One of the highlights of the Larsmont cottages is the availability of
sea kayaks for rent. Today was the day we planned on taking our kayaking certification class, so after breakfast we headed off to the pool. Since the water in Lake Superior is cold (no more than 50 degree's in the summer) it's really important to know how to get back in the Kayak of you flip. The kayaks used on Superior are all closed deck, so they are harder to get back in than the open deck kayak that I use back home. They also have spray skirts like the kind you see on a river kayak, but because the boats are so much longer you can't do an Eskimo role to flip yourself back over. Instead you need to grab a handle to release the skirt, and swim out from under the boat. Alex and I both took the class so we could be qualified to go out onto Lake Superior. Catie didn't have to take the class since she would be in a tandem boat with me, but she did watch from pool side. The sensation of flipping over, being upside down in the water was weird, but instinct (self preservation) takes over and you pull the handle and get out of the boat pretty darned fast! The rest was pretty easy, although I'm sure it would be harder out on the lake with colder water and bigger waves.
After our class, Catie and I got fitted for wet suits and life jackets and heading to the boat landing. The tandem boat they had was big and roomy. I got Catie all set up with you spray skirt, life jacket and paddle. Shoving off I had to walk the boat 10 feet out from shore to clear the rocks and was immediately struck by how cold the water was. 50 degree water is pretty numbing. Mental note, don't flip the boat! Once I got settled in with my spray skirt attached we paddled out on the lake. It was not really a perfect day for Kayaking, with winds from the south east at a steady 15 mph and 1-2 foot waves. From my past experiences on big water I knew that on a windy day it's best to do head into the wind. That way when you reach the turnaround point and you are starting to get tired, you can have the wind at your back for the journey home. Catie as always had a ball. We rode the swells up and down, kind of like our own private roller coaster. Several times waves crashed over the deck of the boat and I was really glad for the spray skirts and wet suits! We paddled for a little more that an hour and landed just in time to return our gear and have some lunch with Chris, Nik and Alex.
Our afternoon activity was Nik's trip highlight. We drove back down to Duluth to take a ride on the
North Shore Scenic Rail Road. The NSSRR runs from Duluth back up to Two Harbors in vintage rail cars pulled by a beautifully restored Diesel engine. To make this even more of a highlight for Nik, this as also a trip billed as the "Pizza Train". Each passenger gets one half of a Domino's pizza and a soda. Well, I couldn't eat an entire half, neither could Catie or Chris so Nik and Alex had all the pizza they could eat, plus left overs for lunch! Nik was totally in his element on this trip. Once we had finished eating, he was up and roaming the various cars for the next hour and half. I love watching him explore. The stuff he notices and finds joy in are things that most people would take for granted or miss entirely. It was a nice time for all of us to sit and enjoy the scenery. The pizza was good, the views were great and the time spent together, priceless!
One of the highlights of the Larsmont cottages is the availability of sea kayaks for rent. Today was the day we planned on taking our kayaking certification class, so after breakfast we headed off to the pool. Since the water in Lake Superior is cold (no more than 50 degree's in the summer) it's really important to know how to get back in the Kayak of you flip. The kayaks used on Superior are all closed deck, so they are harder to get back in than the open deck kayak that I use back home. They also have spray skirts like the kind you see on a river kayak, but because the boats are so much longer you can't do an Eskimo role to flip yourself back over. Instead you need to grab a handle to release the skirt, and swim out from under the boat. Alex and I both took the class so we could be qualified to go out onto Lake Superior. Catie didn't have to take the class since she would be in a tandem boat with me, but she did watch from pool side. The sensation of flipping over, being upside down in the water was weird, but instinct (self preservation) takes over and you pull the handle and get out of the boat pretty darned fast! The rest was pretty easy, although I'm sure it would be harder out on the lake with colder water and bigger waves.
After our class, Catie and I got fitted for wet suits and life jackets and heading to the boat landing. The tandem boat they had was big and roomy. I got Catie all set up with you spray skirt, life jacket and paddle. Shoving off I had to walk the boat 10 feet out from shore to clear the rocks and was immediately struck by how cold the water was. 50 degree water is pretty numbing. Mental note, don't flip the boat! Once I got settled in with my spray skirt attached we paddled out on the lake. It was not really a perfect day for Kayaking, with winds from the south east at a steady 15 mph and 1-2 foot waves. From my past experiences on big water I knew that on a windy day it's best to do head into the wind. That way when you reach the turnaround point and you are starting to get tired, you can have the wind at your back for the journey home. Catie as always had a ball. We rode the swells up and down, kind of like our own private roller coaster. Several times waves crashed over the deck of the boat and I was really glad for the spray skirts and wet suits! We paddled for a little more that an hour and landed just in time to return our gear and have some lunch with Chris, Nik and Alex.
Our afternoon activity was Nik's trip highlight. We drove back down to Duluth to take a ride on the North Shore Scenic Rail Road. The NSSRR runs from Duluth back up to Two Harbors in vintage rail cars pulled by a beautifully restored Diesel engine. To make this even more of a highlight for Nik, this as also a trip billed as the "Pizza Train". Each passenger gets one half of a Domino's pizza and a soda. Well, I couldn't eat an entire half, neither could Catie or Chris so Nik and Alex had all the pizza they could eat, plus left overs for lunch! Nik was totally in his element on this trip. Once we had finished eating, he was up and roaming the various cars for the next hour and half. I love watching him explore. The stuff he notices and finds joy in are things that most people would take for granted or miss entirely. It was a nice time for all of us to sit and enjoy the scenery. The pizza was good, the views were great and the time spent together, priceless!
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