Rideau Blog

This year we received close to a record amount of snow, and it has been a little colder than normal recently.  Of course, this means that there is still a large amount of snow left to melt. The current weather forecast is calling for weather well above zero for the rest of the week, and we are also going to get rain.

because of this, there is a very good chance that there will be flooding along the Rideau some time this week. The people managing the river are going to be busy this week, and the RCVA already issued a flood advisory last week. That advisory warned of flooding, but that was on March 28th, and I am sure that it is looking worse now than it did last week.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has done a good job of lowering the level of the river recently. Near Manotick, it is lower than it has been all winter which is good news. Hopefully, that will be enough to prevent flooding, but I think that the water is still going to get pretty high. There is also a large amount of ice in the river too, which will probably only make matters worse, since it could create ice dams.

I have been talking to people that have lived in the area for some time, and they tell me that the closer you are to a dam, above the dam of course, the less chance there is of flooding. This is why it is worse in places like the Carleton Golf and Country Club, which is in the flood plane and far from the dam in Manotick.

In any case, it could be more interesting than the big thaw that we had earlier this winter.

I do enjoy winter, and I even went north for a winter vacation, but this is going to be a long one even for me. We are close to a record amount of snow, and it looks like there is some more on the way. I am now looking forward to getting the kayak out, and also going boating again.

Having said all of that, I did go cross country skiing again today, and it was kind of interesting. We received some rain this week, and it has created a thick crust on top of all of the snow. You can actually walk on top of the snow, and not sink at all. If you go skiing on an open field you can go really fast and cover much more distance than you would if you were skiing in powder. Unfortunately, the existing trails are not that great since your skis get stuck in the grooves.

At least it isn’t ice or slush, and it is still a great way to get some exercise, but I am now ready for spring.

When it comes to winter, there are the people that participate in winter activities, and those that just hibernate all winter. I am part of the second group since I definitely love winter sports, and this past winter has been perfect for skiing and skating. It started snowing early, and we have had plenty of snow for most of the winter.  It has also been cold enough to keep the snow and ice from melting, but it has not been so bitterly cold that it is tough to stay outside for very long.

The days are getting longer and there is also more time to enjoy the nice weather.  Last week-end I went skating on the Rideau Canal in the morning, and then went cross country skiing in the early afternoon. I got back from skiing around mid afternoon, and then sat out in the sun and had a beer.  For me it just does not get much better than that.

Cross country skiing is also such a great sport. It allows you to get out and enjoy the fresh air, and if you push yourself enough, it must be one of the best exercises around. It is relatively low impact (unless you hit a tree), and it seems to use every muscle in the body. I have been skiing on a regular basis this winter, and I think that I am in the best shape that I have been in a long time.

The snow will probably be all gone in a few weeks, and I am starting to look forward to my summer activities such as kayaking and boating, but I am hoping that the great ski conditions will last longer than normal this year. Sorry hibernators, but I am sure that you can handle a couple of extra weeks of watching T.V., or reading a book by the fireplace.

The past few weeks have just been great for skating on the the world’s largest skating rink, the Rideau Canal. This time of the year, the temperature during the day is just below freezing. This temperature is perfect for skating on the canal since it is relatively warm, but the skating conditions are great since the ice does not get soft. The ice is also very smooth and the entire canal is open for skating.

If you are thinking about going for a skate on the canal, now is the time to do it. The weather is perfect now, but we probably only have a couple of more weeks before it will too warm for skating. So go out and skate for several hours, and then have a coffee and a Beavertail to warm up. That is what we did, and we really enjoyed it.