Kayaking 2007
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My Kayaking Adventures On May 18th (2007), I drove the 90 minute drive to Kenora, Ontario to meet with ‘Heather’ of the Hardwear Company. I’ve being talking with her over the phone about purchasing a kayak and I was finally going to meet up with her in person to try one out. After finally finding a parking spot fairly close to the store, I went in to meet with Heather. After a brief introduction, we drove to the warehouse where we took two Current Designs kayaks out and down to the dock. The model I was going to be trying out was the Current Designs Breeze, a 13 ½ foot boat. Heather was going to be in a Whistler – a 14 ½ foot boat. She explained a few things like how to actually get into a kayak without going for a swim, how to hold and use a paddle, how to place the boat into the water, and how to remove it from the water without hurting your back! I got into the boat while it was still on the dock so I could adjust the foot pedals – and to see if I could actually get into the kayak! She placed the boat into the water to show how you do it, then let me try to get in. After safely getting in to the boat, she had me wiggle my hips a bit which of course rocked the boat. This made me a little nervous as I’ve never being in a kayak before and didn’t want to flip it over. I soon felt at ease so I paddled away from the dock so that Heather could get into her own boat. She let me try two different models of paddles that where also of two different lengths (and of course two different prices) but after trying each, it was apparent that the second, the longer of the two at 230 cm’s, was my favorite and yes it was the more expensive one. The Breeze also comes with a rudder which made it much easier for me to maneuver the boat without relying on how I paddled. I think one should learn how to properly paddle a kayak first but personally I’m really glad that I started with a boat that had a rudder. I also like having the rudder available incase some day I need one due to weather conditions – better to have one and not use it, than to need one and not have it. She took me down a creek that lead into a small lake where she showed me where the kids jump off a cliff! It was quite high I thought. I could never jump off of that cliff! On the way to the lake we saw a duck, a couple herons and even a turtle resting on a log. Although it was raining when I left home, by the time I reached Kenora the weather was great. Warm temperatures and sunny, and barely a breeze it was an enjoyable first time out on a kayak. Heather loves to paddle and tried unsuccessfully to talk me into paddling longer (we had being out for an hour by this point) but I said that I had to get going soon as I wanted to get home around the same time as Wendy and John got home from School. At this point we took the boats out of the water and put her boat back into the warehouse. We discussed the differences between the two boats but the Whistler would have cost another $300 over the Breeze. All I saw that I would get for that extra $300 was 12 inches of boat, and an extra hatch on the bow. And due to the fact that I had to purchase a cockpit cover, life jacket, and a paddle as well as the boat – that extra $300 was just not worth it so I put the Breeze onto the back of my truck and strapped it in for the trip back to the shop to pay for everything. On the way home I was constantly checking out the many lakes to see which would have easy access. I saw several I would like to paddle my new kayak on but I had to get home. Wouldn’t you know it though, the next day it snowed! 22º C on Friday and mostly sunny – to 1º C and snowing the next day! Only in Canada! I did have to work Saturday and Sunday but I was scheduled to be off the next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Will I go out for a paddle? The weather report indicates rain for all this week! I got home about 15 minutes before Wendy and John but when they did arrive I was outside and called John over to my truck. He was pretty excited to see the new kayak (he’s never seen one before) so I lifted him up into the bed of the truck so he could sit in the kayak. He got really excited about that! He made me lift him up onto the truck 3 times so he could sit in it! Top
May 22, 2007 My first solo paddle. The sun was out but so was the wind. I was anxious to get that boat in the water so I drove down to the Government dock to check on the waves. The waves didn’t seem too bad so I headed back home to load of the kayak and all the gear. Once I was finally ready to go, I drove out of town towards the Fenez’s place who live on Thunder Lake. They are both teachers so I knew that they where both at work on this Tuesday morning. Parking in their driveway, I unloaded the boat and gear and carried to the beach. I was smart enough to remember to wear shorts but stupid enough to forget a towel – or eat breakfast/lunch. I removed my (steel toe) running shoes and my pants (swimsuit underneath of course), put on a pair of water shoes and steeled my nerves for my first (solo?) paddle. Placing the boat into the water, I carefully got into the kayak without falling into the water. I was pretty happy about that part. I may not have being graceful, but I was dry. The winds where not too strong but the surface of the lake wasn’t exactly smooth as glass. I headed towards an island with the waves breaking over the bow and occasionally spraying me. The water was cool so it felt pretty good to get the occasional spray in the face. I had to paddle fairly hard to make any headway and although it was tough going, I rather enjoyed it. As far as I could tell there was only one other (fishing) boat on the lake at this time. I pretty much pointed the bow into the wind to hopefully make it easier for me when the waves did hit the boat – keeping the bow straight into the wind and waves I wasn’t as concerned about a wave hitting me broadside and possible causing me to loose my balance and tipping me over. I wanted to get used to the movement of the kayak I considered paddling over to Aaron Park but I wasn’t 100% sure as to it’s location and I also didn’t want to go out into the middle of the lake with that wind. I stopped just off shore from the island out of the wind for a short rest and to take a drink of water that I remembered to pack with me and then I was off paddling into the wind again. Paddling out to a point, I decided that maybe I’ve gone far and long enough that maybe I should think about heading back. Before I turned around I thought about turning on my GPS that I forgot to strap to my leg (or turn on). I couldn’t find it with out causing the boat to get too rocky while looking for it so I thought it would be best to retrieve it once I returned. Assuming that I had actually put it into the boat in the first place. I had purchased a replacement strap that I placed some Velcro on to allow me to attach my GPS to it, allowing me to strap it to my leg so it was within reach if I needed it. I would also be placed where I could see the screen easily, but as mentioned – I forgot to strap it to my leg when I first started out so I’m not even sure this set up will even work. On my way back to Jackie’s beach, the wind was strong enough that I really didn’t need to paddle. I could utilize the rudder easily enough and use my paddle as a sort of a sail to move the boat. This was slow going, however, so I paddled as well. With the wind at my back, me paddling, and the waves coming up from behind me it was pretty fun going. It almost felt like I was surfing or something when bigger waves came up from behind. For this first trip, I was only out for an hour but the first 40 minutes or so (when I was paddling into the wind), it was hard going – a good workout. My shoulders should be fairly sore tomorrow! I was on my own so I wasn’t in any hurry to keep up with anyone nor did I have anything to prove to anyone so I went at my own pace on my way out, and on the way back. Since I was going at my own pace, I found that I quite enjoyed my first outing in a kayak, even if I was only out for an hour. I hope that the next time I go out for a paddle, the wind is a little calmer but because I did go out in windy conditions, I feel more confident in the fact I was able to control the boat from flipping over when the larger waves did hit. May 23, 2007 Looking out the window this morning it looked like it was going to be a nice day as far as the winds where concerned so I packed my gear and strapped down the kayak and heading for Thunder Lake again. The lake was quite calm, not mirror flat but pretty close to it. It looked like I was going to have a nice paddle today. I unloaded all the gear and the boat – I even remembered to bring the GPS and a towel this time. I started out in the same direction I went yesterday. The strap for the GPS that I rigged up was a bit of a pain to use so I just placed the GPS underneath the shock cord on the deck. (see map below for path taken) It was a little hard to read without grabbing it but maybe next time I get the chance I’ll figure out how to use the strap better. I wanted the gps on my thigh so it was nice and close and easy to read at a glance. Where I placed it on the deck, it's not too far away that I can't grab it if I needed to, but when it is sitting on the deck it's hard to easily see the screen which defeats the purpose of having it there in the first place. So as I mentioned, maybe next time I will figure out a way to place it on my thigh as originally intended. It was definitely easier today with no wind blowing against me. Using the GPS I figured that yesterday I paddled about 2 miles round trip. Today I wanted to go further and get a good workout. My left arm was a little sore today but after awhile I barely noticed. I did get a bit of a blister on my thumb of my right hand so it may be a little sore until it heals over. I will just have to adjust the way I hold the paddle in that hand until it’s healed. It didn’t slow me down much though. I traveled more or less in a southerly heading. I rounded the island and continued past where I turned back yesterday seeing even more scenery that I’ve never seen before. I also saw that I was the only person on the lake! I didn’t follow the shoreline too closely so at the south end of the lake I cut off a little bit of the lake when I decided to head across towards Aaron Park. Yesterday I was not able to really tell where I was but since I had traveled further today I was able to see the small beach of Aaron Park. I noticed an ominous cloud southwest of me so I thought that maybe I should cut the trip short today. I had planned on circumnavigating the entire lake but judging by that cloud I might have to go back early. I had checked the weather before leaving the house but all the bad stuff was around the Fort Frances area. When I was on the opposite side of the lake from Jackie’s (where I started from), the wind kicked up creating large waves. Instead of going back around, or continuing and keeping close to shore, I decided to cut straight across the lake to get back to Jackie’s beach as fast as I could. Using the GPS I noticed I got up to a top speed of 5.8 mph! It appeared my regular speed averaged around 3.2 mph so I guess that wind at my back helped. Going straight across the lake, the waves and wind where at my back, where as if I went back around the way I came the wind and waves would hit me broadside. When I was in the middle of the lake, the waves where really big but I was not concerned – the boat was still stable enough where I wasn’t worried about flipping over. I paddled pretty hard thought to cut down the time it would take to get back and I could sure feel it in my shoulders so I would have to say I got a bit of a workout. According to the GPS I traveled 4.96 miles so I assume that if I ever get enough time to go around the entire lake, it would be a ten mile round trip. It took me an hour and a half this trip which is only about 30 minutes longer than yesterday but I traveled much further. I also noticed I didn’t get as tired today. I had remembered to grab something to eat (McDonalds drive thru) before heading out where as yesterday I didn’t have anything to eat before going. Not paddling into the wind might have helped too.
Thunder Lake- May 23rd, 2007 Here you can see the path I took on my May 23/07 paddle on Thunder Lake. Starting from the top of the map and going in a more or less clock wise direction, the path is 4.96 miles. You can see at the bottom of the map where I decided to head across the lake back to where I started due to the weather. From start to finish, it took one hour and 29 minutes to paddle the 4.96 miles. On this particular trip I remembered to pack my Etrex Legend GPS unit from Garmin to track my path. I learned today (May 25th) that I am able to download the track onto my computer where I did a simple screen capture and just cropped it to the dimensions you see here. Pretty cool if you ask me. Granted I would never have to worry about getting too lost on Thunder Lake, some of the lakes I plan to paddle on a GPS might be the only thing that will get me back to where I left the truck. Dogtooth Lake is one lake that comes to mind. North of Thunder Lake, there is a smaller lake called Beaver Lake. This lake is more or less round and much smaller then Thunder Lake so no GPS would really be needed but I would still want to bring it if just to keep track of my time and distance traveled. Top
Thunder Lake May 27th, 2007 Wasn't sure if tomorrow would be a good day or not to be on the lake so I decided to go this evening. Forecast is sunny with cloud periods and 20 degrees but also windy for tomorrow. As the wind was more or less calm today, I decided to try to go all around the lake. As you can see on the map I pretty much made it all the way around. Near the top of the map you see where I started (car icon). I figured I would go in a counter clockwise direction this time as I hadn't seen that part of the lake yet. I stopped just over a mile from where I put in to talk to someone I knew. He was trying to take photos of some birds but they proved too skittish. I believe he took some shots of me - I will have to ask him for a copy. (photo now posted, scroll down!) I came across a couple who where heading out to their buoy in a paddle boat, and then another couple in a canoe when I was about half way around the lake. Both couples where quite friendly though. I did cut across Hoffstrom's Bay but this was due to the wind picking up creating some larger waves. Odd thing is that the wind came from no where and since it was getting late in the day - you would think that the wind would calm down. I wanted to get back soon by this time as I was getting a little tired. I also decided to pass between an island and the main land to hopefully get a little shelter from the wind and larger waves. This would also get me where I could then turn into the wind a bit more so that the waves wouldn't be hitting me broadside. This proved to be an excellent idea. Doing this made it easier to get back to the truck. This trip was my longest yet at 6.65 miles taking an hour and 47 minutes. Average speed of 3.7 mph and a max speed of 5.3 mph. Top
Ghost Lake - May 31st, 2007 Today I went out to Ghost Lake. The wind was light and the water was like glass in a lot of areas. When I did encounter waves, they where pretty small so not much of a concern. A real pleasure actually. This visit to Ghost Lake was only my second time here. The first time was about 10 years ago. It hadn't changed much - still a lousy beach. With the winds light I thought I would try to go all the way around the lake. I knew it wouldn't take as long as Thunder Lake since Ghost Lake is smaller - it took me approximately an hour and 25 minutes. I did stop to see if I could find a geocache but I kept loosing the satellite signal due to the trees. I was close - oooh so close but I couldn't see it. There was a small waterfall (sorta) at the geocache area that I would love to bring a camera to though so the stop wasn't a total waste of my time. Today the conditions would have being perfect - if I had only brought the camera. The trip took me around the lake with a distance of 5.52 miles. I believe my peak speed was only 5 mph - the gps indicates 33.6 mph and I know I wasn't paddling that hard! I have no idea what happened there. The scenery was quite nice. With better weather conditions, I was able to take my time and actually look around at the shoreline. There are some areas on Ghost Lake that are quite pretty. Near the end of my trip, I finally saw someone else on the lake in a motor boat but the boat stayed on the other side of the lake. The start of my trip is around the 1 o'clock position on the map. As you can see on the lower right hand corner of the map, there is another lake - Mavis Lake. At this time I have no idea how to get to it, or if there is public access. I'll have to ask around. Top
North Narrow Lake - June 1st, 2007 Woke up to a really nice calm summers day (albeit at 10:30 am). I'd anticipated a nice day today so I had the kayak loaded up and ready to go at a moments notice. I drove west on highway 17 for about an hour to this long narrow lake which you can pull off the highway, and you are basically on the lake. Into the water the boat went. Once I was ready (paddle put together, PFD on, truck key clicked onto the 'biner I use to hang my whistle, wallet hidden in the truck, trucked locked...) into the boat I went. The winds where absolutely calm - the surface of the lake was as smooth as glass. I remembered to bring my camera with me so I thought I would get some great photos today. I paddled for about 20 minutes and saw some nice scenery so I put the paddle down to get my camera out. After composing an award winning photo, I attempted to press the shutter release button. For some reason it wouldn't focus!? I tried several times to press the button but nothing would happen. (pause for dramatic effect) I left the memory card at home! I was so mad I almost threw the camera into the lake. This really made me mad. I saw some incredible scenery and with the water like a mirror, photos would have being spectacular. I also hoped to photograph a train (the CPR tracks are one shore of this long narrow lake) with its reflection in the lake. I did end up seeing 3 trains while paddling on this lake but I was still mad that I left the memory card at home. I even considered going back to the truck to drive the 35 kilometers to Kenora to buy one. I saw a rock formation that when seeing from a certain point on the lake, it looked like a face. I also saw a nice little waterfall. Most of this lake is completely hidden from the highway - the only people able to enjoy the scenery are the crews of the CP Rail trains or the odd person who takes a boat out. I even saw what looked like a culvert (not the usual metal culverts you normally see - the entrance was made by rock slabs put into place) that appeared to go all the way under the tracks to the other side but I was unable to see exactly what was on the other side. I checked for a place to pull up to but there wasn't anywhere I would have being comfortable going ashore. When I was heading towards the far end of the lake, I took my time to take in the scenery. At several points the only sound I heard was from the odd bird chirping. At one narrow part of the lake I felt a bump on the hull - and two seconds later something hit my rudder. I couldn't see anything in the water that would have caused this - but it felt like maybe I had hit a submerged tree or something along those lines. What ever it was, I missed it on the way back. No apparent damage to boat/rudder or paddler. Odd though. The GPS indicates I was moving for an hour and 49 minutes but for some of the time I was just drifting along enjoying the piece and quite and the scenery. A very enjoyable day to say the least. Of course it would have being much better if I could show you some photos... Total distance this trip was 5.39 miles with an average speed of only 3 mph (I drifted a lot this trip) and a maximum speed of 5.2 mph. Apparently my total distance traveled so far since bringing the boat home from Kenora was approximately 24.5 miles. And judging by all the dead bugs on my windshield, summer is definitely here. Top
Photo of myself while paddling on Thunder Lake on May 27th, 2007.
Uhm, no 'I' didn't take the photo!
Ghost Lake - June 5th, 2007 This trip was a short one. I was only out on the lake for about 40 minutes. My main mission was to get to the little waterfall near a geocache. I didn't stay long as this is a known fishing spot for bears so I just took a couple quick shots and left again. I also couldn't take too long as I was at work today and just took off for a quick trip and had to get back before my next flight came in. I did grab a few shots of the shoreline along the way to the waterfall though (can be found in the Scenic Gallery). Total distance paddled was only 2.17 miles, taking 40 minutes with a max speed of 5.7 mph. Top
North Narrow Lake - June 6th, 2007 Had the day off today so I decided to head out for a quick paddle. I thought I would go back to North Narrow Lake again to get some pictures. The wind was a little strong today so I didn't go as far up the lake as I did the last time. When heading into the wind, the spray would come over the deck, and I didn't want the camera to get wet. Water and digital SLR's don't exactly mix. I only went 2.97 miles, taking an hour and 3 minutes but I spent some of that time drifting checking out the scenery or taking photos. Max speed this trip was my best yet at 6 mph.
Ghost Lake - June 10, 2007 (And later on that evening on Thunder Lake) Thought I would get a quick paddle in this morning so headed out to Ghost Lake. The problem was that by the time I got there (roughly 10am), the winds had picked up. The waves where getting a little too much for me so I ended up just going out for a half hours worth. It almost wasn't worth going out in the boat except I spent the time and gas getting to the lake, I wasn't about to turn around and head back home. I only went around the one point and back again, totaling 1.69 miles. Top speed was 5.3 mph. In the evening the winds had really died down nicely so I had Wendy call up Jackie who lives on Thunder Lake (I normally put in the kayak at her beach) to see if she wanted me to bring out the boat so she could have a try. Both Jackie and Jo-Jo went for a short paddle and both seemed to enjoy it. Especially Jackie who really wants to buy a kayak of her own. Shortly after 8 pm with the water as smooth as you could ever hope for, I decided to go for a quick paddle myself. I didn't have my gps with me, so using the mapping softwear I have to guestimate I went for about a mile and a half. Not sure about the time I was out for but it wasn't very long - maybe 15-20 minutes. Tomorrow I won't be able to get any paddling in - I have to work from 7am to midnight! Top © 2007 Derek Kennedy
Thunder Lake - June 14, 2007 It was raining today, but I thought that since there was no wind - that I would take the boat out to Thunder Lake. By the time I got there, the rain had stopped. The lake wasn't as smooth as glass but the waves where pretty small. I thought I would check out Hoffstrom's Bay today and found a really nice - and small- bay that would make a great place for a cabin. No beach, but the water was very shallow at this location so would still make for a great place to swim or just cool off. It appeared that someone else felt the same way as it looks like someone had already purchased the land at this location. Just as I was heading out of the area, the rain started up again. As you can see by the map, I headed straight across to the island to head back to where I started at this time. The rain wasn't too bad and I really didn't mind getting wet but my arms where getting a little tired by this time. Paddling exactly 5 miles taking an hour and 26 minutes (I checked out the shore line and took my time when I was close to the shore) with a average speed of only 3.5 mph, and a max speed of 6 mph. Top
GhostLake - June 16, 2007 I had to work today but after the first flight left I had a few hours to kill. The wind was fairly calm and I had all my stuff with me in the truck so I thought I would take off for the closest lake - Ghost Lake for a quick paddle. I was surprised when I got to the parking area: there where 4 vehicles there! And while I was driving up, someone was launching a canoe. Once they where on their way, I stripped down to my birthday suit - hiding behind my truck door, and suited up. I then repositioned the truck so I wouldn't have to haul the kayak too far. Getting the boat to the shore, paddle put together, PFD on - I was finally on my way. I decided to go around the lake in a counter-clockwise direction this time as there where people swimming, the canoe, and a fishing boat in the other direction. I paddled around the point (top of map) and across the one bay to check out the rock formations on the far shore. A stupid bee pretty much followed me most of the way staying just out of reach. I didn't have my camera with me which is too bad, I could have had some nice photos. I went into a area (around the 10 o'clock position on the map) where there where some rocks sticking out of the water forming some very small islands to check out the area. The water got a little shallow around this area so I pulled up the rudder just as a precautionary measure. By the time I got most of the way to the bay on the bottom of the map area, I thought I should cut across to the other side so that I could save some time. I checked out the little waterfall on my way by and it sounded like the amount of water flowing over the falls has increased with all the rain so I might have to visit again with the camera. Just a little way past the falls area, there is another small island (not visible on the map) which I normally went around but this time I cut between the island and the mainland. Again I pulled up the rudder just in case as it appeared to be shallow in that area. The distance between the island and the shore is maybe 20 feet at that location. The water is pretty clear in this lake, and I was able to see the bottom around the island. It was interesting - I was able to see some small fish (3 inches or so), so I slowly paddled backwards to see them again when I saw an older fish that was maybe 6 - 7inches long. After watching the larger fish for a few minutes, I decided to move forward again to see if I could spot any more fish. After moving forward about 10 feet I saw another fish - maybe 8 inches long. After watching this larger fish for a few minutes I decided to move on and head back to the truck. About 20 feet ahead of my boat was another rock sticking out of the water, but just barely. I went by the rock slowly and saw yet another fish. This one had to be over a foot long. It appeared that the fish was actually looking up towards me. I watched the fish for a couple minutes but then had to go as I was running short of time - I had to be back to work in about 45 minutes by this time. On this trip around the lake, I paddled 4.36 miles and taking an hour and 13 minutes but I'm betting 20 minutes of that time was moving very slowly while looking at the shore line, or watching the fish near the island. I had also went up the creek near the falls as far as I could get, and I'm sure I spent several minutes there. Max speed was 6.7 mph, with an average speed of 3.6 mph. And yes, I got back to work in time! Top
Dogtooth Lake - June 20th, 2007 Asked to be woken up this morning if the wind wasn't too bad, so around 7:40 am my 4 y/o son John wakes me up. Had the boat preloaded so all I had to do is make a real quick snack to take with me and load a few things into the truck and I was gone for the one hour drive to the lake. Dogtooth Lake is fairly large, but it's loaded with islands and small bays - easy to get lost on. This is the lake I bought the gps for. You can drive right up to the lake off of Highway 17 but where I put in the kayak there is no beach. I had to be pretty careful getting in and out of the boat at this spot. I might have to try and find a better place to pull off of the highway. As happened in the past, by the time I got to the lake the wind picked up. The waves being manageable, I set out. I've never been on this lake before but there is a Provincial Park on a southern arm of this lake where I go to get photos (Rushing River). The wind was too strong for me to get down that far. Paddling through one narrow area, it opened up a bit and I saw a nice sized island to check out. Surprisingly, I saw a couple cabins on it. I did see a really nice cabin(?) that was bigger,and nicer, than my own home on the far shore. I headed across the more open area towards another smaller island and the waves started to get fairly large due to the wind. A spray skirt would have definitely come in handy today. I took a few photos but a couple times I wasn't paying attention yet noticed in time to put the camera away and start paddling before the wind pushed me into the rocky shore. I would have liked to have kept paddling to explore more of the lake but the winds where just getting too strong. I still had to figure out how I was going to get out of the boat back at the truck without falling in. As it was, I scraped up the bottom of the boat pretty good on the rocks. I definitely need to find a better put in for this lake. Other than the wind, it was a nice day. Partly cloudy which helped keep me cool, the wind did keep the bugs away though. I never saw anyone while I was cruising around until I got back to the truck where someone had pulled off the highway to let her dog go for a swim. I only traveled 3 miles in just under an hour but I was also taking my time to check out the scenery and take a few photos. Maybe during the summer when I've got more time, and if the wind doesn't pick up, I'll be able to explore more of this huge lake. Top
Ghost Lake - June 23, 2007 While Wendy and John went off to Thunder Lake, I decided to load up the boat and go to Ghost Lake again. There was a little bit of a wind but the surface of the lake was fairly smooth so it was a great day for kayaking. I only went about 4.1 miles, taking about an hour and 25 minutes or so (lost the time detail when I saved the track to the memory, for when I went on Mavis Lake) but I took several photos. Not sure how they will turn out yet but hopefully I have at least a couple good ones to post in the Scenery Photos gallery. I stopped in at the waterfall again to see about taking a couple new photos knowing the amount of water flowing would be greater due to the amount of rain we've had the last couple weeks - I really hope I get at least one good photo (all photos hand held). After I got back to the truck, I headed over to Thunder Lake to see if I could link up with Wendy and John and maybe even take John for a quick ride in the kayak but when I got there - the lake was pretty choppy. No way I'm going to put John in the kayak on that lake today! I only stayed a few minutes as I was getting a little hungry and so I head home. On the way home thought, I thought I would go up Mavis Lake Road to see if I could get onto the lake. (read more below about Mavis Lake)
Mavis Lake - June 23, 2007 Mavis Lake can be reached by taking Thunder Lake Road. About 2/3rds the way to Johnson's Beach, is where you will find the unmarked gravel road to Mavis Lake. I drove almost all the way down the road until I found a spot to put in the boat that was right beside the road (about a 20 foot walk). Knowing the lake was fairly small, I didn't think I would be on it to long. As it turns out, I only spent about 25 minutes on the lake, traveling 1.4 miles. I didn't like being on the lake at all. First off, I can't see into the water - something that I really hate. And more importantly: there was no one else on the lake. No one swimming, no one fishing, no one living on the lake even. I was concerned that if I was to ever get into trouble on that lake, I would be so hooped because there wouldn't be anyone to hear my distress calls. You can see how close Ghost Lake in relation to Mavis Lake. With that being said, I'd much rather go on Ghost Lake or Thunder Lake. Also, there really wasn't much as far as scenery goes. Top
Ghost Lake - June 28th, 2007 Nice enough day so I ended up heading out to Ghost Lake again. After getting the boat into the water, I wasn't really into paddling today but headed towards the island that can be found on Ghost Lake. I figured I might as well see if I can see the 3 fish I've seen around the island on a couple previous trips. I didn't see the 3 fish, but I did see thousands of minnows! I guess the fishermen will be happy about that. I did see a duck with 7 ducklings. I tried to get close to get a photo but Mom would have none of that! I found out just how fast these little guys can swim! I did get a couple shots in but I didn't want to be too much of a bother so I let them go on their way. After spending a little time floating around the vicinity of the island and getting a few photos, I headed back to the beach. Turns out I was only out for 34 minutes and only paddled 1.68 miles. Good thing I went back early and when I got home Wendy indicated how sick John was today (headache, dizziness, puffing for breath, fever for the last 4 days). We ended up taking him to the doctors and also to the hospital so they could take blood. Ghost Lake - June 29th, 2007 No map to post but this morning I packed up the truck with the kayak, all the gear I take, Wendy and John and headed out to Ghost Lake. For the first time, I took someone in the kayak with me. I took John. He had a blast! Of course I wouldn't let him in without warning him on what NOT to do while in the boat (like rock it!) as I didn't want us to go for a swim! While I paddled, he would drag his hands in the water (which of course slows us down) but he did have a great time. He didn't want to stop! We did end up rescuing some beach toys for the one other family that was there though. We didn't stay long as John was starting to feel a little chilled and because he was still a little sick (he was on anti-biotics now thought from his visit to the doctors yesterday. I figure we traveled about a 1/2 mile together on the kayak. Top
Ghost Lake - July 4th, 2007 I had to work today but a couple flights where canceled. I decided to head back home to pick up the boat. Wendy and John where getting ready to swimming at the pool but John really wanted to go with me in the kayak. So, it was off to the lake we went. John went with me in the truck and Mom followed in the car. There was a bit of a wind but not too bad - the waves where pretty small. I thought that the conditions where good enough to take John out. We went out for only 22 minutes, traveling .8 miles with a average speed of only 2.2 mph but I really couldn't paddle too hard with John sitting on the floor of the kayak in front of me. I did hit him in the back of the head once but not hard enough to hurt him. John had a good time. Once again he would drag his hands in the water but he didn't get the chills this time. On the way back to the beach where Mom was waiting, I decided to travel closer to the shore so that we might see some interesting things on the shore. At one point we actually ran aground on a huge rock that at its highest point was only 2 inches below the water. By the time I noticed the rock, it was too late to stop or turn but it wasn't a big deal - our speed was pretty slow so there never was a danger to either of us. I think John actually enjoyed the chance to reach out and touch the rock. Once we got back to the beach, John was too cold (from the wind) to go swimming. Wendy had to go to an appointment in 45 minutes by this time so I headed back to the airport. Good thing I went back when I did actually: the second flight that was canceled was reinstated! It would be there in about 20 minutes!
Ghost Lake - July 15, 2007 Once again I took the boat to Ghost Lake and decided to go North instead of South. I didn't really have a lot of time as I was working today and heading out before I had to get to the airport. I paddled for over 45 minutes before loading the kayak into the back of the truck and strapping her in for the ride back. I only went two and a half miles this trip but all I wanted to do was get in a little paddling before work. Wendy and John decided to come out to work and I figured I would take John for another trip. You can see a photo of John and I out in the boat below. Top
Ghost Lake July 15, 2007 part II Out on Ghost Lake with John for the third time. Finally remembered to take a camera so that Wendy could get some photos of John and I while in the kayak. I never take the gps with me when I go out with John so I really have no idea how long we are out there, or how far we go. The idea is just to spend some time together. In this photo we are on our way back to the beach where Wendy is waiting for us. John is looking at a family from Dryden that was here with 4 new kayaks, two of which are made by Current Designs like my own boat.
Ghost Lake July 16, 2007 Today is a Monday and I actually have the day off! So this morning I headed out to the lake (a little later in the morning though). The surface of the lake was like glass! I really wish I took the camera today! I headed up the shore (looking at the lake from the beach I went left). I kept close to the shoreline for the most part. Went back to the large island (well, large for this particular lake) and watched some fish swimming around (about 5 inches long). After which I went over to the waterfall then back to shore to go back into town for my chiro appointment. After the appointment I went home for a quick lunch and it was back to Ghost Lake to head the opposite direction from that morning. The wind had picked up a bit so no more like glass water. I went through some reeds in this one bay and enjoyed slowly drifting through them. I forgot that this is a really good way to get spiders on you and the boat! Looked down on the floor of the kayak and saw this (fairly large I though) spider on a sponge I use to soak up any water that gets into the boat. I almost jumped out of the boat (I swear!). Grabbing the sponge (with the spider still on it) and threw it into the lake. Of course I went back to get the sponge - I wasn't about to leave it behind. The days paddle took me a hair short of 5 miles taking an hour and 43 minutes. But I spent about 10 minutes watching the fish near the island, and at least 10 minutes slowly drifting through the reeds in two bays (11 and 3 o'clock positions on the map). Top © 2007 Derek Kennedy
Ghost Lake - July 17, 2007 The wind was calm this morning so it was off to Ghost Lake I went. I only went a total of two and a half miles but it took just over an hour. When I went to the island, I started drifting around to watch the fish. The fish where only around six inches long or shorter but it was fun watching them. Occasionally the would start to follow the boat as well. I did take some photos but they kind of suck so I won't insult you by posting them but I did get some photos of a couple of Loons. Later in the day Wendy and John met me at the beach and I took John in the kayak over to the island to see the fish. He was pretty excited at that. After watching the fish for a while we went back to the beach where we spent some time swimming.
Watching the fish on Ghost Lake Here you can see the island on Ghost lake where I would drift around watching the fish. The distance between the island and the shore is only about 30 feet or so but that would be a bit of a guess. On this map, in the lower left corner area, you can see where I would drift around watching the fish in a area that is actually quite shallow. In one spot, it's only foot or two deep but it's a interesting area for watching the fish. Top
Ghost Lake - July 19/23 2007 As you can see on this map, there is actually two trips that where tracked by the GPS. The first trip, on the right half of the map, wasn't completely tracked as the GPS died on me! Darn batteries. The left half of the map shows my trip on July 23rd. It's hard to see on this small map but I was checking out hundreds of minnows that where swimming just below the surface. They ranged in size from about 2 inches to about 4 inches long. Each school consisted of fish of their own size. Slowly paddling through this area, I started hearing what sounded like a single fish jumping so I slowly and quietly turned the boat around to see if I could spot the fish. What I was actually hearing was a school of these minnows breaching the surface as one. I'm not really sure exactly what they where doing but there would be a large number from each school that would come to the surface in a small area about 5 square feet which sounded like one large fish jumping. I went over to this area to see if I could spot the fish and sure enough I found about 4 different, distinct schools. They didn't appear to spook too easily, and one school would bump my hull! Not sure what they where trying to tell me, but I didn't stay too long in the area as I was running a little low on time - I had to get back to work. It was quite fascinating to watch the fish. It reminded me of wales swimming in circles around krill while releasing air to form bubbles. This would cause the krill to group together, and that was when the wale would come up from below and scoop up as much of them as they could. Are the minnows doing something similar? I have no idea. But it was neat to watch. I've gone on a few more kayak trips since this one but I either didn't take the GPS, or on a couple times, I took John with me. When I take John, we go to the island to see if we can see the larger fish (6-8 inches?). He gets pretty excited when he spots one! On one trip out to the island, I handed him the paddle to see if he could do it. To my surprise, he actually tried his hand at paddling. Unfortunately, he was not strong enough to paddle well but he had fun trying. Top
Gullwing Lake - September, 2007 Here you can see the path I took on the west end of Gullwing Lake. I didn't have a lot of time to go for a longer paddle as I had to get back to work soon. As it was, I got my truck stuck on the road out of the lake.
After a 20 minute drive on one mile of really rough road, I was presented with this view of the 'boat launch' on the west end of Gullwing Lake.
When I first started out, the wind was not too bad, but the sky was overcast. On my way back to the truck, the wind really picked up making for tough paddling but I did get a nice workout. Top
A photo of the shore just a few minutes from where I put in. I wanted to capture the trees on the shore, and the reeds.
For this photo I actually changed out the sky for a nicer one.
Gullwing Lake is about 8 miles long and 2 miles wide at the widest point. In this photo you are able to see part of the shore that is about 5.5 miles away. Top
Right after starting out, I came across this old abandoned cabin. Top
Gullwing Lake - The trip home The road that I have to travel on to get down to the lake is actually only about a mile long but a 4x4 or a 4 wheeler is suggested - and maybe a winch/come-along. A short distance from the beginning of the road you come to an area that has a bit of a pond/swamp. The road next to it is usually fairly muddy. I never had a problem before but on this trip, I didn't quite have the momentum to carry me through all the mud. I was stuck solid - I was there for 3 hours before I was finally pulled free. I tried to use wood, rocks in the area (not many at this part of the road) - anything I could get under the wheels to try and get some grip. Nothing helped. Apparently everyone gets stuck here!
This frog, the size of one segment of your thumb, was mocking me I'm sure! Swimming around in a puddle without a care in the world while I'm stuck in a larger mud puddle, unable to do nothing but spin all four wheels. Top
Only up to the axle in this side but you can see where the sidestep is stuck on - and in - the mud.
This is the skidder that ended up pulling the truck out of the mud. Considering the power of this puppy, it still took a bit of pulling just to get the truck moving. Needless to say, I didn't get back to work in time for the next flight. Top
Ghost Lake - October 1, 2007 Today I went for what might be my last paddle for the year. Since I was working today, I decided to go to Ghost Lake as it's not very far from the airport. The day wasn't the greatest, overcast at 10 degrees Celsius but the wind was calm and the surface of the lake was like glass. I had decided to leave the camera at the airport this trip. I also decided to not bother taking the gps as by now I know my around this small lake pretty well. Not that you really need one as the lake is more or less heart shaped and you can see almost the entire shore line from anywhere on the lake. There was evidence that some change had occurred since my last visit to the beach. Someone (MNR?) added some sand/gravel to the boat launch as it was getting a little rough due to water erosion from all the rain, and a beaver decided to take a few trees. I don't know why a beaver would do this as I've never seen a beaver, a beaver dam, or a beavers lodge on this lake so I was a little surprised. Slipping into the water at 8:30, I started along the shore so I can view the scenery - and the reflections of the scenery on the mirror like surface. With the smooth surface, the calm winds, no sounds other than from my paddle and the occasional chipmunk or squirrel the trip was very peaceful. After almost 15 minutes, the whistle of a distant train could be heard. I paddled along the shore towards the small island that I like to go to and watch the fish but today I didn't see any, but I did see a small dock that someone decided to tie to a couple trees on the island - I wonder what that is all about? At first I thought maybe it got loose and drifted over but it was actually tied to a couple trees. I also went over to the waterfall as the sound is quite soothing. I more or less drifted most of the way, just paddling the occasional time to keep up the momentum. I could tell that the amount of water coming over the waterfall had diminished as there wasn't much of a current, and the gurgle of the fall was also noticeably different. After 30 minutes of enjoying the peace and quite, I decided to turn back. It was a little cooler on my way back as there was now a bit of a breeze and with me having bare arms, I definitely felt the cold. I did bring a jacket but I had placed it over my legs to keep them warm. It had also started to drizzle a bit by this time. I took a slightly more direct route back to the beach due to the coolness and my acid reflux was really acting up bad. I didn't bring the camera but seeing the beautiful scenery, the fall colours, and the reflections on the waters surface - I was really kicking myself for leaving it at work. I don't know if I will get the chance to go out again before it gets too cold to be out on a lake, but I hope so. I definitely did not get out as much as I wanted to, nor did I get out on all the different lakes as I hoped to. But I can save those lakes for next year. The photo you see here was taken a week or two ago at Ghost Lake. On the other side of the rock you see at the lower right corner of the photo is the boat launch. A larger version of the photo can be found in the Scenic Photos gallery. Top © 2007 Derek Kennedy
