Rehd

Good to be back, sure wish you were along at Lake Powell, some very nice paddling. On the NZ trip, it's a go I think. Also thinking to head on to Oz and go visit John Greenway (and go and drool over the stripper he just finished).

I'm hearing you about the life and choices issue...now don't go regretting your choices, there's tons of things left to do. Hell, my Dad is 78 and he's ready to slow down now and go on paddling trips (I surely hope I'm like him when I get his age). Speaking of age, let me tell you, the most hard-core paddlers I know and paddle with is a guy from Phoenix, Don Bender, and a guy in Insane Diego who thinks he's still trying to get the paddling thing all figured out, Bill Todd. Both are in their late sixties, and contrary to what they say, are actually bionic nuclear reactors in disguise. I, being a mere pip-squeak of 45, have to paddle my proverbial rear off to keep up. A day's paddling with them leaves me truly wiped out, with several days of recovery time for the arms and back. Right now, out here there's a stiff wind blowing out of the NE with scattered rains, but does that stop Bill? Hell no, this morning he ROWED his Cal 28 sailboat out from Mission Bay, over the bar at the entrance, and on to his customary 5 miles or so in the Pacific...69 and a survivor of lymphoma. He thinks rowing his sailboat back and against the winds will be a good day's workout. Oh, man...

Moral of the story: Youth and experience is no match for age and treachery!

Ah...I gotta scoot and launch the yak. Got some new gear to try out, and I want to paddle out and hook up with Bill out in the big bowl of jello that the ocean is today. I'm into a new idea about rain gear that I'll share tonight in the Technique section...

see ya, or should I say, sea yak?