The 2010 Paddling Season Begins......Finally!

It was a long winter, but the 2010 paddling season has finally begun for the Swanks. My cool/cold water apparel arrived from NRS and I was ready to hit the water. Actually that was my 2nd order from NRS. My first apparel order wasn't really very.....stylish, I guess that's a good way to put it. It was, however, a source of great amusement to my wife and everyone else she sent the pictures to, though. I'll get into this story some other time.


I've been wanting to try out Buffalo Creek in Freeport for a while now, but it's too shallow to paddle very far upstream. I'd been watching the creek for the past couple of weeks, since the melt off brought the water levels up, and decided I give it a shot last Saturday (March 20). The current had slowed and I wasn't looking for an all day trip, just something to get my rhythm back and try out my new GPS unit.


There are a few interesting things to look at on Buffalo Creek, some old bridges and rocks, but even with the water as high as it was, it narrowed and got shallow in less than a mile. I doubt that most of what I saw upstream would be accessible later in the spring when the creek level falls.


There were two sections of riffles that were a pretty good work out. I paddled through the first set a couple of times. The second set was the end of my journey upstream. The creek split around a small island. The current was too swift and shallow to get enough paddle in the water to power through. I could see that the creek got a little deeper beyond that point, but there was no way to portage around that section. The creek bank was too soft and I didn't want to walk in the creek and risk falling and maybe having to chase my kayak down stream. I tried to get around it by landing on the island and putting my kayak back in on the other end, but this ended with me almost going for a swim. I put one foot in my kayak and pushed of with the other. Before I could sit down, the current caught the kayak and spun it sideways and almost threw me in the water. By the time I recovered I was already through the riffle and back to point A. That wasn't one of my brightest moves.


I decided to head back at that point, I had accomplished what I set out to do. 1.) I got some time on the water at a place I had never been 2.) I got my paddling rhythm back 3.) I learned how to work my GPS 4.) I got the feel for my new paddling clothes, and most importantly 5.) I didn't get wet!