Add It To The List

We’ve established already that ice is part of the experience these days. Greeted by a sheet along the bank, I’ve been sliding into the water and pretty much any chance of clearing it with my paddle is gone. I’ve rigged up a rope to pull myself up onto the sheet at take out and as long as there isn’t a thaw/freeze event the rope should be good. A thaw isn’t happening anytime soon. 

Today’s paddle was less than a half-mile round trip and from the first contact with the terminal sheet, the ice extends all the way down to the Rocky Springs bend. That doesn’t mean much to anybody, so let’s just say that it's a good distance and from how things freeze up, there probably isn’t a break for the mile it takes to get to Eagan’s Rocks - a slight drop in the river dotted with debris from the mill dam or something like that. Nothing treacherous, just bumpy.

The sheet that is at our put-in/take-out is present all along the bank and unlike its condition a few days ago, it’s solid all the way to the water. It’s usually thin and breakable at the water, but with the temperatures like they’ve been, the crust of last week is solid ice now. 

The edge down where one can’t go any further is solid enough to attract the birds and some wrens or finches or something small and brown was hanging out there yesterday, feeding on small bugs that have, for some reason, decided to hatch. 

Haven’t seen that before. Add it to the list.

Crusty