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When you can't go paddling there's no sense sitting around ... the latest club trip, snowshoeing in Algonquin Park.
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| Winter Solstice Paddle Written by John Wolfenberg The direct ray of the sun makes its’ last grab for the Tropic of Capricorn, before turning north again and giving the Peninsula Paddlers minutes more daylight each day. Now there will be a little more daylight each day during which to enjoy winter paddling, kaybogganing and snowshoeing. The winter solstice paddle has been a tradition when the club goes out on the shortest day of the year to celebrate the season. Many deck themselves and their boats out in festive colours. The greatest challenge however is where to paddle safely so that no one ends up getting wet. Added to this, is the challenge of GIRTH. What with all of the layered gear and lifejacket, even the most petite of our members gains several centimeters. This makes it more difficult to enter and exit each kayak but all warm up quickly with all that gear. This year’s paddle took us to the Welland Recreational Canal on Saturday, December 22. One of our members, who lives in Welland, assured us that the canal was open and with the protected waters, a safe place to paddle. Upon arriving at the Lincoln Street Docks another challenge presented itself. Our local member forgot to tell us the entrance was blocked by 30 centimetres of ice encrusted snow courtesy of the previous week’s major snowstorm and the great work of the Welland snow plowing team. A half hour of digging and chopping gained us entry to the road. The canal water was mirror black – perfect for photographing the group as they paddled. The eight participants eagerly prepared themselves and their boats, dragging them downhill to the docks, while another broke shore ice from the dock edges. Launching into the obsidian black water – several hard strokes as two boats pierced the black glass – then ----- CRUNCH. Paddlers flailed at the thin sheen of water overriding about two centimetres of ice. “Do you mean that all of this black mirrored water is sitting on ice?” wailed the frustrated paddlers. The trip organizer, who was not paddling, suggested a few alternatives for getting to what was now recognized as rippled open water. No Luck. Solution! With everyone still in high spirits – re-rack the kayaks, decorations and all, and head several blocks north to Merritt Island to paddle the Welland River from the Aqueduct to the Highway 406 overpass and back. A local paddler in the group assured us that the river was open year round because of the moving water and no doubt the warmth from the treatment plant outfall. The bonus here – all were able to kayboggan down to the dock from the parking lot before getting on the river. Almost two hours later they returned. If any part of this paddle had humour this was it – the exiting of the kayaks. It was almost outdone by one member bedecked in her painted red hat, silver white pigtails, flashing red nose and another sporting an authentic pith helmet along with a large pink flamingo attached to his stern. The extra layers of clothing made any semblance of the smooth summer exits an occasion for great laughter. Many had the movement of walruses rolling out of their boats onto the deck. Oh well, just six more months till the sunrise summer solstice paddle at 4:00 a.m. to celebrate the longest day of the year by paddling from Port Dalhousie to Port Weller. Here's hoping that 2008 provides everyone with another year of great, safe, paddling! Happy New Year
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