Perpetual Ruminations

To Kayak or Not to Kayak...

Another beautiful day, sunny and almost fifty degrees, we should hit the lower sixties this afternoon. It's windy out, but that's fine with me, it will dry up some of the mud and melt the rest of the snow. Again, the only down side is having to go into work in a couple hours and not being able to enjoy the nice day.

On my way to work yesterday I seen a bit of open water on the lake. Not much, but it's a start; the warm weather, sunshine, and wind should thaw the ice quite a bit today. You likely figured out that I'm eager for the ice to melt off the lakes. "Why?"

My wife, Rhonda, and I tried kayaking last summer and loved it. Last fall we purchased a couple of kayaks and had a couple of opportunities to try them out before we had to stow them for the winter. We have been patently waiting through winter to take them out again. It would be ideal to wait until all the ice is off the lakes and the water temperature is warmer, but that could be another two or three months, depending on how nice of a spring we have.

Like me, Rhonda is eager to get the kayaks out of storage and back in the water. She even suggested taking them out as soon as there is enough open water along the shoreline. We could also launch them in the Sioux river close by, which is now fully open. It's a pretty slow flowing river unless there's flooding, so it wouldn't be terribly difficult to keep the kayaks upright. But, the biggest concern is our inexperience and the possibility of flipping them over and landing in the frigid water. It wouldn't be terribly bad id we were close to the landing and the vehicle, so we could get out of the water and into dry cloths. But, if we are any distance away, it's going to be a very cold walk back to the truck.

I suspect that our eagerness will win out over common sense and we will be out in the kayaks soon. But, I do know we will prepare for the worst just in case we end up going for a frigid dip in the icy waters. If we take them out on a lake, we will have to remain close to the landing, and if we venture out on the river, we will need to pack dry cloths, towels, and a portable heater along with us.

I've almost got myself convinced, now it's just a matter of waiting for the ice to melt a bit more.