The weatherman has issued a winter storm warning for our area. The forecast calls for rain on Saturday turning to snow in the afternoon and for the snow to continue through the evening and into Sunday with an accumulation of 3 to 6 inches. Those of us who have been around for a while can remember a May blizzard that dumped plenty of heavy wet snow not too many years ago, so we’ll probably take the news seriously and do a little preparing. One good thing about spring blizzards is that they melt of quickly. The other thing is that the hills are dry and we need the moisture. It isn’t prudent to complain about precipitation, no matter how it falls. And snow is likely to seep into the soil as it melts.

But yesterday, though a little chilly, was a great day for a spring paddle. I took the day off and got an entire day to take care of recreation and catch up on a few personal chores. So, as is my inclination, I started out at the lake with an open canoe. It isn’t my first paddle in an open canoe this year, but I tend to paddle in a kayak during the early season. The kayak, with a spray cover, is a pretty warm place for one’s legs and lower torso. With a good paddling jacket, I can stay warm in almost any weather.

However, there is something special about a well-designed canoe. The one I was paddling yesterday is a homemade woodstrip canoe made to the lines of a 16’ Chestnut Prospector. The Prospector is probably the most sought-after design in the north country. There are dozens of companies that offer their own versions of the Prospector made from all kinds of different materials, including high tech and expensive kevlar and kevlar-carbon fiber composites. The original Prospectors, of course, were wood and canvas canoes, mostly cedar with ash gunwales, thwarts and seats. The canoe is large enough to be used as a tandem, and has quite a bit of freeboard, so it will haul a good load. It is symmetrical, so a solo paddler can paddle stern first and sit on the bow seat. There is enough rocker to make the canoe very maneuverable in flowing water and enough length to make it track fairly well on a lake.

If a person were to have only one canoe, the Prospector might just be the best choice. I really enjoy paddling mine even though I have some specialty canoes that work in specific situations.

Yesterday was a good day for a little freestyle paddling and then a trip across the lake. There was a stiff breeze, so it was good exercise returning into the wind. With only me in the canoe, there was plenty of canoe above the waterline for the wind to blow around, but that just increased the value of my workout.

The only disappointment, and this one very minor, was that I headed out with my spare camera battery in the car, so I discovered that my battery needed to be recharged too late to get pictures. The great blue herons have returned to the lake and I might have gotten a good picture, approaching one from downwind, but alas, I didn’t get any pictures until after my paddle was completed.

It was good for my spirits and good for my body to get out and paddle. It fascinates me how attracted I am to paddling. As far as I know, I do not come from a nautical heritage. It is mostly farmers on my father’s side and my mother’s people were ministers, lawyers and court reporters. No seamen that we know of. And my generation isn’t exactly filled with boat people, though I do have one first cousin who has a live-aboard sailboat off of Belize that he built with his own hands. He has also built several dinghies and rowboats.

Despite my heritage, there is something deep inside of me that really appreciates paddling. Both the kayak and canoe were old and highly developed technologies before European settlers first came to North America. They were quick to recognize the value of such boats when they tried to row the rather beamier European-designed craft in North American waters. Quickly the preferred craft of the explorers was the birch bark canoe. When built properly the craft was incredibly capable of carrying a load, would weather all kinds of water, could be used as an emergency shelter, and was easily repaired with materials that were common and readily available.

In the 19th century when commercial canvas became readily available, canvas was substituted for birch bark in the construction of canoes. This made it practical to mass produce canoes in factories. There are good examples of 19th and 20th century canoes still being paddled to this day. One of my favorite boats is a 1959 Old Town that I rescued the night before it was slated to head for the dump. With a few new ribs, new stem pieces and new canvas, the boat is clearly as good as new and a joy to paddle. It is a very stable boat, just right for the first canoe ride for a child.

My fascination with canoes began with attending church camps located on lakes. In Idaho, I worked with American Canoe Association (ACA) certified instructors to create a water sports program that included paddle instruction. I still belong to the ACA and value the commitment of the organization to paddle safety. I’m a stickler for lifejackets that are worn, not just thrown into the boat and have been known to write letters to editors of paddling magazines when they print pictures of people without life jackets.

Yesterday, however, was a morning for just having fun on the water. I had no destination in mind, no one who needed instruction, nothing to prove. I was wearing cold weather gear, so knew I was safe and had a self-rescue plan that would work should a sudden wind and rusty muscles result in a capsize. There was little risk of that and the day provided me with much-needed contact with God’s creation and the creatures of the lake.

The fish were jumping and spring was in the air. A little snow won’t dampen my spirits.

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