BethS

Hi, Sounds great, it might be good to edit the text on the posting, even though it is on the correct calendar date it still SAYS March13, and that is what is showing on the upcoming events listing. Still a bit confusing, I signed up and it looked like I was signed up for March 13. Thanks for organizing this!

Unfortunately I cannot make it, have a great time and Happy New Year!

I may have family obligations, but if not then I'm in. I will let you know next week! Happy Xmas everyone!

Right now I am wide open, thanks Shari!

Sounds great, i'm in! Thanks for the info.

I'm late to this party, and probably not well informed on the issue, but for what it's worth, I love meetup as a scheduling tool for trips. However it does have it's limitations in other areas. i guess in the best of worlds i would want both? is this viable/practical? I would be happy to pay a higher membership fee (30 a year or more) if that would help matters, but I'm not sure if that is the issue. Unfortunately my skill set does not include computer stuff so I have little of substance to contribute, let me just say that i am extremely grateful for the time and effort put into this website, it is something very special and i would hate to lose it.

I'm interested, I'll give a definite in a day. I assume we would be leaving from Ordione Pt state park? I actually have never been there, any specifics I should know?

Congrats! (Actually I thought you already had it. I think of you as knowing almost everything kayaking related! But glad it's official now!)

Just a reminder that the cold water workshop is coming up, if you have not already taken this I highly recommend it, even if you don't decide to go winter kayak camping! The water is cold in the spring too remember...

Great fun, great folks, and I learned a lot from some super coaches. Truly a great opportunity!

Congratulations! No surprise to me that you passed, actually I thought you already had it awhile back, so I'm glad that now it's official!

Great idea Nancy, thank you!

Wow, glad to see that there is so much interest in this topic! And thanks for the tip about cutting the foam pad in half. I usually use 2 pads in winter, one inflatable and one foam. That way I always have something if the inflatable springs a leak. The foam one does get bulky though. Rob and everyone else, I agree that 1-2 night trips are much more realistic (I'd vote for 2, just because it hardly seems worth the trouble to just go for one night!) It does become very difficult to keep stuff dry on longer trips, and wind is a BIG issue in cold weather. So far the weather has still been lovely, but supposedly it is going to be a snowy winter...

Yes, i like the very thin neoprene gloves that I can still do things with, and then pogies or large mittens to go over them for extra warmth. Also wrist gaskets MUST be loose to allow circulation to your fingers! If they feel at all snug they are too tight and your hands will be cold no matter what you do. Also the gloves must fit loosely as well, it should be very easy to take them on and off, any snug feeling at all is too tight and will make your fingers cold...

I'm planning on fri sat and sun!

Wonderful film about the organ making, thank you !

Yes, I hope the guys who were watching/filming/laughing instead of helping him get smacked down by the next big one, it would serve them right!

Also an excellent idea! And I'm glad some others are interested in a possible snow kayak adventure. For the hands, rather loose wrist gaskets, thin neoprene gloves that I keep on all day, and mittens or pogies on top has worked well for me.

Oddly, I found that last year I actually enjoyed it! Peace and quiet, no lobster boats, gorgeous scenery, not to mention the fine company! I'd like to try it again, anyone interested? I know some of you have done it quite a bit in the past. Part of the reason that I enjoyed it may have to do with having taken this class many years ago: http://www.hbbostonamc.org/index.php/Table/Winter/ It is geared towards hiking/backpacking in winter, but the tips on comfortable winter camping and just operating in the cold with comfort and ease are truly excellent info for anyone. I highly recommend it. Of course the big limiting factors here are weather and darkness, so the late winter/early mud season of late Feb and early March may end up being the best for such sillyness, but it's not too soon to start thinking about it!

Hi everyone, is this group buy still happening? If it is, I'm interested, I need two oval hatch covers for my "new" used plastic Valley Avocet

My personal solutions to this problem (worked for me, may not work for you!) 1) Large glass jars stuffed into the wrist gaskets and left there for several weeks; wrist gaskets, as mentioned above, should be comfortable, just barely snug enough to keep the water out but easy to get on and off. However you get there is fine! 2) a Greenland paddle! especially on windy days.... I hate to sound like a zealot about this, but it really makes a HUGE difference for many people. 3) a gradual weight training, core strengthening and stretching program to build balanced strength in my legs/hips/torso/shoulders/arms/wrists. 4) attention to biomechanics as mentioned above; and remember that the shoulders/arms/wrists are the last links in a bio-mechanical chain that actually starts at the hips and low back, so issues there may be affecting your paddling mechanics as well.

Fantastic report and a wonderful weekend, thanks Pru, Peter, Rob, and everyone else for a very special time! Already looking forward to next year.

I've signed up for this as well, thanks for arranging it! Beth

Thanks for the encouragement everyone, and congrats again to Bev, Ben, Sid, John, and everyone else for their amazing times. Next year I will try to go at least a little faster. You've got me dreaming!

I think it should be warm enough...