Voyageurs is a national park that is mainly on the water. I was fortunate enough to have some amazing friends that gave me a kayak they had never used. It is a SeaEagle 370, which is a two person that conveniently packs into a bag. I am able to inflate the kayak and get all out gear and Tonto to the water in about 20 minute. Packing stuff up can take a bit longer, since the kayak must be dried off prior to storing it away.
Here is a look at the kayaking adventures from Voyageurs National Park.
First trip, August 10:
Set off from the Ash River Visitor Center kayak launch. I took the phrase “testing the waters” a bit to seriously at first. In doing so, I kept the kayak launch in sight as I toured around the cove. As I felt more confident and got used to the motorized boats on the water, I decided to circle the first island. After making it all the way around with ease, I ventured over to the neighboring island and paddled the circumference.
Tonto had more confident during this trip in the kayak and no longer needed to be in direct contact with me throughout the trip. This made paddling more comfortable and gave me more legroom. Towards the end of the outing, I called my mom and dad on FaceTime from the kayak. They were excited to hear from me, but I also might have freaked them out slightly.
Second trip, August 14:
I decided to paddle along the southern coast of the lake, past the visitor center, the mouth of Ash River, and passed a couple small alcoves. It was great to see an another part of the lake and really helped to build my confidence. I felt way more comfortable paddling an out and back distance after this. When I passed the Ash River sign, I realized that I might be able to paddle from the camp to the visitor center, which inspired my third trip.
Third trip, August 15:
This time, I launched from boat ramp at Ash Ka Nam Resort where I was camping. Tonto was there, of course! I packed dinner to enjoy on the kayak in a thermos. Then, I paddled up the river to the bay separating the river and the lake. The wind was incredibly strong, but I honestly didn’t realize it while paddling. It took me an hour and a half to paddle to my turning point, but only 30 minutes to paddle back.
I had given myself and time limit to paddle out, trying to get as far as possible toward the lake. I made it two-thirds of the way there by the turn around time. When I returned to camp, I realized I could have continued to paddle out, if I had realized the direction and wind being such important factors.
There were many more boats that passed me while on the bay, and I got experience crossing the wakes as they came behind the boats. My arms were burning by the time I was done paddling back. The next day, I could feel muscles in my hands and arms that I didn’t know existed. Tonto felt no soreness, as he is a happy freeloader during these adventures.
Bonus:
The photo of Tonto and I in the kayak (above) was taken by a very sweet woman and her husband from the dock at the Ash River Visitor Center. When I got close to the dock to hand her my phone, Tonto decided to jump out of the boat onto the dock. Luckily, he is tethered to the boat by a waist leash, so he couldn’t go far. The husband pet Tonto’s head and corralled him back on the kayak for me. I am pretty sure they thought I was crazy, but it worked out and they were super nice!