The Century Club David Barnes,


Paddles for: sanity


KAYAKING BUM and ARTIST


Paddles for: fitness John Murray,


M.D. WaWa, ontario


With a house on Wawa Lake and a cottage on Lake Superior, it’s rela- tively easy for John Murray to main- tain what has become a habit. The Wawa-based rural physician keeps a sea kayak at each location and gets out for a 45-minute paddle just about every day. “I just use paddling as a workout,”


says the six-foot-plus 53-year-old whose active lifestyle is apparent in his wiry physique. John builds kayak- ing into his daily schedule by booking a two-hour lunch and working an hour later or working through lunch and cutting out an hour earlier to slide into the cockpit. It’s a routine that begins with open water in April and ends with the encroaching ice and snow of November. John prefers getting his workout in a kayak over a gym be- cause it’s as much a mental exercise as it is physical. “There’s a real sense of adventure when paddling through a maze of ice floes early season and then trying to find your way back again,” he says. John is also an avid windsurfer,


catamaran sailor, canoe tripper and whitewater paddler. “I love being outside and love being on the water,” he says. TIP: “There will always be things to interfere with paddling but you have to prioritize and make time for it. Be disciplined, then it becomes a habit.”—James Smedley


salt sPring island, British ColumBia


I have no tricks for getting out on the water every day, or at least a few times a week. I simply cheat! I live on Salt Spring Island, less than five minutes from the easiest launch site, and I work from home. I am ir- responsible, single, and can afford to be spontaneous with my schedule. I quit my job to become a 42-year-old kayaking bum. That job allowed me much time each day to paddle, but the paddling was more therapeutic than enjoyment. Hitting the water after work eased the need to go “postal”—fitting, as I was working as a postie. Flotation Therapy 101: it just saves lives! Tossing the McJob to the curb was


a leap of faith, as was taking off for a year to go on countless paddling trips. I came home realizing a very impor- tant thing. Whether it is kayaking, or any other joyful thing you do, (at the risk of sounding corporate) just do it! I realize, however, that I am alone.


Everyone else works long hours, has far more on his or her plate than I have, and may not be surrounded by water. It takes some compromise to get on the water more often. I don’t have bling, don’t need it. I don’t go out for dinner every night; I am a better cook. I do have three kayaks and spend many evenings on the water. It is a balancing act. I do have to be more creative to pay the bills but when I stress, I float in my boat. TIP: Think quality vs. quantity. If you only get out twice a month, make it memorable.—David Barnes


Paddles 300 Days a Year


What do a toothbrush, a wool hat, a PFD, and half a dozen Mars bars have in common? For Conor Mihell, guide and instructor on Lake Superior’s remote North Shore [as well as a frequent contributor to this magazine], these constitute the bare essentials of an 80-kilometre paddling day. Mihell is a man perfectly suited for, and hope- lessly in love with, the bohemian lifestyle his profession affords. Most of us would find it hard to imagine living out of a pickup truck for six months, but surf and sand just steps from his, er, tailgate are reason enough for Mihell. Although he may sound like a modern- day Thoreau, Mihell does allow himself one luxury—his toothbrush. “Proper dent manage- ment is key,” he jokes, grinning widely. Those who paddle with him are familiar with his fits of infectious laughter even on the dreariest paddling days. We caught up with Conor on the shore of Brulé Harbour, Lake Superior, to zero in on the secrets of his love of kayaking and imperturbable good humour.


Adventure Kayak: What turned you onto kayaking?


Conor Mihell: I started paddling 12 years ago—mostly canoeing. I dabbled with kayak- ing but it wasn’t until I learned how to roll and paddle in big waves that I got hooked.


You kayak for work, paddle for pleasure, and write about paddling. How do you keep it interesting?


Visiting the same place at a different time of year—winter paddling. Also meeting local characters and hearing their stories. I really enjoy showing new people my favourite places—through guiding and writing.


That’s a tough way to make a living. What’s your secret?


Living out of my truck, shopping from the discount rack; bannock, beans and day-old veggies.


What are you thinking about when you’re kayaking?


Not much! Paddling slows down my thought process. It’s totally therapeutic. It takes me places, and away from problems.


What keeps you motivated to paddle 300 days a year?


I’m happier out here. I consider my options— where else could I be? Kayaking keeps me going. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Superior to paddle in.—Virginia Marshall


34 | | ADVENTURE KAYAK summer 2007


PHOTOS: JAMES SMEDLEY//PETER MEDE/VIRGINIA MARSHALL


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