Lambton Outdoor Club
July 2021 e-Newsletter | The following is a brief story based on an experience I was part of this past month.
It was to be a short paddle for the three of us. One kayak and one canoe. As we unload at our put in, I am thinking it is only a short paddle on calm water. Do I need all my gear? Thank goodness the example set by other members took over, everything was taken with us. We were working up an appetite and decided to stop on what looked like a sand bank for lunch. The first to step ashore from the canoe realized to late that the gentle sandbank was wet clay. Feet slipped, bum and back hit ground and rock. End to our perfect day. Due to pain level and inability to judge amount of damage done we called 911. In the middle of Lambton County it took over an hour for EMT's to find and reach us. Another hour once patient was stable to get an emergency boat to us, the nearest being Coldstream. Never leave safety gear out of the equation. We had a first aid kit with plastic blanket to keep the injured person warm and out of wind and pain meds. On the phone we had All Trails to give longitude and latitude and to talk EMT's through our route by the bends in the river. We also had extra water and food as our 2 hour trip became 5. Lastly the boat safety kit had a rope with which to tow the kayak while the last two members paddled out in the canoe. Learning from this: Always check the ground before getting out. Take safety gear no mater where you are or how long your trip. New phone app called my3squares that allows first responders to zero in on your position. Always have info on your person for meds, allergies, existing conditions, along with extra food and water, etc.
Thanks for an opportunity to share.
Sandra Blondin
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Calling all LOC cyclists!
| Your cycling committee has put together an opportunity for you to ride a distance you like and pace you like along our beautiful St. Claire River on Saturday, July 17th. Four base routes have been set up with some of your favourite leaders. You can register for the route with the pace that suits you and then decide if you want to do all or part of the distance.
Ultimately riders of all groups will join up at Brander Park in Port Lambton. While there you can relax for an hour, have a snack, take a dip in the river, and socialize (covid safely) with other riders.
Now that we can ride together again, we hope you can join for a nice day and connect with other riders.
Is it coincidence that the distance offered are closely aligned with the virtual Granfondo routes?
Sharon Crowe
| This spring the Hiking Committee conducted a survey of the hiking enthusiasts of the Lambton Outdoor Club. Thanks to the 50 + who responded. Our intention is to use the information gleaned when planning hikes for the coming year.
Questions posed plus responses were:
1. Do you prefer hiking on weekdays or weekends? 42 respondents replied “possibly both depending upon my activities.” 12 replied “weekdays” and 7 “weekends.” Prior to Covid restrictions the LOC typically offered both Tuesday and Saturday hikes. With the information provided we will attempt to expand this – dependent upon volunteer leaders – to occasionally offer hikes on other days of the week.
2. What is your preferred time to hike? 9:00 was the predominant winner with 31 votes. 8:30 received 19 votes and 10:00 received 15. 9 votes were received for 8:00. While there were a few votes for afternoon times these were very sparse. Typically LOC hikes have been slated for morning times and this appears to continue to be the optimum time period.
3. What is the optimum length of hike? 2 hour hikes were the winner here with 38 votes followed by 22 votes for 3 hours, 16 for 90 minutes and 14 votes for 4 hours. There was a small number of votes for 1 hour hikes. With a speed of from 3.5 – 4.5 kms per hour a 2 hour hike would be approximately 7-9 kms.
4. What is the maximum length of a drive to a hike? Respondents indicated a strong willingness to travel 60 minutes or longer to hike. This allows for a greater variety of destinations.
5. Is it optimum to change start times or keep them consistent throughout the year? A resounding vote for changing start times especially to accommodate weather was expressed. Hike leaders chose the hike start time and take weather etc. into consideration.
6. Are you interested in LOC offering dog-friendly hikes? A large majority expressed a “no, thank you”. While a smaller but significant group replied “yes, once in a while”. Concerns cited included allergies as well as the behaviour of several dogs hiking together.
Two questions concerning Bruce Trail hikes were posed.
25 respondents preferred predictable timing every year with 15 preferring changing up the schedule for variety from year to year. In the past LOC has attempted to offer a Bruce Trail hike on the May long weekend with a second spring hike two weeks later. We have traditionally offered two hikes in the fall with the first being the last weekend in September and the second following the Thanksgiving weekend.
23 respondents were interested in Bruce Trail hikes to be offered during the week. 15 respondents were interested in longer hikes i.e. 3-5 nights away. 16 respondents were interested in more than 4 Bruce Trail hikes per year. Presently the Bruce Trail hike leaders have a schedule that allows for the entire Bruce Trail to be hiked should a person attend all of the LOC sessions over a period of approximately 7 years.
The final question of the survey was: Are you interested in being a volunteer hike leader. 15 replied affirmatively. Thank you to all who participated in filling out the questionnaire. The hiking Committee will be using your input in devising our schedule in the coming year.
A huge thank you to all our volunteer hike leaders without whom no hikes could be offered.
Louise Gibson
| I woke up bored and listless
Turned over in my bed
Another day with covid
Another day to dread.
Where once was joy and action
Vitality and bliss
Another day with covid
Has left me with just this:
A tiny bit of virus
Has drained away my will
Another day with covid
Another day to fill.
They say that I am lucky
I haven’t got the bug
But it’s another day with covid
A day without a hug.
My family they miss me
They know I miss them too
Another day with covid
We don’t know what to do.
But vaccines are among us
We’ll soon have hope and glee
Our days will have no covid
We’ll once again be free.
Sharon Crowe
| It looks like we’re finally getting over the hump and able to start some group riding. Rides are already being added to the website as we speak. Sharon Crowe has kindly volunteered to lead rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Tuesday ride being more of a training ride for mostly more advanced riders due to the pace and distance. The Thursday rides are more of a slower pace with more socializing intended to happen.
Kathy Furlotte has been adding rides on Wednesdays under the new header of “Free Wheelers”, formerly known as the Slow Spokes. This stemmed from an aversion from anyone wanting to be deemed ‘slow’.
There are also some weekend rides being posted for the end of July.
The Cycling committee will be adding more rides as the expected loosening of restrictions takes place. We decided to take a ‘let’s wait and see what happens’ approach, which hopefully will allow us to offer different rides than what we are able to offer at this time.
Traditionally, the cycling group was kind of split into Hares, Easy Riders and Slow Spokes. We discussed whether to maintain the three different distinctions and decided that we prefer to categorize rides by those monikers rather than calling them ‘groups’ to encourage cyclists to ride more according to their comfort level on any specific day. One day you might join a Hares ride, and another decide to do an Easy Riders or Free Wheelers ride or vice versa.
We have also adjusted the expected pace and distance for each group slightly to better reflect the current abilities of our cycling participants. Unfortunately we were not able to have a cycling group kick off night yet this year to launch the new cycling season due to the current restrictions still in place.
Looking forward to re-acquainting or meeting you on a ride soon,
John Damoiseaux, co-chair Cycling Committee
| Members were asked to submit a short reflection on the theme of how LOC membership has influenced their life. There was only one response, thanks to Rod and Chris Richmond for sharing.
Many years ago, Rod and I met as a (slightly) older couple, on our 2nd marriage. As is the case for some, when your spouse changes, the friends you had sometimes drop out of the picture. In addition to wanting to keep active and explore new areas, we also wanted to build up a reserve of new friends. The LOC fit the bill exactly. At the first event we felt shy, knew no one, but chatted with a couple of people who we then remembered by name. Then at the next event we met a couple more and were off to the races. A few years later at a social event, we were shocked to look around the room containing more than 70 people, and realize that we knew everyone. As a result of joining this club we have met physical challenges (Bruce Trail completion, Gran Fondos), hiked, cycled and paddled in beautiful places, near and far, and met a whole lot of awesome people. Win-win-win!
Chris & Rod Richmond
| I’ve ridden 1900km along the infamous Highway 17 which hugs the North shore of Lake Superior, otherwise called the Trans Canada with some close shaves, but nothing compares to the mile of Highway 40 I rode on a recent Sunday morning! But how did I decide to take this perilous route? It began as a season shake down ride to Corunna with a couple of companions, who were no shows, so I elected to enjoy the sun and fair wind and ride solo. The route is familiar, through the always deserted Rainbow park, past the hissing steam traps and high pitched whines of the Valley, pause on the curve to reflect on the vast emptiness of the former Dow site, when I was passed by four ladies with similar intent and of a similar vintage. River Road has an almost hypnotic quality (and I’m not talking of the proliferation of vendors selling weed), but the running blue of the river evokes a lyrical pleasure. At least for me. I just discovered the Panorama setting on my iPhone, and stopped for a quirky view of a passing laker. The four ladies had occupied the convenient picnic table opposite Tim’s in Corunna, so I sat with three old timers socially distanced at the parkette, and joined their discussion about their past and our political present. Old guy stuff. I eschewed the River, and headed east on LaSalle Line, past freshly planted fields and the Fire school, across the Highway and the country mile to Kimball. Although parallel to Hwy 40, I find Kimball has less traffic, and is generously wide so most vehicles allow plenty of margin. By the time I reached Plank Road though, I was feeling a trifle weary, and the prospect of cutting up Churchill to Blackwell and home was daunting, so I weighed the odds. Sunday morning, little traffic, barely a mile to Confederation, so why not chance Highway 40? The two lanes on this stretch are narrow, the shoulder minimal and the gravel rough. Although motorists are generally courteous, if there is oncoming traffic, the cyclist is meat in the sandwich. I persevered, trucks were so close I felt their slipstream, most cars gave me space. The abutment to the overpass is atrocious, the concrete is chipped and gouged; I had no alternative but to walk! I was rewarded at the summit with a neat view of the freight yards, which I duly recorded in panorama vision. The down slope was an anticlimax, but with relief I detoured through town to arrive home safely. The takeaway? Highway 40, we are told is budgeted to a dual carriageway. Until then, avoid it like the plague.
Mike Tanner, Editor
|  | | Cherry blossom confetti
|  | CN yard from the overpass
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Royal Academy of Octogenarian Cyclists | And finally, a quirky news item caught my attention. Ray Marentette is an 80+ year old from Mississauga who still pedals his bike around town, was musing, as old men are wont to do, whether there were other riders of a similar vintage. He sent out the call on Facebook, and with a sense of dignity and humour christened the group, the Royal Academy of Octogenarian cyclists. He has over 641 members and counting, and I can think of several distinguished member of LOC who are eminently qualified to join. Ray created a media stir, support for senior riders, and with a twinkle in his eye, his 15 minutes of fame. It’s a wonderful world, especially when you are riding a bike.
Mike Tanner, Editor |
| Hike, Paddle, Ride... Smile! |
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Lambton Outdoor Club | P.O. Box 653 | Sarnia, Ontario, N7T 7J7
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