There was still ice on the shoreline and over much of the boat launch area.    I hauled the kayak to a patch of beach at Pioneer Park and paddled up the river.

That part was fine, but the prelude was more interesting – I drove down the boat launch to the edge of the ice and unloaded the kayak. I placed the kayak on the ice while I got out the rest of the gear. I heard a noise and watched with horror as the 18 foot boat slid along the ice and into the river. The river picked it up and it was floating away. I had my dry suit on so I started to run down the shoreline. I was prepared to wade and swim out to the boat in the cold water. But the ice was slick and I fell. As I got back up, a man walking his dog saw my predicament and luckily there was a small back eddy which spun the boat, so he reached over and pulled the boat out. I thanked him, then took a moment to realize how lucky I was. A few minutes later, I launched the boat and paddled upriver.