Loafin' on the Lake - Lake Jocassee

All is well!

          It was a good a day!  An easy breeze, an overcast sky, and clear gentle water made this day one to remember. This is the first chance I've had to put the canoe on Jocassee this year. All the rain that we've had, has been  filling the lake back up to within a couple of feet of "full pond". The woods surrounding the lake and shouldering the shore are a rich deep green, many small cricks and trickles of water flow and drip into the clear deep waters. The shore debris fills the small coves and masks the rivulets of water sneaking into the lake. Paddling quietly one can hear the water moving over and around the moss covered stones and cutting a trail through the forest floor making its way under the debris and joining the lake. We sit and listen to the moving water entering into the lake and hear the small waves slap the steep shore line. Gracie sleeps in the bow unconcerned as I tune in to the birds singing and circulating from one tree branch to another. A bass boat sits low in the water as three big men cast their lines toward shore, I slowly and quietly ease around them not disturbing their concentration or small talk. One sees Gracie riding low in the bow and says, "You got your dog with you". I respond, "Yep, she's a good dog". Gracie lifts her head and looks his way, he turns back toward shore and I head out across the lake one lazy stroke, another lazy stroke, we bob with the wind driven wave and move away.

          It's just over a mile to the Double Springs campground, we head that direction, but have a couple stops to make before paddling around the shore. We are not in a hurry, have no deadline to meet, and feel really laid back and lazy. It's been a busy year, this two thousand thirteen! Had a huge dump truck load of dirt/soil dumped at the foot of the driveway and spent many an hour moving it to the back of the yard to increase the size of and raise the flower beds. It took an old worn out wheelbarrow, an old worn   out man, and a brand new flat bottomed shovel to move it. I applied the same mentality moving dirt as I do to hiking or canoeing, one step at a time - one stroke at a time - one shovel at a time! Never ceases to amaze me how far - how much I can get done one bit at a time. My wife is the gardener, I'm the yard boy! It will be another year or two before we get it finished, but what we've done looks good. I'll post pictures later this summer. The other event crossing my mind as I was crossing the lake was the addition of the grandson to my small family. I never expected to be a grandfather, but am very blest to be one. I'm planning on spending many an hour wandering around the familiar trails seeing things that can only be seen through the eyes of a child. I 'll let him led me along and share in his discoveries. He's three weeks old and right now he doesn't do much, I told him he needs to grow up and be a man but just do it one day at a time, if he does it that way it will be OK!  I think I have a picture here somewhere  - Why yes, yes I do!

Future Outdoors Man -- Wyatt

       
          Gracie and I navigate to the left of the campground seeking to find a secret place, a place of solitude, a haven of rest - a really cool place, in every meaning of the word. We've been here in years past, talking with a kayaker dude one day, he told me about it and how to find it. Thank you- kayaker dude!  I'll share with likeminded canoeist and kayakers, just don't tell the motorboat people!

Entrance, don't tell!

          This is all the directions you get, just follow the shoreline and keep your ears open.


       

 [ Posting this video almost stressed me out! I wasn't sure that it was working so I ended up posting it twice with two different sites. I finally went to check where I can preview the blog before posting and there they both were and they both worked. Can't figure out how to delete one of them so watch which ever one is best for you. ]


          Returning to this really cool spot on the lake, it is even cool when the temps. are in the high nineties. I paddle in here and sit listening to the quite of nature and watch the hypnotic  water trickle down the rock face. Gracie sighs and sleeps relaxing in the revitalizing comfort of this place. Time to move on. We move to the right following  the shore right pass the campground, stopping to get out of the canoe and stretch our legs.

At rest!

          This one of the few spots where the lake bed tapers to the shore line, when the lake is full most of the shore line is a drop off. On my many travels around this lake I've decided that five feet below full pond is just the right level for canoes and kayaks to find and enjoy small sandy rest areas. We sit here awhile and then head to a hidden cove kinda tucked back out of the way. The water level had been so low for so long that lots of grass and weeds grew on the exposed shore line, now all that is covered by water and "it's a jungle out here!"  It took a little time to get to the cove - just follow the shoreline - but we made it and stopped here to eat a bit of lunch.

Back half of canoe is in the water!

               We eat a small lunch and sit enjoying the quiet day before paddling to the boat ramp.



          On the water or in the woods,

          Turtle