A view from the beach

This past weekend I was a student in an intense 3-day kayak training program called the Level IV Coastal Waters Instructor Development Workshop (IDW), hosted by the American Canoe Association (ACA). The IDW is a prerequisite for eventually taking the kayaking Instructor Certification Exam (ICE), which is also a 3-day event. I came away from the IDW fairly confident about my communication skills. There are definately knowledge areas that I need to study, and I also need to work on some of my on-the-water skills. So, I'll be spending time on all those things between now and the end of September when I take the ICE. Last evening as I was preparing to launch on Lake Michigan, I struck up a conversation with a guy on the beach who was there with his two young daughters and a nice camera with a long lens. He asked if it was OK to take pictures of me. I said "Of course." He could have taken them without my permission but it was nice of him to ask. This morning he sent me some of them. It's fun to see what it looks like from the beach. But I'd rather be the guy out on the water.

Fun with kayak rolls

Harrington Beach to Amsterdam Park

Plan your trips with EveryTrail iPhone Travel Guides

Door County Sea Kayak Symposium 2010

North Bay to Cana Island Lighthouse

Plan your trips with EveryTrail iPhone Travel Guides

The geocache diet

Here's a video that tells one person's attempt to lose weight through geocaching. While I think his goal is great, I don't think geocaching is the most effective way to lose weight. There are too many variables in geocaching to make it a reliable form of exercise. For example, you may not have enough long walk geocaches in your area. Once at the coordinates, you may spend a lot of time searching for the cache -- and that's time that could otherwise be spent on more intense exercise. Yes, geocaching is better than sitting on the couch, but it's no substitute for exercise that will do a lot more good, such as power walking, running, biking, etc.

Okoboji kayak paddle

Okoboji kayak paddle

Plan your trips with EveryTrail Mobile Travel Guides

Kayaking downtown Milwaukee

A nice early season paddle on Sunday. 4.5 miles around Lakeshore State Park, the Milwaukee Art Museum and McKinley Marina.