Kayaking in the Coralville Reservoir June, 1999 |
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Pam and I spent the night out in the middle of the reservoir
in early June. We paddled out around 8 pm to the middle of the lake and tied the
kayaks up around a dead tree. There was some wind to keep the bugs down and waves
were small enough to make it manageable. Scooting down into the front of our kayaks,
we managed to get a little bit of sleep while enjoying an "adventure in our
backyard". This picture was taken the next morning as I am struggling to wake
up. Photo: P. Turnis |
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Here is another shot of our kayaks. They are side by
side, which made some noise as they kept bumping into each other. Our original plan
was to use the foam blocks (used to secure kayaks to a car) as bumpers.
Unfortunately, the wet rubber made a very loud screeching noise, and was deemed
much worse than the bumping sound. They were taken off after only a few minutes -
this was not a tough decision. In any case, this experiment proved that we could do
a multi-day trip and not have to worry about finding a campsite! Photo: A. Kriauciunas |
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As we continued to explore the reservoir, we did some more
sunset trips. On this trip we were treated to a spectacular sunset. Although
we were about an hour of paddling away from the truck, it was worth the trip in the
darkness to watch the fantastic display of color. Photo: A. Kriauciunas |
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Another shot of the sunset which provides some more detail.
Since this is a reservoir which was flooded a few years ago, there are a lot of
dead trees still standing (as well as a fair amount of willows). This makes for very
interesting views while paddling along. The sillouettes at sunset take your breath
away. Photo: A. Kriauciunas |
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Our furthest point of exploration at this time. This
marks an area of approximately 5 square miles that we've paddled around within, and there
is much more left. Note the branch on the cement pilings - this is a high water mark
for the reservoir. The current water level is about 10-15 feet higher than it was
during our first trip earlier this spring, but has already dropped off almost 5 feet from
just a few weeks ago. This is one reason why every trip is a little different - you
never know what the landmarks will be. Photo: A. Kriauciunas |
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With the water going up and down so dramatically, a good tree
is hard to find. Word must have gotten out that this was a good spot. As every
bird knows, the most important thing in selecting a nest site is location, location,
location. Photo: A. Kriauciunas |
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