Too Cold to Kayak

Wow, here it is December 28, 2008. I couldn't let the year end without a post. The posts are fewer and farther between now because it is too cold to kayak, at least for me. I know there are lots of true outdoorsmen who would never let a West Virginia winter keep them indoors, but I am not one of them, at least not yet. I do plan to participate in some indoor roll sessions in January. I feel I should get some "outdoor" credit for them because it does mean hauling the boat out, strapping it to my truck, going to the sessions, and then putting it all back. On a dark, cold Sunday evening, that's a lot to ask of me, especially when I have to go to work the next day.

Of course, yesterday, it did not feel like winter. I think it was 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I thought about heading for the river. We've had lots of rain lately and the water levels are nice. The other day, I noticed the gauge at Queen Shoals was at 12 feet. That blows my mind. It is 7.02 feet today. I would love to hit the Elk at that level, but the water is very cold right now. So, instead of hitting the river, I took the opportunity to wash my kayak. I wanted to make sure it was good and clean for the roll sessions. It has a lot of battle scars, unfortunately, due to the low river levels earlier this year. That will be a little embarrassing at the roll sessions, but hopefully I won't be the only one with a scratched up boat.

I will let you know how the roll sessions go.