JOURNEY #42 - October 19, 2003

Meech Lake: "Glorious Goodbye"

TRIP REPORT

After a very active spring and a reasonably busy summer, we couldn't seem to find any time to get out on the water in the fall. That's what made this final Sunday paddle all the more precious.

It was a last minute decision to go out at all, but we quickly decided on Meech Lake. It was a great choice. We saw only one other boat (a lovely cedar strip canoe) and once out of sight of the road, there was silence and solitude. The hills were covered mainly in oranges and yellows, with just the occasional spot of red. It was quite beautiful, especially in the sunshine.

We also discovered that the lake has become "smaller" since the spring. You can no longer (legally) paddle down the creek and into the pond at the end of the lake by the road next to the security gate. The feds have posted a "do not enter" sign in the water well short of the pond. There used to be some smaller signs of the same nature, but they were at the very end of the pond (where it was pretty much impossible to paddle further anyway) past the security hut that prevents the public from travelling further up the road.

We really took our time exploring the northern bays of the lake, whichcertainly the most interesting and isolated area. As usual we paddled through the marsh from the middle bay and popped out into the northernmost bay, which requires scooting over a huge submerged log just under the surface. We always head back into the main lake from here, because there are usually lots of people hanging out along the shore. It's a nice spot to paddle over and stop for lunch or some sunbathing, but today nobody was around, so we explored a couple of areas we had never been before, including the little shoe-shaped bay to the east.

We had neoprene socks and gloves on. Keenan had a shell, and Julie had a fleece. We were warm enough initially except for the fingertips. Then the sun came out and suddenly we were hot. What a great feeling...to feel hot out on the water on October 19.

There wasn't a lot of visible wildlife about, but we did see a cute little weasel scuttle down a trunk and into the brush right near the entrance ot the marsh.

We've got a free indoor storage offer, but we have to take it before the end of October, so that's pretty much the end of our paddling season for 2003. The rough plan for the spring is to get back to Algonquin, hopefully to paddle somewhere amongst moose and otters, which probably means Opeongo. Mosquito nets for xmas please!