By Randall A Hermanson
Saturday May 22, 2010
As I write this trip report I can barely stay awake. Its been a long day. The Lake Geneva trip went off as planned. Three people participated, myself, Carol Lauscher and Chuck Gruesemacher (Sorry Chuck if I didn’t get your name right)a brand new member of Stateline Paddlers. I think Lake Geneva is a good practice lake for more serious sea kayaking. It has many conditions as an inland sea like Michigan and Superior, yet it is not quite as remote when you need emrgency help. If you get cold you don’t have far to go to get warm. The lake often has breaking waves and high winds to get paddling experience and Big Foot Beach is an excellent area to practice rough water rescues and launching into surf as long as you stay within the warning buoys away from drunken power boaters. In addition, if you are up to it paddling on the lake to places like Fontana and Williams Bay resemble an open water crossing.
Starting out, the weather was delightfully warm but it was expected to get warmer. A cold spring fed lake is a perfect place to be when the weather gets hot. The launch was around nine as planned and everybody had a successful launch. I didn’t fall in during the launch. The water was very calm almost as smooth as glass. The morning haze was beginning to leave the water creating a view a sea farer would enjoy. We had slight cover from cumulous clouds to the west in direction of Fontana. About midway I left it up to a vote as to where we would paddle to, Fontana, Williams Bay or to the town of Laker Geneva. It was unaminous, Fontana. We were making such good time I failed to recognize we had already passed the narrows a place where I often make my decisions where I will paddle when I am paddling alone. I looked toward portside(my left)and saw Lynn Pier another launch site. In sight was black point what I thought was the south point of the narrows. Black point is about half way to Fontana and directly south of Willaims Bay.
As we neared Fontana we made our heading toward Fontana Beach. Chuck said the beach was closed until Memorial Day. I was slightly concerned about crossing swim buoys to land on the beach but it was fine. Had it been two weeks later it would have “been a fine”. We rested for twenty minutes using the beach house. The weather was getting plenty warm and I waded out into the cold water wearing my dry suit. The cold water cooled me off without getting me exceedingly wet. I lay out on the water floating. The air in my suit held me up like a raft. On the return journey we had a slight 8MPH wind to our backs which helped cool us and made paddling easy. As is typical of a large body of water, the winds may be calm in the morning but pick up as the day progresses. By now, there were more boats out there to occasionally create wake but the waves were rolling, not rough chop and offered opportunity to surf once in awhile.
We reached Black Point then the narrows and into Bigfoot Bay. As always the case on any journey when we near the end it is “are we there yet”. The longest part of a journey seems to be the end. Just like the launch we landed without incident, no involuntary broaches and no swamping the cockpit and I got out without falling into the water. I did get wet on purpose after we carried our boats across the highway to the park. That felt soooo guuuuud!
Onward In His Service
Randall A Hermanson
AKA: Broken Knife
