The First Strobist Informal Meet-up...

On Saturday, 04-18-09, after paddling for three hours and forty minutes, then biking for 1 hour and thirty-five minutes, I attended the 1st Strobist Informal meet-up. http://www.flickr.com/groups/mnstrobist/discuss/72157616309169488/

Several of us met in downtown Minneapolis. There were six models scheduled, all but one cancelled at the last minute. Thanks for Casey Millard who showed otherwise we would have had to shoot one another or go home. Several of us stayed to shoot Casey. We took turns.

I came across a group who were on the prom. They were from St. Michael. All the girls were falling in line to get their photo taken. The girls were dressed in very colorful dresses.

After the informal meet-up Sara wanted to go get pizza so four of us headed over to Pizza Luce. A while later Andy and KC showed up after we had finished our pizza. The pizza was excellent.

Sunday, 04-19-09, I paddled for three hours and fifty minutes. I was thinking about going on another photo walk but it was moved inside since it had been sprinkling on and on all day.

It was just as well that I didn’t go. I went downstairs to do some laundry and I saw that my water heater had a leak. I went to Lowe’s and bought a new water heater and I installed it later in the evening.

Monday, 04-20-09, I decided to take the day off from paddling. I went to the health club and worked my legs then did an hour on the LifeFitness cross trainer.

In the evening I attended my first Night Photography class. The instructor is C-J Christopherson. We got out early from class, but the next four scheduled class days are on Sunday evening that will run around four hours.

Chuck

The past few days...

Tuesday 04-14-09

I made it to the Mississippi River again and the water level is continuing to drop. This was a very enjoyable night to paddle with the temperature around 60 degrees plus the fact that the current has slowed considerably. I forgot my camera so I didn’t get any pictures. Time 2:05.

Wednesday 04-15-09

After work I went to a new photography class, so no canoeing. It’s portrait photography class with Paul Veronikas. It’s through the community education program. There were about 10 people. Normally all my photos are of nature (canoe trips, etc) so this past winter I took other photography classes that exposed me to other types of photography.

I have an assignment to take 24 portraits (head & shoulders photos) before the next class. These need to be with natural light. Now I have to go find some people.

This coming Monday night I begin a night photography class. The first class is in classroom then the next 4 sessions are in the field. I’m looking forward to that class as well.

Thursday 04-16-09

What a great night to be on the river. The temperature was 73 degrees to start. The warmest weather so far. Spring is here. I did my normal paddle and the water has dropped another 6 inches or so. The Mississippi River has dropped about 3 feet from its highest level this year. Lots of wildlife out and about.

Friday 04-17-09

Day off from work today so I got on the river in the morning. It was 53 degrees but the temperature was rising during the paddle. I saw both eagles today. I was beginning to get concerned a couple times as they were circling fairly low above me as I paddled upstream. I have a total of 41 hours and 40 minutes in the canoe this season.

When that was done I went and got a haircut with Tara, then a 38 minute run.

Tomorrow I’ll go paddling probably on the Rum River, then do a little biking. Later in the evening I have a Strobist shoot ( off camera lighting) in downtown Minneapolis. http://www.flickr.com/groups/mnstrobist/discuss/72157616309169488/

On Sunday there is another photo walk with another group, but I haven’t decided if I’m going to go right now. http://www.flickr.com/groups/tc/discuss/72157616346273025/

Chuck

August 2009 Wabakimi Paddlers Wanted

Here is the link on bwca.com: http://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=141130&forumID=112&confID=1

Chuck

Another nice day on the Rum River...

There were a couple cars in the lot when I arrived. It was 48 degrees when I got on the water. I was paddling about 40 minutes or so when I saw some paddlers in a couple C-2's paddling downstream. They told me they were headed back to switch partners.

I continued on upstream. In fact I paddled for three hours and fifty-five minutes. Afterwards, I went for a thirty minute run.

Chuck

First time on the Rum River this year...

Sure felt like spring today at least after it warmed up from this morning.

I decided to go paddling on the Rum River today out of Anoka. I’ve been fighting the fast current on the Mississippi River and not feeling like I was getting anywhere when I’ve been paddling. It was time for a change.

I arrived at the parking lot at the Rum and there were several kids and adults with the Rice Creek Boat Club just about to head down to the river.

Dave Dahl and Doug Berg were heading out also.

I got on the water at 0912 am and headed up stream. The water level was down, but I was told it had dropped a couple feet in the last couple weeks. I caught up with Ann Manns and her daughter, Lilli, paddling in the stern. Joe Manns was in his C-1.

Next I caught up with Keith Canny and Tom Gardner. I paddled with them for a while before we met up with Kate Ellis and Todd Ellison before the sandbar. There were some paddlers taking a break at the sandbar when we went by. I believe the ones on the sandbar taking a break were Steve Yurista and Cheryl DuBois and Doug Berg and Dave Dahl.

I continued on upstream with Kate & Todd and Tom & Keith. Kate told Keith to stand up and she told me to get my camera ready. When I saw those pants I told him he must get a lot whistles when he wears those pants.. Tom & Keith and Doug & Dave turned around about 20 minutes shy of the 7th Street Bridge. Kate, Todd and I continued on. It took me 2 hours and ten minutes to get to the bridge.

We came back downstream when we came across the Peterson family and others paddling upstream. Kate & Todd turned around with the group as I continued back by myself.

I finished my day with a total time of 3 hours and thirty-five minutes with the temperature at 54 degrees.

Cheryl DuBois walked over to me in the lot and we spoke for a while before I got my canoe on my Suburban. One of the things Cheryl told me was that it has been about 12 years since she had paddled on the Rum River.

When I got home I got out my Mt. Bike and rode through Elm Creek Park for one hour and thirty-five minutes.

Chuck

Wabakimi...interested...read on...

I got out on the river for one hour and fifty –five minutes tonight. This was one of the nicer nights out temperature wise. There was some wind that was a bit cool at the start, but after a couple minutes of paddling it was fine.

Last night I took the night off of exercise and went to the Minneapolis Photo Center to meet-up with the Twin Cities Photography Group I belong to. Our group was going to have a tour of the photo coop. I’ve been to the photo center in February for a strobist shoot and almost decided not to go. I’m glad I did. I met some new people and saw some others from past meet-ups.

Paddling News:

Dave Phillips from out east posted on the Wabakimi thread on bwca.com that he was looking for some paddlers for a three week trip in August. Total of 4 paddlers.

Dave was on the trip four of us took last year to Wabakimi for 15 days. I wrote a trip report about the trip. CIIcanoe Canoes Wabakimi. I posted that I would possibly be interested in going about August 15. I also sent him an e-mail.

I don’t think anyone else has contacted Dave about going yet, so if there are any experienced paddlers out there that would like to go let me know. Dave is leaving for a motorcycle tour to the arctic in May so plans have to be made soon before he leaves.

Any person who wants to go must be in shape, knows how to paddle (really) and has wilderness experience.

The plans haven’t been finalized so we could fly in and paddle out, take the train in and fly out like we did last year or…?

Well, let me know if you’re interested.

Chuck

Went paddling tonight...

It felt good to be paddling in warmer temperatures and less wind. Maybe spring is going to stay. I went down to the Mississippi River tonight after work. The temperature was 50 degrees.

The water level is down about 1 ½ feet from the high water of last week, but it was still moving very quickly. At least I didn’t have to dodge any trees or branches coming downstream.

It was very quiet on the river tonight. I did speak briefly with a family who had just bought a home on the river. They were standing along shore where I turned around to head back downstream.

My total time paddling tonight was 2 hours and 5 minutes. I’m at 25 hours and 50 minutes for the early season. The temperature dropped to 45 degrees by the time I finished.

Chuck