11 years ago, Day 3: in which I learn to kayak

My first full day in Libby began with a request from my friend as to whether I'd like to go kayaking.  He'd just gotten interested in it a year or so before, and there are many pretty little lakes (and one enormous reservoir, Lake Koocanusa, which was way too large for our purposes) in Libby's immediate vicinity to explore. 

I'd never kayaked before.  My only experience in a boat of that size was with a rather large and cumbersome canoe about ten years earlier, but when I saw -- and discovered that I could easily lift -- his kayak, I thought, why not?  He contrived to borrow a second kayak from a friend, and off we went, to Horseshoe Lake.

It was a bit blustery and cool that day, but still beautiful, and the lake itself felt much smoother than it looks there.  I barely floundered at all, never fell in, never had to do a 360 underwater, or anything.  The kayak just did what I wanted it to.  Quite amazing.  I fell in love. 

We paddled around almost the entire lake -- it's not that big.  We saw fish, and ducks, and songbirds.  Except for the critters, we had the whole lake to ourselves.  A few people were set up in the campground along the shore, but no one else was actually out on, or in for that matter, the water. 

This is my friend in his kayak.  I was afraid to hand the camera over to him while we were aboard, because, well, what if one of us dropped it!

After that very pleasant afternoon we went back and my friend fried us some trout for supper and we sat around outside. 

A most excellent third day.