Life In Middle Tennessee . . . so far.

Since moving to Middle Tennessee in January 2013, I have enjoyed the weather and the natural surroundings. I live in Franklin, TN which is just south of Nashville a ways. We found a home close to the historic downtown area where there are plenty of events going on all year round. There are a lot of scenic waterways in Middle, TN. I have Kayaked the Duck, the Harpeth, and the Stones river so far, and some of them a couple of times. I have also enjoyed some of the lakes in the area. Percy Priest is a great paddle with Islands for exploring or camping. I have also kayaked the lakes at Montgomery Bell State park. My latest adventure has been Mountain Biking and there are plenty of challenging trails in the area that I can't wait to explore!

Jones Mill Mountain Bike Trail at Long Hunter State Park, TN

On the Trail at  Long Hunter State Park

Percy Priest Lake at Long hunter State Park--Miles from the shoreline on an island in the middle of the lake. One of many.

Paddle Report: Christiana Lake/Christiana Creek to Willowdale Park

This was the first time that I paddled this route. My wife dropped me off about 1:20pm and picked me up in Elkhart around 5pm. So it was about a 3 and 1/2 hour paddle. I put in at the channel between Eagle Lake and Christiana Lake in Edwardsburg, MI, and paddled east to the southeastern part of the lake where Christiana Creek starts its journey south. The weather was great and the Fall colors were spectacular. According to Google Maps it is about a 10 mile Paddle to the place were I planned to end my trip--Willowdale Park, In Elkhart, IN. The current picks up nicely as you enter the Creek and the Creek level was up because of the rain that we had received the last couple of days. You can easily spot the opening of the Creek--it is marked with two large stones that tower out of the water. The water was crystal clear and you could easily see the bottom the entire trip.

After a while on the Creek you will reach a Dam that you will have to portage around. I exited on the left side of the Dam and there was a nice place to pull out and put in. I had a spray skirt on the first part of the trip and took it off after the Dam. I should have left it on. I ran into some fast moving current and many obstacles that made it fun but I got sideways against some logs and took in a lot of water. There are some challenging obstacle courses along the way. I enjoy that kind of thing but would have liked to stay a little drier. The water level was only low enough to bottom out in a couple of places and the current was strong enough to carry you through it. 

The trip was mostly great and very scenic. There are several houses along the way but also some remote areas where saw tons of wildlife. I saw heron, duck, turtles, lots of fish, and 5 deer along the way. A huge buck and doe were spooked as I approached and jumped across the water in front of me. It was hard to get a lot of photos on this trip because you have to keep an eye on what you are doing. The current is fast enough to get you in trouble if you are not paying attention. A smaller kayak is better for this trip. You will need to make some fast turns and maneuver around obstacles. You might get a few dings and scrapes as well from rocks and shallow spots.

The only complaint came on the last stretch of the Creek before the Willowdale Park exit. The golf course (Christiana Creek Golf Course) has a bunch of golf cart bridges that are too low to go under so you will have to portage around each one. I think there are four total. Huge pain. Other than that, it was a great trip. I want to do it again and the next time take it all the way to the St. Joseph river. I have heard that there is about 1.5 miles of rapids between Willowdale Park and where the Creek dumps into the St. Joe River. Looking forward to checking that out!

Kayaking Gear Review: The Necky Sky Kayak

Necky Sky Kayak with Stern Hatch

The Necky Sky is a sturdy, smaller sized Kayak. It is easy to maneuver through the smaller creeks and rivers in the area in which I live and kayak the most--Northern Indiana and lower Michigan. I was wanting to get a Kayak that I could easily throw in the back of the van and carry down to the launch site without a cart or help from a friend. I also wanted a kayak that didn't fall short on comfort and performance.

First, the seat is a great feature on this Kayak. It is easily adjustable and well padded. Several hours in the seat and very little butt fatigue or back fatigue. Appears to be about the same seat that they use on their higher end Kayaks.

Secondly, performance--this is where this little 9' 6" craft surprised me a bit. I had a smaller Kayak about the same size, a Pelican Pulse 100, and this Kayak because of its shape and design seems to track better and seems a little faster in the water. I am a bigger person (6"1" and 200 lbs) and the fit is nice and the boat has no problem supporting my bigger frame. The larger cockpit makes entry and exit a breeze. I easily found a spray skirt to fit the opening (made by Harmony). The narrow width makes paddling easy. The foot rests are sturdy and easy to adjust.

Lastly, the Design. I was drawn to the design of this Kayak. The shape is balanced and the hull design is very pleasing to eye. The material seems to be of high quality and the stern hatch storage area is nice and roomy. All said, I'm very happy with this little Kayak. I purchased it used for 300 dollars and I think it is a great entry level--intermediate kayak. It has features that you don't normally find in its price range.

Specs:
LENGTH  9' 6" / 2.9 m    WIDTH26" / 66 cm
WEIGHT  41 lbs / 18.6 kg
COCKPIT  39.5" x 17" / 100.3 x 43.2 cm
STERN HATCH  16" x 9" / 40.6 x 22.9 cm

Kayaking Gear Review: The Wilderness Systems Pungo 140 and Harmony Sea Passage Paddles

I'm doing my first gear review. I consider myself an intermediate kayaker and have researched gear and paddled a few different kayaks and feel that I can make a decent assessment at this point. So here is goes. The Wilderness Systems Pungo 140 is my second Kayak. It is a 14' model that I purchase because I went on a trip to some bigger water down south and wanted something a little more capable of paddling the choppy water and something with enough storage and cargo options to do some day trips and overnight paddles.

Features:

Phase 3 AirPro seating system, new for 2013, adds comfort and easy adjustability Slide lock foot brace System for a custom fit Orbix bow and stern hatch with bow and stern bulkhead provide easy entry and a tight seal Includes Kayak Konsole and deck rigging so you can keep your gear secure and yet easily accessible

Wilderness Systems Pungo 140

The Pungo 140 tracks really well and is easy to paddle. I really like the larger cockpit opening and the narrow width that makes paddling much easier. This kayak glides through the water and was a great performer on the waters of Lake Cumberland. I have taken it up and down some smaller rivers and creeks and it did well in these situations as well. I traveled three states and kayaked many waterways with this kayak by now and I don't regret my purchase one bit. It is well worth the money I paid and has served me well and will continue to serve me well for years to come. It is well-constructed and the seat is amazingly comfortable. It has adjustments for height and leg support for a very comfortable bent-knee position. I rode for 5 hour paddles and was very comfortable in the seat. Easy to adjust foot rests and knee padding is a nice feature.

Harmony Sea Passage Paddles

Harmony Sea Passage Kayak Paddle with Fiberglass Shaft

This is a great paddle. I bought two of them. It is lightweight and offers smooth and powerful paddling. It seems rugged enough. The only complaint was that there was a little play in the joint where the paddles come together (I mean very little). It was an easy fix. I went to the hardware store and found an "o" ring that fit slightly above the profile of the inner sleeve. There is a notch in the top of the inner sleeve that the ring fit in perfectly. This took the wiggle out of the shaft. The manufacturer should have thought of this. It makes a great paddle even better.

Paddle Report: Back Home in Indiana

I put in at the Studebaker Park public access in the Elkhart River, in Elkhart, IN. It is good to be back home in Indiana and there is still some good kayaking to do here at home. The Fall colors are beautiful and the weather was great for a day out on the water. The river was a little low and the current was swift. It was a great workout to paddle through some spots on the river almost class I rapids in places and very difficult to paddle against. I went a couple of miles upstream and then enjoyed the relaxing float back. It was the second time out with my little "Necky Sky" kayak and I really like that little thing. It is easy to maneuver and perfect for those short creek and small river paddles and it is so easy to load and unload and light enough to carry in and out of portages with no problem. The seat is very comfy with good back support.

Last Stop on the Trip: Cumberland Falls, Corbin, KY

This is one that I heard about and planned to paddle. The ranger told me that I could be fined and do jail time for putting in above the falls. I opted not to try it even though it looked pretty doable where I was going to put in. They have a kayak rental place and there are some class 3 rapids downstream from the falls. I just didn't have the kayak for whitewater. I was just going to paddle upstream as far as I could and then float back. It must not be a common feat for this park according to the reaction that I got. Oh well, it was beautiful and I got some great shots of the falls. It is worth a visit if you ever get down this way. It is right next to the Daniel Boone Forest and one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I got to see it with all of its Fall glory and color.

Precious Moments

I was talking to a businessman the other day who has amassed a fortune, he is a young millionaire, and has several businesses that he does his best to keep his hands in and manage. It is a more than full time endeavor and one that has consumed his life for years. He said that the only regret that he has is not spending more time with his kids. They are now to the age where they tell him that they really missed him growing up and they wish that they would have had more time with him. It seems that all of the money and provision was really no substitute for his time and love, which to a child is almost the same thing. Someone told me once that children spell love . . .T.I.M.E. Regrets are regrets because there is no way to get the moments back. Once they are gone they are gone. It is a fact that you have to spend a lot of time with your kids to pry the lid off of who they are and discover their personality and beautiful uniqueness. It might take a weekend camping trip just to have a 15 minute conversation that can make the difference in a relationship. The problem is that you can’t schedule those 15 minutes; they just happen. They happen when you least expect it and you have to be there when it happens. The more time you spend with your kids the more likely it is that you will be there when those 15 minutes happen. There has to be a comfort level there that is only developed by spending time and getting to know each other intimately. Knowing their friends, their dreams, their favorite ice cream flavor, their favorite teacher, and many other details that make up the person who is developing right before your eyes.