100 Miles, Day 6
Day 6 started off with a downpour. It ended in a downpour as well! To be honest though, paddling on Devil’s Lake in a heavy rain is a wonderful and unique experience. The sounds of the rain hitting the water and tapping on the kayak sometimes create some wonderful rhythms! Today I didn’t expect to see the bald eagle or the king fisher that have been my regular companions on this adventure, but in fact both out and about regardless of the rain. I met one lone fisherman on the south shore who didn’t let the rain stop him either. I wonder how the fishing is during a torrential rain?
When the weather turns foul, the lake takes on a completely different mood than the one summer visitors get to see. It’s sometimes easy to forget you’re in Wisconsin! You could easily imagine you were paddling on a Scottish loch. Didn’t see any sea monsters today though!
The wind came in fits as squall lines moved overhead. The wind blew out of the north today building choppy waves nearly a foot high on the south end of the lake. On a small lake like this one, it takes strong winds AND in just the right direction to push waves up anywhere near a foot or two. The bow of my kayak would rise and drop over the waves, throwing water into my face as we went. Wearing dry gear, I was warm and comfortable regardless of the weather. Only my face and hands were getting wet. Also, the lake water is still very warm at this point in the year, so a warm splash on a cold rainy day isn’t really unwelcome. It won’t last long though!
This tree stood out like a beacon in the south shore picnic area. What an amazing mix of colors! It seems that with each passing day there is more color out there, still though, most of the foliage is still green or just starting to turn to yellow.
The skies let loose with a particularly hard downpour by the time I had reached the north shore. Thankfully though, I was out of the wind! I took a little time to just relax here and enjoy the rain before heading back south. At least on the way back, the wind which I knew would be waiting for me, would now be pushing me back toward my car instead of blowing in my face!
To truly appreciate the color of the Baraboo quarzite that surrounds the lake, you have to see it when it is wet. The stone takes on a variety of colors from deep purple to red and orange. Some boulders are swirled with blacks and whites which create amazing contrasts and beautiful designs in the stone.
Here’s a bit of raw video from today’s paddle just to give you a feel for being on the water in the rain…