First paddle 2016
08/03/16 04:51
The proverb says, “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.” This March, however, didn’t come in either like a lion or a lamb. I’m not sure what kind of animal we’ve had. The first half dozen days of the month have been unseasonably warm, perhaps like a tiger or maybe more like a dragon. One thing that you can count on is that when the temperatures rise above 70 degrees, my mind goes immediately to boating.
I knew that there would be a lot of ice left in the lake. It only makes sense. It hasn’t been that long since they were driving their four wheelers out on the lake and hauling their fishing shelters to whatever area they thought might bring them the most tasty fish. But the lake thaws from the edges toward the center, leaving the ice in the middle with a channel all around the lake that is good for paddling. And yesterday morning was especially calm, which might mean that the ice melt from yesterday had stayed somewhat centered on the lake and I’d be able to take a long paddle. All the way around the lake is a good distance for the first paddle of the spring.
The geese objected. They can be quite vocal when things aren’t going to their liking. First they didn’t want me on their shore, but couldn’t do much about my walking down from the car with a kayak on my shoulders. So they abandoned the shore for the open water. When I put my kayak into the water, they opted to climb out on the ice, from which vantage point, they were safe from my following and yet able to cry at the top of their lungs so that all of their friends and neighbors would be aware of the injustice of having their territory invaded by the crazy guy with the yellow boat. After all, doesn’t he know that March is too early for paddling?
I didn’t. I’ve paddled in a lot colder ambient temperatures. And besides, the ice in the center of the lake forced me to stay close to the shore which meant that self rescue would be a matter of standing up and wading out of the water. Not much risk in the daytime.
I was simply enjoying being on the water and feeling the boat underneath me. Never mind that I didn’t want to risk scratching one of my good wooden boats against the edges of the ice so was paddling a plastic boat. Never mind that I grabbed the wrong paddle and the one I had was too long for a guy as short as I. Never mind that the spray skirt didn’t seem to want to stay stretched on the cheap coaming of the plastic boat. I could feel the water underneath my seat and the motion of my boat and hear the sound of the water.
The little plastic boat I was paddling turns on a dime and though it doesn’t edge like a creek boat, it can certainly take a lean and is very easy to steer. If the channel were to get tight, which it turned out to do, turning around would be no problem. I headed west from the beach and around the shallow marshy area at that edge of the lake. The slab of ice, however, had shifted right against the shore on the northwest side of the lake. It wasn’t what I would have expected because our winds usually come from that direction, but I don’t really know much about ice and it is possible that it got cold enough in the night for some new ice to form as the shelf of old ice sat with a very narrow gap to fill. I can break through small amounts of ice, but this was too thick. Once I’ve driven my boat up onto the surface of the ice, there is no where for me to go. My paddle is useless as a means of propulsion. The surface of the ice is too wet and too cold to use my hands for an extended period of time without getting my gloves all wet. And the sound of the plastic boat on the ice is loud enough to rob me of the gentle reverie of being out in nature. I backed off the ice and when there was room turned around and went the other way.
I got quite a bit farther heading in the opposite direction. There even was a short stretch of skim ice that i could break through with the boat. I wasn’t exactly the captain of an ice breaker, but I made a wide path through the ice with little effort. the sound of the cracking ice was satisfying and when I reached out with my paddle, I could send a crack spreading across the skim.
I finally ran into an obstacle paddling in the other direction, and soon it was time to head back to the beach, take out my boat and load it onto the car. I drove around town for most of the rest of the day with the boat on the roof, a sign that spring is coming.
This year afforded me one of the earliest “first paddles” of recent years. I’m still hoping for a bit more snow this winter. The woods sure could use the moisture. I don’t care if it comes as rain, but it would be good if we could get things really wet before heading into summer.
In the meantime, the ice is melting. Once there is open water all around the lake, the ice is floating directly on the water, which, being liquid, is warmer than the ice. Heat rises and the ice melts. Wind can help to break up the ice. I don’t know how much opportunity I will have to paddle. Holy week is coming and that is a time when all of my energies need to be focused on activities at the church. Yesterday was a great break in the pace of the season. A short private paddle made my day and reminded me of the joy that lies ahead.
I knew that there would be a lot of ice left in the lake. It only makes sense. It hasn’t been that long since they were driving their four wheelers out on the lake and hauling their fishing shelters to whatever area they thought might bring them the most tasty fish. But the lake thaws from the edges toward the center, leaving the ice in the middle with a channel all around the lake that is good for paddling. And yesterday morning was especially calm, which might mean that the ice melt from yesterday had stayed somewhat centered on the lake and I’d be able to take a long paddle. All the way around the lake is a good distance for the first paddle of the spring.
The geese objected. They can be quite vocal when things aren’t going to their liking. First they didn’t want me on their shore, but couldn’t do much about my walking down from the car with a kayak on my shoulders. So they abandoned the shore for the open water. When I put my kayak into the water, they opted to climb out on the ice, from which vantage point, they were safe from my following and yet able to cry at the top of their lungs so that all of their friends and neighbors would be aware of the injustice of having their territory invaded by the crazy guy with the yellow boat. After all, doesn’t he know that March is too early for paddling?
I didn’t. I’ve paddled in a lot colder ambient temperatures. And besides, the ice in the center of the lake forced me to stay close to the shore which meant that self rescue would be a matter of standing up and wading out of the water. Not much risk in the daytime.
I was simply enjoying being on the water and feeling the boat underneath me. Never mind that I didn’t want to risk scratching one of my good wooden boats against the edges of the ice so was paddling a plastic boat. Never mind that I grabbed the wrong paddle and the one I had was too long for a guy as short as I. Never mind that the spray skirt didn’t seem to want to stay stretched on the cheap coaming of the plastic boat. I could feel the water underneath my seat and the motion of my boat and hear the sound of the water.
The little plastic boat I was paddling turns on a dime and though it doesn’t edge like a creek boat, it can certainly take a lean and is very easy to steer. If the channel were to get tight, which it turned out to do, turning around would be no problem. I headed west from the beach and around the shallow marshy area at that edge of the lake. The slab of ice, however, had shifted right against the shore on the northwest side of the lake. It wasn’t what I would have expected because our winds usually come from that direction, but I don’t really know much about ice and it is possible that it got cold enough in the night for some new ice to form as the shelf of old ice sat with a very narrow gap to fill. I can break through small amounts of ice, but this was too thick. Once I’ve driven my boat up onto the surface of the ice, there is no where for me to go. My paddle is useless as a means of propulsion. The surface of the ice is too wet and too cold to use my hands for an extended period of time without getting my gloves all wet. And the sound of the plastic boat on the ice is loud enough to rob me of the gentle reverie of being out in nature. I backed off the ice and when there was room turned around and went the other way.
I got quite a bit farther heading in the opposite direction. There even was a short stretch of skim ice that i could break through with the boat. I wasn’t exactly the captain of an ice breaker, but I made a wide path through the ice with little effort. the sound of the cracking ice was satisfying and when I reached out with my paddle, I could send a crack spreading across the skim.
I finally ran into an obstacle paddling in the other direction, and soon it was time to head back to the beach, take out my boat and load it onto the car. I drove around town for most of the rest of the day with the boat on the roof, a sign that spring is coming.
This year afforded me one of the earliest “first paddles” of recent years. I’m still hoping for a bit more snow this winter. The woods sure could use the moisture. I don’t care if it comes as rain, but it would be good if we could get things really wet before heading into summer.
In the meantime, the ice is melting. Once there is open water all around the lake, the ice is floating directly on the water, which, being liquid, is warmer than the ice. Heat rises and the ice melts. Wind can help to break up the ice. I don’t know how much opportunity I will have to paddle. Holy week is coming and that is a time when all of my energies need to be focused on activities at the church. Yesterday was a great break in the pace of the season. A short private paddle made my day and reminded me of the joy that lies ahead.