Buddy resting on the shore of Dillon Lake.
The next day was to give us a fairly uneventful drive from Lieber State Recreation Area to Buckeye Lake State Park in Ohio. We were less than pleased to find a large sign meeting us when we drove into the park saying that there was no camping permitted in the state park. Campers are forced to use a private park, a KOA, if they wish to remain, so we continued east. It seems we also stumbled into the middle of a large fishing tournament, so our inability to camp there was softened some by the image of 60-70-mph bass boats tearing about in search of the one remaining fish, always at the opposite end of the lake.
A Canada goose family out for a training paddle.
Our next destination would be Dillon Lake, a 1,376 acre lake. The local address is Nashport, Ohio, but it is only six miles outside of Zanesville. The city was named for Ebenezer Zane, but is best known now for his great-grandson, Zane Grey, one of America’s best known writers of Western tales. A Zane Grey museum is nearby in Norwich.
A large culvert passes through a hill so Dillon Lake and
Poverty Run join. If the number of fishermen is any indication,
it must be a popular bass fishing spot.
Dillon Lake gave me the first real chance to use Buddy for an extended paddle. The GPS indicated I held 4.3 mph for long periods, which can’t be too bad for a 14-ft. canoe, and once tired, still was able to settle into a relaxing 3.3 mph. I paddled the entire 12-mile perimeter of Dillon Lake, up into the Licking River, which feeds the lake, and into an off-shoot called Poverty Run, where I felt I should be able to feel at home. I had a chance to watch a young eagle in a tree over my head for some time. I took two pictures of the eagle, but the lighting was bad, and no matter what I did to push the light or contrast, couldn’t get a decent picture out of them, so ended up deleting both. All in all, it was just a nice relaxing day---nothing less than what you‘d expect from a few hours on the water..
Blue Heron on take-off.
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