A Cold Day on the River

January 03, 2014

Some folks may ask why would someone be compelled to kayak on a day with an anticipated high of 34 degrees. Here's the scoop.

There are several advantages on kayaking January on the Buffalo National River.

You have the entire river to yourself - zero humans outside of the shuttle guy (possibly nicknamed Booger) that drives you out into the woods and leaves you with your beloved kayak.
This isn't limited to this trek, but I will never tire of the thrill of being left alone by a stranger (paid to leave you) in the middle of nowhere. It forces you to be completely independent, sound in your skills and you have to keep moving forward. No one will come back to pick you up. No one is waiting at the end. It's all on you. Get 'er done!
Tons of animals -

Otters - Their squeals, clicks, whirs, and chatter are like Sirens drawing you in to the shore. Once you are properly fixated, they all disappear into the water.
Bald Eagles - Majestic, beautiful and high fliers.
Deer - Always sounds like a whole herd, you look up and there are two. They are frankly just crashing and thrashing to flee you.
Hawks - Graceful and a predator. That's 2 for 2.
Fish - The water is so blissfully clear that you can see entire schools going right to left and back again under your boat. These aren't minnows either. They are edible 12" - 16" fish.

Ok, so that was only three advantages, but they are seriously valuable. If you can't clear your head in 9.5 miles of solitude and challenge (or at least get a good start) then you might want to try another therapy.

So what are the disadvantages of kayaking in January?

Frankly it is cold, but this is an ok thing. Layering, staying dry, covering all exposed skin and DON'T STOP PADDLING. Boom, warm kayaker. If you paws get cold since they are a little further from your core, don't be afraid to take off a glove and sit on your hand for a while. Behinds are remarkable heaters.
Preparedness - There is no room for gross failure or error when you are alone on a long paddle. Here are the keys to not being the river version of the 127 Hours guy.

Let someone, or multiple someone's know where you are going, when you are getting back and where exactly you are getting back too. That way they can see if your truck is still there.
Pack a back with a full set of dry gear, in a dry bag and stash it in your dry hull. Sure, tipping over would be a frustrating stop, but once you get past the horror of freezing cold water in freezing cold (or below) air, it will be ok. So strip down, blind the wildlife, chatter your way into the dry gear and be more careful while you hustle to the truck.
Plan for the epic in disaster - Food for 24 hours, Water for 24 hours, 3 sources of fire starter (Yes, packed in a waterproof box, bag or whatever). This will give you peace of mind for that worst case scenario.
Use technology. I'm not a big fan, but I understand the safety value. I carry a Spot Locator Beacon. I can send messages that I am ok or a message requesting help. This is the cheapest $150 annual service I pay for. Secondly, use a GPS. So your boat wrecks and you are on foot. Good news, you have your 24 hour kit and skill set. If you have made good GPS choices you have the place you started, the surrounding roads and they place you were trying to get to. This gives you half a chance to walk to the road, your car or back the way you came. A GPS with a paper map is pretty much the cat's pajamas. Check it out.

All of this is to say, calculated risks for the sake of seeing something truly special in nature can be mitigated with the right preparation. This won't make your friends and family any more comfortable, but it will make your day so much better when you can focus on being where you are, not if you are prepared enough for a possible disaster. Remember, no one wants to be the 127 Hour guy! Don't be that guy!

Some photos of the day. Unfortunately the critters were highly mobile and my ski gloves were highly restrictive. This reduced my camera deployment time.