Ever wonder what it’s like to be rescued by the Coast Guard? Gordon Brown, Simon Willis and crew participated in this staged helicopter rescue to go behind-the-scenes with emergency rescue services for their new instructional DVD Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 3.
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Late fall is a great time for paddling—there’s no bugs, no crowds and no need for advance reservations. But the chilly weather comes with it’s own set of challenges. Help prepare for off-season paddling with the following tips.
Paddlers who are immersed in water loose body heat four to five times faster than in air of the same temperature. The ACA recommends that you wear protective clothing, such as a dry suit, if both the water and air temperature are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. While canoeists never expect to find themselves in the water, a swim at those extreme temperatures can lead to hypothermia in just minutes. Protect yourself. In addition to the protective clothing you wear, keep spare, dry clothing sealed in a dry bag. Learn more about protective clothing for cold weather paddling at the ACA here.
Open water can turn to ice overnight if the temperature drops low enough. Shallow areas and sheltered waters are the most likely places for this to occur. Iced-in paddlers can try waiting for the sun to thin the ice or can try hacking their way out with an axe or branch. Using your paddle isn’t recommended (it could break and you’ll need it to get home) nor is ramming the ice with your canoe. Getting iced-in can mean having to walk out—plan your route accordingly.
Let the weather forecast aid in planning your late season trips. If high winds are expected, stay off large lakes. If the temperature is dropping, avoid travel through creeks that could ice over. The shorter days will also mean significantly less travel time for paddling as well as camp chores. Plan accordingly and bring an extra set of batteries for your headlamp.
Nights near the Canoeroots magazine office are currently 15 hours long, leaving only nine hours of possible sunshine. When the sun sets at 4:30 p.m., a cozy campfire might be the only way to avoid a 6 p.m. bedtime. If you have the option, and portages are short, consider bringing a bag of bought firewood. It’ll help lessen the impact on the forest around your campsite and allow you to enjoy more of the evening outside. Bring a firestarter with you (eg. birchbark or the store-bought synthetic variety), and keep it and your matches or lighter in a waterproof container.
By paddling in the shoulder season canoeists expose themselves to more environmental risk, that’s a fact. Don’t further increase your risk by trying for a marathon paddle or venturing into an unknown area. Now is not the time to push the limits of experience and ability.
Safety systems paddlers should follow on every backcountry trip still apply. Tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back. Have a bailer bucket, buoyant line and whistle on board. And wear a PFD on the water at all times—no exceptions. While a ditch kit is always ideal in the backcountry, it’s an essential in the off-season.
What are your tips and advice for late-season canoeing? Share them with us below.
This photo was provided by Flickr user steve p2008 and licensed through the Creative Commons.
What’s the one piece of gear you’d never go camping without?
To keep the long November nights at bay (almost 14 hours of darkness!), I make sure to bring a folding saw for cutting up fallen deadwood. A cozy fire makes all the difference for late season camping.
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National Geographic has announced the 2014 Adventurers of the Year, whose extraordinary achievements in exploration, adventure sports, conservation or humanitarianism have distinguished them in the past year.
The only kayakers amongst this year’s 13 honorees are Amy and Dave Freeman, founders of Wilderness Classroom, who completed a three-year, 11,700-mile journey by kayak, canoe, dogsled and foot around North America in April 2013. The trip, dubbed the North American Odyssey, was just the latest expedition undertaken by the Minnesota couple for the Wilderness Classroom Organization (WCO), a non-profit that creates curriculum for some 85,000 grade school children via its website and school assemblies.
Online voting for the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year is now open and runs through Jan. 31, 2014. To learn more about each adventurer through photos, interviews and a video and to vote every day for the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year, go to http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2014/. The adventurer with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be announced in February as the 2014 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year.
Read more about the Freeman’s North American Odyssey in the Summer/Fall 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak
Adventure Kayak reader Dzintra Jones says, “My dog enjoys kayaking as much as I do out on Lake Isle in central Alberta!”
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This waterfall footage is from kayaker Martina Wegman’s trip to Iceland earlier this year with Mariann Saether, Shannon Carroll and Katrina Van Wijk.
“Lots & Lots of waterfalls, Geo-thermal activity, amazing hot springs and 24hr daylight!! With four chicks we went on a short park and huck trip and run some rowdy waterfalls and paddled between the ice blue icebergs.”
From Martina Wegman.
This weekend Canoeroots staff headed into Algonquin Provincial Park for a quick weekend getaway. Many of the lakes already have ice on them. Where will your end of seaon trips take you?
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Daniel Baxter shared this wonderful photo on Adventure Kayak’s Facebook page in response to our recent post on Greenland-style technique, “Master the Forward Stroke.”
“Eh, yep! Won’t…can’t…go back,” writes Baxter of his affinity for the Greenland blade, “I have paddled with 400 lbs in my boat, or more, with no problems. I have a big…huge…boat but slow no one down.”
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Buried deep under the waters of Summersville Lake since the Gauley River was dammed in the 1960s, the Lost Gauley is a section of the river that only resurfaces about once a decade.
“The dam has to lower the lake to inspect or work on the damn dam,” says Dave Fusilli of Demshitz, who ran West Virginia’s elusive Lost Gauley last weekend during one of those rare opportunities.
With three other paddlers, Fusilli did a 20 mile run ending at the Summersville Dam, where the famous Upper Gauley River begins. The Lost section began with class II to III rapids in the section that’s usually underwater. “This would be the start of paddling 150 feet lower than usual,” says Fusilli. “We could see silt and really cool layering in the silt on the banks of the river. This section reminded me of the last day of the Grand Canyon.”
Watch Fusilli’s video of the Lost Gauley here:
Adventure educators Dave and Amy Freeman have been nominated as one of National Geographic’s 2014 Adventurers of the Year. The two canoed, kayaked, hiked and dog sledded just under 12,000 miles over three years in a bid to bring environmental awareness and education to school children. Their route took them through Inside Passage, across the Northwest Territories, through the Great Lakes, and down the East Coast of the U.S. Their epic journey ended early this spring.
Their project, titled The North American Odyssey, was interactive and involved visiting schools and hosting assemblies along their route. Students could also track their progress online through their website. It’s estimated that their project reached a total of 85,000 kids.
See Canoeroots’ Early Summer 2012 feature on Dave and Amy’s adventure in the feature story “School’s Out” here.
You can also visit the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year web page to learn more and, while you’re there, vote to make Dave and Amy the People’s Choice.
