Canoe for Two on the Cuyahoga River
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On a brisk Friday afternoon in early March, we caught up with two paddlers at Cleveland Metroparks’ Merwin’s Wharf along Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River. Debbie Brax and Ed Leszek have a collective 71 years of paddling experience and they shared a few tips on cold weather paddling on the Cuyahoga River in early spring. They paddled Debbie’s Savage River Susquehanna upriver from Merwin’s Wharf to just past the head of navigation at Cleveland-Cliffs. In Debbie’s photo gallery (below) you can see the charred remnants of the bridge piers that were damaged during the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire.
As Debbie & Ed mentioned, ALWAYS be careful when heading out on the water when air and water temperatures are cold and ALWAYS wear a personal flotation device! Paddlers who are immersed in cold water lose body heat four to five times faster than when in air of the same temperature. Such rapid heat loss can lead to cold shock, cold incapacitation, hypothermia, and death. Here are “5 Rules for Boating in Cold Water” courtesy of NRS.
To learn more about paddling responsibly on the Cuyahoga River, visit our “Know Before You Go…” page at http://sharetheriver.com/cuyahoga-river-user-faq
Be part of the 4th Annual Blazing Paddles Paddlefest on Cleveland’s hard-working, historic, and scenic Cuyahoga River on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Registration will open shortly!
Debbie & Ed talk about Cold Water Paddling on the Cuyahoga River
Photo Gallery of Debbie & Ed’s Paddle up the Cuyahoga River
Gallery of Photos Debbie Took During Her Paddle
