Wisconsin Winters deprive us from paddling rivers for a few, what seems like very long, months. The cold, is not  something everyone can get used to, but the snow most of us do enjoy. With the rivers frozen, we watch the snow fall just waiting for the days of the spring thaw where some of the best creeks will clear and run at amazingly fun levels!

This year, the snow has been slow to arrive but finally there are some promising signs. With Jupiter and Venus disappearing in the cloudy night sky it has snowed 4 out of the last five days here. As long as the bitter cold temperatures of 30 below that typically arrive around the end of January and into February hold off, we’ll continue to see the snow pile on making this spring paddling season just as great as the last!

But like the rest of you, we just can wait until spring to start paddling again so the Badger State Boating Society hosted it’s first pool session for our southern Wisconsin paddlers on Saturday. Pool sessions are a great opportunity to practice some of those old techniques that may be getting a little rusty.

Jim was getting sick of scraping across the bedrock after little drop the last couple of summers. Neither a swim or 2nd roll attempt there is the most enjoyable. So he was sure to practice a few rolls.

 

Wisconsin paddlers always have fun whether it’s on the river, in the pool, or enjoying some of the great winter recreation together here. There’s so much to do! But if we can find a pool session, most of us will jump in the water during the winter rather than stay out in the cold. and we have a lot of fun paddling in WARM water!

A dozen of the locals showed up for this session while others found their own pools to play in closer to home. If you have more information on kayaking in your neck of the Wisconsin woods this winter, let me know! Happy Paddling   -Ashley