Cold-Weather Paddling: Beauty and Safety on the Wolf River

With the very busy activities of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons completed, we are now afforded an opportunity to fill our days and weekends with more diverse individual activities. For us paddlers, that would be transition from the warm paddling of the warmer three seasons to the challenge of paddling during the winter months.  

The winter months offer a surprisingly beautiful water and nature experience. The bright greens of spring, the more subdued greens of summer and the vibrant colors of autumn are replaced with the muted browns and grays of the dormant vegetation. This opens up the sight lines from the water and lets us peer deeper into the landscape. The winter sunlight dances on the water, accenting the subtle differences in the hues around you. You find yourself enjoying the quiet and relaxingly repetitive nature of paddling more with fewer distractions around.  

A cold weather paddle immediately amplifies the consequences of an unintended swim. In preparation for your trip, additional safety measures must be taken. These include:

• Honestly assessing your skill level. If you are a risk taker, admit it to yourself and your companions and tone it down a little. No sense in making things more challenging for everyone.  

• Dress in layers. When you are standing on the bank at launch or lunch, you will need an additional layer of protection for comfort. This will be quickly removed once your trip is resumed so be prepared to have additional clothing and provide a place to store it when it is no longer needed. The layers should include a wicking base layer, a warm and protective clothing layer and a water and wind proof layer on the outside.

• Verify that your protective equipment (PFD) fits properly over the additional clothing. These additional clothing layers will be much more bulky than the shirt and shorts used during the other months. Test for comfort and fit days before the paddle trip and correct any deficiencies.  

• Carry a spare set of dry clothing in a dry bag, and use it in the event of a swim. Often, we are reluctant to change around others. Doing so will only ensure a safer day.

• Carry fire starting materials. Even a small fire can be very psychologically warming on a cold winter day. Be sure to fully extinguish the fire upon resuming the trip.  

As always, safely enjoy your time on the water. Just remember that winter paddling will require a more focused attention to each detail to ensure a safe trip.  

SYOTW!!!!!

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