It was late in the afternoon when we took the canoes out on Chambers Lake, about 3:30. This lake, three miles southeast of Olympia, has no surface inlets, but is fed by stormwater and surface runoff. As a result, it varies in size. It is a lake we've paddled at least three times before, and I even thought about trying to fish it from the canoe once, when George was frequenting the nearby bike trails, the 'Rails to Trails' route that is throughout this area. I recall huge carp that would swirl in the water in the summertime, dash away from us and hide under the lilypads.
It is a small lake, about 60 acres, with a boat-ramp leading down into the water. George is holding the canoe steady here, so Megan can situate herself up front. Normally, we wear garden boots (waders), so we can walk into the water when loading-up. That way, the canoe is further out in the water and won't scrape the bottom when we sit down.
Once situated, they took their paddles and gently pushed away from the cement boat-ramp. If you notice, they are wearing PFD's (personal floatation devices) that zip up, and are form fitting for men or women. I find in winter that they help hold body heat in, and in summer they are sometimes unbearably warm if they are black (like George's).
We paddled for only about an hour before the sun started to fade over the hills in a nice rosy glow. We managed to paddle around the lake, with a few little side-trips into the reeds. This is a surprisingly shallow lake - about 8 feet at the deepest - and the roots from lily pads were often within just a few feet from the bottom of the canoe along the shoreline.
It was fairly cold out, and when you are out on the water it feels even colder. Megan is putting on a hat and her hood here. I spent about 20 minutes filming parts of this glide, which had really lovely, calm water patterns, and deep color. When we loaded up the canoes at the end of our paddle, the sun had set, and little lights twinkled on the shoreline.
We had managed to sneak in a delightful little paddle at the end of a busy day.
