Lake Chabot

I brought the family out on the MorningStar for a paddle on Lake Chabot. The most important thing to know about canoeing on this lake is that there is a portage from the car to the launch. It's about 1,000 feet, so it's not any sort of trek. But if I was there with just my 5-year old son, I would have had to make two trips to haul even the basic gear down to the water.

They've got a pretty good set-up there with grassy meadows for picnicking, a store with snacks, trails that go all the way around the lake, and a range of boats to rent. The whole trip wasn't too expensive with parking, boat launch, and boat inspection not more than $15. Plenty worth the price considering there are docks along the shore that lead to port-a-potties, benches, and the trails. It's a good sized lake with two large bays and a small island too. (Nobody is allowed to go on the island, bummer.)

We had a leisurely paddle around and landed on shore to have a snack and use the bathrooms. After a rest ashore we decided it was time to make the trip back and get home for a real lunch.

I paddled us back to the marina totaling about 2 miles. Along the way we saw mallard ducks and Canadian geese in the water. We saw cormorants and coots to, but far fewer of those. Near the marina at one of the docks we saw someone land a good sized fish. I couldn't tell what kind it was, but it was more than 12-inches long!

The next day I could have gone surfing but conditions weren't shaping up to be very good. I opted instead to sleep in, spend some time with family, and do a little more work on the Mad River. I'm still slowly working through polishing the gel coat up. After that I'll work on refinishing the wood.