Yesterday's paddle

Along the lines of getting outside an hour a day: I posted a "happy hour" paddling event on my club's website for yesterday evening. I had 9 paddlers attend including myself. Fountainhead Marina on the Occoquan Reservoir has a wide boat ramp with rubber mats to one side for "car-top" boats. The Reservoir is rarely an exciting place to paddle, the water is typically flat, really flat. The current moves downstream at about a 1 mile an hour pace. This means it's not a big fight going upstream but it boosts your return pace, a bit.

It was advertised as an "exercise paddle" but we had a beginner/renter tag along so this hamstrung us to a 2 mph pace. I like beginners and welcome them on some trips but I had envisioned a different kind of paddle entirely. I began to feel like a shepherd, moving my flock along a pasture.

But the high side was I got a lot of good conversation out of my fellow paddlers. Deke made a great recommendation, which I am rolling around. He suggested we club leaders create a speed scale based on the different leaders' speed and style. I.e. "this paddle will be Andy speed, or Madelaine speed," etc. This is a rockin suggestion! How do I enact it without pissing anyone off? Will Andy feel he's slighted if I place him below Madelaine? Will DJ feel he deserves a higher slot? hhmmmm...

My "flock"

Scott helping Deke retrieve his lost water bottle