Yoicks, we hit up Slippery Rock Creek (PA) on February 12, 2000. After three daze of 40+ temper-Ratt-ures, I was figuring ice would not be a problem.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. We were stopped five times by ice across the river. In three cases, we could launch our boats up on the ice and handwalk across, looking like Eddie M. in Trading Places. We were kinda wishing fer dem lugers’ gloves you know, the ones with spikes on the knuckles, so’s yew can scoot yerself along…in the other two cases, we hadda get out and walk the rapids on the trail.

Anyhoo, it was a bit of a unique day. You look at the Wurtemburg gage, you’d of figgered it was running 1.5-2 foots, by any correlation I’ve ever heard. UNfort, it was really running 11 inches by the time we got to the McConnell’s Mill gage. Bummer, but that’s still a fun level. I guess the Wurt gage was kinda ice-encrusted or somethang.

You take a look at the ice crossing the stream, with a little snow on it, and you think, “Dang. That ain't the kinda white water I wuz hopin’ fer.” It was the hardest water I’ve ever had to paddle…
 

David Donnellan and Dave Broer set to put in.	David Donnellan prepares to put in.	David Donnellan slides into the water.
Dave Broer prepares to climb onto the ice.	Dave Broer handwalking.	David Donnellan does the luge thang.
Well, there was some river running.	David looks focused.	Little surfing for Dave.
Do these ice floes have an arctic quality?	Dave Broer on Roaring Creek, Albright, WV  (well, it was on the film roll).	Another view of the ice floes.