Put a kayak in at the club (PSA) for a quick paddle...which actually turned into a longer one, as it wasn't anywhere near as cold as I figured it would be.
Gear: 4 layers, base, flannel shirt, thick wool sweater, Ronstan spray top. Also Henri Lloyd neoprene gloves.
I was pretty much constrained to the creek, as there was fast ice, up to about an inch thick, between the harbor and the Maogthy. It would have been a chore to get through it. Plus I get nervous putting the nose of a kayak up on ice. This is a good way to put yourself sideways as the inherent stability of a kayak can disappear in an instant with the nose up on a hard surface. Water temps at 39 degrees, ummm....no thanks.
But the back end of the creek never fails to satisfy, especially on a cold clear January day.
Animals seen: great blue (in flight), many many downy woodpeckers hard at work, a handful of buffleheads.
Other vessels sighted: ZERO
Lovely and refreshing mid-day excursion on the creek.