Lac du Bois
Up to now, I have not attempted to bring the long kayak to paddle the smaller lakes, but with the addition of a stand-up paddleboard, smaller lakes like Lac du Bois, Pass Lake, and Isobel Lake are now on “the list” of lakes to be paddled.
The best launch spot is at the southeast corner of the lake. Following the shoreline around the circuit is 3.3 km.
The long finger of land that sticks out into the lake is an esker, a winding gravelly moraine, formed by a stream running underneath a glacier as it retreated.
The lake is too muddy and shallow for fish. It is more like a large lagoon with riparian growth around the shoreline. I found a large turtle shell just above the northern shore and I have spotted muskrats swimming in the lake, along with ducks. We could see a number of pond creatures swimming below the board. Grasslands surround the lake on the north and east sides and a forested hill flanks the west side.
When I paddled around the lake, there was no one around except for a few ducks on the lake. The leaves were just starting to change color.
We have hiked past the shoreline of the lake many times, but this was my first time on the lake itself. Shooting photos from the SUP was a bit of challenge. I didn’t want to fall off the board into the cool, muddy lake so the steps of framing the picture, adjusting settings, focusing, and reviewing was hit-and-miss at best. I suspect kneeling or sitting will be required to get the photos I want.
The original goal was to paddle 50 lakes, but with the SUP now available, many smaller lakes are now on the long list bringing it to more than 100 lakes.