A bunch of local cold water experienced paddlers are planning on a New Years Eve paddle on a faster flowing area river. Most of them have been doing this for over a decade, and have shown good kayaking leadership, so I sure I am in good hands. I have never been crazy enough to join them, but feel I will be suckered into it this time - it's a freakin new millenium, you have to do something special... right? The water will be very nippy and all will be drysuited/and heavily layered. I guess we just want to get on, paddle the open pools and scoot across the ice that are blocking the midstream. I've heard of bringing spikes to pull myself along over the ice. Beforehand, I will do as much arctic kayak exploration research as possible, probably reread Don Starkton's book on his Northwest Passage again. It's going to be a crazy winter. I guess it's kind of like a local "polar bear club" where everyone goes swimming in a cutout section of a frozen lake in the middle of the winter. I don't think I could put my boat in the middle of the cutout and call it a paddle trip, could I? That would be "wussin" out. I want to know, will anyone else be trying anything like this? Any advice for the virgin arctic paddler? My teeth chatter just writing about it. I think I ought to make like a walrus and blubber up. Later, Phil huck_at_mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu thekayaker_at_yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>> I want to know, will anyone else be trying anything like this? Any advice for the virgin arctic paddler? My teeth chatter just writing about it. I think I ought to make like a walrus and blubber up. Later, Phil >> The Minnesota Canoe Association has an annual New Year's Day paddle on the Mississippi River. See my write-up of last year's paddle at http://www.paddlewise.net/stories/holst.html. Wear your dry suit (with insulation, of course) and a neoprene or Fuzzy Rubber hood, and you'll be amazed at how comfortable you can be. You will probably find that you can work up a sweat even at 15 or 20 degrees above zero (F.) when you are dressed for immersion in ice water. Be sure you have adequate hand protection. I have found a combination of extra-large rubber gloves from the hardware store and Synchilla liners to be warmer than most neoprene gloves, though my wife says her Glacier Gloves work fine at eight above. The biggest hazard at colder temperatures, such as we had last year, is icing up of equipment. A layer of ice on a paddle shaft can make rolling or bracing a bit dicey, and a sprayskirt frozen to a coaming can make a wet exit harder if the roll fails. Release your spray skirt every so often to keep it from sticking, and you will probably be okay. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
A New Year's Day Paddle has long been a tradition here in NJ. Of course, the water's a bit warmer but we go through ice every now and then. We've had as many as 55 show up for some of these..... Usually we do Cedar Creek, a Pine Barrens river, about 8-12 miles. It's moving water so usually open but as we go along the cranberry bogs a sheet of ice is always likely. On some we've stopped, cooked up some hot soup, and on an occasion or two broke out the champagne as well! >I want to know, will anyone else be trying anything like this? Any advice for >the virgin arctic paddler? Usually it's not a problem but we might carry an axe or a peavey with us. The center of the water would be open but sometimes the edges are frozen over thick enough to keep a canoe from crashing through to shore. A friend also carries a grapple hook on a long rope. If the ice is thick enough, he tosses the grapple ahead, then hauls himself to it. Mostly not a problem in NJ. JP *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> A New Year's Day Paddle has long been a tradition here in NJ. Ok... putting myself out on a limb here... 8-} I will be glad to set up a PaddleWise Christmas/New Years' paddle calendar for those that would like to announce their paddling events. I'll even include the commercial trips. Please indicate whether your trip is commercial, club, private, limited, and probably degree of difficulty. Trips will be categorized by location. If you want your event listed, be sure to include any contact info. Cheers, Jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jackie Fenton wrote: > > > A New Year's Day Paddle has long been a tradition here in NJ. > > Ok... putting myself out on a limb here... 8-} > > I will be glad to set up a PaddleWise Christmas/New Years' paddle > calendar for those that would like to announce their paddling events. > I'll even include the commercial trips. Please indicate whether your > trip is commercial, club, private, limited, and probably degree of > difficulty. Trips will be categorized by location. If you want your > event listed, be sure to include any contact info. > > Cheers, > > Jackie > ************************************************************************* ok, the 14th annual New Year's day trip down the scenic North Branch of the Chicago River... Call Vic (773-777-1489) at the Chicagoland Canoe Base about a week before the event for a starting time... car shifts begin around 8:30 AM in Wilmette at the Skokie Lagoons just North of Willow Road. In in 1999 there were 139 paddlers. It is typically cold (this is Chicago)... last year that was quite a bit of ice and the water was a bit cool... I know cause I fell thru near the end when portaging over a fallen tree... brrrrr.... :-) Tom Heineman *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> ---------- > From: Joe Pylka[SMTP:pylka_at_castle.net] > > > A New Year's Day Paddle has long been a tradition here in NJ. > > > Another group in NJ, the Atlantic Sea Kayakers, have a tradition of kayak camping on New Year's Eve on an island in a local river (tends to be very windy). Sometimes water needs to be heated and poured on the frozen hatch covers to get gear out. Last year or the year before I woke up in a tent that was fully incased in a thin sheet of ice (just like an igloo-the group surmissed that it was caused by the dog and I venting so much steam). It is normally very cold but with the right gear you can be quite comfortable. Believe me, I wouldn't do it if I was uncomfortable. You should try out the gear you will be using ahead of time to figure out which is best. The gloves that work for me may not work for you (e.g. rubber vs. neoprene). Debbie Reeves Sandy Hook, NJ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:05 PDT