Saturday, April 30, 2011

First Trip of the Year With My Daughter

I am so excited! The weather is finally warm enough to bring my 6 year old daughter back out with me. Although the water is still chilly, we set out on a nice paddle along Pistakee Lake and through the Island just off the point. The Chain-0-Lakes is at "no wake" due to high water, so this is a perfect time to enjoy it via canoe!

The water was pretty smooth when we started and as we crossed the first bay, the wind kicked up a little. It slowed us down, but it wasn't enough to make us turn back. As we rounded the point and headed East, the wind was coming right at us from the bow. It made it pretty tough, but it wasn't a long paddle to the island we were going to cut through.

Once we got into the island (don't know if it has a name) we were able to relax and float. The water is pretty high on the Chain of Lakes right now. It was touching some of the older homes on the island. Some of the homes looked like they had been abandoned for decades, but then you would notice that the shades looked new in the house... it is an odd and interesting little area.

We came across this interesting vintage boat tucked up on the shore. It was rusty and very cool looking, but I have no idea what it was. I didn't see a boom on it, but it may have been removed. None the less, it was cool to see.

Back in another channel on the island, we came across some more interesting things. The houses were so close in this area, the folks made a boardwalk to connect the shoreline. There was one section that looks like they parked a house boat across a channel to connect 2 sections of the island. Back in this area I saw a fish jump from the water. It looked like a huge carp, but it happened so fast, I am not sure. I had never seen a fish jump as I was watching. I usually only catch the end of a jump or the splash. It was very cool to see the whole breach.


On our way back to the put in, we had the breeze at our backs and the water was smooth. It was pretty cloudy so we were not able to watch the sunset, but the pleasurable water made up for it.

We hugged the shoreline back, to stay out of any wind. The water about 30 feet from shore was perfect. We just slid through it. I also had to stop and show Kiara, my daughter, that there was a McDonalds that was accessible by water. Until she saw the arches, she was not believing me.

As it started to get darker, we decided to stay on the water a little longer. We tossed on the nav lights and paddled around Trinski Island on Pistakee Lake. It is just South of the rt 12 bridge. You will recognize it by the steel sea wall that is around it.

This was a great trip and even though it was almost the same trip that I took a few weeks ago, it was even better going with the kiddo. I am glad that the weather held and we were able to turn the nav lights on and extend the trip into the dusk. I can't wait to get out there again!



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