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New Winter Camping section added

Sometimes I worry about diluting the original purpose of this website by introducing new sections.

Personally, I don't care about adding or not adding a winter camping forum, but I thought I'd act as a voice of conscience.

As I recall, kayaking and off-topic forums were eliminated from the revised version of this site to focus on open canoe tripping. There was even some resistance to freestyle canoeing. Kayaking is clearly more closely related to canoeing than is winter camping. The slippery slope begins when a few people -- quite understandably -- want to discuss their other hobbies.

On the other hand, there have always been a few people here who have in fact discussed winter camping. So, unless the subject is banned, it probably makes no difference whether those posts are organized into a separate forum or not.
 
Personally, I don't care about adding or not adding a winter camping forum, but I thought I'd act as a voice of conscience.

As I recall, kayaking and off-topic forums were eliminated from the revised version of this site to focus on open canoe tripping. There was even some resistance to freestyle canoeing. Kayaking is clearly more closely related to canoeing than is winter camping. The slippery slope begins when a few people -- quite understandably -- want to discuss their other hobbies.

On the other hand, there have always been a few people here who have in fact discussed winter camping. So, unless the subject is banned, it probably makes no difference whether those posts are organized into a separate forum or not.
How about if it were named Hot tenting, then it would also encompass extending the canoe tripping season. I was considering trying a canoe as a sled to haul equipment. Has anyone tried this?
 
Back one late winter/early spring when I helped my mentor Bob trap beaver in the BWCA. We towed a light weight Grumman canoe, just like a toboggan on lake ice. We used the canoe like a lifeboat to help with self rescue for when we broke through the ice. Where we thought the ice might be weak, we pushed it along between us with our paddles, one on either side, fore and aft. Where the ice was rotten we had one foot in the canoe and pushed and pedaled with the other. When we came to open water, as in going into a bay, river inlet or outlet,we would bend over and pushing like we were in a bobsled start, gaining speed, then jump in and coast out into the water. Getting from open water back onto the ice involved lightening the bow then paddling up onto the ice, then using our axes as a hooks to inch farther until we could get strong enough ice to get a leg out to use our feet to get some push. As a older, much wiser man, I wouldn't do any of that, but I wouldn't trade those days for any others either.
 
Back one late winter/early spring when I helped my mentor Bob trap beaver in the BWCA. We towed a light weight Grumman canoe, just like a toboggan on lake ice. We used the canoe like a lifeboat to help with self rescue for when we broke through the ice. Where we thought the ice might be weak, we pushed it along between us with our paddles, one on either side, fore and aft. Where the ice was rotten we had one foot in the canoe and pushed and pedaled with the other. When we came to open water, as in going into a bay, river inlet or outlet,we would bend over and pushing like we were in a bobsled start, gaining speed, then jump in and coast out into the water. Getting from open water back onto the ice involved lightening the bow then paddling up onto the ice, then using our axes as a hooks to inch farther until we could get strong enough ice to get a leg out to use our feet to get some push. As a older, much wiser man, I wouldn't do any of that, but I wouldn't trade those days for any others either.

I am laughing a bit at myself...I had posted a thread on WT forum about -59F reported up on the Salcha River and wondered aloud how you were doing since I hadn't read anything online from you in a bit...but I got the forum wrong!

In any case, hope you all enjoyed your cold snap up there in the interior. Both my brothers proclaimed it the start of 'real winter', bringing a few days of persistent snow as well.

Robin, there are more than a few of us at CT who are also lovers of the hard water season. Up in the ADKs I have experienced as many sites and locales for the first time, during hard water season as I did during paddling weather (my first ten years of east coast living anyway). Bring it on! (the hot tenting suggestion as a topic is a good one.)
 
" (the hot tenting suggestion as a topic is a good one.)"

I thought of that but didn't want to exclude the "cold" winter campers, those folks who camp in the winter without heat.
 
Backcountry tripping in all seasons is how I relate to this section and the general direction of this forum. I see continuity.
(Says the guy who talks about butter tarts and spurtles.)
 
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