Letters


Industry analysis


From a business perspective, it looks like it is really difficult to sustain a publication that devotes substantial attention to wilderness tripping. I’ve subscribed to most of the canoe- ing magazines at different times. Tey’ve all changed hands, experienced business problems, or de-emphasized canoeing, especially wilderness tripping. Looking at the Canoeroots portion of last issue, I think


Spring 2007 is probably the best of the paddling magazines for all time—considering the quality of the articles, writing, photography, gear reviews, choice of fonts and composition. If you can keep it up—printing good articles and attracting


advertising—Canoeroots may accomplish something that’s never been done before.


FRANK RICHARDS Vassalboro, Maine


Complain and ye shall receive


I returned my subscription notice in this morning’s mail, with a note complaining that I had not received an issue in some time and wasn’t sure if I wanted to renew. Sure enough, the spring issue of Canoeroots arrived in this afternoon’s mail! Please renew my subscription for two years. And kindly burn my note.


JOHN L. GOSIER Chaumont, New York


All evidence suggests that the post office is intercepting your incoming mail and reading your outgoing. We suggest you try subscribing to our online issues. For details visit www.rapidme- dia.com. And we have some volunteer firefighters in the office, so we recycled your note instead of burning it, but consider yourself signed up.—Eds.


WRI T E US


Canoeroots would love to hear from you. Send us your comments and questions at


editor@canoerootsmag.com. Letters are subject to editing for style and length.


8 n C ANOE ROOT S early summer 2007 COLD WATER CANOEING WARNING


As the paddling season starts, I’d like to remind your read- ers that the water is still very cold. My son, Earle F. Kyle IV, and grandson, Nicholas Kyle,


died in a canoeing accident last October. It was a sunny day on Big Sandy Lake in northern Minnesota. Eight-year- old Nicholas asked his dad to take him out on the lake to look at the islands. Nick was a bright little boy with big round glasses that made him look like Harry Potter. He often said he wanted to be a scientist when he grew up. Earle and Nick set out on the lake in a canoe. It was


close to noon and as they left he called back to the rest of the family that they might do a little fishing. Both had lifejackets on. At that time of the year it gets dark shortly after 6 p.m. It was about that time that Earle’s mother got worried and called 911. By the time the sheriff and other rescuers got to the lake it was too dark to find them. Te next morning a neighbour found Earle’s canoe sub-


merged near his dock. A short distance away the two bod- ies were floating in their life jackets. Tere is no way to know for sure how they ended up in the water. According to officials, the water temperature was about


55 degrees [12 degrees Celsius] that day. At that temper- ature hypothermia starts to set in quickly and in a few minutes the hands and arms become useless, making swimming to a boat or shore impossible. Body heat loss happens 25 times faster in cold water compared to cold air. An adult in 55-degree water could last from one to two hours before becoming exhausted. Time before death depends on body weight and clothing, but at that water temperature it ranges from two to six hours. A small child like Nick would die in half that time. I didn’t know how fast hypothermia could make even


a good swimmer helpless. I’m sure my son didn’t know either, or he wouldn’t have risked going out that day with little Nick. I hope this story might save other families from the


grief of a tragic loss on a cold-water lake. EARLE F. KYLE, JR. Rochester, New York


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