I love paddling on the Horsetooth Reservoir in cold season. Boat ramps are closed, no power boat traffic, usually quiet and calm. Snow and ice can enhance scenery. A great time to paddle, train, relax or photograph.
The Horsetooth stays ice free longer than Boyd Lake or smaller lakes in Fort Collins like Beaver Pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area. South Bay freezes first, and than smaller coves. Don’t get discouraged by a webcam showing the South Bay. Very often you can still find open water in northern end of the reservoir at Satanka Cove.
In some years, I was able to paddle Horsetooth for the entire winter, in others till February. This winter season is somewhat unusual because water level is very high.
Earlier in a cold season I am using a wet suit, and later I am switching to supskin drysuit. I always paddle in life jacket and safety leash on paddleboards. I also carry the spot device for emergency, and always some sort of photo equipment.
This winter I am paddling mostly various stand up paddleboards and sometimes my expedition canoe.
Here are some pictures and comments from my paddling in 2019/2020 season. What is your experience from paddling Horsetooth Reservoir in winter? Any practical tips?
Horsetooth Reservoir in February 2020 as seen from a parking lot at Satanka Cove. A tip of that peninsula is a good place to launch when the cove is covered by ice. You can also take a shorter, but steeper walk towards the end of Horsetooth Dam.A few time in late fall I launched my paddleboards from the Lory State Park at Soldier Cove. It’s a pretty short walk (~200 steps) to water protected from winds. Of course, later in winter is not an option. The picture above shows my last launch of 14’X26″ All Star by Starboard SUP there on January 12. It involved some walks around ice fields.
Occasionally, I am taking a walk between Satanka and North Eltuck Cove, just for fun and photography. Let’s call it cross training.A thermos bottle with hot tea belongs to my standard equipment in winter paddling, since I often take longer breaks for photography. Usually, it happen close to sunset when it’s getting pretty chilly.Experimenting with a low angle POV from a partially submerged action camera – Sony RX0 2. That camera has a narrower angle of view than GoPro and it doesn’t work so well as a bow camera on a 14′ paddleboard. A longer board needed!
Satanka Cove. First paddling in a snow blizzard. A great opportunity for photography.
Paddling along icy cliff in Sea Wind, a heavy duty expedition canoe designed and build by legendary Verlen Kruger. This boat is a great icebreaker, but it’s much easier and faster to load SUP on roof racks.
February 15. Northern part of the lake was still open. Trying a new board in icy conditions: 17.6’x24″ Mistral Interceptor. I needed something to much my Santa drysuit
The long, unlimited paddleboard (~35 lb) is more awkward to carry around than 14′ boards. And, even a safety leash attached makes it tail heavy.
I enjoy a variety of outdoor activities. Of course, paddling in different flavors (SUP, kayak, canoe, packraft) comes first. It includes long distance racing. But, there is also biking, hiking, inline skating, drone flying and 4WD driving. The common theme here is a camera. I always have camera (or cameras) with me. It may be a small waterproof Olympus Stylus TG-5 or GoPro Hero5. Whenever possible I am hauling one of my mirrorless Sony cameras, A7R2 or A6000 with a light tripod.
After ChattaJack, my last paddling race, I shifted more towards hiking and biking. I’ve got a new toy: a fat bike, 2017 Salsa Mukluk GX1, ordered online from REI. It is my first bike with a carbon frame. As expected, it’s a lot of fun to ride that monster.
More pictures and, probably, video clips will come, but here are 10 images from my first 2 weeks of fat biking in northern Colorado. All pictures were shot with Sony A7R2 camera on a tripod.For selfies I use that camera with time lapse application.
First ride in Lory State Park – Hogback Overview trailA little weight lifting for cross trainingMahogany Loop in Soapstone Prairie Natural AreaSunset over prairie foothills from Mahogany Loop in Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.Crossing a cattle fence on Cheyenne Rim trail in Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.Patches of snow on the Cheyenne Rim in Red Mountain Open SpaceCheyenee Rim Trail requires some climbing, but offers magnificent views of the Big Hole. It is difficult to be there around sunrise or sunset for the best photography light.Ruby Wash in Red Mountain Open SpaceContemplating a tough and long ride through deep gravel on the Big Hole Wash Trail in Red Mountain Open SpaceThese fat tires really attract cactus needles …
Should I treat my tubes with Slime Sealant or just go straight for tubeless?
I have not been riding the Soapstone for a couple of years. Recently, I revisited Mahogany and Pronghorn Loops, and Cheyenne Rim Trail. There are some new features. (1) The lower, 3 mile portion of the Cheyenne Rim trail was rerouted to make room for bisons. Now, it is all a single track, a little bumpy due to rocks and cattle footprints. (2) Most of numerous gates are now equipped with cattle guards, so you don’t need to stop.
Red Mountain and Soapstone will be closed December-February, so I hope to get a few more rides there in November.
Soapstone is my favorite location for mountain biking nowadays. Red Mountain offers betters photography opportunities. I love trails in the Horsetooth area, but somehow, they became steeper and more rocky than they used to be 25 years ago …
I’ve found REI MTB Project a very useful resource for planning biking trips. I added a few pictures from my recent riding to their gallery.
Are you riding a fat bike in Fort Collins area? What are your favorite trail in northern Colorado?
In a typical winter all lakes in northern Colorado are frozen, so I am paddling on the South Platte River. However, this winter I have not been on the river yet. All time I am paddling Sea Wind canoe on the Horsetooth Reservoir just west of Fort Collins. I didn’t paddle in January when the lake was partially frozen and there was no good access to open water.
The ice on Horsetooth is usually starting from its southern end. So, if the South Bay is covered by ice it my be still possible to launch in the north at Satanka Cove from a boat ramp or rocky tip next to the Horsetooth Dam. Sunrise Area on the eastern side would be perfect for winter launching, but is closed for a cold season. You would have to use a cart to transport boats from a parking lot down to the water or execute a pretty long portage.
Pictures below cover all my paddling from late November 2014 till late February 2015.
November 27, 2014 – Eltuck CoveDecember 9, 2014: A quiet evening near Inlet Bay.December 20, 2014 – Exploring Inlet Bay and Hansen Feeder Canal supporting water to Horsetooth Reservoir from the Colorado River through the Big Thompson Project (map)December 27, 2014 – Quarry Cove in winter scenery, my last paddling in 2014.February 4, 2015: Quarry Cove, a month later. My first paddling in 2015.February 13, 2015. Eltuck Cove. Testing a new remote control for my Canon camera – CamRanger with iPod touch.February 13, 2015: Sunset over Horsetooth Dam seen from the ELtuck Cove. Springtime weather.February 16, 2015: Back to winter weather. It was snowing. Old sandstone quarry in Satanka Cove.February 18. 2015: Quarry Cove. Some serious multitasking: paddling canoe, flying a drone and shooting selfie.
I am trying to return back to my older articles through “Paddling Photography a Year Ago” series. However, I am running this blog for over 5 years. So, today, I offer a look at selected April posts over the recent 4 years. I am writing a similar post in my Fitness Paddling blog as well.
March 28, 2009. Sea Wind canoe in Quarry Cove of Horsetooth Reservoir. Camera: Canon 40D on a tripod.
This picture is available for purchase from Featurepics.
It was my first paddling on the Horsetooth Reservoir this year. I launched Sea Wind canoe at North Eltuck Cove from Lory State Park just dragging my boat on snow like sleds. It was similar snow scenery as four years ago when I was shooting Colorado Winter Paddling video clip. Just an easy 6 mile paddling with a long photo session at Quarry Cove.
December paddling with Sea Wind Canoe on Horsetooth Reservoir
Not much paddling in December 2007. Every year I spend a week in December in San Fracisco attending Fall Meeting of American Geophysical Union. I was shooting some cityscapes with a new Canon EOS 40D camera. After returning back to Colorado I managed to take Sea Wind canoe to the Horsetooth Reservoir before it was frozen.
During two years, 2001 and 2002, the Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins, Colorado, was drained to just few % of its capacity to allow repairs to the main dam. The 6 mile long lake was reduced to three ponds connected by long narrow channels with some whitewater. The flow was supported by water diverted from the Colorado River within the Big Thompson Project.
Paddling was very interesting, but quite challenging in these narrows channels with a strong current. It was quiet, no motorboats since boat ramps didn’t reach water. Low water uncovered many structures at the lake bottom.
Below you can find 10 selected pictures from these dry years on the Horsetooth. For more pictures and stories visit Mountain Wayfarer: Horsetooth 2001 and Horsetooth 2002. I believe that all pictures were shot with my first digital camera, Canon PowerShot S40.
A lot of paddling on my local waters in northern Colorado including Beaver Pond, Horsetoorh Reservoir and Boyd lake. Starting paddling season on the South Platte River with a close encounter of a young eagle. I was paddling Thunderbolt-X kayak and shooting with Pentax Optio W10. The spectacular sunset below was shot after paddling the Boyd Lake.
sticky pod – suction cup camera mount on the bow of Thunderbolt-X kayak reviews … applications
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