A few weeks ago I realized that, for the first time in about 40 years, it looked like I might go an entire season without getting out in a paddle craft. With the wet September weather we had this year there wasn't much to do about it but today things fell into place and I made a point to get out for a paddle on a perfect fall evening.
There is a lake only about 15 minutes from me I've never paddled; I suppose because I had other options that were closer. I've been doing more cycling the last couple years and my longer rides take me around this lake and I was surprised how big it was (most lakes around here are quite small). So I decided that tonight I'd check it out.
There was a nice county park on the north side of the lake that offered canoe access and I paddled down the length of the long, skinny, lake with a light rear quartering tail wind and on the way back up the lake I switched over to the west side where I could avoid the wind completely. There were just a handful of fishing boats out on the lake and a couple pontoons. The lake is quite narrow and not much wider than a large river. It was very peaceful with plenty of gulls, hawks, and waterfowl migrating through. By the time I had finished the sun was just setting and although I could hear the leaves in the top of the cottonwoods rustling there wasn't so much as a ripple on the water.
There is a lake only about 15 minutes from me I've never paddled; I suppose because I had other options that were closer. I've been doing more cycling the last couple years and my longer rides take me around this lake and I was surprised how big it was (most lakes around here are quite small). So I decided that tonight I'd check it out.
There was a nice county park on the north side of the lake that offered canoe access and I paddled down the length of the long, skinny, lake with a light rear quartering tail wind and on the way back up the lake I switched over to the west side where I could avoid the wind completely. There were just a handful of fishing boats out on the lake and a couple pontoons. The lake is quite narrow and not much wider than a large river. It was very peaceful with plenty of gulls, hawks, and waterfowl migrating through. By the time I had finished the sun was just setting and although I could hear the leaves in the top of the cottonwoods rustling there wasn't so much as a ripple on the water.
