What a great adventure NCC 2020! Full of unexpected surprises.
Emotions, weather which didn’t want to cooperate and kept challenging us knowing we need to paddle 96 miles. Thank you for the wind at our backs Thursday. Wind definitely helped us to speed up paddling for a few miles.
The waves! Scary, difficult to manage, very aggressive. Those waves were pushing me to the shore, like the waves didn’t trust me to be on the water. They were questioning my skills. And at some point, of my battle with the waves and wind, it just threw my kayak up on the bank of the shore, leaving be high and dry at the west mouth of Thoroughfare. But guess what? BeastOarMan and I have been training for the last two months with 15mph wind and quite big waves. We were ready, but not quite ready for the weather we met at NCC 2020.
Boat! My “fat lady” (I call my Kayak “fat lady”) wasn’t cooperative from time to time. It didn’t want to turn the way I wanted her to turn. She made me cry, curse and frustrated. And she didn’t tip me over. Thank you my “fat lady“ for being strong!
Camping! It was the most extreme adventure camping ever! First night we were stealth camping on someone's territory 2 miles past CP2. We found a ramp and set up our tent on someone’s grassy lawn. In the morning, the screaming kid woke us up, it was time to go back to the water. We spent the second night at otter cove in Long Bay. It was a beautiful waterfront place for our tent. We secured our tent with my kayak, making sure strong wind will not destroy it and leave us without shelter. Third night, OMG, you guys will not believe it. BeastOarMan has a picture standing next to our tent with water up to his ankles. We camped on a marsh full of water, no other choice. We used all our survival skills and also skills to use inside resources (like trying to fix our tent with sport tape).
Wildlife! Bobcats, Otter, Birds, Deer, Crabs, Fish, Bear tracks and Turkey Vultures near a deer kill ...
I am so grateful to be part of the Beauty and the Beast team.
Way to go Team Beauty & The Beast!!! Excellent training for EC!!!!
WestchesterWoman aka Galina
