And now for something completely different...

alpinista · Aug 20, 2006

Neither AMSTony nor I could escape this weekend to do some peakbagging, but that didn't stop us from getting out for some exercise! Think of this as cross-training for continued hiking fun...

Neither one of us is a great swimmer, but we put those fears aside and decided to get in an upperbody workout by hopping in some kayaks and checking out Boston's North Shore. Just a few miles from my downtown condo is a funky throwback to a long-gone era: the land of arcades and boardwalks, greasy fried clams and tasty burgers and dogs _ and these days, a place that rents kayaks. It's called the Salem Willows, and it features not only all that bad food but also a band shell, a couple of docks and a beach.

We started off in the water right off the beach and paddled our way south. We passed some of the decades' old beachfront homes, each of them squeeze into postage-stamp sized pieces of property but with amazing views. This is a tight-knit neighborhood with beachfront "porches/decks" where folks gather to chat away the all-too-short summer. Some of them sport chimineas, and I imagined it must be a cozy place to live.

I hugged the shoreline, not feeling comfortable venturing too far out into the harbor. For one, I wasn't sure if motorboats would spot me. For another, I wasn't sure how strong a current it was and I didn't want to get sucked out beyond my abilities.

We passed one of the many lighthouses that dot the landscape here, and paddled by Winter Island, another of Salem's beachfront gems. Then, of course, there's the wonderful power plant and the mounds of coal along the way. Fabulous!

Tony and I made our way to the dock where my mode of transportation into work these days _ a ferry _ pulls in and out of. We made sure to stick especially close to the coastline this time so the ferry wouldn't run us over!

Before we knew it, an hour had gone by and we'd traveled 2.5 miles _ and it was time to return to the Willows since we'd only rented the kayaks for two hours. We dawdled a bit and checked out some big black birds; I'm not sure what kind they are but their profile looked like herons to me.

Here are some pix

Ray · Aug 20, 2006

Sounds like you had a great time, alpinista. I remember the time that I "kayaked" in the bay off Old Greenwich CT with a friend of mine. There were many small sandy islands which we explored. It was awesome.

Ray

marty · Aug 20, 2006

Great report, Lisa! Party down on the North Shore!! The only times we did that area were in Lauren's dad's Boston Whaler. Good luck on the peak quest for both you and Tony!

Marty

NH_Mtn_Hiker · Aug 20, 2006

I love exploring coastlines, whether on foot or in a boat.

The black birds appear to be cormorants, probably P. brasilianus or P. auritus and those others...the herring gulls, they love McDonald's french fries.

DougPaul · Aug 20, 2006

Cormorants. Very common along the shore.

Doug

amstony · Aug 20, 2006

Always ready for something different and a new adventure..........

So with peakbagging plans postponed due to both of our work requirements for another day, Alpinista called and suggested Kayaking in lieu of a lenghty drive to climb Ellen in Vermont. I jumped at the chance since I'd been wanting to try kayaking for some time. However, with no kayak experience I figured it would be tough locate a patient person I could inflict myself on.

But it proved easier than I thought when Alpinista called me! I wasn't a total novice........I had some small boat experience in the military, a long time ago. This year I had passed a swim test in May for an Introduction to SCUBA class and had some pool dives and an ocean dive in. So I wasn't a total loss in the water!

After a short drive to Salem, MA we met for a late breakfast, and headed out to a place a few miles from downtown Salem, MA. called Salem Willows. There we'd rent kayaks, get a fast refresher type of class, and head out into the Salem harbor. After getting our gear organized, we walked through the Salem Willows, definitely a throwback to the 50's/60's. A short walk from the lot is Plum Island kayaks/Salem kayaks, a rental center for all sorts of kayaks on first come-first served basis, further info at www.PlumIslandKayak.com .

So after having our kayaks towed down to the beach, we put on our personal flotation devices, inspected the open cockpit kayaks, and stowed our gear into the bulkheads, including our ever present cell phones and blackberrys which went into waterproof bags and containers.......

I received some very basic instruction and together we pushed out into the bay and headed south towards Salem harbor with Alpinista in the lead. I quickly found the technique and started to really have some fun.

For the next hour we paddled our way south along the coast and inlets, watching for boats, staying in the no-wake zone, and basically keeping things relatively simple for a first time paddler. Finally we stopped for a short break near the Salem-Boston commuter ferry dock. I was hoping for an up close picture of the ferry as it docked but it was too early, although as we began paddling north I could see the ferry on the distant horizon. I took a picture as it passed by slowly a half mile away. With that I headed north and quickly caught back up with Alpinista. We took more pictures of the scenery and birds and headed back in towards the Willows. So after a little over two hours we stopped and dragged our kayaks back up onto the beach.

So with a great new experience under my belt we stopped for a late afternoon light lunch in downtown Salem, and with that I headed north, braving the ever present 128 traffic jams...........and back to reality!

JPEGS are attached below