Cold weather paddling stories?

[Heath]

not the coldest but, one of th e best.

a strange storm hit the tot area about 8 or so years ago maybe longer. dumped around 14 inches of snow over the entire area, it ws the most snow I have seen on a run and we were able to paddle the tot in the mid 3s for the next week from snow melt, probly the cleanist i have ever seen the water. I remember breaking the ice in the calmer eddies.

[Fish]

I actually remember paddling Boxley once in the early 90's on snowmelt. It snowed 20+ inches up on Cave mountain and then melted quick on a sunny 50 degree day. Kevin Fendley and I opted to hit the Boxley run rather than commit to a super-cold-water Hailstone day. We were surfing between banks covered with 4 inches of snow - an amazing trip. I have video somewhere of Kevin flipping and rolling back up with the worst looking brain freeze expression I think I've ever seen.

I've never seen another true snowmelt paddling day in Arkansas - a super rare event.

[Heath]

the tot deal was that the river came up from the rain, i think it hit 5 ft and started droping fast, as the temps dropped and things started to frezze. I remember looking at the gauge, and it looked like something from out west it would drop at night and then come back up during the day, or vise versa,

[jermdog]

The tot did that again about 2 years ago, Lucas and I caught it, and Kyle and Joe C. where down there as well running laps on Baker's from the melt.

[mohawklady]

so this one time, me and my son(frying squirrel) decided to do a Buffalo float from Mt. Hershey to Woolum. He was only 16 then, and it was a mid february float. We camped at Mr hershey on friday night, it was 17 degress out when we woke up and a toasty 34 in the tent. We did a solo float in the Intrepid. I took one look at the water, ice remming along the banks and almost decided not to go, but the mentality of a 16 yr convinced me we would be ok. At the time we really didn't have much in the way of "proper" gear(me being a single mother and raising two boys didn't allow such luxeries) but we had plenty of clothes and layered. About 1/2 hour into the trip we hit our first set of rolling raves, and Jon being in the front of the boat get drenched. I remember him yelling Holy !!!! that water is cold. We beached the canoe and built a small fire to thaw him out, got some dry duds on him and contined. After this happened two more times, I was desperately thinking of how I could keep him dry. I then had a brainstorm, we had our plastic groundcloth with us from the tent, so I had him kneel on it folded it out around his legs and tucked it in under his coat. The next set of waves, he stayed dry and toasty. It also turned out to be one of our typical Ozark days when the temperature warmed up to 55 degrees by noon. I remember sitting on the sandy beach eating lunch across from skull bluff,down to t=shirts. Not much of a cold weather story, but it convinced me that is as cold as I will go in. Also in hindsight, it wasn't a wise thing to be out there by ourselves, but the paddling gods favored us that day. I know, I was there!!!

[fryingsquirrel]

I can neither confirm or deny the story that mohawklady has posted, because I've never heard of her before today and don't know who she is. That said, I've been known to swim in cold weather from november thru febuary. I seem to be lacking some common sense (a requisite that sets us paddlers apart from the rest of everyone else.) Seriously guys, we've all done stupid things in our youth, and unfortunately I seem to still have lots of youth left in me.
I now have some better cold water gear, poly pro, some dri-star stuff, wool, and a wetsuit (which I hate wearing.) If I ever strike it rich, I'll get a drysuit.

[fryingsquirrel]

Oh, I forgot to add something...
No S***, I was there!

[FarPastGone]

A couple years ago when I still lived in Texas I came up to Arkansas to paddle for a weekend, and didn't really bring anything to prepare me for cold weather. After a warm day of paddling in shorties on the tot, a buddy and I drove in light snow towards Little Rock to paddle the Cadron the next day. I don't know what the temperature was, probably somewhere between 20-30, but I playboated the Cadon in a semi-dry shortie with a long sleeve neoprene shirt on under that. I don't really remember anything about the run, just that I layed in the sun on the concrete until my friend came back with the truck once we were done. I also remember meeting Renee for the first time and her letting me borrow some stuff that made the trip just that little bit more manageable.

I hate cold weather.

-Matt

[Tim Eubanks]

Some of you guys must have been dropped on your heads when you were babies.

[RomanLA]

I don't know what the temperature was, probably somewhere between 20-30, but I playboated the Cadon in a semi-dry shortie with a long sleeve neoprene shirt on under that.

Haha...I was wondering if you would post about that. We stopped by the takeout on the way back from the Buffalo (it had been snowing there) and ran into y'all. If I remember correctly, you were planning to paddle barefoot too, because you couldn't fit shoes in your boat.

[jermdog]

So this one time, a few years ago, Lucas, Matt, and I went to Georgia to do some boating with Cathy, and Scroach, it was February I believe. Anyway, the first day we did the LRC chairlift section since Matt was in a ducky and it was cold and snowy, but nothing compared to the next day.
That day we headed to Clayton to run section 4 of the Chattooga. It was very cold, around mid 20's when we put on, but warmed up to a nice round 28 or 30 while we were on the river. We all noticed it dropping around the laps on sock em' dog, so decided not to do too many laps. The entire day we were breaking ice off our skirts and setting paddles in the sun to thaw, but after the paddle out was the best part. It was getting dark, and anything we set on the pavement stuck there. Where we came up the ramp was a sheet of ice. But the best was that Scroach was trying to be conservative with the gas in his ride, so he wouldn't turn on the truck, despite our insistance that it would be a good idea, so we could have a heater. It all ended though when Lucas finally snapped and Yelled "Scroach, turn on your f*ck*ng truck". Good times, and no s**t I was there.
Coldest day on the water was the year before though, when I got my first playboat and we decided we had to try it out on Lee even though it was snowing and the windchill was about 10. I think the real temp was 18 or something stupid. Shortest day on Lee ever.

[bryanpin]

This one time on the Nolichucky in January. J. Mackey, C. Summerville and mua were on a lil cold weather road trip. We had some cold playspot fun one day with ice in the eddy's and all but not that big o deal. The next day we ran the Noli - b/c of the previous days paddling I was about to put on my wet drytop, obviously bitchin to the others about it, when Mackey said I have this brand new IR competion top, never been worn. I smiled and threw on that bad boy and enjoyed the warm dry feeling. we got to Jaws, surfed a little and I noticed the top seemed to be leaking a little. Now the Nolichucky is something like 13 miles or something stupid like that and we were dealing with low 20 degree temps with 10-15 mph winds. No worries unless you are wearing the biggest piece-O-sh!t ever passed as paddling gear. That top leaked like a sieve! I was so cold by the time we got throught the rapids after Jaws I decided to paddle my tail outta there, non-stop! I bid farewell to my warm and happy homies and stroked outta there. Everytime I ran a rapid, blind and not caring about anything but a straight line, the top leaked in a shots of the ice cold water. Then the wind would gust and remove some more heat. By the time I got to the takeout, I couldn't undress myself until I held the hot chocolate for a few minutes that Lara (still owe her) had waiting on us. If I would've had any trouble with the noli solo, i'd a been a popcicle in no time!! So, freezing temps are my cutoff now usually, unless it's arkansas creeking, then rules don't apply and we must boat!! This really happened, No Sh!t! I was there!