Summer Kayaking Review

We return to Nanaimo next week; our summer in Sandpoint is drawing to a close. It was our first summer kayaking, although we started last Fall in the Nanaimo area. So I was curious if lake kayaking would be a disappointment after the Georgia Strait. Of course Lake Pend Oreille is a large lake.

Most of the trips we took were short, as they were on the strait - typically one to three hours of paddling. The usual launch was the 3rd Street Pier (easily reached on foot with the kayak on a cart), but destinations varied and included:
* Sandcreek as far as the Schweitzer Cutoff bridge
* Dover
* Nik's beach
* Comeback Bay / Fry Creek
One of the first trips saw us launch from Johnson Creek, by Clark Fork.

We avoided heavy weather, probably nothing over 10 knots and typically less than half that. Wildlife sightings included eagles, osprey, geese, ducks, a cormorant (I think), herons, beavers, etc.

All in all, the lake kayaking was a success, with plenty of exploring left for future years. It mixes well with bicycling as a second activity. Our kayak gear worked out well and we were pleased with our purchases of used fiberglass kayaks:
* a Seaward Gemini (a smallish, stable tandem, about 18 feet long)
* a Seaward Endeavor (about 17.5' long, about 22.5" wide, skeg)
Whether we get another single remains to be seen. The tandem was often used to introduce our many visitors to kayaking. With the torrent of visitors now quenched, September and October offer great kayaking opportunities, but we'll be gone.

Richard
2007.08.22