Sunday, August 28, 2011

A sweet simple paddle on the Yahara



Today was hard to beat. Standup paddleboard and a brand new paddle. Load up and go. Seven minutes later I am at Fish Camp Park on the Yahara. One other car at the put-in. New paddle immediately feels awesome. Distinctly different from its predecessor. Both are good though. River is wonderful. Water is clear. Looks clean. Most definitely NOT GREEN! There is grass growing in it, but it is a warm water shallow river. What should be growing? Lots of sand patches and the occasional rock. Lots of little fish. Didn't see any big fish this time out.



Chased this around for a bit. The first fall leaf. It had to come sooner or later I guess. Brought both paddles along, in case the new one didn't feel good. It did feel good though. So did the old one. Really like standup paddleboarding. While I've been in canoes for about 35 years now and love them a bunch, a canoe is a sitting sport and one that I associate (still) with the BWCA. But this paddleboard stuff....it's an all over workout, it's on the water, with a paddle. More intricate than paddling a canoe. More of a whole body thing, plus balance, plus a great angle to look into the water. With canoeing water too far away for daily use, a SUP and the Yahara is PERFECT.



Mud Lake is a good halfway point for my usual paddle on this stretch of the river. While there is a good bit of grass in this lake, the water is clear. NO MUD was evident at all. Not sure what the heron was up to. Didn't look like a nest site, not quite right for fishing. Must have been guarding the lake. Another mile or so upstream from this point is the Hwy 51 bridge crossing. Had the whole stretch of the river to myself this afternoon. Could have been the BWCA. Quiet, soft wind, perfect water, perfect sun. Great paddle today. Minutes from the house. Couldn't ask for a better setup.