Went paddling on Cedar Creek in the Jersey Pine Barrens today with a small bunch of experienced paddlers from the Mohawk CC. I was with Fat Elmo and another member of the HRCKC. It was a nice sunny day and I enjoyed the paddle and the company.
The air temperature was below freezing, and I learned something:
When paddling in that kind of weather, it is less useful to have a bailing sponge than it is to have an ice scraper, the kind you might have in your car’s glove box, and a small dust pan.
Thays OK
Wher I was a bailing sponge and a brick are about the same.
I did not even bring a pump because they freeze up on the deck.
I lived in Bayville for many years.
Is the Forked River Diner still in business? Is Route 9 still one lane in each directions where it crosses Cedar Creek?
A’s wonderin’
Does FE be talkin’ in person like he be writin’ on pnet?
Good tip on de useless frozen sponge, too.
Similar experience
Yeah, I posted this elsewhere, but what I learned is that neoprene boots can’t be taken off your feet in cold weather. The water that soaks into the pores freezes solid and they retain their tight ankle-gripping fit (if you have a lace-up variety) and you are stuck with them until you go inside where it’s warm (or I suppose if building a fire is part of the day’s routine, that would work too).
How useful would an ice scrapper be
Interesting comment with validity. But you have me thinking, where, when and how would one use an ice scraper in or on a kayak? Curious, Mark
No. Much worse. nm
Don’t Know
We didn’t stop at the diner. Didn’t get out to count the lanes of the roadways we went under. I’m a North Jersey guy, don’t know the secondary roads down there.
Dun’t know about de diner…
but Rt. 9 still be one lane in each directoon.
FE
In a canoe…
You would use the ice scraper to scrape all the frozen drips and splashes off the inside of the hull into a little pile, then brush it into a dust pan or something and throw it over the side.
If you were in a kayak, or a C-1 like one of our party (who flipped over once) you could chip the ice off from around the coaming and other parts of your deck, I guess.
Here be a few daguerreotypes
of de Cedar Krek trip. Camera froze up an’ stopped workin’ fer any more.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569466429iFnHSj
Fat Elmo
deadly combo
– Last Updated: Jan-02-09 10:41 AM EST –
There's another thread nearby "new entrapment danger" about a guy whose boots froze to the air bags in his C-1, unbeknowst to him until he capsized and tried to exit. Together with your story that could make for a deadly combo.
Is there a good alternative to you wearing neoprene boots in that kind of weather? There could be other disadvantages to getting your feet stuck in your boots too.
[edit - removed some of my speculation after rereading the other thread and seeing he was in a c-1 with air bags, not a kayak - makes more sense that way in regard to water/ice accumulation]
P.S. I love going paddling and getting photos in sub-freezing weather on a stream that has some drops and/or beaver dams - with the icicles everywhere, the mist coating the vegetation around runouts and the icebergs that sometimes form in the throat of a runout. Did ya'll get any good photos?
Crumbs frozen? Next time
land and eat lunch on shore.
Frozen drysoot zipper wax…
– Last Updated: Jan-02-09 2:05 PM EST –
Ah' waxed de waterproof zippers on me drysoot a couple days ago an' had a heck-o'-a-time gittin' it zipped up in de sub-frezzin' temps yesterday . Purdy stiff it waar.
FE
You’ve got no snow on the ground
And no ice on that river! How can that be?
I once paddled my kayak in moving water when the air temp was in the 20s and the wind chill was in the teens. It was snowing. At the end of the trip, the paddle was coated in ice, my neoprene glove fingertips were iced up, and my sprayskirt was akin to a miniature skating rink.
I think your ice scraper/little dustpan suggestion is worth a try.
Glad you all had a fun day out paddling. I’m jealous!
Yup! No snow in de Pine Barrens
yesterday which be in central an’ south Joisey. Even though de temps git quite low thaar (it waar in de 20’s as a high yesterday) it be rare indeed dat de rivers freeze up completely due to dem bein’ mostly aquifer fed. Very unique enviroonment de Pines Barren be an’ makes fer paddlin’ all year long.
Now, up here in North Joisey ah’ got 3 inches of new powder the day before.
FE
Asking about photos
You asked about photos, so here’s the story which includes a link to photos:
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=chat&tid=1033779