Paddling the Poudre in winter? Yes!

Fri - February 4, 2005

Paddling the Poudre in winter? Yes!

It was first paddling with my Sisson Nucleus this year. I parked at the eastern end of Horsetooth Road and I launched at Little Bass Pond, squeezed through a shallow and rocky passage to Big Bass Pond and portaged to the river. There was a shallow rapid just upstream of my portage but, downstream, the river was very slow and deep enough for paddling without touching the bottom.

I paddled several times a quarter of mile of this calm water between my portage and I-25 bridge. My turning point was between two bridges of I-25 where at normal water flow a big eddy is forming.

Then, I decided to check the river upstream. I walked through a shallow rapid, paddled another quarter of mile or so through pools of near standing water and some narrow and fast channels, walked through another shallow spot, and, finally, I reached a railroad bridge above the burnt Strauss Cabin. After a short photo session, I paddled down river to my portage. It would probably be possible to paddle downstream in a plastic kayak all the way from the railroad bridge to I-25 without getting out off the boat but I needed to be more careful in my Sisson.

After the portage, I spent some time paddling circles on Big Bass Pond before finishing after sunset. I saw a great shot when paddling there: three horse riders in a sunset light and with a full reflection in water. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera ready. My kayak is not a good platform for photography and I rather prefer to hold my paddle when on water.

And, I learned where the five largest trouts of the Poudre spent their winter.

GPS trip odometer: 4.26 miles, moving time 1:14 h stopped time: 0:23 h, moving average 3.4 mph, max speed 7.4 mph. Average HRM: 127. River flow: Poudre @ Timnath: ~32 cfs.

Posted at 09:15 PM

Wayfarer on paddling and photography

Fri - February 4, 2005

Paddling the Poudre in winter? Yes!