Gorge-like winds, practically deserted, $5CDN/day camping on-site!
Steven Slaby
try and spread the word about these "secret" spots, the following is
some pics and a brief description of some of the interesting places we sailed
out west.
During our trip it was windy every single day. Unfortunately we were soo
busy we only got out three times but the best of all was from Mystery Lake
#2.
http://nicchap.com/~slaby/p45web/
The day before I went there the few people who sailed there said the winds
kept on building and they were on the 3.5's and finally gave up and packed it
in because the winds were too strong (foreign concept to me; I have yet to
experience that phenomenon). The local paper reported that a transport
truck was blown off the road that day.
The day we went there it started as a nice 6.0 day and ended up with
excellent 4.5 conditions. We left around 5pm so it may have picked up even
more. Such a gorgeous day and there was a grand total of *5* windsurfers
there. Truely an uncrowded paradise. Conditions reminded me of Margarita,
with the exception of salt water.
On Canada Day we sailed at Mystery Lake #1. From what I had heard about it
the lake was very popular with windsurfers. We enjoyed a nice 6.0 day and
there was only one other windsurfer out all day on an old tri-fin longboard.
http://nicchap.com/~slaby/p44web/
Anyone have any guesses as to what lakes are depicted in the shots ?
Steve.
--
----------------------------------------------
Ottawa Windsurfing http://ottawawindsurfing.ca
bkenney
The only mystery here is how someone from Ottawa found their way west of
North Bay. Most people in Ontario think that the world ends at North Bay.
Did it ever occur to you that we may not want our 'secret' spots
publicized?
Cheers,
Barney
Steven Slaby
> Did it ever occur to you that we may not want our 'secret' spots
> publicized?
Barney,
They are already publicized on the web and nobody seems to be using
them so maybe its time to get some more people out there and on the water
;-). It would have been fun to meet more than 6 windsurfers in total while
I was out there but everyone was busy doing other things I guess.
I also found a neat little lake in Manitoba that's quite large with a
sandy bottom and is 8 feet deep at its maximum point (Hatteras-like
conditions but with no weeds). Unfortunately I forgot to grab some pics
before we continued along our journey.
Michael Chare
> kept on building and they were on the 3.5's and finally gave up and packed it
> in because the winds were too strong (foreign concept to me; I have yet to
> experience that phenomenon). The local paper reported that a transport
> truck was blown off the road that day.
Try Karpathos. Greek Dodecanese Island
Michael Chare
rudyforest
near pincher creek, AB. Southern Alberta rocks.
Where are you from. I'm in Calgary.
Cheers.
an...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Steven Slaby) wrote in message news:<belbre$4pc$1...@freenet9.carleton.ca>...
Steven Slaby
> Oh come on!!! way to easy for anyone who lives here. Old Man Dam,
> near pincher creek, AB. Southern Alberta rocks.
Very true but from what I saw there are not too many windsurfers out
there; or did I just not hit the right day at the right lake ? Isn't its
nickname something like Gorge North ?
You are really blessed out there with that lake. If it was closer to Calgary I
would move there in an instant.
> Where are you from. I'm in Calgary.
I'm originally from out West (Saskatoon) but currently live in Ottawa. Only
a 36 hour drive away ;-).
Mike F
Because it raises the odds of attracting a) 600 (don't laugh; many Gorge
launches with 1 or 6 then took off, and some are now closed because of it)
and b) attention from people who don't want us there (which led to those
closures). I told one friend about a wild launch site, and he publicized it.
It promptly got closed down by a huge plowed berm before the "crowd" even
hit 6. Now when I find a spot, I tell NO ONE. Can't afford to.
Same goes for camping spots in crowded areas. When a bud realized I had a
favorite spot, he repeatedly demanded that I reveal it. My several valid
reasons for not revealing it fell on deaf ears; he offered a reward on the
internet for anyone finding it, which led to people trying to follow me to
it. I had to abandon it to protect the landowner, who had given me personal
permission to use it solo, from an invasion. (Think that's an exaggeration?
Look at all the Gorge wild sleeping spots now fenced or barricaded because
of "invasions", real or perceived.) I was then followed by a reward-seeker
into my next campsite -- a friend's rural home's DRIVEWAY -- at midnight. My
friend was not amused.
There's no law protecting secret spots, but what the heck's WITH people who
feel compelled to publicize others' hard-earned small discoveries? I can
understand publizing the Pacific Ocean despite a "local's" objections, but a
small local site? C'mon, folks ... give 'em some peace ... at least unless
or until you know the circumstances. Losing my exclusive campsite in the
Gorge after a decade of using it cost me a lot of hassle and sleep and one
of the all-time great Gorge campsites; losing access to that launch requires
that I drive another 30 miles ... and nobody's the winner in either case.
Both were lose/lose situations.
Mike \m/
"Steven Slaby" <an...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in message
news:bemmqb$o7r$1...@freenet9.carleton.ca...
Steven Slaby
> There's no law protecting secret spots, but what the heck's WITH people who
> feel compelled to publicize others' hard-earned small discoveries? I can
> understand publizing the Pacific Ocean despite a "local's" objections, but a
> small local site? C'mon, folks ... give 'em some peace ... at least unless
> or until you know the circumstances. Losing my exclusive campsite in the
> Gorge after a decade of using it cost me a lot of hassle and sleep and one
> of the all-time great Gorge campsites; losing access to that launch requires
> that I drive another 30 miles ... and nobody's the winner in either case.
> Both were lose/lose situations.
Mike,
This is not some obscure launch on private property which I could
understand protecting but this is a provincial government developed site
they set up specifically for windsurfing (did you bother to check out the
pics and see windsurfer road signs?) and well known by people within
driving distance (like the other post "are you kidding" about it being not
well known). Its nobody's "secret spot" in any shape or form and nothing
exclusive about it. In talking with the locals who actually sail there it
is not often that it gets bigger numbers out on the water. I was
surprised at how many people in Ottawa (over 2000 miles away) could name the
spot just by seeing one picture. "Secret"? I don't think so...
The bitching was from a kitesurfer from the prairies with some chip on his
shoulder / attitude. Maybe he was the one who couldn't get it up and going in
the pictures from the first lake (also a very popular site with the boating
community but for some reason not with the windsurfing community). If I
understood correctly there is also camping at lake #1 for an incredibly
cheap price as well (free??).
Places like the Gorge are unique in that there are a very large
number of windsurfers who can choke/kill a site with numbers if the local
of a secret site gets out.
Another example is on the East coast in Shippagan, New Brunswick which I
posted about a couple years ago as "Canadian Hatteras". The locals were
desperate to attract other windsurfers to windsurf with so they
now organize a "windfest" there to bring lots of people there. The
more the merrier as far as they are concerned (there are maybe 20?
locals who windsurf there).
I agree 100% about truely secret sites that would be destroyed in an area
such as the Gorge with a large number of people to descend upon them but
100% disagree about the well-known sites I posted about.
How many people would be really pissed if whoever first discovered the
Gorge, Hattera, Aruba, Bonaire, Margarita, Maui, etc. etc. kept it secret and
didn't tell anyone about it?
For more info about the two sites (Lake #1, Ghost Lake, 30 minutes outside
Calgary city limits, and Old Man Dam, Lake #2 with Gorge winds, 2.5 hours
from Calgary not too far from Lethbridge) check out:
http://www.windsurfingalberta.com
The even have a site with "huge swell" on big days. I didn't have enough
time to go check it out; maybe next time!
For a map to the sites, check out:
http://www.windsurfingalberta.com/map.htm
Peter Berkey
>I was then followed by a reward-seeker
> into my next campsite -- a friend's rural home's DRIVEWAY -- at midnight.
That's what ya get for advertising The Gorge for all those years on this NG,
Mike... long ago before old age and common sense kicked in. All you need to
do now is piss all around your secret campsite and NOBODY will dare come
close.
Also, there's still plenty of virgin launches left in da Gorge... ya just
needs to find 'em. Just watch out for those bears, those BEARS will eat ya
alive...!!
-- Wind Mountain Pete
Mike F
watering moved ... as in walked away. Sure glad porcupines have good tempers
and move slowly.
Mike \m/
"Peter Berkey" <gorgeo...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vgv1qb4...@corp.supernews.com...
Mike F
retires we're hittin' the road.
Mike \m/
"Steven Slaby" <an...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in message
news:bengae$38n$1...@freenet9.carleton.ca...
Cliff Frost
> I wuz doin' just that in the middle of one night, when the bush I wuz
> watering moved ... as in walked away. Sure glad porcupines have good tempers
> and move slowly.
My wife tells this true story from a camping trip she was on:
She went over behind a rock one evening and started to pee (in female
squat pose). Apparently the local landlord--a rattlesnake--didn't
appreciate the uninvited shower. Fortunately he rattled angrily before
trying anything else. My wife says she must have broken the universe's
distance record for standing broadjump. A kangaroo couldn't have gone
as far as fast! ;-)
Enjoy,
Cliff
Mike F
This time it wasn't a rattlesnake, because they were snowmobiling. She had
walked into the woods, and all of a sudden began screaming bloody murder.
Fearing a bear or Sasquatch, everone rushed to help. What they found was her
head and shoulders on the snow, surrounded by most of her empty snowmobile
suit, at their knee level. She had unzipped her snowmobile suit from ankle
to ankle, assumed the position ... and broken through the snow crust into
many feet of soft snow.
Helluva way to make a snowball.
Mike \m/
"Cliff Frost" <cl...@ack.Berkeley.EDU> wrote in message
news:bepdqq$2ei0$1...@agate.berkeley.edu...
rudyforest
be only 2.5 hours from the gorge North. I don't want it a secret, the
more surfers the better, we have to keep this sport alive!!
Just got skunked today at Chestermere Lake, right by Calgary, blowing
before and after my visit, but not when I was on the water.
Anyway, cheers.
Erik
Tom
Thanks for sharing - totally cool road trip - I am envious and will take it
some day.
Here is my secret spot::
http://www.tobmkc.com/Albums/nnm02/nnm02.html
TO'B
"Steven Slaby" <an...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in message
news:bengae$38n$1...@freenet9.carleton.ca...
John Sitka
seems like Keho is the place. What a great vibe from their site.
Anything near Pincher Creek must be pretty windy.
"Tom" <t...@TAKEOUTtobmkc.com> wrote in message
news:87UQa.21222$BM.60...@newssrv26.news.prodigy.com...
Steven Slaby
> Hi Steve, glad you could visit us. You are right, we are blessed to
> be only 2.5 hours from the gorge North. I don't want it a secret, the
> more surfers the better, we have to keep this sport alive!!
Eric,
I guess Barney must have been that kitesurfer who couldn't get it up in
the pic since he's the only one who seems to be pissed about advertising
this paradise. Not sure why since he didn't use to live anywhere near the
place.
Anyways, can't wait until I get back there!
> Just got skunked today at Chestermere Lake, right by Calgary, blowing
> before and after my visit, but not when I was on the water.
I was told that it was very gusty and weedy there; is that true ?
Thanks,
Ray Kuntz
Flew into Edmonton once, noticed a lot of water and checked for a local
windsurfing retailer and found one. Hope the sport still survives.
Ray
Steven Slaby
> Steve:
>
> Thanks for sharing - totally cool road trip - I am envious and will take it
> some day.
>
> Here is my secret spot::
>
> http://www.tobmkc.com/Albums/nnm02/nnm02.html
Tom,
Nice to see a wide monster along "just in case". Looks pretty much
deserted there; I have no clue as to where it might be. Any hints ? ;-)
Steven Slaby
> According to http://members.shaw.ca/f10club/
> seems like Keho is the place. What a great vibe from their site.
> Anything near Pincher Creek must be pretty windy.
John,
According to Windsurfingalberta.com they reccomend down to 3.0 for Kehoe
and 3.5 for Old Man Dam. The big difference is that Old Man is relatively
flat water whereas Kehoe gets big? swell when its going off. My
preference is for flat water!
Next time I am out I will try and check out Kehoe as well.
Tom
Northern tip of Lake Michigan. I decided to check it out when we were
driving up to a friend's house in the Upper Peninsula. We are driving along
the lake when I notice that the trees are all bent away from the shore -
like in Aruba. It occurs to me that the wind must blow a lot around here.
So we planned a trip.
Days always seem to go like this.
6:00 AM - get up- coffee over driftwood campfire. Tape up holes in sails
from the day before. Cook breakfast.
9:00 AM - Rig 9.5 and sail FatBoy for a couple of hours.
11:00 AM - Rig down to 7.5, put on Pro Tech ATC 270 - rip around for a
couple of hours.
1:00 PM - Cook Wisconsin Bratwurst over open campfire for lunch.
2:00 PM - Rig down to 6.0 - couple more hours of ripping around. Nice swell
developing in the bay.
4:00 PM - Now we're down to 5.0. Board is way too big - but this year I got
a smaller one. Sail until I can't raise my arms over my head.
7:00 PM Try one more time. Get whipped - come in as the sun is going down.
8:30 - dinner in front of the campfire.
10:30 - asleep under the most awesome sky of stars.
Repeat.
We have always been blessed with wind - hopefully we will be this year too.
Tom - Chicago
"Steven Slaby" <an...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in message
news:bf9d4c$j9i$1...@freenet9.carleton.ca...