My Winter

[nobucks]

Here are a few pics from my winter season on Lake Superior. I've managed to get out every month since November, so, November, December, January, February, March, and (soon) April. My goal is to have paddled at least once every month for a year. I missed October, or I'd almost be done. :-[

Anyway, here are pics from three or four day trips this past winter on Lake Superior. Yes, those are icebergs that the other guys are standing on. They are about a foot high, and up to fifteen feet deep.

March

 

[Kayak Jack]

Awesome seascapes, Joel. I have to admit that I'd likely decline an opportunity to paddle in that environment. But, if i'm in your neighborhood again, I'd sure like to meet up for coffee again.

I've met and talked with Joel personally. He has a quiet determination about him, a calm confidence. I, like Joel and Piper San, am somewhat acquainted with his waters, Lake Superior, called "shining big sea water of Gitche Gumi", by the poet.

Superior is cold, even in late summer. In the winter it is deadly. A few years ago, three guys (deer poachers, by the way) capsized their aluminum boat a ways from shore. Trying to swim in and climb out, their bodies were later found frozen to the rocks. Ya don't screw around with shining big sea waters.

 

[seedtick]

looks great, but too cold for me

 

[Kayak Jack]

I'd call ya a candy a$$, but frankly, it's too cold for me too. But god - it IS pretty.

 

[oldsparkey]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I looked at all those lovely pictures and when I was done , I went out and turned the AC down quite a few degrees....... Still have not defrosted from looking at them.

Chuck.

 

[dawallace45]

Bugger that , paddling when it's that cold , man thats just wrong !!!!!!!

David

 

[tx river rat]

David you and I think alike
Ron

 

[Wannabe]

Bugger that , paddling when it's that cold , man thats just wrong !!!!!!!

David

Just being that cold is wrong
Bob

 

[nobucks]

Jack gives me too much credit. If I don't know what to say, I don't say anything. :wink:

As for the rest of you, I'll take your dismay as envy. :mrgreen:

I just can't stand sitting in the house during the winter time when there's all that good paddling and good scenery that otherwise goes unseen by the majority of the people. The time and money spent on gear and skills is wasted if it doesn't get used. :wink:

The coldest day I went paddling this year, it was 32°F, which is, what, 1°Celsius? The pics I posted were on some 40 - 50°F days

 

[tx river rat]

Joel
The scenery and pics were awesome, thanks for the post.
Now the comments about the cold brrrrrrrrrrrrr just an old hot weather boy here,but I guess you would be cussing when I paddle in 105 degree weather.
Ron

 

[graybeard]

Great pix! I was envious even before I saw you paddled with Chuck Norris.

 

[jdupre']

The coldest day I went paddling this year, it was 32°F, which is, what, 1°Celsius? The pics I posted were on some 40 - 50°F days

Dang, 32 degrees?! It looks colder than that.

A bunch of us crazies paddled in some 28 degree weather earlier this year, and that was in south Louisisana!

Joey

 

[dawallace45]

1*C , man that is way too cold for me these days , once upon a time I used to go out hunting where it was -9*C , but where I live now a very cold morning is only 9* or 10*C and that is the way I like it


David

 

[nobucks]

The coldest day I went paddling this year, it was 32°F, which is, what, 1°Celsius? The pics I posted were on some 40 - 50°F days

Dang, 32 degrees?! It looks colder than that.

A bunch of us crazies paddled in some 28 degree weather earlier this year, and that was in south Louisiana!

Joey

It's funny that you should say that my paddling buddy, Sam, looks like Chuck Norris. He was just complaining about that to me the other day. He's a world class paddler, and one of the best instructors of instructors in the world. He paddled all the way around Ireland a couple of years ago.

I just looked back in my notes and the coldest day I paddled was in February and it was 27°F/-3°C. That day is pictured below. Note the ice on the deck. It was sleeting on me that whole day.

 

[oldsparkey]

I paddled and camped in the Okefenokee Swamp on one trip and the temp dropped to 27 overnight , everything was covered in ICE..... The best thing was that the water in the boats was easy to remove , just flip them over and hit the bottom , all the water fell out. The easiest day I have ever had bailing out a boat.

JUST ..... Not my idea of a good paddling and camping trip..... Setting the tent up that night was pure misery. Bill said it was 29 , I tend to disagree according the the thermometer I had with me but what are a few degrees.

http://www.canoe-suwannee.com/oke12P1.htm

 

[caddepa]

I was with Chuck that night in the Okefenokee and according to my (very accurate) body thermometer it was 24F degrees. Much, much too cold!! That is one reason I am spending the winter in Australia with Hairymick and Dave. Temperature here in Yeppoon, Qld is 80F on the coast.

 

[dawallace45]

It's only 79*F here at the moment , I've got a jacket on

David

 

[catfish]

joel nice pics that is cold but i hunt & fish in cold weather but probally not as cold as where you live. i,m like you i don,t like staying in the house when its cold. the only thing when on the water is the circumstances have change considerable. you have to treat it with respect!!

 

[tx river rat]

Dave
Your my kind of folks.
Ron

 

[dawallace45]

Ron

I'm just south of the tropic of Capricorn , it's only a hour and a half north of here and so we tend to have very long summers and short winters ,



John Depa just passed by going south again , he called to see if I was going to be about and could come down to 1770 for a bit of a yarn but I'd already been roped into going down to Bundaberg for the day and couldn't get out of it and even if I could I wouldn't have had a car to get down there as my wife had to be down at Bundaberg for two days and had the car ,

Poor John has just picked the wrong year to come to Australia , here on the east coast we have had a extremely good wet season , so far here at my place we have had almost the equivalent of two years rain in 4 months and it's been windy , I still can't get into my favorite paddling place and haven't been able to since December

David