Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • The Great Outdoors

Winter Paddling in Ontario. What Could Go Wrong?

  • September 14, 2015
  • Ben Osborne
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
A89T0350
Colin Field photo.

The plan came together flawlessly. For some reason, photographer Richard Roth wanted to go canoeing in the Beaver River. In December. On a -18 C day. And somehow he managed to wrangle together a few other suckers to make it happen. Northwinds Skis athlete Greg Sturch and the adventurous Nads (I don’t know her real name…) were down, plus myself. Although Nads did look a little sceptical at times. Which was totally justifiable. I was too.

by Colin Field

We scoped the pull-out at Slabtown before going upstream and fully committing. And once we’d chipped away a bit of ice, we were confident we had a place to get out of the boats when we arrived. Yeah, it was a fairly steep riverbank, but if we took our time and were careful, we’d be fine. The other choice was going over the Slabtown Dam. Which wasn’t much of an option. Nor was dumping the boat  here. The temperatures, the current, the ice over the river downstream, were all not to be messed with. I wouldn’t have walked on the ice downstream, but it didn’t mean I was ready to swim under it.

We put in upstream at Heathcote. It’s a classic Free Spirit Tours river trip; takes an hour, is great for kids and a total blast. But in this weather, it felt, not gonna lie, a bit dangerous. Stepping one foot into the stern of the canoe while the other pushed off the riverbank felt like a foolish commitment. After that, it just felt like canoeing. On a gently flowing river. Easy.

At the last moment, a narrow, fast-flowing, parabolic channel revealed itself. So we shot it.

As we drifted downstream, we high-fived and celebrated our success. Richard and I were in the same boat shooting photos. Thousands of photos. Thousands of photos which are all pretty much exactly the same. We floated through sections of water with a top layer of slush. And we laughed at how awesome we were. Then we saw the river ice over ahead. I quietly panicked wondering what happens when the current pushes you onto ice. Do you tip? Do you get stuck on top? Does the ice break all around you until you’re stuck? Does the current push you under? I realized I didn’t care to know the answer when, at the last moment, a narrow, fast-flowing, parabolic channel revealed itself. So we shot it. It was pretty easy, but it was a moment where I questioned the whole misguided shenanigan.

After a few meandering kilometres and some uneventful but lovely ‘winter canoeing,’ we loaded our camera gear into the other boat, just in case disaster struck. Then we headed in to our final port of call.

A89T0538
Colin Field photo.

I’m sure I remember saying, “Take your time man, take your time, we’ll do this slowly, it’ll be easy.”

And I had a plan. My plan was to eddy into the break in the ice, nose up to the riverbank and hold us there while Richard carefully stood on the bank and got out of the boat. But before I had a chance to eddy into the riverbank, Richard had one foot out of the boat and was jumping for it. Instinctively I white-knuckled the gunnels and held on, prepared to go swimming. I swear on all that is holy, that boat came to within a millimetre of flooding on the upstream gunnel. It was terrifying.

Now I have no idea how much canoeing experience Roth has. Maybe tons. I can say that his exit that day wasn’t good. He’ll claim he did everything in his power not to dump me as well, and for the most part, I’ll think he did. And I really, really appreciate that.

Instinctively I white-knuckled the gunnels and held on, prepared to go swimming. I swear on all that is holy, that boat came to within a millimetre of flooding on the upstream gunnel. It was terrifying.

Technically, Richard’s head did submerge completely. But the amount of time it took for his head to be fully underwater until he was on the riverbank six feet from the river’s edge was miniscule. A fraction of an instant. If you blinked slowly you would have missed it. It was incredible. And it was, without a doubt, hilarious. But watching the way Richard responded was awesome. He took it like a man. He laughed. He wringed out his toque put it back on and started getting us on shore. He pulled the boats out of the water hiked quickly to his car, got in, cranked the heat and demanded some hot tea from his thermos. We obliged happily.

He was probably at Rusty’s later that night with one more hilarious story to share. For a guy with an encyclopedia of funny stories to share.

Of course now we’re in competition trying to sell these photos (to all the same clients), and you know what? Turns out, no one really needs ‘winter canoeing’ photos. It just isn’t a thing. No one has ever needed winter canoeing photos and no one ever will.

The trip wasn’t a bust. It was a great day on the river that reminded me how much I love being out in zee wilderness.

Next time you have some shenanigans planned, Richard, give me shout. I’m in. I’ll just be sure to get in the other boat next time.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Beaver River
  • canoeing
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
Ben Osborne

Previous Article
  • In This Issue

Mountain Biking B.C.’s South Coast Part 3: Squamish

  • September 11, 2015
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
The Women’s National Cycling Team of Afghanistan training outside Kabul.
  • On The Trail

Peddling Freedom

  • September 14, 2015
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • The Great Outdoors

Helly Hansen Presents: Adventure Planning 101 with Squamish SAR

  • Sarah Bulford
  • May 16, 2022
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • The Great Outdoors

Blower Pow and Disappearing Pants

  • Sarah Bulford
  • April 26, 2022
View Post
  • In This Issue
  • The Great Outdoors

ML Launches Mushroom Life

  • Sarah Bulford
  • April 1, 2022
View Post
  • Leslie Anthony
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play
  • The Great Outdoors

Spring at Sun Peaks

  • Sarah Bulford
  • March 8, 2022
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • The Great Outdoors

Backcountry Skier John Baldwin Headlines VIMFF’s 2022 Best of British Columbia Night

  • Sarah Bulford
  • February 22, 2022
View Post
  • FALL GEAR
  • SPRING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • The Great Outdoors
  • WINTER GEAR

The Legend of San Poncho

  • Editor
  • December 9, 2021
735990496 1280x720
View Post
  • The Great Outdoors
  • Videos

Friday Flick: Island of Plenty

  • Sarah Bulford
  • July 2, 2021
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • The Great Outdoors

Win Adventures to the Filming Location of the HISTORY® Channel’s “Alone” Season 8!

  • Sarah Bulford
  • June 8, 2021
Featured Posts
  • natural-selection-Redbull 1
    Friday Flick: Natural Selection Tour Highlights
    • March 17, 2023
  • AleTrailsSouthernInterior_Vernon_MikeGamble_LookoutTrail_BenHaggarPhoto 2
    Ale Trails: Southern Interior Part 1, Vernon + Shuswap
    • March 20, 2023
  • Bora-Boreal-Quebec-winter-cabin-stars 3
    Bora Boréal: Frozen in Time and Ice
    • March 14, 2023
  • Uncertainty-mountains-Rockies 4
    Facing Uncertainty: The Role of Chance in Mountain Adventures
    • March 13, 2023
  • Elements-Outfitters-Filson-cabin 5
    Elements Outfitters Partners with SALTS to Protect Alberta’s Incredible Landscapes
    • March 16, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • The-High-Route-Kaytlyn-Gerbin-Jenny-Abegg-North-Cascades-High-Route-glacier-hiking
    Friday Flick: Alpine Ultra-Run Sufferfest
    • March 10, 2023
  • Lynx-OGT-Flashlight-standing-up
    Gear Shed: Top Picks for Shredding, Snacking + Seeing in the Dark
    • March 9, 2023
  • rope-tow-Vancouver-Island
    Poached Winter
    • March 7, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
Do Not Disturb mode activated ✅ #mountainlifer
Conceived by superhuman snowboarder @travisrice, the @naturalselection Tour highlights earth’s premier riders, from big-mountain mavens to Olympians, all competing on the most stoketastic—and unpredictable—terrain known to humankind.
Built upon a shared desire to enjoy, respect, and advocate for Alberta’s incredible landscapes, it was a natural fit for @elementsoutfitters to work with a local conservation organization @saltslandtrust to highlight the province’s rugged beauty and outdoor apparel to match.
THE UNINVITED INVITATIONAL April 13-16 @woodwardtahoe 😱 $40,000 cash prize purse and a whole lotta spotlight on a group of riders whose time has finally come!! Presented by @jess.kimura and @thenorthface and supported by @yeti @capitasupercorp @slushthemagazine @unionbindingco @smithoptics @sunbum @coalheadwear @fattire 🫡 watch the finals in person Saturday April 15 and join the crew + @btbounds for a public ride day Sunday April 16 @borealmtn. Time to make some history!!! #linkinbio to learn more!
Close your eyes and, for a moment, imagine yourself deep in the polar regions aboard an expedition ship stuck in the ice. The white pack-ice is dazzling, and the immobile vessel seems frozen in time and space. That experience piques your curiosity, doesn't it? Without having to go all the way to Antarctica, you can experience these icy sensations 30 minutes from Quebec City in one of Bora Boréal 's two floating cottages.
@acmg.ca /IFMGA Mountain Guide and  @parks.canada Visitor Safety Specialist Steve Holeczi discusses the role of chance in mountain adventures and how to assess the unknown.
Slopes in the morning, peddles in the afternoon = balance. #mountainlifer
That’s one way to kick off the weekend 🤿❄️
You know it’s Friday when we’ve got a new Flick for you!
From The Gear Shed: ML staff and partners pick the latest splitboards, trail-ready snacks, handcrafted skis, sustainable hand-warmers, locally-designed powerbank-flashlights and badass T-shirts.
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Do Not Disturb mode activated ✅ #mountainlifer
Conceived by superhuman snowboarder @travisrice, the @naturalselection Tour highlights earth’s premier riders, from big-mountain mavens to Olympians, all competing on the most stoketastic—and unpredictable—terrain known to humankind.
Built upon a shared desire to enjoy, respect, and advocate for Alberta’s incredible landscapes, it was a natural fit for @elementsoutfitters to work with a local conservation organization @saltslandtrust to highlight the province’s rugged beauty and outdoor apparel to match.
THE UNINVITED INVITATIONAL April 13-16 @woodwardtahoe 😱 $40,000 cash prize purse and a whole lotta spotlight on a group of riders whose time has finally come!! Presented by @jess.kimura and @thenorthface and supported by @yeti @capitasupercorp @slushthemagazine @unionbindingco @smithoptics @sunbum @coalheadwear @fattire 🫡 watch the finals in person Saturday April 15 and join the crew + @btbounds for a public ride day Sunday April 16 @borealmtn. Time to make some history!!! #linkinbio to learn more!
Close your eyes and, for a moment, imagine yourself deep in the polar regions aboard an expedition ship stuck in the ice. The white pack-ice is dazzling, and the immobile vessel seems frozen in time and space. That experience piques your curiosity, doesn't it? Without having to go all the way to Antarctica, you can experience these icy sensations 30 minutes from Quebec City in one of Bora Boréal 's two floating cottages.
@acmg.ca /IFMGA Mountain Guide and  @parks.canada Visitor Safety Specialist Steve Holeczi discusses the role of chance in mountain adventures and how to assess the unknown.
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.