Kayaking Lake St Catherine

August 16, 2021 Monday                                           Most Recent Posts:
Camping on the Battenkill                                    Faulty Expectations
Arlington Vermont              A Morning with Bullhead Pond’s Green Herons

Today I drove the 30 miles north to Lake St Catherine to kayak the 852 acre huge lake.  In this previous blog I show the beach area and the kayak put in as well as the campground and other features.

Upon arriving, I decided to put in on the beach rather than the boat ramp in the campground.  It is simpler than using what is mostly I suspect a power boat launch.  It was early enough that few people were on the beach.  I pulled up to the grassy area, unloaded the kayak and drug it to the water’s edge.  Not too far and down hill.  I’ll worry about coming back later.  There was no where to set up my SLR camera so this picture is a dark selfie taken with my phone.

Turns out  huge is the word for this lake and for the most part it is lined with houses.  So far here in Southern Vermont I’ve had a difficult time finding anything that might still be considered a wild water area.

The state park and its beach area are near the north end of the lake.  I took this shot as I paddled away from shore.

I headed south to see how far the park’s 117 acres went.

I passed this mermaid.

The answer is it doesn’t go very far.  Within  no distance at all beyond beyond the beach  the shore became all houses, docks and toys. A  speed boat zipped along the water toward me.  It appears a lot of people have a great deal of fun on Lake St Catherine on their jet skis, water skis and racing around.  Although it’s fairly quiet and peaceful today, I suspect that is rare if, like me, that’s what you are looking for. 

Across the lake I again saw the lighthouse looking house I’d seen on my previous visit and determined that since there were not too many speed boats yet, I could cross the lake to go take a closer look.

You’d get a lot of exercise just climbing the stairs to get into the house let alone the stairs inside.

On my way across I spied this interestingly dressed fisherman.  You just really never know what you’ll see as far as people are concerned.

Heading further north from the park beach the land is undeveloped and is clearly part of the park itself.

It’s clear where the park’s boundary is when  I paddle by the first house.  The park is nearly at the very north end of the lake.  I didn’t paddle very far toward the south end because of the size of the lake and I wasn’t all that interested in seeing nothing but houses on the lake shore.

Lots of steps here too.

The lake appears to be an oval with very long sides and shorter ends.  At the north end I found an inlet.  This is right up my alley so to speak.

Sadly for me the inlet was leading to what on land would be known as a cul-de-sac with houses all around a smaller body of water.

I took my time paddling back out this lovely avenue.

But too soon I was back at the main lake.

As I exited the canal I spotted a familiar shape ahead.  I didn’t paddle much closer than this to the red circle for fear of scaring off the loon.

He’s really the only wildlife I’ve seen today other than the mermaid and the top hat.

So I enjoyed his preening and flapping for as long as he stayed.

But ultimately something called him away and I got this shot just before he took flight.

Although I doubt I’d be interested in living on Lake St Catherine’s, of those I saw, this was the house that most appealed to me.  Small and simple

Nice name too.

One last look to the south at the lovely lake as I headed east to the shore.

When I returned, there were more people on the beach.  I drug the kayak up behind the bathhouse and moved the car as near as I could get it when two very nice men offered to help me load it.   Very kind of them and a perfect end to a nice morning.  Doubt if I’d return again.