Temps near 60 make it hard to stop paddling

Along about the middle of November, I began to convince myself that paddling on open water was pretty much over for the season (not counting the ocean). Temperatures for a while started dropping, skim ice was beginning to form, and my thoughts started drifting to snowbanks and snowshoes (see below).

What a difference a couple of weeks makes! Who’d have thought that on the first weekend of December the paddling would be close to perfect? (The golf set here at work has been raving, too.) Temperatures around here got close to 60 on Saturday and close to 50 on Sunday. Only the cloud cover prevented it from getting hot. Walkers and joggers were out in force, getting in one last barelegged outing.

I got a call from my paddling buddy, Robert Causey, maitre d’ at the Bunny Hutch in Glenburn, who invited me out for a sunlight fix the first thing Saturday morning. But I had a few things to do around the house before I could go play, so we decided instead to launch around 2 p.m.

It was foggy on Pushaw Lake by the Causey resort. We paddled until dark and then worried we would not find our way back. At Hardwood Island, around 3 miles down the lake from our launching place, we decided it would be smart to get to the western shore of the lake and feel our way back. Treetops, barely visible through the dark and fog on shore, gave us enough of a reference to navigate back to shore.

Lakeside camps and houses, their Christmas decorations glowing in the mist, provided a lighted profile of the shoreline for us to follow back home. Safely ashore, Causey lit a fire at lakeside and served up some liquid refreshment as we made plans for a Sunday afternoon paddle.

It turned out to be a bit cooler but still pleasant on Sunday. Clouds broke around sunset to provide us a window onto a blazing orange/pink skyscape, a colorful ending to a bonus weekend of paddling.

With this in mind and more unseasonably warm weather earlier in the week, it was really hard to get mentally oriented to go to a discussion about snowshoes Tuesday night at Cadillac Mountain Sports in Bangor. The Maine Outdoor Adventure Club and store operator Brad Ryder cooperated to put on a mini-clinic/primer on what to look for when you’re shopping for snowshoes.

This sport has blossomed in the past five years, much like paddling. And with the popularity comes a plethora of offerings from an ever-growing number of manufacturers (one is Yakima, the car rack people). Styles and models range from youth to adult in recreation, running, backpacking and mountaineering. Materials vary from the traditional bent ash wood and gut with leather bindings to the popular aluminum-framed, synthetic-decked shoes to a couple of models made of plastic. There are even women-specific designs that accommodate the difference in gait between men and women. The major difference in these women-specific designs, we were told, is the taper or lack of taper at the rear of the shoe’s frame.

Ryder took the audience of some 50 folks through the basic questions you should ask if you’re in the market for snowshoes. The first two: What type of activity do you anticipate you’ll be doing; and what’s your weight?

If you think that most of your use will be tromping around the back yard or taking an occasional short hike, you won’t need the most rugged, high-tech pair. Remember the higher the tech, the higher the price. If you’re into steep trails and more extreme situations, you’ll be looking at that end of the spectrum.

The next thing you’ll be asked by a sales person is how much you weigh – you and whatever you’ll be carrying. The heavier the load, the larger the shoe. If you’re from the traditional school, the newer shoes are going to look really small, but remember, the new designs have solid decks, not laced ones, hence more flotation from a smaller shoe. Most confounding here is the snow condition. Light fluffy stuff isn’t going to support much weight, while heavy, packed snow will hold up a giant. Consequently, to gain some advantage in light snow, you’ll need larger shoes.

As you begin to explore the various brands on the market, you’ll see variations in deck materials, frame materials, claws on the bottom for gripping icy surfaces, bindings, and how much the shoe will rotate about the ball of your foot. Snowshoes with tails that don’t drop when you pick your foot up will flick snow at your backside. Another advantage to having a fully rotational binding is evident on steep inclines where you’ll need to dig in the toe claws for traction without the snowshoe getting in the way. Some binding systems allow partial rotation – enough to allow snow to slide off the back, but not complete freedom for digging into steep hillsides.

The more expensive, mountaineering shoes have aggressive claws (made of aluminum or stainless steel) that are replaceable.

If you’re new to the sport, you should think about footwear and clothing as well. Layer up and plan to remove clothing as you get warmer. As for boots, there are many winter designs that will keep your feet warm. I’d recommend you use the ones that provide warmth and ankle support.

Trekking poles are handy. You should get snow baskets for them. If you don’t have trekking poles, why not grab a pair of ski poles?

And last, but not least, don’t forget to take along water or a sports drink so you remain hydrated.

Should you think you’re interested, but not ready to shell out the bucks, why not rent an outfit for an outing? Cadillac Mountain Sports and Maine Bound at UMaine have rental programs.

I’ve found that snowshoes provide me the chance to explore familiar as well as new hiking trails. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how new and different your favorite trail appears with a fresh snow cover.

MOAC schedules meetings

Upcoming meetings for Bangor MOAC are scheduled for 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Cadillac Mountain Sports. The speaker for the January meeting is Jeff Hunt of Maine Bound, who will talk about how to play comfortably in the outdoors in winter – what to wear, what to eat, and what hard gear to use to survive the cold. In February, Carey Kish, president of MOAC, will show slides of his adventure in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. In March, Maine Bound director Paul Stern will talk about how to buy a kayak and the gear you need to get started. The club welcomes new members and visitors.

Jeff Strout’s column is published on Saturdays. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how new and different your favorite trail appears with a fresh snow cover