Anybody still paddling around???

[Duffman]

Well, besides the waterfowlers. Our days are dwindling for this years open water. I made it up to the BW for the first weekend in Oct, typical fall weather....cool, windy, and rainy. Tried some long portages and bigger water, but I think I'm going back to small water and small portages for the next fall trip.

I also went out for a quick after work paddle on Monday, fished but didn't catch. I saw a gentleman loading his canoe for an evening bite as I was getting off the lake. He was taking two young boys out with him, I got a good grin going when he threw the Guitar Hero Guitar in the canoe. Hey, whatever a guy has to do to get out and wet a line is fine with me.

I think I have a couple more trips left in me before the ice sets in. Anybody else or are you eagerly awaiting next springs first outing?

[Quetico]

I keep telling people the canoe isnt done for the season yet. I'll have it out again as soon as the rain stops. There are a few more good fall paddles left to be had.

Duff did you get any of the blow down in the area you were at? I was on the SHT that weekend between Lutsen and GM. Late Sunday night into Monday afternoon there was a decent blow we got caught in. Had a few near misses, a few to many brushes with death.

[Chode2235]

I was out in the cold a couple of weeks ago doing my last river float of the season.

The part that amazes me is that people think it is too cold now to get out where the air and water temps are at. Come next April, they'll be out in colder and more dangerous situations.

[Duffman]

Quetico....

We left early Sunday, it was windy that weekend, we were camped right where the Kawish came out of some bigger water. We watched as a half dozen groups came by and saw the frothy water that was ahead, they then turned around and went back the way they had come from. Didn't hear any trees falling though.

My spring solo trip had all sorts of trees falling down, including some very big ones. I was canoeing up the Granite river once on a nice sunny July day and had a large tree fall in the river where we were paddling less than 20 seconds earlier. I was also up there during the big blowdown of '99.

The lack of soil up there sure does lead to a lot of trees coming down prematurely. Makes for some scary situations at times, what can you do except hope you are not in the wrong place at the wrong time? I do tend to look for any possible "widow makers" when arriving at campsites, 'cause after drowning and hypothermia, a falling tree is probably the biggest natural threat up there.

[Duffman]

I'm done for the year, got out one last time on Friday and paddled around. I'll hang it up in the garage this week, maybe that act will get the ice forming. The one good thing about this warm weather, winter will hopfully go by quicker and we will be out on the open water once again soon.

[Chode2235]

We may get one more deer hunting trip in down the river, but if the weather turns cold like they are saying probably not. Its one thing to freeze in a tree stand, another to freeze in an aluminum canoe floating down the river. So much colder.

[fiddleFish]

I've been doing round trips on the local rivers just about every weekend this November and having some respectable fishing to boot. Loving this weather. With a forecast high in the upper 40s for tomorrow I'm planning on an outing. Milk it, baby!