.

Well, to cut to the chase, in 2001, the IRS bestowed upon WRT our 501(c)(3) designation, and we immediately applied for a grant from FishAmerica Foundation. FAF was partnered with NOAA’s Restoration Center. We won that grant, for $10,000, and five more over the next five years.

Our last grant was closed out in September 2006; unfortunately, Tom had passed away in May of that year. At least he lived to see the glorious rebound of fish in the Preserve, brought upon by our restoration of the tidal flushing of the corridors.

The Matheson story on our old website was written in 2002-3, so it doesn’t tell the whole story. That’s what I will be doing over the next few days (weeks?).

So as I was beginning my hunt through our archives today, I came upon Tom’s file of Project Reports. As a former policeman, he knew well the value of such reports. He was a terrific writer; a lot of people don’t know that.

Here, without further ado (and as little editing as possible) is his report from one of our very first Matheson workdays.

Saturday, 27 Oct., 2001

Project Baitfish FAF 1096

Location: Matheson Hammock, Coral Gables Fla.

Time on Location: 7:30AM to 4 PM

Weather: Cloudy, rain threat. Variable winds. 75 degrees. Tides into low.

Canoes: Doer, Do-it

Guides: Tom K(azo), Rob C(ouncil), Craig D(oyle)

Passenger: Dr. Rose Resendez, VA Hospital

Summary: Pleasant paddling day- wind was not quite against us (SSW). We had to ocean paddle to the South Entrance. This water creek is beautiful but completely blocked with fallen dead trees (hurricane). We removed all the flotsam we could by hand, then securing several bags, we started cutting the dead wood with hand saws.

We managed to get to the “T” also known as the “South Clog.” Most trees were criss-crossed across and just under the water. Most were 18″ to 20″ in diameter with some over 2′. Nine-inch hand saws did not give us a superior advantage.

All loose logs and movable boards, planks, etc. were moved out of the water flow and dispersed into the flora or set aside for removal. It is surprising that this small amount of movement and removal starts cleaning the surface waters and also starts taking the silt layers off the bottom.

During our stay, we observed small bait fish curiously coming in to check the corridor. Seven bags of trash and 4 large pieces of wood 5-1/2′ x 2′ were taken from the area.

Back in the bay the weather had changed. Wind peaked at 18-20 knots NNE. We were bucking the wind back while the water was foaming. We had to go out into the ocean as the flats were too shallow to maneuver.

I had the doctor in my canoe. She had never been in one before, much less paddling experience with a load. A long paddle back found the seas rising and really blowing. The wind had forced water well into the parking lot to a point that the vehicle got stuck.

-TK

Photos of Project Baitfish are on our website, www.wildlife-research-team.org/matheson.html.

When I first saw these photos, I remarked that it looked like a steeplechase. You can see why nobody had yet been able to figure out how to restore this creek. It took a crazy guy with no money to decide it could be restored with canoes, volunteers, and hand tools.

Others have said, you must have had to use chain saws, right? But no. Never. Hand tools, courage, and determination did the job. Oh, and a whole lot of love.

While jogging along Pixley Slough, L had noticed the the water hyacinths had broken up enough to get around a local island, a paddle they’d attempted last fall but couldn’t navigate through all the vegetation.

Except for the warm temps, the conditions were perfect, glass like water and minimal wind.

As they often due, whatever good they’d done fitness wise, was undone food wise with burgers at Herm and Helen’s Marina. There, L spotted a great blue heron taking a bird bath…

Top photo by Dennis Nugent

Paddle/easy-calm/6 miles

Green Lake looking towards the Armchair Glacier

Before I tried (and became addicted to) mountain biking, I spent a lot of time at the lakes.  I had access to canoes and enjoyed spending a lot time on the water.  The River of Golden Dreams, a mellow two hour paddle from Alta Lake to Green Lake is an incredibly popular activity in Whistler.

Slow, playful paddle with sensational backdrops.

In the early months of summer, depending on how fast the snow is melting the river can flow a little fast, however for the most part it is a super mellow float.  On a sunny day it delivers arguably some of the best views in Whistler.  Glorious scenery of the Armchair Glacier, Spearhead, Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains just to mention a few.

View from my Kayak. Looking towards the Armchair Glacier and Wedge Mountain.

Several companies in town offer a tour, either guided or unguided, starting you in Alta lake and depending on their respective pick up points, ending somewhere towards the end of the river or in Green lake itself.  The companies include; Whistler Eco Tours, The Adventure Group and Backroads Whistler.

Generally it takes two to three hours to complete, possibly shorter if you go for it and the river is flowing quickly.  Beware of the bends if it is flowing quickly, as it is definitely possible to capsize.  A lot of people assume that because it is so mellow it is just like paddling on a lake.  I have seen many a person struggling to get back into their boats and, having been in the water myself, I can tell you it is COLD.

A hazard of any water based activity. The River of Golden dreams is glacially fed and therefore very cold. If the weather is hot, it doesn’t take long to dry.

Along the way, there is the potential to see several types of wildlife including; black bears, deer, beavers, Whistler Locals and several types of birds.  Unfortunately the only one I can guarantee you will see are the Whistler Locals as they cruise down the river on various forms of floatation devices.

My favourite part of the whole adventure is entering Green lake.  The scenery changes from riverbanks with tall grass, scrubs and trees into an incredible mountainous backdrop.

Entering Green Lake looking straight at the Armchair Glacier.

Green Lake can be a very active lake, with paddlers, wake boarders, water skiers and even float planes all coming in to the mix.  It doesn’t hurt that all this activity is set in surreal scenery making it very hard not to enjoy it.

Whistler Air’s dock is on Green Lake near Nicklaus North Golf Course

The River of Golden Dreams is an activity worth doing at least once.  Don’t prepare for the adrenline rush of the century, instead to just get ready to relax, sun bake and take in some incredible views.

Well, reminiscing over for now and although the weather isn’t improving today, I continue to list the things I must do over the next few months.

DYBERRY TOWNSHIP — Dozens of canoers and kayakers spent the day gliding down the Lackawaxen River at the Wayne County Canoe Classic.

Competitors were racing for the best time in their class, while raising money for community events in the Honesdale area.

Surrounded by the sounds of nature, 54 canoers and kayakers paddled down the river. The course starts at the Wayne County fairgrounds and winds nine miles downstream, through Honesdale. Amy Watson from Lakewood cheered her father and sister on from a pedestrian bridge.

“Telling them come on, do it a little faster. You’ve gotta catch up. They were first, they fell back a little bit, but hopefully they’ll catch up a little bit,” said Watson.

The recreational race is the first time some people have hit the water after a long winter. Others have been training for months, like Nick Hindley from Pennsdale.

“It was a bit shallow here and there, but I would say if you read the river a bit nicely, you’d get a good time coming down,” said Hindley.

The finish line is in White Mills. The Honesdale area Jaycees have hosted the canoe classic for more than two decades, raising money for community events, like the Easter Egg Hunt and Halloween parade.

“It’s time to get healthy again! Winter is over. People go out and get some exercise in early spring. We’ve also done a river cleanup in the past year, so this is part of helping with the area,” said Dave Sporer of the Honesdale Area Jaycees.

For outdoor lovers, it’s all about keeping nature pristine.

“There’s been enough sins in this area, the mining and everything else. It just ruined the watersheds. To be able to clean them up and bring them back, to go out and enjoy them, it’s fabulous,” said Brian ammon of Hillsgrove.

Their explanation soon came when Diego Doga arrived with his team – Julien, Andrea and Elisa. It would be hard to say whether the coach or his students enjoyed their paddle more. Their enthusiasm was infectious. By the time we said our goodbyes I’d promised to contact Diego when I finish my expedition; he told me he’d find a coaching assistant spot where I can work with these proud, promising athletes.