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.

Smokey Mountains National Park, TN

It is just breathtaking . . . God's country for sure. Getting ready to paddle Chilhowee Lake (thought to mean "king fisher" in the Cherokee language). The area is rich with Native American history and beauty. The Cherokee lived here for, some say, thousands of years before they were moved to Oklahoma on the "Trail of Tears" where many perished because of the mistreatment and harsh conditions. Loggers and industrialists just about ruined this great natural resource. I can't help but think that if we had left the original inhabitants alone, the Smokeys would probably look just as they did thousands of years ago. Thankfully, you can still behold the beauty that they must have enjoyed and cherished.

Paddle and Biking Report: Montgomery Bell State Park, Dickson County, TN

This is a great Tennessee State Park! It has three lakes that are a nice change of pace from the river kayaking that I have been doing. I got out on the lake early and it was quiet and peaceful. I saw geese, blue heron, huge turtles, extremely large fish in the ultra clear water, and two deer. The leaves are starting to change and the scenery was beautiful! The lakes a little smaller and I paddled across and around several times just to get a good workout only because I'm used to a little more challenging paddles, but is a great place to relax and enjoy all of the natural surroundings. Wildlife abounds!

The park also offers miles of bike trails that are extra challenging for a person from Indiana where everything is relatively flat. The hills and the terrain give you everything you need to challenge a biker. My bike is a hybrid and I can see where a mountain bike would be preferred for this terrain. It can be a little rocky and rugged at times. I am a little sore today from the uphill peddling. The nice thing is that there are plenty of downhill parts of the roads and trails.

Camping is also very affordable--just 11 dollars per night for primitive camping. I stayed two nights and there is plenty to do here. If you bike, boat, or fish this park offers a lot.

Living in a Material World

There is a story in the Bible of a rich young ruler who tells Jesus that he wants to follow Him. Here is what Jesus says in response to him: “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.” (Luke 18:22-23) Why did the young ruler see this as a losing proposition? It is because we place such a high value on status and what gives us status. If the ruler were to give away all of his wealth he would be giving away his power in this world—his fame, his identity, and the respect of his peers and subordinates. If he gave it all away he would be on the same level as all of the common folks that he ruled over. That was the point that Jesus made to him that day. You really value the things in your life more than you realize. If Jesus himself was right in front of you could you surrender all that you own to follow him? It would be hard, right? We hold on to things in this life so hard that we can’t even imagine life without our stuff. Corey Ten Boom says, “Don’t hold on to things of this life too tightly, because it hurts when God has to peel your fingers off.” Often times we want the things we can’t have or hold on to the things we do have too tightly. Either way it can make you crazy.

There was an Amish gentleman giving a tour of Amish life and sites while riding a bus with a bunch of Pennsylvania tourists. One of the tourists had a question, “What is the main difference between the Amish and everyone else in this country?” The Amish man thought about it and then asked, “how many of you own a TV?” Everyone but the Amish man’s hand went up. He then asked, “How many of you think that it is having a negative effect on your family?” Again, everyones hand when up. The Amish man then asked, “How many would be willing to get rid of the TV? No hands went up! The Amish man said, “That is the difference between popular society and the Amish.”

The secret to Joy may start with holding onto things of this life a little more loosely. How is that done? Just trust God to meet your needs and give the rest to Him. It is simple, maybe too simple to comprehend. It also defies the momentum of our culture. I remember the happiest times in my life and they were times when I had literally nothing materially. No money, no fame, no home, but I had love. Love of the Father, love of my wife, and love of my children. The happiest? How is that possible? The more you have, the more you worry about what you have and how to keep it and maintain it. Having a car brings stress. Having a home brings stress. Having a job that allows you to keep all of the things you are collecting brings stress. Especially if you hate what you are doing in order to keep your life from flat lining. Some of us get to a place and we look around and wonder how we got there. How and when did I get so far off the track? Your dreams seem like a distant memory and life becomes a daily struggle. There is an answer to this but it is a radical concept; giving it all to God. Lord, take my home, take my life, and yes, even take my children. They were His all along anyway. Just surrender the care, the concern, the stress, and the worry to the one who is well equipped to handle it all. The Word of God promises to take care of all of the rest. After all, Depression is worrying about the past and Anxiety is worrying about the future. The trick is losing the worry.

Healing Depression: A Few Things That I Have Learned

I feel uniquely qualified to discuss this issue because I am one who has suffered for years with depression. At first, I thought that I could snap myself out of it or just convince myself that things aren't as I perceived them to be. Then weeks, months, and years went by and I never felt quite right. I would go to work most days feeling exhausted and come home and sit around with no energy to even do anything. My sadness was exhausting me to the point that I couldn't see living another 40 years like this. I told myself that it would only get worse! I would get old, my parents would die, I would lose even more money, and I would be even more depressed. The thought of that just made me think of ending it—it got pretty bad. I even thought of ways to do it so that it would look like an accident so that my family could still get the insurance money. Why was I like this? How did it get this bad?

I think my depression was mostly situational. I understand that there are folks who have an imbalance of chemicals in their brain that just will not allow them to be happy. This advice is for the other folks who find themselves in a situation of complete despair and see no way out of their darkness. I was wanting to provide such a wonderful life for my family. My heart's desire was to see them happy and fulfill their every need. I bought into the “American Dream” idea and thought that if I worked hard enough and did everything right I would be as successful as some of my older friends who had nice homes, cars, and security. They seemed happy enough as well. I worked hard to become a jeweler—it didn't work out to my expectations and my eyes started failing me. I worked hard to become an educator—I worked for a tyrant and narcissist who forced me to give up on teaching, or at least pushed me over the edge when I experienced the disillusionment that most teachers experience when they have been teaching a while. I worked for an alternative school and was crushed by the stress and the feeling that I wasn't doing enough to support my family or enough to impact the troubled students that I was trying to serve. I found myself lost, financially struggling, and in a career crisis as well as a mid-life crisis. On top of that I was dealing with several health related issues that limited my activity. I was desperate for relief! 

I started looking for a solution to my sadness and sought the conventional avenues. I went to my doctor who prescribed anti-depression drugs. I took the drugs and felt better but didn't like the side effects. I went to counselors and felt like they were just overwhelmed with their workload and uninterested in solving my problems. I was watching my family getting upset with me because I wouldn't “snap out of it.”

I know that many reading this can relate to this feeling. Despair, hopelessness, loneliness, anxiety, fatigue, self-doubt, self-destructive thoughts and behavior, were all so familiar that I had forgotten what joy and feeling happy was like. On top of all of it all, I felt like I was letting God down and that my faith was so small that I couldn't see the point in praying or even seeking God anymore. When I did pray it was just a moaning call out to God to take me. Sorrow was like a plastic bag that was slowly removing the oxygen. I began to think about prayer a lot. I started thinking about what prayer is and what it isn't. First, what is prayer? I was always afraid to pray in front of people because so many people whom I knew were so good at it. They could beautifully convey their thoughts out loud to God and it was impressive how they could speak for everyone in such an eloquent manner. It seemed like the times that I would pray were clumsy and disjointed ramblings. It wasn't until I opened a real dialogue with God that I learned that prayer not so much about communication with those who I am praying with but it is all about Who I am praying to! I came across a quote from the author Ted Loder:

"How shall I pray? Are tears prayers, Lord? Are screams prayers, or groans or sighs or curses? Will you accept my prayers, Lord, my real prayers, rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life, and not just the pretty, cut-flower, gracefully arranged bouquet of words? Will you accept me, Lord, as I really am, messed up mixture of glory and grime?"

This is truly how I feel about prayer. It can take on many forms. A song sung, enjoying nature and creation, a cry of sadness, a praise when you look into the face of your newborn baby or your wife at the alter on your wedding day. Prayer is built into our DNA and recognizing this fact changed the way that I looked at prayer and its purpose. I started being thankful for what I have and cherishing each moment--that seemed to help adjust my attitude and outlook. I think being outdoors more definitely helps me to cope with stress. I have found that being in nature and away from the hustle and noise is great place to meditate and refocus. My way to do that is getting out on the water among other things : )

Paddle Report: Kayaking the Mississippi River, Memphis

This was a fun paddle because of the people that I met as well as the scenery. First I biked around Harbor Town. It is a little peninsula that shoots out from the downtown area of Memphis. It is surrounded by the Mississipi River on one side and the Wolf River Lagoon on the other side. It is topped off by the Wolf River that joins the Mississippi on the north side of Harbor Town. There is a Mud River Dock that is past the gates of the Mud River Park on the south end of Harbor Town. There is a nice gentleman at the boat house who gives you permission to put in the lagoon harbor.  He even let me keep my Kayak Caddy at the boat house. It is a long ramp down and I had to walk my Kayak a few hundred feet. So glad that I got one of those (Kayak Caddies) with the inflatable tires. It goes over rough terrain really well! The cart is essential for some of the more scenic waterways of the South because the public ramps are steep and long. It was 50 bucks at the Sports Authority. It is made by Coleman and it folds up nice and stores under my seat in the van.

The paddle was great! The weather was amazing the day that I went. The Mississippi was a little swift and I didn't paddle all the way up to the Wolf River like I had planned. I floated back down stream and then up the lagoon and met another kayaker named Kenny. Super nice guy and we talked kayaks and the history of Memphis and the Mississippi flood stage several years ago. I've included a shot of my kayak cart and some shots of the River and Lagoon in Memphis.

Today, I Choose Joy!

Mistakes to avoid: remorse over yesterday's failures, anxiety over today's problems, worry over tomorrow's uncertainty, waste of the moment's opportunity, procrastination with one's present duty, resentment of another's success, criticism of a neighbor's imperfection, impatience with youth's immaturity, skepticism of our nation's future, and unbelief in God's providence. --William Ward

I tend to worry a lot but my worry is nothing compared to the way that my wife worries about things. For years she would get so worked up about every little thing that it even affected her health. I am a bad one to be married to if you are a worrier. I am an artist, musician, and writer, and have had several jobs over the years and there hasn’t been a real sense of security in my occupation or income. My average salary was enough to qualify for free lunch at school, and on top of all that, I was a student for a quarter of our married life. There were times when I felt that we were living the dream, but many more years where it felt like we were falling apart and it was hard to get out of bed in the morning. A very wise pastor told me once that, “being grateful is almost indistinguishable from joy.” I think that being thankful for what you have will bring joy. This same wise pastor told me that “joy and happiness are not the same thing.” You can have joy in the midst of any circumstance, but we see happiness as a goal in our culture. The “pursuit of happiness” is all a part of that formula that we create in our minds of how things need to be in order to experience happiness. We can actually choose Joy! Joy is not a thing that requires a prerequisite. You don’t have to be rich, strong, pretty, or famous to experience it, yet it eludes so many of us. We look around us and convince ourselves that we don’t have the “good life” because what we have doesn’t match someone else’s. The old “keeping up with the Jones’” idea is a tired expression that is an exhausting pursuit if that becomes your focus and your goal. As mentioned earlier and is worth repeating—depression is worrying about the past and anxiety is worrying about the future. The key is not to worry—why are we so prone to worry about everything?

Paddle Report: Kayaking Lake Cumberland Kentucky

My mother has a place in Russell Springs, Kentucky so it was a no-brainer. I wanted to get down on the water since the first time I visited this amazing man made lake. In the 1950s they dammed up the Cumberland River and it filled the valley and created one of the most amazing man-made lakes on the planet. There are two nice boat launches that are free of charge in Cumberland State Park (Kentucky has some of the best state parks!) There is no charge for entrance into the park and no special permits to put in the lake.

I paddled from the first boat launch all the way past the docks to the other side of the lake at one of its widest parts. I'm not sure how many miles I paddled today but with 1,200 miles of shoreline I just saw a sampling of this giant. I explored several of the bayous and creeks that shoot off of the lake. The natural beauty is breath-taking. There were these five eagles that followed me around for a while and I saw some wild turkey on the shoreline.

Paddle Report: Sugar Creek, Parke County, IN

I put in at the Cox Covered Bridge in Sugar Creek, down from Turkey Run State Park in Indiana, just West of Indianapolis. It was rough right from the start paddling upstream. the Creek was low and the current was strong. I kept at it until I reached a calmer park of the creek and after several portages to the more scenic parts of the creek, I think it was well worth the battle upstream. It is a beautiful scenic trip and the trip back was fun and full of exciting fast current and obstacles. It took me about two hours total. I made it upstream to the heart of the park and decided that walking my kayak through the long stretch of shallow water would not be worth it. I would like to come back again when the creek is a bit higher. It was still a great trip. You have to go to the park office to get a parking pass--it is free but otherwise you can only park at the launch for 30 minutes. You can get a 24 hour or a 48 hour pass through the park office.

Enjoying the Process and the Journey . . .

When I was younger all I wanted was to be famous. I wanted everyone to know my name. I was aware that life was short and you had to make your mark if you wanted to leave something of yourself behind. I remember being amazed at singers and songwriters because they were leaving a legacy of song that would outlast their mortality and touch people long after their earthly life was through. I was also fascinated with artists who had works that people were still talking about hundreds of years after their death. We all want our lives to mean something. When I was young I was desperate to find that one thing that I had that would set me apart from the crowd and bring me the timeless fame that I desired. The reality is that only a small number get to that point and there are so many factors that can affect the outcome of such a pursuit. It is possible if you have the right combination of good looks, amazing talent, excellent work ethic, sterling personality, and opportunity. If all of those stars align for you then you might have a shot. There is always the Cinderella story, but those are more like winning the lottery. As we get older we realize that fame is very circumstantial and fickle. It does not always stay and often times it brings unforeseen complications that can bring down even the strongest person. I started playing music thinking that would bring me fame and notoriety and it did on a small level—so I kept doing it. I started drawing because I loved it—it too brought a level of notoriety and fame among my peers. I started writing songs, thinking that I had a great gift. In the beginning my motivation was for the prize and not the process. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that what keeps me doing it is the love and passion for it. I still write songs and love to play music. I never became famous for it, other than on a local level, but I have enjoyed it and it has enhanced my life in ways that I did not expect. I enjoy the expression that songwriting offers—it is music and poetry intertwined. The point is, that the pursuit of fame and wealth did not render what I had planned. That was a hard blow in the beginning. I was counting on it. Once I met my wife and we started a family, I knew that the early dream would not fit into the new life plan with all of our immediate needs. Most everyone comes to the age of reason and makes peace with who they are and where they are. But there is a part of us that still dares to dream the dream. And why not? 

Paddle Report: The St. Joe River in Niles

Last Wednesday I put in at a small public access on the North End of Niles, MI, just below where the Dowagiac River Meets the St. Joe. I paddled upstream past the parks and through downtown to Island Park and Closer to the Dam. The current got so strong and the water was too shallow to pass. I turned around and followed the St. Joe down stream to the Dowagiac River. I paddled up stream for a mile or two and ran into some construction then turned around and headed for the launch.

Great scenic trip. Only a couple of hours and plenty of natural and man-made beauty and wildlife to see. Easy access at the end of the road right across from the YMCA in Niles, MI.

Paddle Report: Kayaking from Long Lake to the St. Joe River

My wife dropped me off at the Northern Tip off Long Lake in Union, MI. There is a small boat launch across from Zimmyville. I paddled down to a friends house and she joined me and helped me find the entrance to Trout Creek which eventually leads into the St. Joe. It was a little hard to find because it is through a bunch of lilly pads in between Long and Coverdale Lake at the southern end. We found it and I was off on my own down Trout Creek. It was a beautiful Fall day and a beautiful stretch of scenic waterway. I floated downstream through some obstacles but it was very passable and fun. After getting to the St. Joe River somewhere in between Mottville, MI and Bristol, IN, I kept going downstream to the bridge by CR 17 in Elkhart. It took me about 4 1/2 hours and covered 2 states and 4 waterways--awesome!

I would do it again in a heartbeat! One of the best kayak journeys I've paddled!