Saturday, October 30, 2021

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.


IMG_20210816_132328683Upon 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.


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

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I passed this mermaid.

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IMG_9271The 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.

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


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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.

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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.

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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.

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I took my time paddling back out this lovely avenue.

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But too soon I was back at the main lake.

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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.

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

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

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

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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


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Nice name too.

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

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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.


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22 comments:

  1. I have a top hat, too but I never considered myself as being part of wildlife when I wear it. Maybe I should try it out and go fishing wearing it because I always strike out when I drop my hook in the water. ;c)

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    1. I'd love to see you in a top hat Paul! I'll bet you look mighty fine.

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  2. Although I'm glad you got out to paddle this doesn't really look like your kind of lake.

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    1. I love being on the water and am glad I went.It was a wonderful way to spend the morning and thankfully there weren't a lot of noisy speedboats. But you are right this is not a place I would return to.

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  3. Nice, if too big, lake. Can you imagine all the winter sports there when it freezes over? Too bad the only wildlife was the loon!

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    1. Not sure it's too big but it is too developed but then so are most lakes these days. What do you think they do in the Winter? Ice skate? Hockey? I've never lived near a body of water that was frozen.

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  4. Replies
    1. They certainly are William and this one made my day.

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  5. How sweet and helpful that there were gentlemen there to assist you. Chivalry is apparently not dead after all!

    Virtual hugs,

    Judie

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    1. Without David, I've really come to rely on the kindness of strangers especially in getting the boat on and off the car. I've also learned to ask for help which I probably never would have done before, not wanting to inconvenience anyone.

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  6. EVERYBODY seems to like living near water, or wants to. Me too. And there are so many of us. Beaches, lakes, rivers, all have a lot of houses. Lots of people liking the same thing, which disappears when there are too many of us. Ah well. Still, it looks as if you had a good paddle.

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    1. You are exactly right. There are just too many people loving our parks and waters to death. Of course, me too. Thanks for the comment.

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  7. Wonder how many of those houses are second homes... definitely not your favorite lake. People as wildlife - too funny. So glad people are helpful with loading the kayak. Nice to hear.

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  8. Pretty sure most of them must be 2nd homes. I saw almost no one out and about around the homes.

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  9. If you saw the entrance to Camp Kinnikinick on the north side of the lake, pretty sure it is now a state park. Mo taught tennis one summer at that camp on Lake Catherine. And I hiked all through the park on an October day with photos of the most colorful trees I have ever seen. Never did get on the lake though, instead Jeanne took me to their lake house on Lake Champlain, farther north. A stellar kayak for sure, and no houses once we left the bay in front of their classic craftsman lake house.

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    1. WOW Sue no houses on Lake Champlain? I can't imagine it. That's a huge lake. You have well placed friends all over. In googling another state park on Lake St Catherine's I didn't find anything. Mo taught Tennis there? So you must have been there one entire summer?

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  10. I'm with you, I like my kayak adventures to be in wild places with no houses in sight. That's why we share a love of Florida rivers, right? Still, the lake was beautiful, and you certainly saw some interesting things. Was that guy fishing wearing a top hat, LOL??

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  11. That was definitely a top hat he was wearing. I'm sorry if the picture wasn't clear enough for you to see that. And the young girl definitely had on a mermaid suit with one flipper at the end of her tail I guess you'd call it.

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  12. I suppose the top-hatted gentleman was trying to add a bit of class to the lake. That was hysterical.

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  13. Lovely to be back on the water and making the most of what's interesting to see along the shores and on paddleboards :-) Perhaps top hats float better when blown off?? Love the loon pics.

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  14. The lake looks wonderful but I wouldn't want to have to watch out for speedboats and jet skis. I love the pictures of the loon with his wings spread. From the pictures, the lake looks shallow even though I'm sure it's not. I'd love to see the inside of the "Lighthouse" house. I could live on a lake- xxxoo0

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  15. Dave's family has a NY lake house on a small lake. I've been part of the family for 40 years, the growth of large homes on the lake was so sad. Older houses were bought and torn down, and large monstrosities were built. Then the big boats came, no longer was it the small lake we loved.

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