11 paddlers drove north to our destination, South Lake. Passing by North Lake on the way, we noticed how the water was as smooth as glass with a beautiful sunny sky overhead. We all began to look forward to a day of kayaking with excellent conditions.
However, 2.4 miles further down the same road at the put-in for South Lake, the opposite conditions prevailed. The skies were dark and ominous and the lake was already choppy with the wind that had picked up. It didn’t take more than a minute for us to make the decision to get back in our cars, and head back to North Lake!

Shortly after launching from shore we were greeted by a pair of loons. We took advantage of a sandy beach to stretch our legs, eat lunch, and go for a swim. There was a little wind from the southwest on the way back, but nothing that made the rest of the 6 mi. paddle unmanageable. The skies remained sunny and blue with some big puffy clouds all day. Our decision to kayak North Lake proved to be a great alternative.