Paddling the Mouth of Otter Creek

A pictorial of my paddle today.  It was cool.  About 25 degF.  The bays were frozen, . . .

. . .  as were the slower slangs and river valleys.

Low-lying areas are still frozen.

The Otter Creek is ice free, and it has flooded low-lying areas around it.

The broad lake still has a sizable ice-pack, . . .

. . . as have most of the bays.

Evidence of the recent icepack breakup on the river is found on this beaver lodge.

A lot of waterfowl are to be found.  Buffleheads (female on left, male on the right), . . .

. . . male merganser, . . .

. . . bald eagles,  . . .

. . .  and immature bald eagles!

Paddling in the flooded woods is like paddling in a swamp!

An occasional cormorant.

Flock of mergansers getting ready to take flight.

Canada geese.

Takeoff!

One of many osprey nests.

One of many wood duck boxes in this wildlife management area.

My kayak.  Warm spirit, cold feet!

Enjoy.

Paddling on the Otter

Finally.  The river is ice free, so I put the kayak on the car and launched at the basin by the falls.  It was a cool day (just around the mid-30s degF) and we had a steady 10 mph wind out of the NW.  When I told some of my compatriots at work I was planning on paddling this weekend, the typical response is:

"Isn't it too cold?"

Too cold!  I'm not in the water.  I have a fleece layer on, dry-pants, neoprene boots, water-proof jacket, neoprene gloves, cap, and a PFD.  I was plenty warm.  It's a lot colder standing on top of a mountain in the winter getting ready to ski downhill with winds and 20 degF conditions.  The only time I would get cold was putting the boat in the water.  Even then, my feet never got very cold.

It was such a good time getting outside.  It has been a busy week at work.  My mind has been consumed with tons of details.  I needed to just disconnect.  I looked forward to the adventure.  It's been about 6 years since I paddled on the Otter.  It hasn't changed much.

Otter Creek is not a very big river.  In the summer, it is only about 6 feet deep.  Below the falls, it is about 50 to 100 yards wide.  It isn't pristine, as it has houses and camps along its bank in many spots, but it still offesr great views of wildlife.  I saw tons of waterfowl.  Canadian geese, mallards, mergansers, cormorants, gulls, pintails, and great blue herons.  At one point, two redtail hawks were flying overhead, following each other through the sky as part of their mating dance. It was great.

I could see signs of the beaver in the area.  As the river is large, they build their lodges into the banks of the rivers.  I look forward to paddling by the lodges at dusk as the summer approaches as the beavers will be out.

At one point, I paddled into a flooded field.  I was only able to go partially into the field as the water there was still covered with ice.  I was able to push through the 1/4 inch ice, but got stopped about halfway into the field.

After paddling 5 miles downstream and 5 miles back,  I was getting tired.  This was a good paddle for the start of the season.  I stopped to admire the waterfall at the basin in town before taking out.

I left my boat on top of my car, but not because my shoulders are tight.  Rather, I just might go out for another paddle tomorrow.  What a great day.

Groan!!!

Another 4 inches of snow today near the Finger Lakes, with another 6 inches tonight!

Yuch!

I like snow, but I am sick of working out in the gym.  Most of the snow we have is nothing but ice.  Not good for much of anything.  The longer days, my recent bicycle rides and the need to go kayaking have me ready for warm, spring weather.

Oh well.  We just have to hang in there.  Peace.

Spring is Here!

What a great weekend!

Today is the first day of Spring.  It is cold out today (just 21 degF this morning), but the sun is out, the winds are light, and we will get to 40 degF.  I'll get on the bike later this afternoon (I need to clean my chain and frame from all the sloppy, wet riding I have been doing over the last few weeks - my bike can hardly shift!).

I hope you got to see the 'super moon' last nite.  It was spectacular.

This was Maple Syrup Open House weekend in Vermont.  As we went driving around running our errands yesterday, you could see the steam rising from the sugar shacks.  We were reminiscing about making sugar-on-snow with our daughter.  What fun.  We went to downtown Burlington and hung around Church Street.  It was nice to be downtown without tons of snow and sloppy weather.  We are looking forward to warm summer days, green, flowers, open water and farmer's markets.  We'll still get some snow and snow showers for several week, but I am confident we won't see any large snows.

I had gone cycling after work on Friday (can you believe we were around 55 degF).  I rode down by the river, and it was still ice-covered, but the ice was quickly melting and you could see open water in spots.  Yesterday, we drove over the falls and the river was ice free above the falls and down in the basin.  I need to check out the river today to see if we are now fully ice free.  If so, I know I'll be kayaking next weekend.  

Enjoy the day!

What Was That . . .

I went for another ride today.  It was around 42 degF, with winds out of the southeast.  The first 18 miles were fine, but as the sun set lower and I headed into the wind, I was growing cold and tired.

Then I heard it . . .  conk-a-reeee.

It lifted my heart. I kept a lookout for the culprit.

I heard it again . . . conk-a-reeee.

I looked up and saw it!

Yes, it was a red wing blackbird!

As far as I am concerned, Spring is officially here.

Snow has to melt (we still have 1 foot on the ground), and the rivers and lake are ice covered.  But the cycle has started back.  Though we will officially recognize the Spring equinox next week, as far as I am concerned,  Spring is here.

Has Spring started where you are?

1 Week Later

One week ago we had a monster storm.  Two feet of snow, brutal winds, snow drifts.  Brrrrrr!

Though it is still cold outside (our high today was 35 degF),  the sun was still high and bright in the sky when I left work (I guess the time change has its benefits)!

Instead of going to the gym, I jumped on my bike for a quick ride.  I donned cycling shorts, lightweight thermal tights, cycling tights, heavy wool socks, polypropylene undershirt, fleece riding shirt, nylon windshell jacket, glove liners, gloves, cap, helmet, shoes and shoe covers.  I was start to sweat just being in the house.  That changed when I went outside.

The wind was out of the northeast.  My face stung for the first two miles as I got used to the cold.  I rode along the river for the first few miles.  It was into the wind, but the winding road and woods kept me sheltered from the winds.  The river is still frozen.  It will be many more weeks before I'll be paddling.

I headed west for a few miles, then turned south.  This is a more exposed area as there are numerous open fields and farms.  However, I had a tailwind, so I wasn't cold.  Lake Champlain was off to my right.  It was still frozen all throughout this portion of the lake.

I turned east.  The winds were now coming towards me.  As this part of the ride I was passing open fields.  There was no protection from the winds. I then headed by the falls and looped back to our place.  The basin by the fall is still ice choked.  It will be interesting to see what happens as the thaw sets in.

It will be nearly 40 degF tomorrow and near 50 degF on Thursday.  You know I'll be out riding.  Spring is coming!

The Problem With Snow

Is it too cold?  No, I seem to bear the temperature.

Is it too much work to get rid of?  Not really, I spend more time mowing grass each week than shoveling or plowing.

Is it ugly?  Actually, it is quite beautiful.

Is it boring?  No, a good storm is exciting.

What is the problem with snow?

I think the problem with snow is that it just gets in the way.  You have to worry about extra clothes, slipping, slush, shoveling roofs, tough driving, tracking ice into the house.  You spend so much time working around it, you cannot focus on those things which are more important (or should be more important).

Case in point, March 7th.  This past week, we had a whopper of a storm.  I focused on shoveling, telecons, cancelled flights, rebooking flights, more shoveling, repacking, emails, etc.

But I missed it.  It was 5 years ago on March 7th that my brother passed away.  I completely missed it.  I think about him everyday.  I was even talking about him with coworkers today.  But I missed it.

I don't feel guilty.  Sometimes life (or snow) just gets in the way.

Kevin

Anyway, we miss you Kevin!

(Kevin didn't really like snow, but he loved a good snowstorm!)

It Ain't Over Yet!

I was supposed to fly down to Philadelphia for work today.  But Nature decided to do her thing, and my trip was cancelled.

We have blowing snow, with accumulations near 2 feet.  The city plows came by, but got stuck in front of our place.  They had to send a bucket loader over to pull the plow out!

We had to shovel the snow from around our cars.  It had drifted up over the hoods and trunks!

It still looks like it will be several weeks before I can get out and paddle.  The rivers and bays are still ice choked.

Luckily, its warm inside.

Stay Safe!

Motivation

They say March comes in like a lion, but goes out like a lamb.  Well, today March is roaring.  It was 45 degF yesterday.  Now it is below freezing with sleet and heavy, wet snow.  We are expecting another 8 to 12 inches.

At this time of year, some people browse seed catalogs, or peruse the shelves of sporting good shops looking at fishing tackle.   I decided to watch some cycling videos.  They help to motivate me, and keep me inspired.  I came across 2 excellent videos about the Paris-Roubaix race (also known as the Hell of the North).

They are The Road to Roubaix and A Sunday in Hell.

This year's Paris-Roubaix is on Sunday, April 10th.

If you are a fan of bicycle racing, you will enjoy them.  If you don't follow cycling, you might find them very interesting.

Enjoy. Spring will be here soon.

My Aching Shoulders!

We were out of town and got back Saturday.  We had more snow.  So far, we've had about 3 feet just in February.

When we pulled into the driveway, I was VERY disappointed.  I had called someone to plow us on Friday, but it wasn't done.  Our driveway is paved, but shoveling 1 foot of wet heavy snow was not something I wanted to do.  The driveway is over 200 feet long, so I had a lot of work in front of me.  I started on it, and at got a spot shoveled out to allow me to get the car off the street.

I looked at the roof over the back porch.  There was now about 4 feet of snow on the porch roof, with another 4 feet on the deck!  One of the bad things about the new metal roof on the house is that all the snow slides right off the roof, dumping itself onto whatever is below.

I dragged a ladder out from the garage and climbed unto the porch roof.  It is a flat roof, so I wasn't too concerned with slipping (but you still have to be careful).  I shoveled most the snow down onto the deck below.  I then climbed down and shoveled the deck back down to 4 feet.  I went to the front porch and shoveled it's roof.  My clothes were soaked.  The stove got a workout drying my gloves.

On Sunday I shoveled more of the driveway (I would have plowed it, but my yard tractor doesn't have the traction to move 1 foot of wet snow).   I then heard a rumble, and the remaining snow on the main roof dumped itself on the porch roof.  I climbed back onto the roof, and shoveled the 2 - 3 feet of snow onto the deck. I then climbed down to the deck and knocked it back to 4 feet.

Being a glutton for punishment, then went inside and jumped onto the rowing machine.  I needed 17,000 meters to row to finish the 1 million meter goal I set for myself (I row 1 million meters between September and February).  Boy, my shoulders and arms were tired.  I am proud I did it!

I then took a break.  The weather forecast showed it was going to warm up to over 40 degF on Monday, with up to 1 inch of rain.  I then climbed back onto the porch roof to get right down to the thin ice layer to make sure that any runoff would not pool on the roof.

I went around the yard and checked out the scenery.  It was very beautiful.  I checked on the barn, and it was dry inside.

Snow was sliding off the barn.

There was quite a pile next to the old chicken coop (the largest I can remember).

It was quite beautiful outside.

It started to rain this morning.  The water ran off the porch roof with no issues.  We are expecting warmer weather most of the week.  My shoulders need the break (I really don't want to be shoveling the snow off the deck)!

Just another week around the barn . . .

Winter - Part Deux

Well . . .

We are expecting around 1 foot of snow tomorrow.  Just 1 week ago I was cycling.  Now I'll be shoveling snow for exercise!

March is nearly here.  We can expect more storms over the next month.  But I know spring won't be far behind.  Stay Safe!

Got 'Em!

Okay -

If you are faint of heart, read no further.

If you have been following my posts about those sneaky red squirrels, you know that I surmised they were getting into the house.

The wife and I have been spending some time in Vermont.  We had set some traps recently.  Today, my nephew was checking on the place, and found a red squirrel had been caught (yes, I am trying to keep the details to a minimum).

Still don't know how they were getting in, but I strongly suspect there is a gap under the crawlspace on the old addition.  I'll have to find it once the snow is gone.

I ended up catching the red squirrel using a larger trap.  What I still ponder where the other smaller traps I set are . . .

Vigilate semper!

Cabin Fever

We've had warm weather the last few days . . .

... but it didn't last.  I went bicycling the lasy two days.  I even washed my car.  Today we had highs of 20 degF with winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.   We decided to just go out and have a little road trip.

We drove down to the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham, VT.  On the way, we stopped at one of our favorite taco places.  It has some of the best overstuffed burritos (sorry I didn't take a picture of the food - I was too focused on eating!).

It was a pretty drive.  The snow was just swirling around, though it would become a whiteout when the winds gusted very high.  We visited the Vermont Country Store and looked at their various unique and unusual items.

The trip back was slower.  The road conditions through the mountains were worse, but nothing too terrible.  I actually like driving in the snow.

Based on the weather forecasts, I don't expect to be cycling any time soon.  I guess we'll still have a few more weeks of winter.

I just wish it would stay warm and dry enough so I wouldn't have to wash the car again . . .

Flocks of Robins

As I previously posted, I heard robins about.  Over the weekend we saw a few robins by the side of the road.

I decided to go for a bicycle ride at lunch today.  I went home, put on my riding clothes (and being only 40 degF I still had to wear several layers).  I jumped on the road bike and went out.  It was great.

One of the best things about the ride were the robins.  There were literally dozens upon dozens on the sides of the roads.  As I would ride up to them the would take flight and fly down the road.  I was riding around 18 miles per hour, while the robins would fly about that speed.  This went for miles - me following flocks of robins.  I have never been in a situation like this.  It was pretty magical!

I even saw some turkeys fly across the road.  As I came by the river, there were ice fisherman on the ice.  Pretty crazy - me cycling with a foot of snow on the ground, ice fishermen out on the rivers, flocks of robins.  Mother Nature seems really confused.

Punxsutawney Phil Might be Right!

I heard it yesterday.

The melodic "Peek, tut, tut, tut, tut, tut"

It was the call of the American Robin.

Even though we have 2 feet of snow on the ground, and the highs are only around 20 degF, they are here!

I haven't seen one yet, but I'll keep looking.

Are the robins out where you live?

. . . Wait 5 Minutes!

You've heard the saying . . .

"If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes."

Yesterday was one of those days.  It started out sunny.  The highs were around 32 degF.  We were going to go out, but then it started to snow like crazy (about 2 inches per hour).  We stayed in.  Then we could hear some rattling by the windows.  It was sleet.  We then had some rain.  A few minutes later, we saw flashes if light, and then could hear thunder.  It seemed the thunder just went for many minutes, rumbling through the sky.  It turned back to snow.

This morning we have about another 6 inches of snow to clean up (we had around 1 foot earlier in the week).  Last night's snow was wet and heavy.

I am glad we put a new metal roof on the house and barn.  The snow slides off pretty easily.

I came across this picture yesterday about a barn in Vermont that collapsed due to the weight of snow!

Getting the roof on the house has been a real pain (contractor issues - ggrrrrr!).  But it is done, and with all the snow we have had this year, timing was good!

Waiting

The streams and most rivers are nearly frozen.

The lakes are fairly ice free, but the bays are mostly ice choked.

My kayak waits patiently in the barn.

I can't wait to be back on the water...

Brrrrrrrrrr!!!

Don't get me wrong.  I like the winter.  I like being outside, enjoying the snow, skiing, snowshoeing.  Heck, I even bicycle in the winter.

But when it get below 10 degF, it is too cold.

Yesterday at 4:30 PM (6 degF)

Yesterday at 9:30 PM (-2 degF)

Today at 7:30 AM (-18 degF ... YIKES!)

Today at 6:00 PM (-2 degF)

When I got home from work, the wife told me the cold water line in the kitchen had frozen.  The maintenance man was over and had it going after 30 minutes.  We probably need to let the water trickle all night!  Luckily, it will only get to -3 degF tonight!

Please stay warm and safe.  Watch out for those who might need our help.

Happy Birthday Mom

It's been over 8 years since you and Dad passed away. 

We still think about you all the time.

I'd love to get a great, big hug from you again.

Happy Birthday!

My Morning X-Country Skiing

Step step step kick glide step kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide step  step kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide step stumble step kick glide kick glide kick glide . . .

. . .  kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide stumble fall oomph! step kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick . . .

. . .  kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide stumble fall oomph! step kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick . . .

. . . step step kick glide wheee!  wheee!  kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide kick glide step step step whoo.