New Year's Day Paddle?

[Dave M.]

I'm interested and would agree with Gene and prefer North Shore launches. I'll add my vote to Joppa flats

Dave

[nancysan]

Interested if I am in town. Not sure yet of my plans.

[nancysan]

I like the North Shore or Doug's suggestion.

[billvoss]

I'm interested. I've been doing white water on January 1st for the past few years. Sea Kayaking could be a nice change. Bumpy water preferred of course, but good company makes even flat water enjoyable.

[rfolster]

I have finally had some time to sit down and look at our options for this trip. My initial thought is a 10am - 2pm paddle to give everyone time to get there and allow plenty of time to get back before dark. We may adjust it slightly later or longer to take advantage of the tide, but this is just a starting point and can be adjusted as needed.

We have significant interest at this time (somewhere around 16), so I would like to eliminate Boston Harbor as an option and look to the "North Shore" as has been suggested. I think that, with the size of the group, it might be difficult to park, getting through the locks, and finding a good lunch spot for that many people. There are some islands that would be worth visiting, but I don't think it is wise making the crossings in cold water/weather. However, I think that this would be an awesome in-season trip and we should consider taking a group out next year.

High tide for Plum Island Sound is 1:51pm. I don't know at what point Joppa Flats floods over and if that changes anyone's opinion about that area. We also have the Merrimack river as an option, but I don't know the area well enough to know how the incoming tide works against the flow of the river. I don't think we will have any option to look out at the open ocean since we will have at least a 2k current coming in.

I would like to offer Portsmouth as another option. Pierces Island ram is closed, but we can launch from Odiore Point and peek out to see if the ocean is calm enough for a trip down to Jenness Beach, or ride the current under the bridge into inner harbor and play around in there. With high tide at 1:38pm, we also have the option of a counter-clockwise circum nav of New Castle to ride the flood tide up into the harbor and then come back through inner harbor at slack.

I would like to have a place picked out by Friday when the weather forceast is available, and I will announce the final go/no-go on Monday. Many of you already know that I am a strong CAM advocate and this will be a CAM trip. We will have a beach briefing to discuss the plans and conditions for the day. I will ask anyone that has radios to bring them incase we decide to split into two pods. Also, bring any hypothermia gear you may have - extra clothing, sleeping bags, tents or fly, even ground pads can help. Any extra hot food or beverages would be helpful, as well as extra cold weather paddling gear to share.

Please email me at robertfolster at verizon dot net with the usual float plan info if you intend to go. I will keep all trip information posted here so that everyone can see what is going on.

[Paul Sylvester]

Pierce Island ramp is closed in that they are not collecting a fee and there are no porta potties out. You can and should use Pierce as Odiorne has a gate that should be locked up. Odiorne has the small parking spot by the bridge but with 16 it would be too tight. There are other options but again w/ 16.....Dover Point has parking and more protection (maybe) but is further for drivers from the south.

You might have a good go around Gerrish..

[Gcosloy]

Odiorne on the North side of the bridge is not ideal(parking for about six)but folks can unload and then park on the road if there is not enough room for cars. The tides/current are not propitious for a Pierce launch on Jan 1. With flood tide we could paddle up the Piscataqua to Hilton Park and turn around on the slack. (Problem: with the hydrology of Great Bay however slack water does not happen at high Tide but perhaps 2 hours later.) I like Bob's idea of Odiorne either a circumnavigation or a trip down the Rye coast and we can work out the parking problem, I'm sure. Besides, based on the weather we may not get near 16 souls. Paul's suggestion of a go round Gerrish is always welcome and Kittery Wharf should be empty Jan 1 with plenty of parking. (In fact based upon the forecast Gerrish offers protection from wind/waves on half the journey of 8.5 miles.)

[rfolster]

As life would have it, I came down with the flu yesterday and have been ordered to rest for the next five days. Due to the cold temps predicted for New Year's Day (only in the 20's), I don't think I should attempt this trip. Medications have me pretty loopy right now, so Is anyone else willing to step up and take over this trip?

[EEL]

Based on what I see in my yard, I suspect my thoughts will be of skiing as opposed to paddling for New Year's Day.

Ed Lawson

[Pintail]

Some of us have to work, you know! I <might> have been tempted out; but...

Oh, yes, we had regular New Year's Day paddles years ago -- sorry, Doug: there's nothing new about this.

[Gcosloy]

Christopher,

Having to work on New Year's Day is perhaps a bummer. On the other hand in this economy being employed is a plus. And don't even ask me about my status: unemployed and unemployable! But it does leave oodles of time to paddle! Hope to see you on the water some time.

[Doug]

Oh, yes, we had regular New Year's Day paddles years ago -- sorry, Doug: there's nothing new about this.

Christopher, I said Second Annual New Years Day Paddle , meaning the second consecutive one. I never said it had never been done before. No need for you to be persnickety. Silly for you to get defensive here. This is not a contest. I don't need you picking apart my words when there is nothing but good intentions of simply getting things going. Buzz kill.

[bbjorn]

Are any of you up for a "show and go" Tuesday? I'm not familiar enough with this area to volunteer as "trip initiator" but I'd hate to miss a New Year's paddle this year. According to NOAA, coastal conditions off Portsmouth are looking a bit gnarly -- 2-3 ft seas, winds from the WSW at 13-24, temperature around 30. I am only casually familiar with this area, but could we launch from Kittery Point behind the general store and paddle in somewhat protected water counter-clockwise around New Castle? When we reached the breakwater off Fort Stark, we could either complete the circuit or retrace our route back to KIttery if conditions were not favorable. Looks like the complete loop would be only about 6 nautical miles, leaving plenty of time for either going back or poking around and side trips. Let me know if there is any interest, assuming this is a workable plan.

If you have local knowledge and objections to this route, please offer a better alternative.

Blaine

[Gcosloy]

Hey Blaine,

If conditions don't get any worse I'm in. HT for Jan 1 is 1:09PM which allows for a circumnavigation of Gerrish as well.

[Gcosloy]

Went out shopping with Lo in Greenland, NH this afternoon. 28degrees, 15wind and 20+gusts. I don't think I can stay warm enough in those conditions to enjoy paddling New Year's Day. I'll watch the forecast and hope that the winds moderate but if they don't I'm no show!

[bbjorn]

No problem Gene. Due to the resounding lack of enthusiasm for my previous suggestion -- understandable with the predicted conditions-- I'm withdrawing it and will be watching here for another that might attract more interest. I'm happy to go anywhere from S.Shore to Maine. Would prefer open ocean views at least, but at this point I won't be too picky. So come on you guys -- let's try to get a quorum for paddling somewhere.

In the meantime, here's another trip idea that is more protected with minimal exposure to open water (but not out of the wind) and quite beautiful. Pavillion Beach, Ipswich MA to Fox Creek, through narrow Fox Creek to Essex Bay, explore the back side of Crane Beach, Hog (aka Chote) Island, and other scenic areas in the bay. High tide is 1:38PM in Essex -- ideal for a trip through Fox Creek if we launch at 10:30 or 11 and return around 3:00. We would have the tides in our favor on both legs. Lunch on Hog Island -- a beautiful place and the location for much of the film "The Crucible". We would have no problem finding a sheltered lunch spot there out of the wind due to the high hill in the center and some buildings left over from the film. The only exposure to open water would be the short distance from the launch at Pavillion around Little Neck and into the mouth of the Ipswich R., about a half mile. But with tidal current in our favor, this would be quick both at the start and the return. Of course due to winter conditions and wind, this would be an L4 trip and everyone would be expected to have the full complement of winter gear and clothing, and the requisite experience in strong wind with steady winds around 15 and gusts up to 25 and temps 30-35.

Blaine

[Gcosloy]

Its 34 degrees in Kittery for a high, wind 17 by 1pm and 21 gusts so it should feel more like 23 degrees. I'm happy to wait for a 35 to 40 day with low winds. Wave height is not as much an issue. Keep posting Blaine.

[billvoss]

Due to the resounding lack of enthusiasm for my previous suggestion

Yes, the enthusiasm sure did decline with the predicted temperature. I ended up paddling white-water instead, primarily because I knew that trip was definitely going to happen.

Keep posting trip ideas. I would like to get out some this winter.

[rfolster]

Bill, is paddling in white water different that ocean paddling as far as handling the cold water and air? I imagine that you are much more active, which would keep you warmer, but do you end up in the water more?

[billvoss]

Bill, is paddling in white water different that ocean paddling as far as handling the cold water and air? I imagine that you are much more active, which would keep you warmer, but do you end up in the water more?

Winter white-water paddling tends to be in "ice water" meaning there are pieces of ice floating in the fresh water, so you know the water is 32 degrees. The fresh water splashed up also freezes very quickly if the air temperature is below freezing. I had some water freezing on my paddle shaft, my PFD, and my skirt. Though I did not notice any sticking on my plastic WW boat.

From a safety perspecitve, you can usually get off white water very quickly if needed. In fact one of the WW canoes in our group got careless and capsized in about a foot of water in an eddie. They were only wearing a wetsuit, and ended their paddle almost immediately after the capsize. We were in sight of not just a road, but an open gas station at the time, and there was a road or trail along the entire length of the river we were paddling. While that situation can be available sea kayaking and is not always available with WW, my WW trip was far different from something like Fox Creek where you would have a long slog in the mud if you lost your boat.

As for activity level, white water tends to be short bursts of activity at the rapids, but lazy floating with the current between rapids. Sea kayak surfing is similar, waiting around for the right wave, then intense activity surfing the wave, then punching back out, followed by more waiting. Sea kayak touring is usually more of a constant level of effort.

As for ending in the water more, I was probably splashed more during the rapids, and I did a "victory roll" at the take-out, but that did not seem all that different from sea kayaking. I do not sit on an insulated pad in my WW boat like I do in my skin-on-frame, so in that sense my WW boat is colder than my sea kayak. However, I don't think those differences are very significant.