A mighty fine adventure write-up! Thanks, -JimD
On Feb 3, 2014, at 12:19 PM, Liesl <li...@smm.org> wrote: > I think this qualifies as Riv content given the nature of this winter for > many of us in the cold climes, so indulge me for a moment.... > > This weekend, since it's too crappy to ride bikes, I went to my college > dorm-mates (circa 1977-78) reunion on a small lake in northern Wisconsin. > Cold temps (below zero as we drank morning coffee) and 2-3 feet of wet snow > on the ground. Five of us headed out with our snowshoes onto the lake in the > morning just as ice-fishermen were also heading out in their heavy 4-wheel > drive pickup. I was attired in fantastic gear for snowshoeing: vintage > buffalo plaid thick wool hunting pants, a down sweater with a wind-proof > Empire Canvas cotton anorak over it, Empire boots, and leather chopper mitts. > Very quickly, though, the truck got into trouble with 'snow-ice/lake slush" > and as we watched it, we realized the same thing was happening to us. We > came to call this deep and foot-thick layer of slush 'quicksnow', because it > acted a lot like quicksand. This slush can form when there's a really heavy > snow cover on a lake and it depresses the ice and water seeps over the top or > through ice fishing holes. Anyway, we see the truck spinning up green slush, > look down at our feet and see that we too are sinking into about a foot of > wet wet slush, and elect to *urgently* move to the shore, which was about > 50-75 feet away. (see attached photo of the truck's standing-water > tracks--water still standing 8 hours after this story happened!) > > Thinking the pier that someone hadn't taken out for the winter would do the > trick, my friend Kris and I made a b-line toward it. But the pier was too > high and covered with, again, over 2 feet of snow, and it became clear in a > hurry that the pier was not our salvation; we're now about 20 feet from the > shore. I look down and the decks of my snowshoes are covered in very watery > slush that is instant-freezing to their decks and bindings. I attempt to > move my literally freezing feet and fall over onto my side. Immediately and > with dread, I feel ice water seeping in at my wrist and elbow. I now have a > sense of panic because I am wearing a down sweater with a cotton anorak over > it and my boots also have cotton tops. I can see that my wool hunting pants > are in the water, but I don't feel it seeping through. I knew if I tried to > right myself I would wallow more in this icy water and become perhaps really > soaked. I calmly yet urgently said to my friend Kris, "I need help getting > up." She swiftly pulled me up and I got myself to a sappling on the shore. > All of us made it out to the shore/road and back to the cabin with no > hypothermia. I've attached before and end-of-the-day photos with both > fetching ensembles. > > Okay, here's the Riv point: I wore my heavy wool pants, wool lined choppers, > and wool-lined Empire canvas boots for the entire rest of the day, which was > spent outdoors. I traded out my upper torso garments for a ski sweater and a > Filson vest. Wool, the miracle fabric. Keeping people warm and alive for > 10,000 years. > > My question: how would the Riv Rain Jacket have done? Would it have kept my > down sweater dry in this situation? Any ventile-wearers (meaning at least > you, Deacon Patrick) with any kind of similar experience? > > -Riv Chica Warrior of the Quicksnow! > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > <Image 5.jpg><Image 20.jpg><Image 11.jpg> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
