By Brian Hunter
In my last article, I talked about voyaging Central PA's waterways. I had more feedback on that one article saying you wanted to hear more about it.
Let's dive in ... well, not literally.
I mentioned preparation being very important. When I plan a trip like this, especially this time of year, I start by checking water levels via the internet. Since still water is frozen nearly all over, I look directly at creeks and streams.
For obvious reasons, moving water takes longer to freeze. When I have my route in line, it's time to start packing. The clothing I prefer is fast-drying and wicks perspiration away. Polypropylene and fleece does the trick for me. It's always best to dress in thin layers so you can shed clothing depending on your body heat. Stay away from cotton and wool. Even though these materials are warm, they hold moisture which can cause hypothermia.
I try to always take two pair of gloves because at least one pair will get wet from paddling. Any extra clothing is stored in dry bags, just in case of a capsize.
When I pack food, I try to take chow that is high in protein and carbohydrates. Paddling and skirting around ice all day can really use a lot of energy. My daily diet may consist of oatmeal for breakfast, some kind of pasta for lunch, and meats with potatoes and bread for dinner.
I will also snack mainly on dried venison, trail mix and Ramen noodles (I'm not sure how much benefit these noodles have in terms of energy, but they are a good source of warming your insides and they taste good).
When sleeping in PA's version of the arctic, I use a cold-weather mummy bag with a fleece liner and a self-inflating air mattress.
I will always take hand and body warmers with me for a couple of reasons. The first is I can keep them in my clothing while in the canoe. The second reason is body warmers are great for putting at the feet of your sleeping bag. They will last all night and help with circulation. I do this when I am eating my dinner in the evening. I get them warm and stuff them in the bag. This way my bed is toasty when I settle in at night.
Safety is the highest level of importance. Plan for every situation imaginable.
A first aid kit and a throw bag are always on board my canoe or kayak. A throw bag is rope stuffed in a bag that can be thrown from shore or from your boat to someone in trouble. They usually range from 25- to 75-foot lengths. I had to use this on occasion, and was very grateful I had it with me. So were the others in my party.
Since water starts to freeze at the edge of water -- moving inward -- the ice will be at its thinnest point where the ice meets the moving water. In most cases, this will be the entire length of the trip.
So how do you get to shore with a canoe and hundreds of pounds of gear?
When going to shore, look ahead and aim for what would appear to be the weakest point of the ice. Try to get enough speed to either ramp onto the ice or break through. At this point, it's up to the person in the front of the canoe to straddle the canoe while facing backwards and start pulling the canoe on the ice.
Once the person in the rear of the canoe is on the ice, and sitting in the canoe, it's their turn to start helping. Straddle your legs out over the canoe and gently start to stand. The reason for straddling is just in case the ice would give way, the only place you are going to go is right back in the canoe.
Once both people are straddling the canoe and standing on the ice, it's like a canoe bobsled to shore.
n E-mail comments to bhunterkayak@yahoo.com
