2009-09-07 49 -123

Mon 7 Sep 2009 in 49,-123: 49.2468975, -123.3119703 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

4km out from Wreck Beach

Participants

• Rhonda
• Robyn
• Xore
• Elbie

Plans

Xore and Rhonda will be at the top of the stairs to Wreck Beach by 1PM. "beach trail 6" on the map.

Elbie is offering freshly home-made pie at her place (a block away from Trail 6) after the hash. Because kayaking has quite the effect on the appetite.

Expedition

Robyn

Robyn drove to UBC and found a parking spot immediately in front of the Wrech Beach access trail. She was very pleased with herself until Xore pointed out that it was a two minute parking zone. Xore helped her unload and then she pulled out in search of better parking. Just then, someone about five cars ahead put on his turn signal and pulled out of a parking space in the "No parking from 11 pm to 6 am" zone. Being certain that our geohash would be over by 11 pm, Robyn parked there, and went back to being pleased with herself.

Rhonda & Xore

After departing North Vancouver and swinging by Xore's place to pick up his kayaking gear, we drove out to UBC, swinging all the way around on Marine drive. The beach trail 6 trailhead was not only well signed but had extensive bike parking. Unfortunately, all the car parking was on the opposite side of the road. Rhonda turned the car around at the next intersection, decided to not park in the 3-minute zone, spotted a gap and then spotted the fire hydrant in the middle of that gap, then took the next parking spot another block down the road.

Xore insisted on carrying both kayaks on the grounds that it's easier to carry something heavy if it's at least balanced, so Rhonda carried all the rest of the awkward bits like pumps and paddles and changes of clothes. Back at the beach trail 6 area, Elbie waved.

Elbie

Elbie departed last of the participants, leaving her nearby apartment around 12:50. Getting there first, she made herself with a book (Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut) until geohashers and kayak paddles were spotted in her peripheral vision.

Down the Stairs to the Launching Area

As Elbie had an injury, she was not planning to paddle and thus did not have her kayak with her. She carried Robyn's paddle and life jacket while Robyn lugged her own kayak down the trail. Xore was a man and carried both his and Rhonda's kayaks. There have been considerable improvements on the trail: it's now good level stairs the whole way down instead of a gnarly slippery trail like it was years ago.

At the bottom of the stairs we all followed Elbie's directions to a launching spot behind the breakwater and assembled the kayaks. This was to be the maiden voyage of Xore's Sevylor. I'll let Rhonda recount the events here, as they are focused more around her.

Towards the Geohash

Xore and Robyn set out as the advance party towards the geohash. Around two breakwaters and out into the sea, still quite calm because winds were low and the airport breakwater was still sheltering us.

The Wimp-Out

After about forty or fifty minutes the duo had reached the halfway point and Robyn decided that Wade shouldn't be kept waiting that long. She kept Xore in sight until Rhonda came on the scene and then paddled back, coming ashore on the main part of Wreck Beach, not the mucky part where we had launched from.

One of the great benefits of kayaking off a clothing optional beach is that no one cares how much of your wet and muddy clothing you remove when you reach shore. The disadvantage is of this particular beach is that you have to lug the wet, sandy kayak, back up the stairs. Now Robyn is too tired to do a proper write up. Even though an exceptionally chivalrous gentleman from Singapore helped her carry it up.

Photos

Elbie's photos are available at: [1]. Feel free to upload them to the wiki for ribbons, etc.