Write-up: Dianna Morris
Leader: Dianna Morris
Co-Leader: Don Fellows

Eighteen of us headed out – with those who got into their kayaks before the rest of us heading one way on the lake only to have to cross back over to rejoin the group. There was a nice breeze, but that same breeze that cooled us also made for some rougher water. Fortunately it was at our back and we had hopes that it would subside before we had to head back. I counted six loons out on the water, included what looked to me a mama loon with a few babies bobbing their heads in the lake and staying quite close to mama. Along the shores I saw a lot of cinnamon ferns (Osmonda cinnamonea) with their upright, cinnamon colored reproductive stems providing a nice contrast to the bright green foliage.

At 2.5 miles, right at the tip of the big island, some paddlers opted to turn back to avoid having to battle  more of the waves. The rest of us continued onward around the island, ate lunch and oatmeal cookies and then began the turn back down the lake toward our put-in. Most of us decided to paddle back on the opposite side of the lake in hopes of having the trees along the shore block more of the wind – wrong choice! The wind and waves were much stronger on that side of the lake and we ended up battling them the entire way back – and this was the longer route back as well. We saw some whitecaps and if we stopped paddling, immediately found ourselves going backward. The few who decided to paddle back on the same side of the lake we had already paddled had less wind, but still found paddling against the wind to be a great upper body workout.

Eventually, we joined back up with the first group who turned back and we all paddled against the wind and waves and made it safely back to the put-in. Here is where it got interesting – the anticipated black flies that nicely left us alone when we first arrived were now out in full force and hungry for blood. A man-tripping rock in the water along the shore joined forces with the winds to create some mischief. The rock jumped up and grabbed Waz’ foot and tripped him; the wind took off with Jim’s kayak and when Jim tried to run to get his kayak, that nasty rock downed him once again! End result? Two skinned knees, a recaptured kayak and all safely on land at last.

Some suggestions I was given which I pass along for any who decide to do this paddle in the future include: arrange for better parking, invite Arnold Schwarzenegger to join us so he can carry our kayaks down to the lake, inform the wind gods to cease their play while we are out on the lake, and make sure the black flies know that we do not want them anywhere near us!