August 16th, 2015
South Sandy Creek, Lakeview Wildlife Management Area
Ellisburg, NY

Saturday I went out on the maiden voyage of the USS Kayak With No Name (KWNN).  I had been told there was a place  just thirty minutes south of Watertown called South Sandy Creek where you put in at a bridge and could easily paddle down to Lake Ontario and back, as there would be almost no current this time of year.  I arrived about 9:45 and the only other people there were some folks fishing.

The Put In

It turns out that kayaks are a complicated subject.  I had done quite a bit of reading and visited the kayak place in Old Forge twice, the last time test-paddling four different ones.  Though brother Tim had highly recommended the sit-on-top variety, and though the recreational type would have probably been okay, I went for a light touring variety.  The selling point to me for the sit-in versus sit-on-top is that the summer is not long here and the sit-in type is warmer and thus extends the paddling season.

This type has a much smaller cockpit than the recreation type and you kind of have to slide your legs in, then wedge you thighs in under the thigh braces.  The items on top (in addition to the GoPro) are a bilge pump to evacuate water should you ditch, and an inflatable bag that you slide your paddle into to create an outrigger to assist in getting back in if you ditch.

Light Touring Kayak

The upper part of the creek was delightfully overhung with trees, with the occasional deadfall providing a challenging obstacle.  Not much wildlife except one medium-size dead duck, but a great place for a novice to paddle.  Perhaps my noob spastic paddling style scared off any wildlife.

South Sandy Creek

South Sandy Creek

The narrow creek opened up into a marshy area and I spotted a great blue heron.  He’s there.  Honest.  You just have to look really hard.

Blue Heron

And finally I rounded a bend and there was Lake Ontario.  Which I wisely avoided owing to my noob status.

Lake Ontario

I tooled around the marshes in Floodwood pond for a while.  Water lilies and purple pickerel were in bloom.

Water Lilies

Purple Pickerel

About 5 miles round-trip. While the put in was empty when I left, there were at least a dozen people putting in when I return.  A very nice introductory paddle.  I may go back next weekend and go upstream from the put in.

Kayak Route South Sandy Creek