Well as of two days ago i entered the world of kayaking . I had sold my motorcycle the day before and went back to one of the local boat outfitters to get the Delta kayak i had tried a week before. Its be raining allot around here most of the spring so when the rain broke for a while yesterday i loaded the yak on my truck and set out for ,,,,somewhere. I ended up at Slocan Lake up the main valley from me and got ready. There was a moment when i dipped the bow into the water and floated the boat out a bit that was sort of, Mmm, can't think of the right word ,, ceremonial, initiatory?. Reminded me of the first time i pulled into a city with my motorcycle and backed it diagonally to the curb, a kind of small act of initiation. Anyway i set out for my first day trip with these shaky water legs. The sky was full of low rain clouds but i'm going.
I hugged the shoreline while i got more use to things and it was more interesting anyway. This was typical of the shoreline although the rocks got more like cliffs at times.
I paddled for a few km and found a perfect spot to hop out of the boat and have lunch. I was able to glide right into this little channel and hop right out of the boat. Beyond the boat you can see that the rock has a flat shelf, also perfect for setting up the BB and having lunch.
Up the lake the clouds were starting to turn to rain and i thought its only a matter of time before it starts where i am, glad i brought my raincoat. Just as i was finishing up my tea it started to rain so i packed everything up quick and headed back towards the launch.
There were numerous streams feeding into the lake but they were mostly hidden in the rocks and couldn't get a good pic but it was nice to sit there and listen to it. As i moved down the lake i looked for places to hang in case i came back here and although there were places to hang i would actually be farther up the lake. Good to look anyway though. Here's another shot on the way back, more of the typical shoreline.
After i got back and packed everything up i drove down the back road of Slocan and when i crossed the river took a shot north from the bridge. The weather was starting to really come in . You can see its flood time here by how much the river is swelled.
This is what things look like on a sunny day here at the lower end of the lake.That's Valhalla Prov. Park off to the right . No roads go to or in the park,(-:
Anyway my camera and photography skills don't do the area justice but it was an important day as it was the beginning of potential kayak camping for me ,,whuwhoo. One of these days after i get a few more miles of experience i'll get camping and get the Blackbird in the mix.
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