Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
Rare are the right iceboating conditions – sufficient ice thickness – no snow on the ice – and a windy day.
This blog reflects on the uniqueness of two types of iceboats, terms of the sport, and includes a ride with an iceboater.
Once you get over the initial “What am I doing here?” feeling, you sense being one with the boat. You hear the wind in the sail and the rumble of the runners over the ice.
Tim, Steve, Dundee
Indeed, you must dress in layers for relative comfort at below-freezing temperatures and high winds. The driver of the iceboat is encouraged (required in races) to wear a helmet in case the boom hits the head, or the boat has a flip.
The first iceboat shown in the video is a DN Class iceboat, meaning the DN is a Class made to specific specifications (see below reference International DN.) The temperature at sailing was 28-degrees. The ice has frozen for the past week, and a few chisel holes into the ice showed the ice to be 3 – 4 inches thick – plenty of strength for ice boating – and smooth ice with no lingering snow.
The second iceboat is handcrafted by Dundee using skates, a broken hockey stick, and his summer sunfish boat sail. The temperature was 10-degrees, and the ice thickness more than 8-inches.
Checking for Ice Thickness
Dundee uses a chisel to see how thick the ice is.
Microspikes – essential for walking on ice
The frequent crackling sound in the video is not the wind – it is the sound of microspikes as Steve walks on the ice. Microspikes offer serious traction on ice for walking and tasks such as pushing the iceboat.
“Let’s go iceboating!”
The DN Class Iceboat
The DN iceboat was given to Dundee by a friend. The boat had been disassembled and stored in a barn for forty-plus years. It was re-assembled by Dundee.
Dundee has many creative skills – and the second iceboat is Dundee's handcrafted iceboat, made to his specifications (e.g., can fit two persons.) A special treat in this video is riding alongside Steve as he skims over Perkins Pond.
Below Video: One-minute peek of riding in an iceboat.
Below Video: The DN and Handcrafted Iceboats
Learn More About the Iceboats
For the DN boat, three 26-inches angle iron
blades called "runners" support a triangular-shaped wooden frame with
a front steering cane-shaped tiller. The
blades are attached to the boat, one on each end of the rear cross plank and
one at the fore end of the hull. The runner blade in the front is capable of rotation controlled by
the tiller. There is a backrest seat in the middle for the driver.
The mast for Dundee's custom iceboat is from his
summer “Sunfish” sailboat. (A Force 5 or Laser sailboat mast will work just as
well.) A rope is tied to the sail and used by the driver to control the sail. The custom boat uses an old hockey stick for the tiller with old ice skate blades for 10-inches runners.
The DN Class boat has a sail specific for the
DN boat. Dundee's boat is identified on the sail as DN 1792. A well-tuned DN can sail three times as fast as the wind speed.
The boat with sail weighs about 125 lbs.
Starting, Steering, and Stopping
The boat can be started by putting the boat
sideways to the wind. You then pull onto the sail to capture the wind – and off
you go.
The crafted boat is steered with the hockey stick tiller
to direct the front runner.
The driver pulls or releases the sail via the
boom rope to angle the sail to catch the wind. The only seeming limitations to
iceboat speed are windage, friction, the camber of the sail shape, strength of
construction, quality of the ice surface, the level of skill, athleticism, and
fearlessness of the sailor. There are many styles of iceboats, but it is said,
an iceboat of the DN style can go twice the speed of the wind, i.e., with a 20-knot breeze, your iceboat can reach a speed of nearly 40-MPH!
Tacking or coming about is a sailing maneuver by which a sailing vessel turns
its bow into the wind through the 'no-go zone' so that the direction from which
the wind blows changes from one sideof the vessel to the other. The tacking method gets the iceboat up and down
the pond. Catching the wind on an iceboat in the winter is precisely like sailing
a boat in the summer.
Sailable ice is known in the sport as "hard water" versus sailing on liquid or "soft" water. Iceboats are strictly wind powered and need nearly snow-free smooth ice to sail.
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
I was looking for a short Sunday hike. For years my wife and I had passed a trail sign in Grantham for the Reney Trail. I googled "Reney Trail" and found the below references.
About the Hike: The Forest Society's Reney Forest is located on the slopes of Barton Hill in the town of Grantham. Its main hiking trail takes you on a moderately steep 1.3-mile loop up and down the hillside along old roads, through areas of recent logging, and on a snowmobile trail mainted by the Blue Mountain Snow Dusters.
Begin your hike on the yellow-blazed trail starting from the right side of the parking lot. The path crosses a minor brook and begins climbing right away. Cross a few grassy old roads, where signs mark the trail. The grade moderates after a while, and the trail crosses another little brook and emerges in a snowmobile trail corridor after just under half a mile. Turn left to join the snowmobile trail and continue the climb uphill. Follow the narrow footway through the grassy trail for about a quarter mile until it crests the top of a ridge and levels off.
Just as the snowmobile trail begins to descend, watch for a left turn back into the forest on the foot trail. The trail generally follows the top of the ridge downhill as it skirts a clearing and joins an old road.
After 0.35 miles, the trail swings right for a bit, then bears left as it joins a different woods road. Descend for another quarter mile, and bear left at a junction with a path leading to a separate parking area. Continue about 0.15 miles across level terrain back to the trailhead.
Below is my video of this pleasant 90 minute hike.
Driving Directions: Trailhead and parking area are on Rt. 10 in Grantham, NH. Look for the spacious dirt parking area on the east side of the road, 2.9 miles north of the center of Croydon and 0.5 miles south of the junction with Rt. 114.
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
This is never serious bowling but always a lot of laughs!
There is a fee for games and rental shoes.
DIRECTIONS: From New London, take
Rt. 11 to Claremont. Go past the Opera House Square on your right and continue
on to Pleasant St. (which is also Rt. 11/12 South). Turn left and go 0.9 mile.
Turn right at the light on Maple St. and go 0.6 mile to Citgo sign at 125 Maple
St. Turn right past EZ Mart to Maple Lanes parking lot. We will have lunch
together afterward at Chinese Imperial Buffet, take left after WalMart
intersection on 154 Washington St.
Who Are the ORFS?
The Outdoor Recreation for Seniors (ORFS) group meets every Tuesday year-round at 10 am. In the summer, we kayak/canoe, hike, swim; in the fall, we hike and bowl; and in the winter, we snowshoe and cross-country ski. Our trips are from 1½ to 2 hours, followed by lunch.
Directions and locations are available for our Tuesday 10:am outings via email and the monthly New London Chapin Senior Center Courier newsletter. To learn more and join, contact the Chapin Senior Center at 37 pleasant Street, PO Box 1263, New London, NH 03257 or go to their web site athttp://www.coachapincenter.org
The ORFS are a very informal group and participation is for all outdoor enthusiasts wanting guaranteed good exercise with a friendly fun group.
" Everyone must do something. I believe I will go outdoors with family and friends" ---------------------------------------------------
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
Introduction: 50-Second Trailer Video: Never say, “I wish I had taken Skeet Shooting Lessons”
Introduction
My friend Mark invited me to go skeet shooting. My first
inclination was to say, “Thank you, but I know little about skeet shooting, I
have never shot skeet, and I do not have a shotgun.” Mark’s positive response
was, “I will teach you.” Mark continued
with my motivational mantra, “Never say, I wish I had.” I was forced to concede to his skeet
shooting challenge.
Definition of Skeet Shooting
Skeet shooting is the dynamic sport of shooting at 4 –5” targets (called
clay pigeons or birds) thrown in the air, generally with a clay target thrower
machine. In my case, a shotgun is used to shoot at the clay targets thrown.In skeet shooting, targets are launched from
two houses in somewhat sideways paths that intersect in front of the shooter.
An Upper and Lower House Skeet Shooting Range
As I delved into this sport with Mark, I learned Skeet
Shooting is an Olympic sport. I watched the 2020 Olympics woman’s and men’s
Skeet Shooting events. The 2020 Olympics certainly helped get me excited about
learning more about this vibrant sport.
My first two lessons
A friend, Al, invited us to use his wooded rural property with
a temporary range to expose me to the sport of skeet shooting. Foremost in learning skeet is to master the
rules of gun safety protocol. Knowing AND
practicing gun safety is a MUST. Skeet
shooting is very safe, in that, like learning to fly an airplane, the
participant cannot break the safety rules without receiving harsh warnings and
possible exclusion from the sport. Any safety
lapse is never taken lightly.
Mark demonstrated the shooting stance, the technique of
melding the shotgun to the cheek, mounting the gun to the shoulder, sighting
the target with the gun bead, and other suggestions to prepare me to shoot the
flying clay bird. After that, he critiqued each shot I fired.
I will make this introduction brief. I had two lessons from
Mark, firing about 50 rounds at the flying clay targets.My initial score was hitting ZERO of FIFTY
targets.Mark recommended more intense
instruction from Bill Rody of Rody Gun Shop in Newport, New Hampshire.Bill came highly recommended by Mark as both a master instructor and skeet shooter.
Skeet Shooting Instructions for a Novice skeet shooter
The below video of this novice skeet shooter was taken during my third of three lessons with Bill. You can watch the full thirty minute video, or three individual videos.
One more thing.At
the end of my third lesson, I hit about a third of the targets.
Here is the 30-minute video that covers: Understanding your Shotgun - Right from the box, Snippetts of Steve's range shooting instructions with Bill Rody, and Cleaning the shotgun.
Enjoy this video.
Here are the individual parts of the 30-minute video:
Part 1: Understanding your shotgun – Right from the box (12 Minutes)
Part 2: Snippets of Steve’s range shooting instruction with
Bill Rody (11 minutes)
Part 3: Cleaning the shotgun (7 minutes)
My Novice Perspective
As you watch the videos, keep in mind the perspective is from
a novice with very little skeet
experience. The intent is for you to get a feel for the sport, so you never
have to say, "I wish I had…”
Always
practice with an experienced skeet shooter – and ALWAYS practice safety
protocol.
Key pointers I learned (as seen from the eyes of a first
time skeet shooter:
Begin with the proper stance
Bring the gun to your cheek, not your cheek to
the gun. Then position the gun tight to your shoulder.
At the end of the shotgun barrel use the bead at
the end of the barrel as a guide. Better yet, look at the target/clay pigeon
My first instruction resulted in a sore
shoulder.I did not hold the gun tight
against my shoulder.
After my first lesson my cheekbone was
sore. I learned I was bringing my cheek to the guy. Bill’s instruction to
overcome a sore cheekbone was to get into the proper stance, and then bring
the gun tight to just below the cheekbone. Bringing the cheek to the gun,
results in my head tilting, often missing the target, and the gun banging
against the cheekbone.
·I found many of Bill’s instructions referenced
in the article, HOW TO SHOOT SKEET – 8 HELPFUL SKEET SHOOTING TIPS. Here is the
outline of these 8 Tips. See if you can spot them in my videos.
1.Know the Rules
2.Perfect your Stance
3.Mount Your Gun
4.Refine the Swing
5.Fire
6.Learn Your Weapon
7.Find Some Friends
8.Use Proper Equipment
9.Tip 9 is added by Bill – Above all: Safety, Safety,
Safety.
A big "Thank You" to my mentors Mark, Al, and Bill.
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
Flood Risk Management. US Army Corp of Engineers. Flood Control Dam
North Hartland Lake, Hartland, Vt.
The one-mile-long 165 feet deep Quechee Gorge is a narrow gorge on the Ottauquechee River. The Gorge is the deepest gorge in Vermont. For most visitors, its breathtaking views are generally from the US Route 4 bridge.
For those wishing for a unique point of view, the bridge and Gorge can be experienced below the bridge from the Ottauquechee River where the River takes a left turn as it empties into North Hartland Lake.
The paddling put-in to obtain this view is four miles downstream at the North Hartland Beach located at the North Hartland Lake flood control dam in Hartland, Vermont.
The North Hartland Dam
The North Hartland Dam is a wonder to see. The earthen dam was constructed between 1958-1961 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, with a height of 182 feet, and a length of 1,640 feet at its crest. It impounds the Ottauquechee River for flood control and stormwater management for the Connecticut River area.
The reservoir the dam creates, North Hartland Lake, has a normal water surface of 215 acres. It has been estimated that North Hartland Dam has prevented over $180 million in damages along the Connecticut River since its construction in 1961.
The recreation of the area includes fishing, swimming, and boating in the summer, and winter sports such as snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.
In mid-September, Jim, Dundee and I arrived at the North Hartland Beach put-in, and the automobile access road was gated. We thus put our kayaks on carts, and walked about ¼ mile downhill to the beach. This downhill trek meant, upon our return, we pulled our carts uphill for ¼ mile. This quest to paddle to Quechee Gorge from the Hartland Dam includes some huffing and puffing upon return.
As we pulled our kayaks to the put-in we were met by Heather, a Park Ranger. She very graciously welcomed us, gave us suggestions of things we might see, and instructed us on the rules of the park. Heather used my camera for our picture and a brief video of us pulling the kayaks on the carts. Most importantly, was that at 3:30 pm, the exit gate closes for vehicles. Just be aware.
Our Paddle Upstream to Quechee Gorge
The weather was sunny and a comfortable 70 degrees. There was a slight breeze facing us during our 1 ½ hour meandering paddle upstream to the Gorge. A perfect day for chatting, seeing wildlife, and experiencing the beautiful green mountain forests of Vermont. Please note, this trip offered little opportunity for putting ashore, as we were encased by mountains, forest, and marsh for the entire 4-mile paddle to the Gorge.
We saw eagles, great blue herons, ducks, turtles, extensive signs of beaver chews and lodges.
Eagle
Shortly before reaching the Quechee Gorge, we began to hear the sound of waterfalls. After that we entered what indeed was a deep water gorge, and we were immediately surrounded by rock ledges of the mountainside. Through the clear rushing water was seen the quick drop off of the ledges, and we knew we were at the Gorge.
Eagle Nest
Warning
We learned of this destination from our friends Outdoor Recreation for Seniors (ORFS), of which we are members. They told us we could swim and have lunch on the rocks by the Gorge. HOWEVER, they warned us the area was quartzite rock and we SHOULD WEAR WATER SHOES WITH TREADS BECAUSE THE quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock, with many sections AX-BLADE SHARP and VERY SLIPPERY.
This warning should not be taken lightly. In the video, you will see how cautiously we walk around this area. I had thick kayaking boots, BUT when I return, I will store my hiking boots in my kayak to wear in this area.
This area is where the Ottauquechee River makes a left-hand turn and drops over the falls, we have an amazing majestic one-mile view of the Route 4 Bridge crowning Quechee Gorge.
Return Paddle
We spent a half-hour having lunch and gingerly walking over the quartzite rocks. Thereafter we put-in, and paddled back to Hartland Dam.
Our trip downstream was rather speedy, as the wind was now at our backs and the slight current was downstream with us. The trip took 2 ½ hours upstream, but a quick 1 hour back. We paused paddling once, as we spied a huge eagle’s nest high in a pine tree way above the river.
Certainly, a gorgeous day with wonderful friends in a unique area of Vermont – Quechee Gorge.
I-89N to exit toward Lebanon/ White River Junction. Go .5 mi to the I-91 N exit toward WRJ. Go .1 mi to exit 11 for US-5 South. Keep left at the fork. Follow signs for Hartland/Windsor/US 5 S. Go 4 miles to Clay Hill Rd. IT IS BEFORE UNDERPASS. Turn right. Go 1.1 mi. Turn right onto N. Hartland Dam Rd. There will soon be a FORK IN THE ROAD, leading to dam and beach.
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
Time for the Outdoor Recreation for Seniors (ORFS) to have Covid relief at the annual "Fun in the Sun" potluck picnic at Luna-See Lodge, Springfield, NH.
After ninety minutes of kayaking, paddle boarding, or hiking around Kolelemook Lake, followed by an optional swim, set up your portable chair, grab a drink, get in line for the covered dish buffet and relax with the ORFS gang. Other silly options: gratitude ceremonial dance with rhythm instruments from all over the world in thanks for our health during the pandemic; and releasing pent-up emotions whacking the virus-shaped piñata! So let gratefulness, freedom, and fun fill our spirits as we celebrate brighter tomorrows together in typical ORFS style.
Enjoy the video of the ORFS "At Play."
Kolelemook Lake, Springfield, NH
Who Are the ORFS?
The Outdoor Recreation for Seniors (ORFS) group meets every Tuesday year-round at 10 am. In the summer, we
kayak/canoe, hike, swim; in the fall, we hike; and in the winter, we snowshoe
and cross-country ski. Our trips are from 1½ to 2 hours, followed by lunch.
Directions and location are available for our Tuesday 10:am outings via email and the monthly New London Chapin Senior Center Courier newsletter. To learn more and join, contact the Chapin Senior Center at 37 pleasant Street, PO Box 1263, New London, NH 03257 or go to their web site at http://www.coachapincenter.org
This is a very informal group and participation is for all outdoor enthusiasts wanting guaranteed good exercise with a friendly fun group.
" Everyone must do something. I believe I will go outdoors with family and friends"
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics.
Purchase at www.amazon.com and www.outdoorsteve.com
About OutdoorSteve
OutdoorSteve is more than just a blog; it is a way of life. OutdoorSteve is Steve Priest sharing his outdoor adventures and life experiences. OutdoorSteve includes blog posts, books, short stories, videos, lectures, and speaking events. To learn more or to book Steve for your next event email Steve atsteve@outdoorsteve.com or visit him on the web at OutdoorSteve.com
Outdoor Enthusiast provides outdoor places to go and things to do. Steve's mission is to motivate and encourage families and individuals to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life.
Readers are encouraged to post and share their Comments.
When trying to explain my enthusiasm for outdoor actions, I paraphrase Thoreau's, "Discover I had not lived" with the expression, "Never say, 'I wish I had'."
The book provides places to go and things to do, but moreover the author’s stories and “I wish I had…” show individuals can, like the author, overcome self-made barriers and obstacles of health, physical, mental, and injury problems.
My outdoor pursuit began after a torn Achilles tendon, a resultant limp, and weight gain. I turned to physical activity in search of a stress reliever as well as a "lifestyle for the long haul."
My writings on 'Outdoor Play' enthusiastically portray the entertainment of the outdoors. Travel with me and meet the challenges of outdoor recreation that are the cornerstone of my lectures and stories.
I reside in Sunapee, New Hampshire with Catherine, my wife. We have two sons and two grandchildren.
If you're interested in having me speak, you can email me at steve@outdoorsteve.com or visit www.outdoorsteve.com.
