In the Search of Open Water

Fri - December 24, 2004

In the Search of Open Water

Today, it was getting warmer after two days of very cold weather with temperatures dropping down below 0 F. Did I have any open water left for paddling?

I loaded my Sea Wind and drove to Boyd Lake first where I paddled just 3 days ago. I wasn't surprised to see it frozen with just a couple of openings not wider than 100 meters. I decided to check South Platte River at my regular launching spot above Kersey. The river was flowing with quite a lot of ice floating. It was mostly soft ice but there were also some larger hard pieces. I was glad that I took Sea Wind instead of Sisson. I paddled upstream for 1 hour making 1.8 mile against current and ice, than I returned downstream and spent a little bit time fooling around my starting point. I was trying to shoot Sea Wind from a somewhat different perspective. I am sure it was an interesting view: a strange guy laying down on his stomach in the front of strangely looking boat on a sandbar in the middle of the river.

It was a good workout although some places where too shallow for canoe paddle. The mouth of Poudre River was occupied by men guarding their plastics birds with shotguns. As every winter, I have to share the river with duck and goose hunters.

Usually, I am returning from the river well after sunset but this time I was driving west before sunset watching magnificent snowy mountains. We don't see those high mountains in Fort Collins since there are obscured by foothills. I was home just in time for Christmas Eve dinner.

GPS trip odometer: 3.63 miles, moving time 1:22 h stopped time: 0:10 h, moving average 2.8 mph (1.8 mph upstream), max speed 7.7 mph. Average HRM: 111. River flow: S. Platte @ Kersey: ~700cfs. Air temperature 45-35F.

Posted at 09:01 PM

Wayfarer on paddling and photography

Fri - December 24, 2004

In the Search of Open Water