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 Back to Trip ReportsNew Year's Day Paddle with the MCA, January 1, 2000 by Jody Russell What a way to welcome in the new year! The MCA paddle was called for 1:00 p.m., after the rest of the activities on the Mississippi had relented for warmer locales. Even so, a few die-hard water skiers, including one in bare feet, sped around the Hidden Falls put-in area, the boat's nose high in the air as the skier in the water bobbed on his back, careful to keep his toes out of the water. It looked cold to me. The weather was remarkable for the first of January, staying above freezing. Still, the fire on the beach was a welcome comfort both to those who didn't paddle (but came to celebrate) and to those who came off the water to grab some hot drink and cookies. Some paddle days remain in one's memory because of the beauty of the landscape, others for the sense of accomplishment, and others for the crazy and involved conversations that ensue between destinations. For me, this event was memorable for my first-time experience of scooting my boat onto river ice -- perhaps not a big deal to some, but for some reason had me laughing with the novelty of the hard water beneath me. In addition, I was again struck by the sense of comraderie that paddlers have, sharing a desire to be out on the water enough that they show up on the first day of January, even in Minnesota.  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
