First snag: somebody overzealously applied Overton's Kayak Protector (overpriced Armor-All) to her kayak. Hoisting it over my head was as futile as trying to hold a greased pig. As far as kayaks go, it's also quite heavy at 60 -70 lbs. The 60 pounds of rocks that simulated my gear and Cole's food were also quite heavy. Instead of risking losing my good hiking pack in the bottom of the lakes, I used two old packs, strapped front and back. Makes it hard to breath when you have 30 pounds compressing either side of your lungs. Who would have thunk it?
Washington crossing the Delaware.
We didn't capsize, didn't lose our load, but discovered that loaded down, the kayak barely has 1" positive buoyancy. With a little choppy water, it would be fabulous recipe for hypothermia on a Canadian lake in October. This completely disqualified the kayak. But, the experiment had to go on to the end.
We had to portage a complete mile. Which meant trudging to the other lake and zig sagging around to get the mileage. To add to the misery, it was the hottest day yet: mid 90's, Humidex in the triple digits. The pond water wasn't even refreshing... like wading in a hot tub.
Conclusion. Two hours devoted to flunking a hypothesis. Therefore, I shall dole out the $25/ day for a rented canoe in Algonquin Park.
Next experiment: will Cole redecorate the interior of the wagon with puke if I bother to take my bicycle to Canada?
Taking bets right now...
