There are snow storms
and then there are SNOW STORMS. I’ve never paddled in the latter. Just seems imprudent. High winds, low visibility, major ramifications of getting wet, not knowing if it will last for hours or days, or what kind of bitter cold winds might come in behind the snow… those situations will nix it for me.
But I love paddling in snow. Last time was solo on Thanksgiving a couple years ago on the Wisconsin River. Started late in the afternoon. (Not good for photos, though I shot some that came out gray and indistinct.) Paddled till dusk and found, by complete good fortune, an island where previous campers hadn’t used all the firewood they had cut. Landed and got a fire going and went to set up the tent.
I’d seen the forecast and was looking forward to sleeping in late all bundled in my cozy bag, brewing coffee out the tent door, maybe reading a bit, and watching the snow through the Timberline 2 tent window…
Except I hadn’t used that tent since returning from a group trip where I’d lent it to a friend. He lost the “bones” - pieces that were necessary to set up that tent. By now its almost dark and snowing pretty heavily.
Luck again. I had my Eureka solitaire solo tent in the pack. (I sometimes use it for a pillow.) I pitched it then made some supper sitting by the fire watching the falling snow illuminated orange on the periphery of the firelight.
During the night I woke up several times when the weight of the snow pushed that far-from-spacious tent down on my belly and I had to slap the walls to clear it. I stayed dry and the bag kept me warm enough, but it wasn’t as pleasant as I had anticipated.
Next morning I awoke to the sound of gulls. Reached through the door to fire up the stove. The view was simply breathtaking. Snow clinging to every twig on every tree, hundreds of gulls had decided to gather on the river just down from my camp. The early morning sun was lighting up the last of the snow clouds, and a cool crisp breeze was blowing wisps of snow across the sandbars just downstream. Simply beautiful. Everything glittered.
I relit the fire and added a little bit of wood I had saved from the night before and used it as a hand warmer while breaking camp.
Then I paddled down to the next landing, took out, and stopped by a country diner for an omelet and hash browns on my way home.
I don’t think I did more than ten miles altogether, but short trips just don’t get much better.
Short paddles in the snow can be some of the very best paddles of the whole year.
A true story…
A few years ago, I was sitting in my boat in the middle of Grays Harbor. In the distance, flying fast just inches above the water level, stretching from as far as I could see to the left, to as far as I could see to the right, was a flock of sandpipers. Coming directly at me. When this massive flock reached me, without skipping a beat, they “flew right through me”, creating a living void in the perfect shape of me and my boat. The sight was beyond amazing, and so was the “surround sound” of the wind in their wings. This went on for what seemed like minutes, and then they were behind me, and there was silence.
Then I remembered; I had borrowed a friend’s little digital video camera that day, and it was in the pocket of my PFD. 
No picture, no video, but those few minutes will be with me forever, as if it were still happening.
Melissa
My favorite
Poling on the Branch River on New Years Day 2008 with Riverstrider and TommyC1. Its too bad that Wickerbutt missed it. Its tough to get a good picture in the snow.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2007042530075003331cEEeUk
nice story
thanks for sharing
g2d What did your post mean???
snow drives me crazy
If the falling snow comes straight down, as in not wind driven, I try to be out there.
The biggest complaint is snowflakes tickling my nose.
Autofocus gets confused in a snowstorm.
Good to clear snow out of the boat occassionaly. If cold enough ice builds up on the gunnels when using hit and switch.
Just before and just after a snow is a super time to paddle, if the wind is low to non existant, great time for photos.
Staying home when it snows is like paying to see a 3 hour play and only staying for half an hour. You miss a lot!!
it’s just his pet peeve
about people posting discussion threads like this in the “Advice, Suggestions and General Help” board. no one else seems to care… so read, post and enjoy.
not on purpose
I hate snow
So I just read the discription of this
forum and seeing it says
“If you have a paddling question that needs answering then this is the place to post your message”
I guess I placed it in the correct place seeing it was a question!
wow
Must have been one of those moments.
I had a similar one, paddling along shore on a foggy day to stay out of boat traffic. I heard the whish of swans wings and they appeared out of the fog like spectres, racing overhead past me. Unfortunately it was all broken up when an ultralight on an inflatable came out of the fog and almost took my head off.
in a snowstorm? Are you nuts?
what was it like?
No worries! Paddling in the snow is…
…a topic worthy of discussion, so it doesn’t matter to me where I find it.
Melissa
Our first annual Frostbite trip
three of us showed and we had 3" of snow the night before. Sunny and calm out and a barge was moving quietly up the river barely making headway. I pulled up within 6’ of the barges and I could hear the other guys voices echo off the barges when they spoke and the hiss of the barges moving thru the water. The pilot came out on the wing with a cup of coffee and commented what a beautiful day.
I haven’t paddled during the snow, maybe tomorrow.
SYOTR
Randy
cabin looks like heaven!
Wish I had one of those!
g in nc
yep nm
Thanks for the posts!
Yes, paddling in the snow is special.
The first few times I was anxious. After a while I realized it was an out of the ordinary experience. It’s very much like an altered state. Very much worth the effort.
Get It On!
got opportunities this week to paddle in the white stuff.
You’ll realize that snow in itself is not such a big deal.
sing
check my story on pnet
I posted my 8 day paddle in -10F story in the Places2paddle section…Under MONTANA --DECember
Yes
Atlin Lake BC, Late October about seven years ago with a great friend.