For the first time ever, I paddled my kayak on Lake Champlain in MARCH.
Due to a very mild winter, Lake Champlain was ice-free earlier than usual this spring - and with crazy unseasonably high air temperatures, my husband and I decided to embark on an evening paddle.
Although the days are getting longer, we realized we'd still better fast-track the preparation for this short adventure in order to complete it before dark. So we quickly unpacked our wetsuits from their summer storage bins, found our personal floatation devices (PFD's), and headed out to load our kayaks and paddles onto the truck for transport.
Our neoprene wetsuits are 3 mm-thick, and we donned all the pieces we had, including farmer johns/janes, jackets, booties and gloves, an absolute must with water temperatures at about 37 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, we wore fleece garments to make sure we'd be warm enough and topped it off with our PFD's. Though the water was fairly calm, it is essential to be prepared in the event that your boat capsizes; the insulating layer of neoprene will keep you warmer, longer.
(And, at the risk of sounding preachy, though we often see people just sitting on, or packing their PFD in the boat but not WEARING it, wearing a PFD is an absolute necessity for any paddling adventure, any time of year. In the event that your boat capsizes and you become disoriented, wearing that PFD will save your life.
In fact, effective November 2009, New York State law states that lifejackets must be worn by all persons on all boats under 21 feet long from November 1 until May 1.)
We drove to the nearby NYS boat launch in Port Henry. The floating docks that are typically there in summer had not yet been installed, so we carried our boats down the launch ramp, and stepped into the water to launch.
This is one of our favorite places to launch for an after-work paddle. Often in summer, we do so when the winds are high. On those windy days, we paddle hard out into the big lake against the waves and wind, and then turn around and "surf" back toward shore on the crests of the rolling water.
Not so this early spring outing - it was an absolutely gorgeous, calm, quiet evening. Although the water itself was very cold, with air temperatures in the high 60's, we were very comfortable inside our boats. We paddled north along the railroad tracks that take the Amtrak Adirondack train from New York City to Montreal, taking in the views of the Vermont skyline and the red hues in the sky toward Westport and the Adirondacks ahead of us.
We paddled for about an hour, appreciative of the early season opportunity to be on the water, and warmed due to our out-of-shape paddling arms. Mindful of the setting sun, we heading back toward the boat launch, spotting a fishing boat returning ahead of us to the same ramp.
We slipped quietly out of our boats at the ramp, happy with our successful and unexpectedly early first time out on unfrozen Lake Champlain for the year. There'll be more reports to come - If spring paddling is starting this early, summer surfing can't be far behind!
-Kim Rielly is the director of communications for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, and a lifelong resident of Lake Champlain's Adirondack Coast.