"I just want to cuddle up!" Who are you?

Masturyaker Dan

With tentative yakking plans in place, the river raging and the temperature in the 40's, Dan was looking forward to exploring one of his favorite trips, the Arboretum run. With little interest from others, Kent and Dan were set to to enjoy a long lost trip that had been avoided due to a downed tree. That was until Kent called it off, saying it was too cold and that this was a day

that he "just wanted to cuddle up"...or something to that affect. It was a balmy 45 degrees when Dan hit the Duper.....at the end of JANUARY.....in NORTHERN ILLINOIS!!! Not only is the executive board considering fines and or sanctions against Kent for his reckless cancellation, there have been rumors that a revocation of his man-card is being considered.

Knowing that although he did not suggest the cancellation of the trip, he knew that going along with it would possibly subject him to the same scrutiny that Kent will have to endure. Recalling how Boone and Stratton reacted when Dean Wermer advised them of their double secret probation in Animal House (toga party), Dan smiled at himself in the mirror, nodded and said: "MASTURYAK" . For those unfamiliar with the term please follow the convenient link to Urban Dictionary where my published definition can be enjoyed via the world wide web.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=masturyak

Much like a prom date-less high school boy who knew he wasn't going to get any, Dan knew that sometimes it is better alone that not at all and he headed off for a little "me" time in his single yak. The river was fast and high as well as clear of any downed trees. Unbridled by the wishes or desires of others and not having any performance anxiety, Dan guided his yak skillfully down the swollen river, almost becoming one with the Duper (spiritually becoming one, not like becoming part of the river like someone in a previous blog entry did) . As he exited the river, he once again reminded himself of what he and his fellow yakers have always known: when the river is high you need to take advantage of it no matter how stupid the rest of the world may think you are.

I can only hope that any possible suspension levied against Kent does not jeopardize his streak.

Pictures: Dan and Chloe before trip, Solo Dan, inlet at Community Park (note how high the water is)

Santa Float 2009...Pat sneaks in #49

Dan, Kent, Pat, JD

Adapting to Kent's mantra that winter kayaking is best done the 1st week of the month, Dan and Kent had already put consecutive month 49 in the books earlier in the month. But Pat, much like a harried Christmas gift shopper on the 24th of December, had left his streak in jeopardy. Giving Mother Nature the finger and betting that the river would not freeze to end his streak, Pat set up a date with Kent (a bromance in the making?) for the last Sunday of the month. My experience has shown me that dates are much more successful when the other party is aware that they are involved in your planned activity. Pat claims mancode dictates that Kent should have known he had committed to the float based on a previous comment and Kent claimed he had never heard anything from Pat so he was not planning a trip on that day. Thank goodness the voice of reason and yak planning entered into the picture (Dan) and the trip took place.

Donning the Santa beard (Dan) and Santa helper hats (Kent, Pat and JD) two tandems floated thru downtown Naperville the Sunday after Christmas. Why the Santa float after Christmas you ask? The early month yak was too soon for the full Santa outfit and the after Christmas float did not seem to warrant the full outfit either, however Dan loves to wear the Santa beard through Naperville. Nothing was too noteworthy on the trip, other than there were fewer people witnessing the 4 red hatted kayakers than would be expected on a beautiful winter Sunday afternoon.

5th consecutive New Year's Day float

Dan, Kent, Pat, JD, Jim M., Jim H.

Consecutive month 50 as well as the 5th consecutive New Year's Day float are in the books as 6 hearty soles braved temperatures in the teens and hit the WBDR, floating from Pioneer Park to Ring Road. The regulars (Dan, Kent and Pat) were joined by JD (don't look now, he has a cute little 3 month streak going himself), Jim M. (a returnee previously prominently featured in the blog entry "Duper Boys Jim, not the Polar Bear Club" http://kayakman30.blogspot.com/2008/04/duper-boys-jimnot-polar-bear-club.html#comments ) and Jim H. (a Duper virgin). Regular readers of the blog are well aware of the initiation rites involved in anyone's first time float and may be thinking that Jim H. got a pass due to the severe cold and its possible effects on certain parts of the body not used to seeing the light of day. If there was any thought of a free pass on this frigid day, it was quickly put to rest when Kent glanced over at Jim and matter of factly stated: "Hey, newbie, you're coming with me!" Pat and Dan nodded their heads in agreement, knowing that Kent was the best choice on this particular day. Jim M. and JD gave a little shudder, glad that Mother Nature had been a little kinder to them on their initiation day.

Despite the temperature, the trip was excellent as the crisp air, cold beers and good friends made for a very enjoyable float, leaving some of us wishing we had left the cars at Knoch Knolls so we could stay out a little longer. Pat and Kent were down right giddy with the effects that the hand warmers had on their not so frozen digits. Could we have solved our one main issue with winter yakin'? I hope so. As we pulled into the launch area at Ring Road, the sense that something was ending too soon came over the group and instead of getting off the river, we all just sat in our yaks, enjoyed another beer and did what guys do best...BS'ing about everything and nothing at the same time. Nice start to 2010 boys......see you in February if not before.

FYI...last year's NYD's float was Jim M., Pat and Dan

Nov 1 makes it 4years straight...virgin meat in tow

The continued rainy weather and the 1st of a new month landing on a Sunday set up perfectly to get month 48 in the books. As they did last week, Dan, Kent and Pat met at Centennial beach. A few things differed from last week, though. Big Red, Pat's Mad River canoe made a rare appearance and JD showed up for a 2nd trip (always encouraging when someone is willing to participate again with the Duper boys). The biggest news of the day was the first time appearance of Rick....a Duper virgin as it were.

Sensing that there may be something "special" about to happen, Rick nervously asked if there was some sort of initiation or hazing. Any regular reader of this blog is well aware that there most certainly is an initiation that must be administered and that the details of such initiation must never be disclosed in this blog. Rick of course was no stranger to bizarre initiation rights having been part of the airline industry during the sex and drug hey day of the early '70's. Like all first timers who experience their maiden Duper trip, Rick appeared to enjoy everything about the trip, including the secretive right of passage. When asked how the initiation went, Rick exclaimed "it was not too bad, but my pants got a little wet!" That's what all first timers say, Rick.

Pictured: JD (appearing to be stating "you try that initiation BS on me again I'll shove this paddle where the sun don't shine"), 2 random shots of Kent, Pat and JD and finally Rick, checking to see if everything was ok after the Duper boys had "welcomed" him to the club.

Double click on any photo for a closer look.

Oct 2009 - month 47...the fright float

It has been a few months since the blog has been updated but rest assured, we have continued the streak throughout the summer. I lacked inspiration but will try to keep it updated as trips are taken.

Due to the rain that we got on approximately 20 of the 31 days in October, the last full weekend in October set up nicely for a little Halloween float. Kent, Pat, Dan and Mike put in at Centennial beach and paddled (if you can call it that) down to Ring road. We attracted quite a crowd as Pat and Dan struggled to put Kent's skirt on Dan's yak. Nothing like looking like you know what you are doing while a crowd watches. Once we figured out the square peg / round hole errors of our way, we donned the masks and headed down river. As always, the crowd was quite receptive to monsters yaking on the Duper.

Once out of town, the real beauty of having paddling pals to share some quality river time comes to life. As we sucked on our beers we shared stories and tales that can only truly be appreciated on the river. I swear at one point I thought Mike and Kent were going to pull over and do a Deliverance dance right on the shore. "Squeal like a pig, bro!" Talking of hot, searing meat while fondly looking at the beautiful fall foliage, Mike swore he was so relaxed that he would be able to sleep for a week if he were able to enjoy a little quality "alone" time, if you know what I mean!!

While Kent and Dan had completed month 47 earlier in the month, Pat needed this end of the month trip to continue his streak. I CAN validate that he was on the river and in a kayak, I can NOT confirm that Pat actually paddled at any point during the trip. Many times during the trip he leaned back as far as he could as if trying to put his head in Dan's lap, all along singing a song about getting an early morning beer buzz on.

We all acknowledge this probably was the best trip of the year.

Vermillion River Whitewater Rafting - Streak month 42

Date: 5/2/09. Vermillion River Gauge 5.25. Air Temp 65 and sunny. Dan, Kent and Cole.

Due to the recent rains, the initial plan was to hit the Shorewood rapids but as Dan and Kent sat around the smoker (practice run for the big rib cook-off Memorial Day weekend), the topic of rafting the Vermillion came up. A phone call or 2 and Dan and Kent and their sons were set to hit the rapids. One problem, though. What sounded like a good idea to Steven at 4:00 Saturday afternoon didn't sound so good at 7:00 AM Sunday. Despite his dad's "You can sleep anytime" advice, Steven passed on this most excellent adventure. He will learn on his own that life is short and you need to do as much living as possible when you have the opportunity.

The weather was great: a slight breeze and sunny skies. A perfect day for a float....oh yeah, we were rafting the rapids, not floatin' the Dupe. More than once the sub 50 degree water smacked us upside the head and took our breath's away. Not to mention the effect the frigid water had on the nether regions. All men are aware of the cold water, scared turtle, shrinkage syndrome. I wish I had only experienced shrinkage, at one point I swear I had a mangina!! Thankfully the warm sun and breeze eliminated this in short order and all in all we we all very comfortable.

Although not the Colorado nor even the Smoky Mountains (my only previous rafting experience), the Vermillion has some nice water action and is only 1.5 hours away. Many of the rapids were comparable to Seven Bridges or down town Naperville as far as the river action was concerned, but the length of the action was much longer than the 2 local spots. What really makes this trip is the Wildcat and the Narrows sections. These are described as legitimate class 3 rapids (on a 6 point scale). I would not take my recreational kayak on these sections.

As we approached the Wildcat (not sure we were aware that we were approaching the Wildcat) the 3 of us debated if we should go to the left or the right of the big boulder. I suggested left and Kent and Cole seemed to agree. As the raft plunged 90 degrees into the hole and Kent came flying forward off the back of the raft, we all realized that we were indeed at the Wildcat and that we had done the exact opposite of the recommended route, which was to stay to the right. I am not quite sure how we got out of the hole but when we did the boat was filled half way with water and Asian carp were jumping all around the raft. It was quite a sensory overload all within a few seconds. The going over the side of cliff feeling followed by the water closing in around you followed by these crazy 30 inch fish nearly jumping into the raft. We pulled off to the side to empty the raft and our bladders, as well as to have as snack break. As we relaxed we looked back upon the Wildcat and relived the 10 second adrenaline rush that we had just experienced.

While the Wildcat may have been more wild, it was a very short experience. The Narrows consisted of 10 to 12 "waves" that provided a much more prolonged ride. At one point I found myself thrown onto my knees on the floor of the raft with my head between Cole's knees, dangerously close to "little" Cole, if you know what I mean! Again, the water rushed in and the boat was filled with water. As we regained our seats, the Asian carp again started jumping. One came right at Cole which inspired him to stand up and scream like a little school girl. At about the same time one jumped right at the boat and I had to deflect it with the back of my hand to keep it out of the raft. Another thrilling experience that I can not believe is so close to home.

We wrapped up this excellent little adventure with a trip to the Cajun connection for a nice lunch served by Captain Ron, who is quite a character. "Ever been to a restaurant?" he asked. "Yes" we replied...."No you haven't!!" he exclaimed with glee. I am sure we will make this trip again and a stop at the Cajun Connection will be part of the plans.

Good Friday - month 41....another streak?

Date: 4/10/09, Gauge: 5.60 Air Temp: 48 and very windy.

Could another streak be born? While Pat and Dan completed consecutive month number 41 the previous weekend with an Arbor Ridge to Royce Rd run, Kent was still looking to continue his streak. What better day than Good Friday to take a float and reflect upon the impending joy that Easter Sunday will bring? Although the grand plans were set in place on Thursday for a flotilla of 4 to enjoy what could become another annual designated float day, these plans petered out and only Kent and Dan participated. While Jim's excuse was he needed to do tax returns (nice excuse for an accountant 5 days before the tax deadline), Pat's stumbling, mumbling bailout seemed to have a little less legitimacy.....did I hear a whip in the background?

The Good Friday trip was uneventful although as you can see from the picture, there is a serious construction project under way at 75th. Although we passed with no issues this time, this could present problems in the future. Rumor has it the construction is for a bike path underpass. How ironic is it that providing an improvement for one hobby can adversely affect (even if only temporary) another hobby?

A quick comment regarding months 39 and 40. Not documented here in the blog but Dan, Pat and Kent all made trips in both months. Perry P. joined Dan and Kent on one trip and Dan and Pat encounted an impassable pedestrian bridge at 63rd. A quick trespass onto Seven Bridges golf course and we were off again. When advised of this blockage, Kent seemed quite disappointed we did not risk our own health and safety to work as DNR employees and remove said obstacle. Is this same guy who as our April float was coming to an end said "You are wearing your water boots, aren't you?"so that he did not have to step into the water to get out of the yak.