Tag: winter

Starting 2021 Paddling Season with Kruger Canoe in Colorado

New Year Day afternoon. I started the 2021 paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir with Sea Wind, my expedition canoe. No drysuit or wetsuit needed, but loading this boat on Toyota 4Runner and carrying to water was a good crossfit training in comparison to paddleboards. It wasn’t a long trip, just 6 miles with a longer break for photography.

This boat is almost 20 years old. I bought my Sea Wind, #127, from Verlen Kruger in Michigan in 2001. Actually, it was the first canoe built by Mark Przedwojewski aka ManitouCruiser, then the new owner of Kruger Canoes. It’s all history now …

Horsetooth Reservoir is pretty low at 46% of its capacity. Last winter is was almost full. A very different scenery and paddling conditions. Water temperature is still 49F and no ice cover. See: current Horsetooth Reservoir conditions.

Satanka Cove at northern end of the lake is the best place to start paddling. I usually launch my boats just next to the Horsetooth Dam. It is steep, but the shortest walk to the water from a parking lot. At low water level, the boat ramp (closed) at Satanka Cove is very long. You can also launch from Lory State Park at Soldier or Eltuck Cove, but again it’s a very long walk under current conditions.

It looks like during last few years I was able to paddle Horsetooth Reservoir almost all winters. The effect of a global warming? I remember that 10-20 years ago I was doing most of my winter paddling and training on the South Platte River with an occasional trip to Lake Pueblo.

Related posts:

Winter Stand Up Paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir

Do you need a hot tea for your winter paddling?

South Platte River from Wildcat to Evans by SUP

January 3, 2021
Winter Stand Up Paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir

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.

Related paddling links:

Do you need a hot tea for your winter paddling?

Winter Season Paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir with Sea Wind Canoe

Icy Horsetooth Reservoir – Opening Lake Paddling Season

February 19, 2020
10 Winter Miles of Stand Up Paddling on South Platte River

January 3, 2016. First SUP paddle of the year with Rob Bean. We paddled 10 miles on the South Platte River from highway 58 to Kuner. Great weather, river flow ~900 cfs at Kersey, several bald eagles and hundreds of ducks. There are no portages on this river section since we started just below the Plumb Ditch Dam (the second diversion dam if you paddle from Evans).

We started from a gravel bar under the new bridge on highway 58 – a right river shore with parking on a wide shoulder, a shorter, steeper route with barbed wire fence on the upstream bridge site. Downstream bridge site may be more convenient without the fence, but with a little longer walk. You can reach the bridge by turning into the new highway 49 at traffic lights from Colorado highway 34 between Evans and Kersey.

Rob posted his pictures on facebook. They actually show much better our launching site.

I am paddling 10’6″ Badfish SUP during winter on the South Platte, typically, with a shorter 2″ NRS fin.

Start at gravel bar under the new highway 58 bridge

Somewhere on the river around Kersey

Ducks, ducks, and more ducks. Hundreds of them.

Finishing 10 mile trip at Kuner

A little bit icy landing at Kuner (left shore upstream of the bridge)

Related posts:
South Platte River below Denver – river guide
Starting 2015/16 Winter Paddling Season on South Platte River
Paddling SUP on South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner
South Platte River from Wildcat to Evans by SUP

January 8, 2016
Happy Paddling in 2016 New Year!

Happy Paddling in New Year 2016!

Happy New Year everybody! In the picture above: partially frozen Horsetooth Reservoir just before sunrise on December 29, 2015. Camera: Sony Alpha II with Sony/Zeiss FE 24-70mm lens on a tripod. That was a cold morning! During recent winter days in Colorado I am doing more hiking than paddling.

December 31, 2015
Winter Season Paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir with Sea Wind Canoe

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 Cove

December 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.

And, winter is not over yet …

Most of the pictures displayed in this post are included in my stock photography portfolio and are available for license and download as royalty free images. Some of them can also be purchased as prints, posters, cards and other art products.

Related posts:
Icy Horsetooth Reservoir – Opening Lake Paddling Season
Winter Paddling with Sea Wind Canoe on Horsetooth Reservoir – movie
First Snow Paddling with JKK Multisport Supernova Kayak
3 Winter Paddling Hours on the South Platte River

February 20, 2015
Happy Paddling and Photography in 2015

Happy paddling and photography in the New Year 2015. Don’t forget to take a camera with you!

These are pictures from my last paddling in 2014. I paddled my Sea Wind canoe on December 27 on Horsetooth Reservoir 3 miles from the South Bay to Quarry Cove. The Quarry Cove just before sunset is my favorite photography spot on the Horsetooth. When I was paddling back after sunset ice started to form in the entry to the Inlet Bay.

Related posts:
– Winter Paddling with Sea Wind Canoe on Horsetooth Reservoir
– Icy Horsetooth Reservoir – Opening Lake Paddling Season

December 31, 2014

Another afternoon paddling on the South Platte River, this time near Kuner. It was warm, but windy. I packed again my DSLR camera with a tripod into Thunderbolt kayak, but didn’t have an opportunity to shoot to many pictures. The light wasn’t that great. So, all pictures below come from Pentax Optio W30, except the last one of old cars.

I have several favorite “tight places” on the South Platte. One of them is a narrow channel a mile or so upstream of Kuner. The river forms a pretty big island there.

There was enough water in the channel for careful paddling upstream, but in the middle I was stopped by a log jam.

Paddling down the river under highway 37 bridge at Kuner. The landing spot in nowadays on the right shore behind the bridge pillar. Paddling downstream you will see first another bridge (further east on hwy 37) on a smaller river arm. Years ago I used to land there until the place was tightly fenced.

I paddled further downstream to the Empire Reservoir dam hoping to shoot some pictures. It used to be a quite photogenic old style dam with a footbridge across the entire river. The dam was rebuilt recently and made taller. It will be not difficult to portage it on right, but right now it’s a mess with a loose sand where you can sink above your knees. I believe that they started to divert water to another reservoir here. Anyway, more than half river is going away.