Francis Lake 2013, Part Two

Time to finish describing our first paddle of the 2013 season on Francis Lake.  It was almost 2 weeks ago already.  The weather did not cooperate last weekend with rain and wind.  This week we have snow on our deck one morning and we've had frost 3 nights in a row!  It's supposed to warm up later this week.  I sure hope so!

I left off last time with us paddling out of the eastern lobe of the lake beyond the esker.  It was time to head back to the put-in/take out. On the way, I stopped for photos of course.

I found the contrast between the dead, dull tan/brown grasses and the vibrant green pine needles along with the blue sky intriguing enough for a quick shot as we passed by.

Here is Brody keeping an eye on his daddy who is too far ahead of us in Brody's opinion!

I took these next two photos using a setting on my camera which gives everything a bit of an unnatural color vibrancy.  It turned reds to orange, but deepened the trees reflections in the water in the photo of Brody.

On the photo below, it turned the dull browns and tans of the grasses on the bank a bit more interesting in color as well as making the sky and water even more vibrant than they already were.

As my husband paddled on, I changed the settings again for a sepia-toned one of him:

And then a black and white of the trees:

Pretty soon I had almost caught up with him and thought this image as he waited for me was worth capturing!  You'd think he was trying to hide, wouldn't you?

And.... there he is, hanging out, waiting for me to quit fiddling around with the camera so we could finish our paddle!

There was a breeze but the sun was quite strong.  Brody is panting a little as he surveys the lake looking for geese, ducks or maybe a loon or two:

Approaching the put-in/take-out, we see the loons diving.  Brody is quite aware of them diving and surfacing.  I got a few photos but they were far away or were diving under as I snapped a shot.  They also have learned how to avoid us humans (and canines!) in our boats.  They dive and swim in the opposite direction that we travel in.  The next time we look for them, they are way behind us.

We are always happy to see loons on the lakes we paddle.  Our feeling is that the lake must be pretty healthy if the loons are hanging out there.  Hopefully, there will be a baby loon later this summer.

I'll end with one more photo of Brody.  We're almost back to land and he knows it.  He enjoyed his first paddle of 2013 and so did we!

Happy Kayaking!  Get out and enjoy if you are able!

1st Paddle of 2013! Francis Lake, Part One

Happy Spring to all of my fellow Northern New York paddlers!  Our maple trees have just shed their leaf coverings and pale green leaves are emerging.  It’s been more than 2 weeks since all of our snow piles have melted—a big sign of improvement!  Saturday, May 4^th was a perfect day for our first paddle.

We chose Francis Lake--a favorite because it meets so many of our best paddling destination criteria:  quiet--no motors allowed (except 10 hp electric ones,) an easy place to put-in, the chance for plenty of wildlife viewing, and varied scenery. 

We arrived about 11:00, which is late for us, but it’s still pretty chilly in the mornings and we didn’t want to bundle up, so we left later than we usually do.  Because of the lateness of the morning, we did not expect to see a lot of wildlife.  Luckily, that was not the case!

The photo above shows the dock and the fairly easy put-in.  The DEC will add another section to the dock later when the water level drops.  Getting in from this low dock isn’t difficult, but there is also a small area on each side of the dock where you could scoot into the water without using the dock. 

This is the path to the water.  It is about 60 feet from the parking lot to the dock.

The black flies were just starting to come out here in the woods, and the mosquitos were already out in annoying numbers.  But, once on the water, there was a slight breeze most of the time and we did not even need bug repellent.

The next photo is near the put-in area.  I like these boulders and they made a great foreground for my photo of the water.

Once out on the water, Brody remembered exactly what his role was:

Leading the way.  We think he enjoys kayaking as much as we do.  Not to mention, he was probably looking for ducks!

Francis Lake may not look that "special" from the view below, but it has some great areas to explore that aren't seen as you look at the lake from the put-in.

To the right of the put-in, down past the few camps and houses along the north-western banks is a set back marked with boulders and a rock island.  In years past, we've seen a loon on a nest here.  It's a shallow area where ducks and geese maneuver through the reeds that will grow up later in the summer.  We by-passed this area today since families owning camps or houses near here were fishing on the banks close to this area.

Overhead we heard a hawk's cries and looked up to see some type of hawk, we believe a Northern harrier (Marsh hawk.)  Within seconds, two others had joined him and they glided high above the lake in lazy circles as we paddled along.

We set out for our favorite spots on the lake which are located on the eastern side.  There is an esker where we sometimes stop to stretch our legs, eat our lunch or just to explore. And there is a lobe of the lake that is separated from the rest of the lake. We did not get out on the esker during this paddle, but here is a photo of it.  We are approaching from the west side.

The entrance to the eastern lobe of the lake is here at the esker.  We love this area because we've seen lots of wildlife here.  It's shallow and is full of lily pads, water lilies and reeds in summer.  This time of year, with a higher water level, we were able to paddle a lot more of the area than at any other time, even last year when we also paddled here in May.  As we entered the shallow area, a bald eagle flew by, heading in the opposite direction!  We both saw it clearly, but only for a matter of a second or two.  Not enough time to get the camera up and focused. It was almost as exciting as last year when we saw 4 bald eagles, because we never "expect" to see a bald eagle while paddling.  That made our day, right then and there.  We weren't ready to go home yet, but we would have considered the trip well worth it from that moment on.

Brody kept his Doggles on for a while, seeming to appreciate them in the bright sun.

We've seen snapping turtles in this shallow area in the past, and there are definitely beaver in the area.  Although we did not see any swimming in the lake, we had some pretty convincing evidence (other than their lodges) of their existence near the lake:

My husband and I were amazed at the size of the tree they had been working on. We wondered if they had a plan for the tree or were just gnawing on it.  It will be interesting to return later in the year to see if they finished the job, or if mother nature's wind has given them some help.

The water levels at Francis were higher than last year around the same time.  For the first time ever, we were able to paddle a large area in this eastern lobe that is usually either too shallow or full of lily pads, reeds, etc.  Although we didn't "see" anything else while exploring this area, it was still fun, just knowing we were paddling along spots that we hadn't before.

Once we turned back, this is the view heading out of that eastern lobe with the esker on the left int the background-- and Brody, of course.  This time facing me for a change!  

The sky was such a brilliant blue I kept looking up at it all day long.  When these puffy clouds lined up top to bottom I had to take a shot:

 

Here is Brody still in his preferred position, leading the way as I paddle. He's keeping an eye on his daddy who is ahead of us.  He sure enjoys taking in the sights and I enjoy snapping these photos of him. I just love the blues, reds and yellows in this photo:

Well, I hope everyone has been able to get out on the water, even those of you like me, who haven't had much warmer weather until recently.  Enjoy it! And please join me for Part Two in a few days.

Happy Kayaking!

Francis Lake, part two

Welcome to the 2nd half of my description of our Memorial Day weekend paddle on Francis Lake.  If you missed part one, please check it out-- we saw four bald eagles that day and I was able to photograph one of them!

The photo below shows part of the area where we saw the eagles.  I was trying to catch one last shot of the eagle flying away, but he/she was much too fast for me.  A dot in the sky is about all I got!  But at least this picture shows how shallow this area of the lake is.  When we've paddle here later in the summer, the water plants are so thick that you can't get through this part of the lake.

This is a view from the shallow area as well as an area with a few beaver lodges, out toward the main part of the lake. 

We heard a few bull frogs and Brody was quite intrigued!

 
We stopped at the esker for a quick stretch of our legs.  There isn't a lot of space to land your boat here, but it is possible.  This is a pretty spot, with lake on each side, a rise of about 10 feet from the lake's surface, the ground covered with pine needles...  I saw a group of pink ladies' slippers here.

Here is a close up of a few.  They are such pretty and unusual flowers, don't you agree?

From the esker, here is the shallow area where we saw the eagles.

And here is the deeper part of that same area where there are beaver lodges.

And this is the path back down to the water from the esker's spine.

Dick is waiting for us in his kayak at the end of the path.

Once back in on the water, it was time to head back.  We had planned for a short paddle our first trip of the season, and did not bring a lunch, just a snack and some water.  The eagles were gone and our bellies were empty.  So, we paddled back the way we had come.  We couldn't stop talking about the eagles-- all the way back to the put-in.

Brody found a pair of tree swallows very interesting to watch as they flitted back and forth on the lake shore, swooping down, then perching on a dead tree.  I wasn't able to get a good photo of them, but here's one of Brody as he watched them.

Francis Lake is a great place to paddle.  Check out my earlier posts concerning Francis Lake for more photos and descriptions.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite Brody photos of our day on Francis Lake.  If this one doesn't make you smile, nothing will!

Happy paddling!

Francis Lake, part one

Here's Brody, checking out the scenery on Francis Lake over Memorial Day weekend.  Although northern New York state had some very warm weather in March, it turned cooler and rainy through April.  May was better, with a few nice weekends but we had family obligations that made kayaking impossible for us until the holiday weekend.

This is my second set of posts about Francis Lake.  It is usually our first trip each kayaking season.  We sometimes paddle here twice in a season.  It's a beautiful lake, with only a few camps on it. And with a limit of  10 hp motors, it is a very quiet lake.  There are also a few shallow areas to explore, along with an esker, so there is a variety of plants, trees and wildlife.

The town nearest Francis Lake is Lowville.  State Route 12 runs through this town but you may find Stillwater Reservoir before you find Route 12 on a map.  If you do, look south and west and you may find Francis Lake.  (It'll look tiny compared to Stillwater Reservoir which is about 9 miles long.)

**NOTE:  In my last post, I promised you something awesome about our trip on Francis Lake, so keep on reading!!

This is my husband, Dick, just after we got on the lake.  As you can see, the lake is edged with evergreens.

 I didn't photograph the put-in this time, but if you check out my Francis Lake posts from 2010, you'll see the dock and a sandy area.  It is an easy entry from the side of the dock on the shore or you can use the dock as I do.

Brody is checking out a fellow boater who had been fishing on the lake.  We don't do much fishing, but we've heard from several people that the pickerel are plentiful.
 

Well, I DO have a photo of the dock.  Dick took this one of me and Brody with the dock in the background on the left.

Just starting out from the put-in, this perspective makes the lake appear very small.  But to the right of the private dock on the right, there is a lobe of the lake, and to the left beyond the darker trees in the front is another huge area with some shallows as well as some beaver lodges.  Not to mention that those trees in the middle are further away than they appear.

Here's Brody with his "Doggles" on.  They have UV protection which we thought would be a good idea with our trips on the water and his big bug eyes.  No, he does not keep them on constantly, but he'll wear them for stretches of time, mostly when he wants to look around.  He seems to know that they reduce the glare on the water.  When he's trying to nap inside the kayak, he usually paws at them until I remove them.  Then he relaxes and takes a snooze.  Just like our own eye glasses, they're not too comfortable when sleeping!

This island and rock are near the lobe of the lake on the western side. (right from the put-in.)  In this area we've seen a loon fishing and also a loon sitting on its nest.  But on this trip we did not see the loons in this area.

Brody's watching a bird that flew overhead in this shot.  We think it was a tree swallow, but we didn't get a good look at it.  Brody had the best perspective, and he wasn't inclined to name the bird!  We really do think he understands how the goggles help him see in the bright sunlight.  Many photos from last year's kayaking trips show him squinting in the sun.  He had goggles then but we didn't always remember to put them on him.   He looks pretty cute in them, doesn't he ?

This is a pretty view of the lake from inside the lobe on the western side.  I love the rocky islands full of trees.  It's typical of many lake islands  in the Adirondacks.  Francis Lake is on the western side of the Adirondack Park, near Beaver Lake and the Beaver River.  I can see by this photo that I need to pay more attention to the tilt of my kayak with Brody in it.  All of these horizontal shots are dipping slightly to the right!

After exploring this area, we paddled back out onto the main part of the lake and heard the haunting cry of a loon.  We looked around and found him/her sitting low in the water.  Another loon called back.  We're guessing one was on the nest.  The loon dove, gave its wings a ruffled wash, then dove some more.  True to what we know of these birds, it eventually took a long dive and surfaced behind us.  The loon was too far away to get any good photos.  If you're interested, though, I have posted photos of the common loon in the past.  Look at South Pond and/or Nicks Lake.

OK... here is the "exciting sighting" on Francis Lake!  Look closely in the middle of the photo near the edge of the water... I know... it's hard to see exactly what it is.  But I have better photos to show you!  This is just the "teaser."  Any guesses before I go on?

Here he/she is, flying away in the left-middle of the photo.  Yes, it's a bird. I know it's not a great photo, but what kind?

I know, I know, I'm not giving you a lot to go on, especially with the bright sunshine.  Does the photo below help at all?  It's far away, but very distinctive.  You should all have a very good guess by this time....

Yes, it's a bald eagle!  We were so excited to see this beautiful bird!  Where we live in northern New York, we see bald eagles along the Black River, especially in winter when the trees are bare and the river is open.  I know there are more of these majestic birds around than there used to be, but it's so wonderful to see them.  And this is only the second time we've seen a bald eagle while kayaking.  We were paddling on the Raquette River near Tupper Lake 3 or 4 years ago and saw one high in a tree, perched on a dead limb.  It was too far away to photograph, but we are sure it was an eagle, based on his white head and tail.  There really is no mistaking a mature bald eagle!

Here is another photo, the best of the bunch I took that day:

The best part about seeing this eagle, besides being able to get a few decent photographs of him/her is that this was not the only bald eagle we saw!  There were 4!  That's right, FOUR bald eagles on the edge of the water that day!  Three of them flew off as soon as we entered this part of the lake which is very shallow in one section (where they were) and is cut-off from most of the main lake by an esker.  The three eagles who flew away were all mature bald eagles.  They flew off into the woods as we approached.  By the way, we actually HEARD the eagles before we saw them.  They don't sound like hawks, their call is different than what you might expect.  We weren't sure what bird made that sound until we saw them, but we knew we should recognize it!

It's hard to see in the photo, but the bald eagle who stuck around, willing to be photographed, and putting up with our very excited whispers, has a blue band on his leg.  Whether he was rehabilitated or came from a nest that had been observed and was tagged before he left the nest, I don't know.  But we believe he was less skittish with us and our kayaks because he has had some contact with humans in the past, as the band proves.  The eagle didn't stay for hours, just a couple of minutes.  When I pushed my luck and tried to get just a tiny bit closer (we were still at least 50 yards away from him-- I have a 30X zoom on my digital camera) he decided he had been accommodating enough for one day and flew off in the same direction as his companions.

Wow!  It was quite an experience to come upon four bald eagles on the lake.  We've speculated about why they were all gathered there and the obvious answer is fish.  The water is so shallow that we could barely paddle and got hung up a few times in this area after the eagle left and we were turning around.  So, maybe the fish are easy pickings in that spot.  Pickerel are pretty large, so maybe they were sharing one and it slipped back into the water.  (We paddled near the spot to look for any remains of what they may have been eating.)  We don't really know.  But we sure do appreciate the rare opportunity we were given.  Hands down the best wildlife sighting in our short years of kayaking!

I found one more decent photo.  Here he/she is looking almost directly at us.

I have more to tell you about Francis Lake, so join me for part two.  It won't be quite as exciting as part one, but I promise to describe the rest of our paddle and post some more photos too.

Please use the "reactions" below to give me feedback on this post, or feel free to leave a comment or question.  Thanks for reading, and happy kayaking!

Back to Blogging

Hi everyone,

If you've given up on me, I hope my return will encourage you to follow me once again.  I have been dealing with a medical issue since the end of February of 2011.  I got a (non-life threatening) diagnosis near the end of summer 2011 and began life-long medication which takes many months before seeing any sign of improvement.  It is working, little by little, and although I am not back to my former health, I can at least do something that I love, if in shorter doses-- quiet water kayaking.

The 2011 kayaking season was next to nil for me, but we did manage a few short trips and even 1 new location.  We went to a few of our short paddle favorites in 2011, such as Francis Lake and South Inlet.  The new place we paddled in September of 2011 was Nine Mile Swamp.  It was a beautiful paddle, despite it being a popular place.  We also got a puppy (had already planned on him before I got sick) in the spring and he is now our constant kayaking companion.  I'll introduce him later, just don't expect  a water dog.  This guy is happy plopped down inside the kayak, not swimming around it!

We got a late start on the paddling season, but have managed a short trip on Francis Lake as well as one to South Inlet (of Raquette Lake.)  Those will be first up in my coming blogs.

No photos with this post, but I am hoping to stay in good enough health and with enough energy to get back to blogging.  I enjoy sharing our kayaking experiences and photos with you and look forward to your comments in the future.

Francis Lake, part one

Wow, we sure had a warm weekend!  I am NOT complaining.  It was great.  We were able to kayak on Saturday.  Although we got very little rain, the forecast sounded like the afternoon might be "iffy" so we planned a late morning paddle on Francis Lake.

We paddle Francis Lake at least once each season.  It's an interesting  lake and since there are only a few homes/camps on the lake, it's usually pretty quiet.  There are a couple of set backs, making exploring lots of fun.  There was a breeze most of the day which worried us when we first arrived since it felt like the rain might be coming early.  The lake didn't look too rough, and it was warm, so no worries.  The rain never did came until evening.  I have to warn any northern New York paddlers:  THE BLACK FLIES HAVE ARRIVED!!  We were very thankful for the breeze when near the shoreline.  Black flies are a part of life in northern New York (and elsewhere) in the spring.  Sometimes they're thick enough that you feel as if you can't breathe without one entering your mouth or nose.  Luckily, this was not the case today.  They are out, but we didn't have any clouds swarming us.  They also didn't do too much biting, but that may be due to the breeze more than anything.

The resident pair of common loons made an appearance about 45 minutes into our paddle.  We were happy to see them.  We have no way of knowing if it's the same pair from year to year, but we like to think so.  They sat very low in the water and spent more time diving than floating or paddling, so it was obviously "lunch time" for them while we were on the lake.  They are skilled at swimming underwater and have a very good idea of the direction our kayaks are headed.  Their instincts keep them safe--  Often we loose sight of them and look back to see them many yards behind us!  They are fascinating birds who can stay underwater for, I believe, up to 4 minutes.  Here is a photo, though all that's out of the water are their heads and necks:

I'm getting ahead of myself.  I planned to start with a photo of the lake, and then go back to the beginning of our day on the water and show you the put in.  It's a sandy area but also has a dock.  Only one section was in the water, the other one up on the bank.  We are guessing that the DEC pulled it out for winter and just hasn't placed it back yet.  I use the dock since it's very low and the water is fairly shallow, but my husband just scoots in from the sandy bank.  He uses the dock a bit for support.  It's not as convenient as a gradual sandy entry, but it's not bad.  Here is a photo of the partial dock:

We had such a great time on this paddle that I don't know where to start.  I think we were both surprised by the birds we saw because we often see only our loons, and once in a while, a great blue heron.  We definitely HEAR birds, we just usually don't see them much.  Our paddle this time was different.  I'll get to the birds in a minute, but first, I want to mention that turtles were everywhere sunning themselves. I am not sure if these are "painted turtles" or some other type, but they are common in NY.  I will have to make another attempt at identifying them.  We found it interesting that all of those we saw on Francis Lake were sunning themselves with their back legs out (for balance, we're guessing) and their front legs drawn in.  Here is a photo so that you can see what I mean.  Maybe someone with more knowledge of turtles will let me know why they might be doing this.

Here are a couple of photos of the set back we spent quite awhile exploring:

My husband is great at spotting things before me and was quick to point out a bird in the marshy area along the shore that I hadn't noticed.  I yanked the camera out of the dry bag and turned it on, hoping it wouldn't fly away before I snapped it's photo.  Neither of us had seen this type of bird in New York.  I was stunned to learn just how little I know about wading birds in New York state.  Did you know that we have sandpipers?  Yes-- those small (or very small) wading birds that you see on our ocean shores and estuaries.  I had no idea there were sandpipers in our neck of the woods!  I used my field guide to identify him.  This little guy is, I believe, called a Spotted Sandpiper.  Here is his photo:

We also saw a lone Mallard drake in this area.  We're not sure if the female was on a nest, or if the male was just passing through, but he was very pretty with his beautiful green head and bright white feathers.  I took some photos, but he was too far away and flew when we inched closer.

There is an esker on this lake and we decided to get out here to stretch our legs and have a snack.  An esker is a pile of gravel, etc. left behind when a glacier retreats.  So, it's a raised area, like a finger sticking out into lake.  Here are a few shots taken from the esker, looking back at the marshy set back we had just explored.

The esker is a great spot to view a couple sections of the lake with its vantage point about 8 to 10 feet above the water.  We took a walk along the trail on the esker's spine, our footsteps muffled by the thick covering of pine needles.  The spot is peaceful and perfect for a picnic lunch... as long as it's not black fly season and there is no breeze.  As soon as the breeze died down, we headed for our kayaks.

Look for part two of our Francis Lake trip soon!