Launch! Lost! Oh Crap!
I followed around the shore line of Lake Pleasant south of Blue Mountain a few days ago.
The idea was that if followed the shoreline I would circumnavigate the whole lake and end up back at my campsite.
Bad idea.
After about 4 hours of paddling and thinking that the campgrounds should be presenting itself at any time now, but was not presenting itself where I thought it would be, only more trees, I realized that I was a bit lost. (Can you be just a bit lost?)
It was about 4 pm and I still had not found the campgrounds and I was getting a little worried.
I knew that I was not in any real danger because there were occasional houses sprinkled here and there along the shoreline and that if worse come to worse I could always take out the kayak and ask for help.
I WAS in sheer danger of severe embarrassment though.
I kept on for another 45 minutes as the sky began to darken and then upon rounding a point I saw campers!
Ah, relief!
Offshore I yelled to one of them as to what number their campsite was and she shouted out "350, which one are you looking for?"
I replied "196"..
Another 10 minutes and was "home" and high and dry.
I took out the kayak and started my evening fire and Most Happy Hour beer.
Lesson learned. Pay attention to where you are because the shoreline can all begin to look the same when you are out on the lake.
Midway through the outing I come across a little sandy beach. I decided to make a short video of getting into the kayak and launching myself out into the lake.
HD:
Altogether I was out about 5 hours. Needless to say, my arm muscles were sore from the paddling for so long. Not used to that kind of upper body workout.
Blue Mountain Lake is up next. Can't get lost there. It's too small as well as being much prettier.
The idea was that if followed the shoreline I would circumnavigate the whole lake and end up back at my campsite.
Bad idea.
After about 4 hours of paddling and thinking that the campgrounds should be presenting itself at any time now, but was not presenting itself where I thought it would be, only more trees, I realized that I was a bit lost. (Can you be just a bit lost?)
It was about 4 pm and I still had not found the campgrounds and I was getting a little worried.
I knew that I was not in any real danger because there were occasional houses sprinkled here and there along the shoreline and that if worse come to worse I could always take out the kayak and ask for help.
I WAS in sheer danger of severe embarrassment though.
I kept on for another 45 minutes as the sky began to darken and then upon rounding a point I saw campers!
Ah, relief!
Offshore I yelled to one of them as to what number their campsite was and she shouted out "350, which one are you looking for?"
I replied "196"..
Another 10 minutes and was "home" and high and dry.
I took out the kayak and started my evening fire and Most Happy Hour beer.
Lesson learned. Pay attention to where you are because the shoreline can all begin to look the same when you are out on the lake.
Midway through the outing I come across a little sandy beach. I decided to make a short video of getting into the kayak and launching myself out into the lake.
HD:
Altogether I was out about 5 hours. Needless to say, my arm muscles were sore from the paddling for so long. Not used to that kind of upper body workout.
Blue Mountain Lake is up next. Can't get lost there. It's too small as well as being much prettier.
3 Comments:
Nicely done. You look like you know what you are doing. I'm impressed.
Getting lost is a family tradition, like fighting on Thanksgiving. Glad to see that you're keeping it going. Give Eagle Nest my best.
Yes, I'm a master of "winging it".. which is a way of saying "I never know what I'm doing!" ;-D
Hopefully the weather will cooperate tomorrow and I will take in Eagle Nest with some pics, at least from the water side of the Great Camp.
and remember Patti and our week in the main house.
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