Chinkapin Hike

So, what did I do on what could be the last nice day of fall? Wrong, I didn't get out on the water though I should have because I am a wimp. Combining cold, wind and water just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe I'm just not that into it yet. Maybe in the spring I'll be more willing to brave the cold after months away from my little red kayak. Maybe.

Anyway, today a friend and I hiked at Chinkapin Bluffs Recreation Area just outside Columbus Junction. It's a beautiful park with a shelter, playground, overlook deck and at least five miles of trail.

We started on the crushed limestone trail in the picnic area. It leads to the deck overlooking the Iowa River floodplain. With many of the leaves gone, we could see the river as well as water in the Chinkapin wetland. This park is worth a visit just for the view from the overlook.

Then we headed out past the demonstration prairie and pawpaw research plot to one of several trails that wind through the timber. Once you get into the timber, watch out - these trails are steep! While they aren't for everyone, they're a great way to put some extra work into the old workout.

The steep part gets you to the base of the bluff pretty quickly (thus the steepness) and then you are on a wide, flat trail -the old railroad bed. This 3.5-mile trail is part of the Hoover Nature Trail which has several completed section from West Branch to Morning Sun. It's got a crushed limestone surface with a lot of grass growing on it. Nice for biking, walking or running. There is even a parking lot at the end so you don't have to walk up or down the steeper trails.

My friend, who lives less than 10 miles from the park had never been there. She really liked it and kept saying "this is really nice." Now that I think about it though, that was before we had to go up the steep part.

One of my favorite things about this trail is that it runs next to the Chinkapin wetlands. So that even though I wasn't on the water, I was near it.

Change of Seasons

Today was my last chance this year to try out the one Odessa Water Trail route I hadn’t been on yet – Goose Trail. This one isn’t accessible during low water and most of it will close for the duck season starting October 20.

Though it was hot, there was definitely a sense of autumn in the air. There was a pretty strong breeze and it was the first day I’ve really seen lots of leaves falling.

As I paddled through “Lateral Ditch” the first thing I noticed was how the lotuses have changed since my first paddle on Odessa this year. The leaves are all but gone and the beautiful, exotic flowers have transformed into odd-shaped pods (yes if you’re wondering these are the same ones used in flower arrangements).

Goose Trail is a neat route – at this time of year its a series of narrow channels connecting open ponds and then into water filled with wild millet. The millet has been growing all summer on mud flats left by the lower water. It’s flooded now and though it was green just a few weeks ago, it’s now standing ripe and ready for the fall migrants.

Rails are already in there foraging for insects. Throughout the fall ducks will use the plants for cover while they eat the seed. A variety of song birds will also feast on the seeds to store up energy for the long trip south. Even hatchling fish use the millet – it’s full of the invertebrates they munch during this stage of their lives.

Just as the plants are changing, the list of critters I saw today is different, too. I saw only a couple of herons and no egrets or pelicans (though they are still around using different areas now). There were ducks, geese and cormorants, blackbirds, a few hawks, a bald eagle and a kingfisher.

The best wildlife encounter of the day was with a barred owl. As I was putting my camera back inside my lifejacket, I drifted toward shore and an owl that was sitting in the open on a fallen log. It watched me float closer but didn’t move, letting me get within about 10 feet. You’ll have to take my word though because I couldn’t the camera without spooking it. We just sat and stared at each other until he/she got tired of looking at me and flew off.

Odessa Water Trail Dedication

I usually have Odessa and the Odessa Water Trail pretty much to myself when I'm paddling. That wasn't the case today and I have a feeling there will be plenty of other times where I will have to share this beautiful place.

The trail was given it's official status as Iowa's third designated water trail. Somewhere between 50 and 60 paddlers took part in the inaugral paddle on a morning that definitely had the crisp feel of fall in the air.

The critters were cooperative and showed off for the the visitors - ducks, egrets, herons, cormorants, eagles, swallows, turtles and hawks all made appearances.

Swallows & Sunset at Snively

I’m writing today’s blog from Snively Access campground. No, I’m not actually posting from here – no wireless, but that would be a great idea. But, the photo is taken as I’m sitting here (the blob on the lower right is the edge of my tent).

You can even see a few of the swallows along with the heron fishing along the shore. There are hundreds of them zooming up and down the shoreline hunting bugs. They’re flying so close I may end up with a blob of white on my computer or shirt.

Anyway, I don’t usually camp so close to home because I consider camping a “vacation thing.” And vacations are something you do away from home - anyway, that's what I've always thought.

Over the last twenty years I’ve camped with my kids and husband in beautiful, often remote, campgrounds from Tennessee to Oregon and most of the states in between. We often reminisce about our favorite sites.

I’ll be adding this one to the list. I set up my tent about an hour ago with the idea that I would head straight to the office and get some work done (yeah, on a Saturday). I decided to sit down for a while and watch a heron fishing along shore. Then I got fascinated with the swallows. I finally gave up and got out the chair and laptop to work here for a while.

I highly recommend it, with or without the laptop. I’ll be back later today without it.

So, I did go back and had a nice but short paddle on Odessa as the sun was starting to set. The water was smooth. It was quiet except for the heron's croaking and there were no other obats out.

That'll change tomorrow morning.

Way Up North

I took the Red Kayak outside Louisa County for the first time this week. After a lovely drive along the Great River Road, we ended up near LaCrosse, Wisconsin on Lake Onalaska. Along the way we saw the devastation from the heavy rains that brought all the water down stream to us.

Lake Onalaska is actually part of the Mississippi River. If I'd had enough time, I could have paddled across to the main channel which was on the Minnesota side. But, as usual, I found so much to do that I spent more time exploring and taking pictures than paddling.

The river is really different up there because there is no levee - very wide and spread out. The backwaters are incredible, ranging from open, shallow marshes to braided streams snaking through the floodplain forests. The river up there is all part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

The water up there is full of vegetation. Submergent plants like wild celery, coontail, sago pond weed grew under the water everywhere. It was pretty neat looking and , more importantly, provides food for lots of critters.

A couple days later I paddled on the west side of the river near MacGregor. Again it was beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing a new area but I realized something: I'm spoiled.

Every time I paddle in Louisa County, I see wildlife galore. At Onalaska there were a lot of pelicans, a few grebes and some geese overhead. At McGregor I saw a few herons. When I paddle on Odessa, I've seen that many birds from the boat ramp.

It was nice to see new areas and to get a new appreciation for what we have here at home.

High Water Adventure

It's not very often we get high water on the rivers in August, especially at these levels. I took advantage of the rare opportunity and headed out to Indian Slough Wildlife Area.

Though I have to say that I was afraid it would be kind of a let down because after a summer of paddling and watching wildlife on Odessa, I've got pretty high expectations.

It was absolutely awesome!

I parked on the road (parking lot was under water) and slid the kayak into the water on the west side of the road. Actually, ON the west side of the road. Then I headed out from there.

First I paddled up under an eagle nest and got a good look at that. Then I watched a kingfisher fish, dragonflies mate, eagles soar, carp suck, turtles bask, herons wade, swallows swoop, ... well, you get the idea.

I also paddled under trees and over grass and next to the tops of buttonbush. I can't even say exactly where I went because I just wandered from one little pocket of water to the next. At one point I thought maybe I was going to end up in the Iowa River (I didn't and I don't think I was ever really very close).

After several hours of paddling I ended up right where I started - completely by accident. It was fun wandering around without a map - a bit of an adventure not knowing exactly where I was and how I would get back. My two guideposts: the sun and the eagle nest.

This trip will be worth repeating in the high waters of spring. And always in the high waters of late summer.

Odessa Water Trail

I've got a guest blogger today. Angie Sanders just moved to Louisa County from Illinois to be the director of Louisa Development Group. She's an outdoors person but new to paddling. I think we've got her hooked though. Read on ...

The Odessa Water Trail and Iowa State Extension Sesquicentennial project for Louisa County brought out over a dozen people to Odessa today. I joined one other kayak and a canoe on the North Water Trail which meanders through Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge. We set about to map out waypoints along the way, to take in the sights and have a good time.

Even with the recent rain, we were able to see the path fairly well. But I could tell that if another kayaker got in after the water level had risen, that signs would be a good idea. The North Water Trail definitely has some bends and curves, which adds to its mystique and beauty, before it juts out straight along the shore and south towards the rest of the Lake. But that’s what I liked about this Trail. It had variety.

The first section looks like some other put-ins I know, but as you start to wind down the waterway, it can look like a mini-rain forest. The hundreds of lotus flowers and lily pads add to the ancient feel. The jumping carp – that was fun! We saw several birds, of course, not the least of which was a Great Blue Heron. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

After a few turns, which took hardly any effort due to the relaxing nature of the water and the day, the Trail led to a near straight away with a wide expanse. Before we knew it, the other kayaker asked me what the white bird was up ahead. Egret? No, a pelican! And it’s joining about 500 of its friends on the eastern shore. We were too far to get any sort of close up view, but we saw several groups, about 20 at a time, swoop in from the south. They had a magical angle to their flight – a sort of dance that came in waves, ending with their landing.

Our group was mesmerized and surprised we had already come to join the others at Schafer Access. It took about two hours when all was said and done – and that was at a generous pace.

One section of Odessa Water Trail down, four more to go.

Up the Iowa

This may sound stupid but today I paddled about four miles UP the Iowa River.

After experiencing the Mississippi River, I wanted to try the Iowa and didn't have someone to help me shuttle. So, I put in at Schwob Access in Wapello and paddled upstream to the Highway 61 Access.

I could tell within 10 minutes that I had gotten into something more than I intended. A couple of times I looked over at the shore and felt like I was in one of those perpertual swimming pools. The headwinds didn't help.

But, there were plenty of sandbars for resting (you can't rest on the water or you go backwards). And there was always a corner just up ahead.

I kept thinking that once I got around that corner, I might just be where I could see to Highway 61. And while I normally want to put the sounds of traffic behind me, I was straining to hear the trucks knowing that meant I was getting close to my goal.

In all the trip took about three and a half hours - the float back took right at an hour and it was heaven!!

Mississippi River Paddle

Another first: the Red Kayak's maiden voyage on a river.

We decide to start at the top so we headed out to the Mississippi River, putting in at the Port Louisa boat ramp. (yeah, "we", I got the Camo Kayak to come along because I was nervous about the spillway).

We paddled a total of about 6.5 miles, ending up at the Toolesboro boat ramp just about exactly three hours later. We didn't paddle hard most of the time, did a bit of floating and a lot of poking along the bank looking for snakes.

The search turned up quite a few, including a copper-bellied water snake which is on Iowa's endangered species list. Just a hint, if you're trying to identify one, you'll have to lift it up and take a peek at the belly. And a warning too, when bothered these snakes give off a musk that smells exactly like skunk. Luckily, they don't actually spray it out!

The biggest surprises for me:

1. We met only a couple of boats once we got away from the boat ramp and off the main channel.
2. The spillway turned out to be no problem - the portage on the land side is very easy.
3. There really isn't much of a current since we were actually in the pool behind the dam.

Though we saw the snakes, a few herons, an eagle, a couple of tame ducks, pelicans and a tern, I have been spoiled by the abundance of wildlife on Odessa so it seemed like we saw very little.

It is a beautiful river, especially back on this sheltered chute away from the barges and other big boats. I'll definitely try this one again.

Paddling Friends

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I couldn't keep the whole 6,000 plus acres to myself forever.

I was on Port Louisa NWR floating in the quiet, shallow water and trying to sneak up on a heron. I also had my eye on a brood of ducks ahead and was prepared to inch my way along until the birds were spooked. (I got pretty close to the heron as this picture shows - and its not because I have a big lens).

All of a sudden the heron squawked and took off; the ducklings scattered and I heard voices. In a few minutes a canoe appeared around the bend. I was thrilled for two reasons: I had some fellow paddlers to visit with and it meant I would be able to get through to Shafer's access. (The water is pretty low right now, so I wasn't sure it could be done.)

Though we just exchanged a few pleasantries about the perfect weather at that point, we later ended up paddling together all the way to Shafer's Access. As they led the way through lotus beds, I learned that they have a cabin on the lake and enjoy watching pelicans, paddling and just soaking up the peace and quiet of Odessa.

It was really nice to meet new folks who have discovered the beauty of this place. They too have mixed feelings about introducing others to the place. We'd kind of like to keep the peace and quiet to ourselves. On the other hand, it's seems wrong not to share it.

What I saw today: wood ducks, herons, cormorants, egrets, turtles, eagle, vultures, carp, lots and lots and lots of pelicans.

Paddling with the Girls

Finally, I got to share my discoveries at Odessa with some other paddlers. A group of girl scouts spent a few days at Snively Campground with the sole purpose of spending time on the water. They didn't know their way around so I offered to be their guide for the day.

We put in right next to their camp site and went south toward Sand Run. The girls - ages 11-13 - were not experienced paddlers but they were enthusiastic and with a few paddling tips we were on our way. There was lots of chatter and questions as we made our way down the length of the Main Lake.

After about a half hour I heard the first "are we almost there yet" and "can we take a break." My goal was to get to the old pumping station on Blackhawk where I knew we could get out on the "beach" and also take a look at the Mississippi River. It was another 3-4 miles one way but we decided to go for it. With a few breaks for tired arms, a floating lunch, and a look at the snakes on the beaver lodge we arrived there in about 3 hours.

It was fun to watch the girls venture out to the mud flats and explore. They picked up mussel shells, looked at the dead shad along the shore, poked in the mud and admired the blooming marsh mallows. When it was time to go, I sensed that we were going to have some trouble with motivation.

Knowing that the girls were tired and that the trip back could go even slower, I knew I would have to come up with something to get them moving. A challenge was issued: if we got back in two hours I would take them out for ice cream. I could hardly keep up with them for awhile! Of course they couldn't keep up that pace - in fact the last mile was pretty grueling - but they did a great job.

Those girls ended up paddling around 10 miles - the second half in exactly two hours. And after being revived with showers and ice cream, I think they all agreed that it had been a great day on the water.

Thanks to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois for providing these kind of outdoor adventures for girls.

Peace & (sort of) Quiet

The Camo Kayak finally joined me today and we repeated a trip on Odessa that we had made about a year ago by canoe. We put in at Sand Run Access and headed south.

It was a beautiful morning. There was no wind and the water was like glass. The only sounds were the dipping of our paddles and the gliding of our kayaks on the water. Well, except for croaks, squawks, whistles and various other calls of birds along the way. Sometimes the peace and quiet is almost deafening!

After we got around the bend, we ventured north into what we knew would be a shallow spot. We were able to get through by kayak but a canoe probably wouldn't have made it at this water level. It was a bit of work paddling but worth it to really get off the beaten path. We knew it would only be us and the wildlife out there.

There seemed to be even more pelicans, egrets and great blue herons than the week before. There were some of each in sight throughout our whole trip. In the case of the pelicans, we could usually see at least a hundred and sometimes closer to a thousand.

While we were back on Little Goose we also saw: a doe with her two fawns, a racoon, sandpipers, cormorants,

When we came out of Little Goose, we paddled toward Horseshoe bend to check out the watersnake hot spot. There is a beaver lodge that always seems to have watersnakes lounging on it. We weren't disappointed. Several large diamondback watersnakes were hidden among the sticks. We almost missed seeing one that was hidden in plain sight, laying straight as a stick on the side of a log. These non-poisonous water snakes are found in only a few places in Iowa.

Paddling with Pelicans

Finally, I got back on the water with the Red Kayak and headed to Odessa again. Things have changed a lot since May -- there is a lot less water and it's a whole lot warmer (air and water).

This time I put in at Shafer's access and struck out across the main lake to check out the Lateral Ditch. It's down to not much more than a trickle - about what I was expecting at this water level (I will try to find a link to explain the management of this area - suffice it to say that lowering the water level in summer is part of the plan).

So, I changed to plan B and paddled north into Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge. A large patch of white in the distance immediately got my attention. As I suspected, it turned out to be several hundred pelicans taking advantage of the low water to do some easy fishing.

Though they weren't crazy about the intrusion, the pelicans didn't want to move too badly either and stayed put long enough for some pretty good photos (actually, they stayed put rather well since I had to paddle all the way back to the access to get a card to put in my camera).

My next stop after I was done bothering the pelicans was at one of the many patches of American lotus. Though I've seen these plants many times, I'm always fascinated by them. There is a whole little world dwelling on the floating leaves. I even saw a red-winged blackbird walking across them.

Though I paddled about 5.5 miles, I was never more than a mile and a half from the access (the trip back for the camera card helped me get plenty of paddling in).

And I still managed to see: a yellow-crowned night heron, cormorants, turkey vultures, several broods of wood ducks, killdeer, great blue herons, egrets and bullfrogs. Most interesting wildlife encounter of the day: a little fish ended up in the seat of the kayak with me.

Odessa is low right now and I sucked a little mud with my paddle on occasion but that's exactly why a lot of these critters are out there. I plan to go out and see them again later this week. Stay tuned.

Port Louisa Loop

For the first time since I got the Red Kayak, I decided to invite some others to join me.

Naturally this was the time I got (just a little) lost, took two hours longer than planned to get back, had to navigate seven portages and ended up paddling into a strong headwind.

But it was fun! It was much more of an adventure than the quiet wildlife watching I have done so far.

We put in at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge, just up the road from my first kayaking trip. But this time I had the bright idea of making a big loop instead of backtracking. Obviously, I've gotten much braver with my navigation skills though not necessarily better.

The six of us headed out in with three borrowed kayaks, a square stern canoe and, of course, the Red Kayak. A tip here for novice paddlers - square stern canoes are not made to paddle! They are used with either oars or a motor.

Several combinations of people tried the canoe with limited success so in the end I gave up the Red Kayak for the day and shared the canoe with a co-worker who just thought she was bad at paddling (she wasn't, it was the canoe).

Anyway, we wandered through the refuge and went up the main lake where we encountered the headwind. We crossed over on the "Lateral Ditch" then headed back up into the refuge, relieved to get out of the headwind and into the backwaters. We had our first portage at the Fox Pond structure. That was when I realized I should have done some scouting.

Taking out and putting in was a little challenging at all the portage sites. In fact the only guy in the group managed to land in the water as he tried to make that first exit. He wondered why we didn't give him a hard time about it. Speaking for myself, I figured there was a pretty good chance I'd end up in the same position before the day was over. As long as someone had to fall in though, we liked that it was the token male.

As we entered Fox Pond I felt like our trip had taken a turn for the better - we saw cormorants, pelicans, geese and coots plus the scenery is beautiful there. Granted, it was already past the time I'd expected to be taking out but I thought we'd be making good time at that point. Yeah, right.

The water was high and we realized too late that we had actually gotten out of Fox Pond and were paddling across a flooded field. Which didn't mean we were lost, it just meant taking out and putting in three extra times.

Three extra times up and down steep, rocky banks.

We crossed the road (where the Running Wild road race is held each August) and got into "Prairie Pocket" for the final stretch. Almost. It turns out there was a road that didn't show up on the map and so we still had three MORE portages.

After 4.5 hours paddling 9 miles we ended up in the parking lot right where we started. Which is really pretty cool. No shuttling needed and we didn't have to backtrack.

It was fun having friends along to share the adventure (and the adversity). Plus someone had thought to bake cupcakes to share with the group at the end of the trip. They were yummy and we had earned them.

Mother's Day on the Marsh

Though I hadn't planned on my outing today being a Mother's Day celebration that's exactly what it turned out to be. It's not that my kids went along - the son is not home and the daughter was sleeping in.

It's that Cone Marsh Wildlife Management Area was teaming with moms.

The canada geese were everywhere - at least 4 different pairs honked and scolded at me as I paddled along the the marsh's edge. They didn't venture far from cover though - probably keeping their goslings gathered in close.

Not too far from the boat ramp I found the pair of trumpeter swans that had been released from there a couple of weeks ago. I was glad to see them still together though they won't nest this year - actually it will be at least three more years before they are mature. Even though they didn't have a nest or young, they didn't like having me around and continued to "trumpet" as long as I was in sight.

There were coots and mallards on top of nearly every muskrat hut. Countless pairs of red-winged blackbirds were busy making nests in the bulrushes. (They scolded me, too.)

In fact, at one point the sounds of scolding birds was pretty darn loud. Over the din I even heard a turkey gobble and a pheasant crow. There were several other birds thrown in the mix that I couldn't ientify. My husband tells me one of those was probably a pied-billed grebe.

I'm not great with bird ID and I didn't have binoculars but I think I may have seen two sandhill cranes. They have nested at Cone Marsh in the past so it's a possibility.

It was a good time to visit this beautiful cattail-bulrush marsh. The water is high and the vegetation still short so I could get back to some nooks and crannies that won't be accessible in a few weeks. I've got to go back in July though when the marsh mallows are blooming. Judging from the stems of last year's plants - they are going to be gorgeous.

And I will definitely visit again next spring. I might even make it a Mother's Day tradition but next year I'm going to wake up my daughter and take her along.

Odessa - Burris Ditch to Sand Run

Weather and work have kept the Red Kayak docked this past week but my trip today was worth the wait.

Today's adventure was on Odessa Wildlife Management Area. I put in at the Burris Ditch ramp then paddled to the Sand Run Access and back. This time I brought my map (in its high-tech waterproof gallon-size zip lock) and was glad I did. While I didn't exactly get lost, let's say I explored a few extra places along the way.

The weather was gorgeous and the trees are bursting into full foliage. The usual birds were out and about: wood ducks, geese, coots, blue-winged teal, turkey vultures, gulls, wood peckers, tree swallows and bald eagles.

The highlight of the trip was definitely the bald eagle nest. It's easily visible from the water, but hopefully far enough off not to be disturbed. I didn't have binoculars (still being a novice kayaker, I don't take along much extra gear) but I could clearly see the white head of one of the parents above the top of the massive nest. The adults weren't flying around so they must be faithfully tending eggs or eaglets.


A few more motor boats were out on this beautiful Sunday afternoon for pleasure and fishing but I saw less than a dozen.

The round-trip journey took just under three hours (about 8.5 miles). I highly recommend this route - it's pretty easy to find your way with a map in hand and you get to see both backwaters and bit of the more open water.


Actually, I just recommend that you get outside and enjoy spring.

Indian Slough Wildlife Area

I had so much fun yesterday, I grabbed the Red Kayak and headed out again today. The destination for the day's paddling was the marsh at Indian Slough Wildlife Area. There was plenty of water because the Iowa River is still pretty high, but the parking lot is finally dry so I could put in off the structure levee to check out the east side of the slough.

Truthfully, since the Maiden Voyage had gone so well, I was afraid this trip would almost have to be a letdown.

Nope.

After crossing the open water past a dozen wood duck houses, goose nest structures and dozens of coots, I headed into the backwaters. That's where the fun began (getting out of the headwind didn't hurt either). I kept paddling down smaller and more shallow passages until I was pushing my way through grass and dead trees.

After passing some scolding geese, scaring up a few teal and accidently chasing a wood duck hen from a box, I caught a glimpse of a large white bird. With the luck I'd been having, I held out hope that it was a trumpeter swan. It turned out to be a pelican that must have had an injury since I never saw it fly but it did manage to hide when I got too close.

I kept wandering down an increasingly small ditch and even managed to float the Red Kayak over an old beaver dam and branches knocked down by the ice storm.

I sat for quite a while watching tree swallows perform their courtship dances (anyway, I assume that's what they were doing since I did see the culmination of the courtship) and spent a good bit of time seeing just how close the goose couple would let me get.

Today's wildlife list: coots, carp, wood ducks, geese, pelican, blue-winged teal, turkey vultures, cormorants, tree swallows, egrets, great blue herons and a bald eagle nest (too far away to tell but I've heard the eagles are tending young ones there). Also, plenty of unidentified birds.

Number of people seen: zero.

Another great day on the water.

The Maiden Voyage

I set out in the Red Kayak for my first adventure today in the late afternoon. I was excited to head out on my own but also a little nervous since I had forgotten to take a map. My strategy (which proved to work pretty well): stay to the right on the way out and the left on the way back.

I put in at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge and made my way through Odessa Wildlife Management Area (aka "Lake Odessa") to Snively Campground.

As I rounded the first corner, two turkeys flew across the the narrow passage, carp were wallowing in the shallows and dozens of coots were scooting out of my way. When I paddled to shore to inspect the carp, a couple of deer bolted just a few yards away from me.

I could see that it was going to be a great trip.

In my 7 mile trip (3.5 each way) I saw: turkeys, deer, coots, carp, blue-winged teal, turkey vultures, wood ducks, painted turtles, egrets, great blue herons, canada geese, many unidentified birds and even a bald eagle catching a fish. I'm also fairly certain I heard a pileated woodpecker.

What I didn't see or hear were many people. There were a couple fishing on shore and I did see two boats. In two hours.

I am hooked. Lots of wild critters. Beautiful views. Peace. Quiet. The cell phone turned off (but still in my dry hatch - I'm not that confident yet).

I think the Red Kayak is going to see a lot of time on the water. Good thing we've got plenty of places still to explore.