On Oct 18, 11:51*pm, "nom=de=plume" wrote:
"Frogwatch" wrote in message

...
On Oct 18, 9:28 pm, "nom=de=plume" wrote:



"Frogwatch" wrote in message

....

The thread about capsize got me remembering how when we were kids we'd
take the family canoe out in the middle of the lake and turn her over
and spend hours swimming neath her and splashing around in the swamped
boat. We could all get the old 18' Grumman righted and half empty of
water even in deep water. It never failed the rangers would come out
to "rescue" us and we couldnt figure out why they wanted people to
swim in a "swimming area", whats wrong with the rest of the lake we
wondered.
However, the thing i remember I have never seen done anywhere alse was
what we called "Gunnelling" the canoe. One of us would stand on the
tiny sloping deck behind the stern and by bouncing up and dowm you
could propell it across the lake. This always drove the rangers
nuts. The best trick was to do this as we were approaching shore and
you would then jump off backwards propelling the very light canoe
right up to the landing.
I'd kill one of my kids if I saw em doing this.

Why? If it worked....

--
Nom=de=Plume
Really dangerous though. *Standing on a small sloping slippery wet
aluminum surface would be very easy to fall forward against one of the
thwarts breaking your neck or hitting your head ans drowning. *It took
some good balance to do it. *The things kids do, a wonder we survived.

OIC. Parents have an obligation to be overly protective... at least in their
own minds. lol
--
Nom=de=Plume

When we were up in N Alabama last weekend caving, we went to Stephens
Gap cave. There is a pic in national Geographic a few months ago of
someone standing on a rock in the cave and I have the same picture I
took of my wife on the same rock back in 1985. So, I took my kids
there. It has a 160' pit and a "Walk in" entrance. Years ago, I
rapelled and climbed the pit numerous times and I wanted my kids to
think about taking up vertical caving.
We got to the edge of the pit and I could not handle it whenever they
got near the edge. "Krista, don't get so close, that edge is slick".
"Katie, that edge could break". I was frantic with fear whenever I
saw them near the edge. It is ok for me to do it but I am not sure I
could even be around if they did.
BTW, the pic in National Geo does not show the two crisscrossing
waterfalls in the pit cuz it was taken when it was very dry. One
waterfall comes from the top and the other from about 2/3 way up and
they cross in the middle, spectacular. They were flowing well last
week.