Someone walking down our street a couple of days ago saw me washing my kayak in the driveway. Excitedly, they asked if I was getting ready to go out. No, I said, I’ve been out three times already in March. They lamented that ski season was done and time to transition to paddling themselves.

It’s a first for me to be out on the water so early in the season. Usually, I’ve been a more fair weather person that does not get in the first trip until the end of April. This year I’ve been able to take advantage of some sunny warm days and a flexible schedule.

This is my fourth season paddling my kayak. Last year, as we all settled into a worldwide pandemic with toilet paper hording and social distancing, I used paddling as a great escape from working and living both from home. I called it “social distancing” in a lake and started paddling at the end of April, pretty close to the start of previous paddling seasons. By the end of the fall I had recorded almost 85 miles of paddling including an early morning paddle on the glassy waters of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.

So far this year, all three trips have been a short two to three miles of warming up and reviving muscle memory. Starting early in the year, though, has its challenges. The waters I’m paddling could easily be from the slopes my neighbor was recently skiing down. Air temperatures may have been in the high 50’s into the 60’s, but water temperatures ranged from 47 to 50 degrees. Brrrr! Now is not the time to practice a self rescue!