Well I woke up this morning
With the cold water
With the cold water
With the cold water
Woke up this morning
With the cold water
With the cold water
With the cold
- waits

Just a few days away from the first paddling event of 2008, the annual Fog Bowl held on Jan 1 of each year.  This event has grown quite a bit just in the past few years as more and more paddlers cross over into that "crazy" paddler catagory.  Thing is, paddling at Lake Columbia near Portage, Wisconsin in January is not really as crazy as it sounds at first.  Yeah,  it’s winter, but the lake is warm.  Lake Columbia is actually a cooling pond for the local power plant.  The water is generally around 55f where you launch, then if you paddle straight out toward the power plant the water will coninually get warmer.  Near the plant the water get’s into the 80’s.  If their is a good wind, the air will still be very cold matching the day’s temprature. However, if there is no wind the air right above the water (where you and your kayak or canoe will be) is quite a bit warmer.  Much of the time the lake is covered in a thick flog and can be dark and moody place to paddle.  Lake Columbia is small enough (just 2 miles long) that you should’nt get lost in the fog, but there are days when a compass still comes in handy.  At both the outflow and the intakes there is some current that you can play with as well.  The current is very light so it’s pefect for kayakers who have never played with current before.

Contrary to rumors there are NO piranhas in Lake Columbia.  However the DNR has said that there have been Pacu in the lake which are related and look similar. Thing is it’s just too tempting for local residents to dump tropical fish in the lake. Obviously it’s not legal. Still, you never quite know what you’ll find in the lake.

To Get to Lake Columbia from most places you just take Interstate 90/94 (from most places) and exit to Portage.  From Madison you can just take highway 51 north.  Just a couple miles south of portage you turn west on County Road J.  The entrance to the lake is just a mile or so down the road.  Click Here for a Google Map.  People usually start showing up around 9am or so, paddle for a couple hours and then head on over to a local pub to warm up.  Everyone who wants to come is certainly invited.

Picking your wardrobe can be tricky.  It’s not a bad idea to wear a drysuit if you have one.  Certainly the water is warm if you fall in or roll.  However, once you come back up it can get cold very fast.  I usually have worn a drysuit in the past and found that all in all that’s the best choice. However, I don’t want to discurage folks who don’t have one. Lake Columbia, especially this event is a good place to give winter paddling a go.  There are also plenty of people around to assist you if you need help. New paddlers however, should stay with a group and not wander off on their own.  At the minimum a wetsuit should be worn along with a warm paddling jacket, gloves and hat.  Layer up. The moist air and cold winds can get very uncomfortable very quickly if you are wet and not dressed well.

* 2nd image from the earth science image bank.