Just a couple of motor boats, sun and little wind – that is a perfect Delta Lake paddling day. Yes, we had to dress warm. It was a mere 46 degrees at launch time. Some bright fall colors were still on the trees. Half of the leaves had fallen to the ground, so we could see way into the forest areas. Stairs to campsites with picnic tables still in place, looked inviting. A few people were at the beach and kids played on the playground equipment. We passed geese and ducks lingering by a marsh. They turned out to be decoys and a womans voice spoke to us from the marsh area. She hoped the wildlife were fooled by the decoys as much as I was. She was attempting to nab the meat portion of dinner from her hiding spot.
A little while further we thought we spotted a beaver crossing the lake. It turned out to be an approx 30 lb northern pike acting weird. It was bobbing and approaching our boats. We suspected it might be caught on a fishing line or something, but Bob was able to get underneath and around it with his paddle and it was free. We guessed it was dying. On shore we asked a fisherman and he said they do that this time of the year to get more oxygen. Another first. I looked on the internet for more info and northern pike also eat frogs, mice, ducks and muskrats. One theory about that behavior is that it could be using gravity to digest its meal. I will keep my hands in the boat when they are near. Yikes.
We hugged the shore on the way to the Mohawk River. Because of all the rain lately, we were able to paddle on it. Last year in October we could not even find the entrance. The water near the bridge had a current, so we stopped on a rocky landing for our break. A skeleton added eeriness. Halloween leftovers were the preferred snack of the day. We took a different route back, avoiding the hunter. We did not see a bald eagle this time, nor the huge nest which may have been blown down. The sun was bright by now and the air felt much warmer. We logged 8.7 miles. Bob added an extra 3 on his pre-paddle.
We chose the Delta Lake Inn for after-paddle refreshments. It looked packed. We were able to get a seat on the main floor because the party was upstairs. The food was scrumptious! The fall weather paddlers today were Bob, Kim, Eric, Amy and Yingzhen. We are hoping for a few more days on the water before the ice rolls in.
