SKYDOG SPORTS KAYAKS

Spring 2005 on the Thames

March 26, 2005

What a great day to start our 2005 season with blue skies and 45 degree F. temperatures. Maureen and myself along with Mike Kovach  started at Fanshawe dam in the east end of London Canada and paddled for four hours ending up at the boat ramp at Wonderland Road and Riverside drive. During our trip we came across two other kayakers who we had not met before and enjoyed paddling the rest of the trip with Ty and Mark. The water level was about two feet above summer levels making for a good current and many fun rapids. Mike, Mark and Ty all have very short kayaks and love to play in the rapids and standing waves.

For any of you who would like to get the season of to a great start, let's get out and have a blast with some of the high waters available this spring.

Following are photos of our first day of 2005 except for Mike who paddled in Pennsylvania the previous weekend in some wild rapids.

Check out our 2005 Slide Movie - Click Here - 8 Megs

 

Maureen and Mike Starting out at Fanshawe dam

 

starting

Maureen Grant & Mike Kovach

 

Maureen and Bob Grant

Ty Fieldhouse

 

Ty sliding in sequence # 1

Ty sliding in sequence # 2

 

Ty sliding in sequence # 3

Ty sliding in sequence # 4

 

Maureen

Mark Kriznic and Mike Kovach

 

Maureen enjoys the rapids

Ice in Trees

 

Mike and Ice

Mike

 

Our new Group Relaxing

 

Mike

Ty

 

Ty

 

Ty

Ty and Mark

 

Ty in the Standing Wave

 

Mike in the Standing Wave

Ty

 

Mike Diving

 

Mike

Ty

 

Mike

 

Mark

Mike

 

Mike

 

Ty

Ty Diving Through

 

Mike Surfing

 

Ty

Mark

 

Mark

 

Ty

 

Ty

 

Ty

 

Mark Diving Through

 

More Diving

 

They Sure Do Get Wet

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Spring 2005 on the Ausable

April 1, 2005

The water is higher than last week and we plan a trip on the Ausable river from Kerwood Road to Sylvan bridge with our friends Eric Walne, Mary McBurney, her granddaughter Promise, Maureen Grant and myself and with the high water it should take about 3 hours. We get off to a great start with overcast skies and very fast water. After about thirty minutes Mary McBurney hits a eight inch log and flips into the frigid water and swims to shore while Eric and Promise,  get Mary's kayak freed from the submerged log. Once freed, we get it to shore which is no easy task with the powerful water and remove the water from the kayak and we are soon on our way again and soon come to a long set of large rapids which last for well over a minute and we all get through safely. Promise, on her first fast water experience does very well and loves the rapids and the next big set are at Hungry Hollow where the river turns sixty degrees and has large rapids of about four feet deep. We all make it safely but shortly after and in the next set Eric and Mary both flip into the water and Eric with his new camera so Eric had a big job getting his equipment to shore and drained. Eric, Maureen started out again and in a few minutes found that Mary had flipped again and had swam to shore but her kayak had drifted downstream so we built a fire with matches that Promise had in a dry bag and everyone dried off before we got under way again. This time we were short one kayak so Maureen lay on the back of my eleven foot Breeze as I paddled with the current. We came across Eric's paddle and later Eric's skirt but never did find the dry bag that went missing on Eric's flip into the water. Eventually we found Mary's Kayak stuck under a log and she decided to leave it there when Eric tried to fee it unsuccessfully. We must have paddled for about an hour before we finally came to the Sylvan bridge where we had left Eric's van and we climbed up the embankment and retrieved our vehicles and headed back to Port Franks where Mary prepared a great supper but first we all headed for Eric's hot tub and wow, that felt great.

We will have to do that again soon without the spills. Photos Follow.

Starting Point - Kerwood Road on the Ausable

 

 

Promise Loves it

Promise, Maureen and Eric with new JVC Camcorder

 

 

Maureen

 

Mary McBurney

 

Maureen, Eric and Promise

 

Eric is Having Fun

 

Promise and Maureen Splashing Through the Rapids

 

Oops, Mary Hit a Log and Flipped into the Cold Water - Eric Retrieves Kayak

 

Eric Frees the Jammed Kayak and lets it go downstream to where we catch it

 

Eric Going Trough Rapids with his Camera

 

 

A Break after Eric Flips with his Camera

Promise Drying Mary's Clothes

 

 

 

Promise Brought Matches so a Fire Felt Great

Mary Getting Warm

 

 

 

Eric Explains How it Happened

Mary Drying Her Clothes

 

 

Maureen, Promise and Eric

 

 

Bo, Mary, Eric and Promise

Mary Helps Eric Get His Sock Off

 

 

 

Eric and Bob

Mary, Eric, Bob and Promise

 

 

Maureen and Promise Loving the Waves

 

 

Eric and Mary Getting Warm

Promise Saves Eric's Kayak

 

 

Eric, Maureen, Mary and Promise

 

 

Maureen Ready to go Again

Eric and Promise

 

 

 

Eric Uses a Log after Losing His Paddle - Later Found

Promise Stayed Dry For The Whole Trip

 

 

Maureen and Promise

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April 21. 2005 The Thames at Wonderland in London - Canada

Cam Schiedel invited me to join him and Sean for their first run of the season and Sean had a new Wilderness 14 foot Kayak and he liked it very much. We paddled from the boat ramp at Wonderland and Riverside Drive up to Wharncliffe Road bridge. It was a beautiful evening and the water was lower than I had ever seen it and we were scraping bottom near the train bridge. Flash came along and took a ride with Cam and we shot a few photos which are shown below.

 

We Drive from Canoe Club To Boat Launch at Wonderland Rd.

It's 6:30 so Let's Get on the Water

 

 

Shawn, Left and Cam on the Right Have a Beautiful Evening

 

 

Cam and Shawn

Shawn with His NEW Boat

 

 

 

Cam and Flash

Shawn

 

 

 

Cam and Flash

Shawn and Cam

 

 

 

Cam with Flash

Cam's Photo of the Bridge with the Train

 

 

Flash Riding with Cam at the Train Bridge by Cam

 

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