November Winter Paddle

Hope my American visitors had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday this weekend. Up here, Central Ontario had its first significant snowfall on Saturday. Just so happened we were at the cottage lake during this time. Haven't been in the canoe since early August so despite the slightly chilly temps of -8°C, a quick paddle on the lake was must. Here's a shot by the shore with the sprinkling of snow on the disassembled boat slips.

Stayed close to the shoreline where water levels were quite low. In shallow water, I've become partial to the small Birch Cree paddle that was reshaped from a kids paddle back in 2010. Nice wide tip in case you scrape the bottom with an interesting design that works well in shallow or deep water.

Not much in terms of wildlife anymore as the lake is preparing for another slumbering winter season. However, did get a splashy show from this small flock of Canadian Geese...

Unfortunately I completely missed the fall leaf colour change this year but heard from many folks that it was stunningly vibrant compared to previous seasons. The winter view was a nice consolation prize...

Also got a chance to test out the recently completed c1839 Minnesota Voyageur replica. Just at this moment, the sun peaked out behind some clouds lighting up the warm cherry hues of the paddle and the golden white cedar. Was a nice contrast to the chilly black water and otherwise bland background colours.

Here's a clumsy shot trying to take a pic of the paddle grip in action. Despite having some bulky wool mittens on, the flattened grip was comfortable enough for a relaxed paddle stroke. The small, roll top grip was sufficient for gripping in the usual manner, but I found it worked best as a "stopper" of sorts when holding the grip along the edge

Found a neighbour's snow covered dock and set up the camera for an auto-timed shot. This was the best I could do before the chilly temps killed the battery. Winter paddling, even if it just for a quick jaunt, is so rejuvenating. With more snow in the forecast and ice forming by the shoreline, this is certainly the last paddle for the year.

Signing off for the 2012 paddling season