The Falcon Sail making easy work of the south end of the lake.
(Kayak & canoe sails at http://www.falconsails.com)
For the next day, the wind had gone
east at 5-8 mph, so I set the Falcon Sail and made a leisurely paddle/sail to
the west. Instead of the variety of
birds I saw yesterday, this part of the lake seems to be the domain of
pelicans. I paddled gently. Someone
experienced with the sail could have gotten more out of it, but I was being
conservative and hugging the shore. I still got a good boost from the sail
while hitting 4 mph in total comfort.
This was great, because paddling in open water in the fall means being
on the lake pretty much alone. I’m still
not entirely at one with the sail, and swamping or capsizing in the cold water
could be a problem.
Just chillin'.
The goal was to paddle the
circumference of the lake, but this became difficult since the northwest
quadrant of the western arm of the lake was made up of stump fields. I did go in among the dead stands far enough to
get a picture of a couple fishermen tied to a stump. He was a local fishing guide, and offered
some interesting background on the lake.
We had been having severe drought for a decade that had dried up many of
the lakes. I asked how Tom Steed Lake had
been affected. He said, “Oh, there was no
water in here at all except right down the creek channel and a puddle in the
middle. This whole area around here where
you’re paddling (as he made a sweeping gesture around the lake with his arm)
could all be driven with a pickup truck.”
It's always good to call ahead for reservations.
Flies have been especially bad this
year. It may have to do with dried
vegetation being soaked for the first time in years. For the last two months, they have reached
unbelievable populations. But, if you
have a pet lizard and need to harvest a good supply of flies for it, pan-frying
fish will do it. This drew so many bugs
that the screens in all the windows and the door were so densely covered that
we didn’t dare open a door. Even then,
those that did manage to find a way in kept us busy with the swatter.
Wetting fishing lines in the stump field.
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