April 28, 2009
Claire and I spent a late afternoon paddling around on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River. We went to Chub Lake, a spot we had visited last spring but couldn't return to last fall due to low water. We had a little snack on a large rock and then headed to Good Luck Lake. Fun paddling, but we didn't have much time before winds picked up and Good Luck Lake got quite wavy. It was enjoyable nonetheless and I'm sure we will return at some point this summer. A beaver swam along with us for a little way before diving under the water. And we encountered a funny Canada Goose who was eyeballing us as we got nearer and nearer.... either protecting a nest site or just really annoyed with us interrupting a late afternoon nap.
Who is that in my boat? Well Deej was seeing how much fun we were having and wanted to join us! Lots of places you can go in a little kayak that are just impossible with the 18.5 foot canoe. So we got a second kayak!!! Very exciting! It also means that we can invite friends to go with us on our adventures! Both kayaks have an open cockpit so kiddos can fit in front of the adult pretty easily. I actually didn't get a closeup of the new boat on this trip believe it or not but it will be in subsequent posts... here is a peek.... 
We had been meaing to get to Forked Lake last season but never made it. So it was our first family outing this year. It was a beautiful and incredibly warm day - I think it reached 80! It was a bit windy but because it was warm we were fine. It really was quite a nice lake and one we'd like to explore more. We arrived rather late in the afternoon so we just did a quick jaunt down to Brandreth River mouth... Claire and I went over the first beaver dam but Deej thought better of it on her first trip out in the kayak. She took pictures of us having a little fun though...
We saw loons even amidst the the pretty big waves. We stopped at a campsite on the northern side of the western lobe of the lake. Not sure if this was public or private here.... It was a fairly steep slope up to it, but nice views. The wind and waves essentially carried us back to the put in. We barely had to paddle at all! Balmy, nice day... and wonderful first voyage with the new boat - it really cut through those waves and tracked quite nicely! We will try to come back and explore more of Forked Lake another time.
more pics at