The three W’s: Whether / Weather / Wind

The three W’s: Whether / Weather / Wind

Whereas my trip is long, there is not a lot of “technical” paddling to be done (i.e. white water). For the most part it is a series of lakes and rivers with a few minor portages here and there.

What then is my biggest obstacle? Weather, and its upshot wind, will constantly determine whether it is safe and prudent to proceed. I will have to continually monitor what is happening around me and the most likely impact topography, cloud formation, temperature, prevailing wind, etc, will have over conditions for the foreseeable future.

While over the course of my trip I will be paddling on rivers and lakes of various sizes from the monsters such as Lakes Superior, Huron and Winnipeg, to the giants such as Lakes of the Woods, Cedar, Rainy, La Croix, and Nipissing, to the medium sized Lakes du Bonnet, Sturgeon, Pickerel, to a dozen hydrology lakes behind dams, and to the multitude of smaller lakes, there is one constant and that is if the wind is over 20 knots, I won’t be leaving the shore. Similarly, I will never venture far from shore given the propensity for most of these bodies of water to be subject to rapidly rising squalls and the gusts of wind which attend them.

Apart from safety, I find it demoralizing to paddle into a headwind with very little in the way of tangible results. I would more likely want to rest on shore until the wind abates even if it means I have to travel at night. Straining over a paddle in a high wind can also result in injury to muscles and joints, needlessly.

I have a big objective but I have to remain patient in order not to risk injury or capsize. I will get there even if it’s later than scheduled.

Now that I have stated my “modus operandi”, I trust that anyone who is thinking about joining this grand adventure will see that I am of a kindred spirit and will feel moved to join me for part of this quest.