Thirty Nine & Still Dreaming

The title of this post refers to my 39th time on the water since July 14, 2013, when my kayaking career started.

The "Dreaming" part of this post title refers to those moments when I stop in the lake and just relax ... just listen ... just be.
That dreamy state is one of the feelings that shows me how good being on the water is for my head, heart and soul!

Since my last post I have been on the water 3 more times ... on the 11th, 12th and 17th of November.

The weather is even more important on the water at this time of the year.
November 12 was the first time I paddled in freezing and snow conditions. It was snowing, the temperature was below freezing and there were wind gusts which caused the wind chill to plummet.

The ice is visible on the equipment on the above images. The equipment still performed as intended, however ... after getting off the water the paddle would not separate because the joint was frozen.

As far as the effectiveness of my thermal protection is concerned, it all worked well. My nose and cheeks and mouth did get cold in the wind.
The 5mm neoprene mitts were a lifesaver for the hands.
The hands have to be able to work. Survival depends on it.

Fortunately there were no capsizes, although I am confident that I could have self rescued should one have occurred.
The dry suit performed over and above as usual.

My most recent paddle was on the 17th. A more than 3 hour trip to Gallagher's Point and back on the Big Rideau Lake.

 

The 11C degree temperature was a gift. It was rainy and windy, but not excessive. The night of the 17th the big winds that caused havoc in Illinois came through here. By the time they arrived here they had diminished to about 50-70 km/hour winds. There were power outages across southern Ontario and Quebec.