A Day Off - Kayak Outing

Hey Tribe,

What did we do with a day off from work?  Took the little kayak out for a paddle, of course!  Actually, we were torn between being on the water and being on a mountain somewhere, but the mountains will remain and the water will soon be frozen, so we opted for the water while we still can.

Wildfire smoke clings to the mountains and is heavy in the air, making everything seem a bit out of focus, but the lake looked spectacular anyway and I eagerly slipped the kayak into the water.  Rex got a turn first – he is still learning about how to behave on the water and what the “boat rules” are – and we paddled around for ten minutes or so looking at the ducks and fish while he practiced his best kayak manners.  I didn’t push our luck though, so before his puppy energy  could become un-bottled and we ended up taking an unplanned swim, I returned us safely to shore. 

Rex happily re-joined TheFather on shore; Fly was just as eager to get on the kayak as Rex was to get off of it.   Once aboard, she and I paddled across the serene lake watching fernlike plants undulate in the clear water and eagles snatch at sluggish fish.  Loons kept a wary eye on us, but we didn’t disturb them as we made our way to the opposite side of the lake.

Hidden amongst the tall bushes is a short portage to a different world.  Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but it does have a different atmosphere: while the lake is like a lazy neighborhood, the creek is a highway of activity.

Look how calm that lake is!

Just a short path to the creek.

Someone is ready to keep going!

We flowed along with the current, dodging beaver dams and submerged log snags.  A muskrat swished about in the reeds, busy with his errands, and a squirrel churred and argued with a neighbor.  Ducks swam in formation and would take flight when we paddled too close for their comfort.

When we reached an intersection of our creek with another, faster flowing, waterway we turned around to paddle back to our lazy lake.  A soft breeze that began to come at us tempered the heat of the day: it was a welcome addition to our experience, at first, anyway.

Once back across the portage, the lake was in a different state.  Waves rippled the previously glassy surface and the wind could no longer be described as soft.  We were tired and hungry.  We could see our destination.  We I paddled.  The wind and the choppy waves drove us sideways to the East, though I tried to keep us bearing North.  It was a long, arduous paddle and twice I had to stop in the reeds and rest my aching shoulders as the wind blew us back and away from our beach.  Fly whined at me, but there was little to do but keep trying.  So, with our faces to the wind, we slowly inched along the lake and ran aground on our destination’s rocky shore, only to be too exhausted to do anything else but sit for several moments to rest.  A little mud colored dipper bird bobbed along the water’s edge and provided us with an excuse to remain and watch his activity before TheFather arrived to help us clamber up the beach.