The days are short. The sky is gray. The thermometer is hovering not too far above freezing. The weatherman is hinting that snow may be near. Sounds like a terrible time for water sports. WRONG!

If you're an adrenaline junkie looking for whitewater, the rivers are running. Winter brings the rain and snow that fill streambeds, turning rocky gorges into rushing torrents. The unnavigable trickle of the summer months is replaced with Class IV rapids. It's prime kayaking season on rivers throughout the country.

Take Oregon. The big names that draw hordes of rafters—the Rogue and the Willamette-have seasons that peak in the warmer months. But they are runnable year-round. And if you want to experience the majesty of wild and scenics like the Santiam and the MacKenzie South Fork, you wait until the rains of November through May.

Paddling Oregon Arkansas Rivers The Cumberland by Canoe Paddling Trips

Move on to Appalachia. In Kentucky, the Cumberland is synonymous with whitewater excitement. In the basin's streams like Poor Fork, the upper North Fork and the Big and Little South Forks, winter is the heart of the season. The high waters begin flowing in November. By June, the season has waned. Next door in Maryland, winter rains may fill the Upper Youghiogheny, and paddlers need not wait for the releases from Deep Creek Lake that open the river in the warmer months.

Head into the Ozarks. Arkansas can be a paddler's dream. Don't wait if you are looking for whitewater on the Big Piney or the Little Missouri. February and March present the peak challenges.

So don your helmet and your PFD, and hit the river mid-winter. The beach can wait for sun.

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