I must confess, I’m almost that old, but not quite. I misled you by using a black and white photo, when the actual shot was in color, have fun with that for a while. I’m intrigued by your experience. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts of “what they were thinking.” I try to grasp the concept and reality of barefoot in the snow. We hear about layering for the cold and admonishments about relying on wool to stay warm in the harsh climate. Neoprene, gortex, microfibers, down; rotomolded, kevlar, fiberglass thermafoil, compared to driftwood, whale bones, birch bark glued together with tree sap, hollowed out logs. Crossing wind-swept praries, sleeping in log shacks, sod hovels, covered wagons. Climbing with oxygen, using lofty cold weather gear, and efficient flame thrower stoves to melt snow or cook freeze dried food to keep up calories, compared to the heavy wool, acclimatize to heights, hemp rope, dried meat.
I dare say we have it pretty good these days. You called me out and exposed me, but you won’t shame me about the recliner, that part I insist is true. As far as the picture goes, the camera, film and exposure is a secret.
Photo manipulation in the darkroom. If I had painted it, I would have added PFDs. Aside from the actual event, your renactment must have been a more endearing and satifying adventure. Not to diminish the modern equipment and your photogenic accommodations, I’m sure it helps you appreciate the spirit and risk tolerance of early humanity. Davey Crockett killed a bear, when he was only three.
I was out yesterday for a day-after-Christmas paddle. The air temp was 30 degrees as we ran the shuttle. There is no thermometer at the gaging station on this river, but a nearby river was at 33 degrees. Based on the icicles that lined the banks, and how fast my boat iced up, I’d say that was about right. No question that the air/water model worked in this case. We usually do a 10-mile run, but cut it down to 5-miles due to the cold.
I had two layers of insulation under my drysuit (thermal underwear and a fleece union suit), wool socks, neoprene helmet liner, gloves and boots. The run took 1.5 hours, and by the time we got to the bottom I was starting to get cold - especially my feet. Glad we didn’t do the longer trip.
The river is quickwater with a couple of class I / easy class II rapids. One of them is pretty long - couple of hundred yards - and moving fast. I have to admit, watching the swimming incapacitation video on Moulton’s site got me thinking about how tough it could be to swim out of that rapid. I didn’t want to do it yesterday in my drysuit. After watching the video, I think there is a pretty good chance that you wouldn’t be able to do it at that water temperature without some sort of thermal protection.
What??? You went out the day AFTER Christmas and not the day BEFORE??? You must be getting soft with age over there in RI, Eck… I mean, why on earth would ya have wanted to miss Xmas Eve day’s single digits with killer below-zero wind chills? (The only real way to proof one’s layering.)
Well, New Year’s weekend seems to be shaping up for a balmy circa 50 F degrees here in the Northeast. My lowest air temp paddling on Ball Drop Day to date was 15 (and Lawd only knows what the water temp was). Neither a personal record I am eager to break, nor experience to voluntarily duplicate.
As yes, like a very reluctant groom/bride being unwittingly led down the aisle, I too found it is the feet that get cold first.
Yep. Me too. It may seem semi-superstitious, but I like to think it’s always going to be a better year (paddling/otherwise) when tagging something on the first day.
Now the decision besides “where,” is do I take canoe, kayak, or recently acquired iSUP. (Thank you, Santa.)…Which indeed should make any involuntary icy swims I might take, occur all the more easily.
Due to pain from my arthritic knee I decided to get a sea kayak early this year. Maybe I should have gone with a SUP like you - never even thought of that.
I am hoping to suffer a little longer in my canoe, but it is uncomfortable. I won’t last forever kneeling in my canoe.
I hear ya with the knee pain. When I use my canoes these days, I use both knee pads AND foam glued on the hull floor.(This be my sometime sailing canoe here )
Don’t know why it took me so long to get with the SUP program. A paddle partner of mine likes to say, “We wuz stand-up paddlin’ before stand-up paddlin’ wuz cool.” Indeed, I’ve irregularly run both my self-bailing duckies and canoes while upright, whilst going down my Catskills home creeks. (Not to mention having been a teenage surfer in Long Island and the Jersey shore almost a half century ago.)
Remember, if getting into iSUP for ww rivers (as with most other craft in ww–prolly don’t have to tell YOU this, Eck) --Shorter and wider with a bit of rocker is better…Lest ye be forced to fall to yer knees often like my friend here…
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