Kayaking Glen Lake & Dunham Bay Marsh - 3/23/12

This was another unbelievable day of 75 degree March weather.  I went for 2 kayak paddles on this day; a morning paddle at Glen Lake in Queensbury, NY, and an afternoon paddle in the Durham Bay marsh in Lake George, NY.

Glen Lake is accessible from Glen Lake Road, just off Route 9 and Exit 20 of I87.  There is a small boat launch owned by the Town of Queensbury (adjacent to the Docksider Restaurant, a popular local restaurant) for car top boats.  In addition to the lake, you can paddle along the inlet stream for quite a ways in the Spring (it gets choked with lilies and grasses in the later part of the season).  

Great Blue Heron along the Glen Lake inlet stream

There is normally quite a bit of wildlife along the inlet stream (herons, geese, ducks, red-winged blackbirds).

My daughter Lindsay passing the heron

As you transition from the lake to the inlet stream, you pass under the Warren County Bikeway, which is very scenic and wooded between Glen Lake and Lake George.

Lindsay heading back towards the lake

The lake is mostly lined with houses, but there is a scenic view with French Mountain to the North.  From the northern end of the lake, West Mountain Ski Area and the Luzerne Mountains can be seen to the southwest.

My Glen Lake paddle shown in orange (click map to enlarge)

A leisurely paddle around the lake (and including the inlet stream) takes about 2-1/2 hours.  It is about 2-1/4 miles from the beginning of the inlet stream to the outlet at the northern end of the lake (as the crow flies).

Part II - Afternoon paddle 

In the afternoon I paddled the Dunham Bay marsh near the south end of Lake George.  There is a convenient private boat launch where you can pay $5 to launch a canoe or kayak, or you can launch from somewhere else in Lake George and enter the marsh by crossing underneath Route 9L.  The private boat launch is at the intersection of Route 9L and Bay Road.  There is plenty of parking there.  Many motor boats launch there to enter the lake.

Dunham Bay marsh extends southward from the lake about 2-3/4 miles and provides a nice flat water paddle with great wildlife.

My route shown in orange (click map to enlarge)

The marsh can be paddled down and back in two hours.  You can go north into the main lake for additional paddling.

Kayaking the Schroon River - Warrensburg, NY - 3/18/12

I enjoy kayaking the Schroon River (although I've never done it in March before)!  I haven't done the whitewater sections, since I have a touring boat, but now I've done most of the quiet water sections.

Today's paddle was the meandering section beginning in Bolton, south of Riverbank, at the location where the river starts to wind back and forth.  Just to the north are some small rapids, which I would have done in the summer, but I didn't want to take a chance in March.

I must say it felt strange kayaking in mid-March, even though the weather was more like May.  As I paddled though, I came across both cool and warm thermals in the air.  The water was certainly cold, but I managed to stay dry.

Map showing my Launch and Take Out locations - click to enlarge

This paddle measured 6.8 miles and took an hour and a half to paddle.  There were lots of Mergansers along the way and some geese.  I had not paddled this section of the river before.  It is a little wider and deeper than my favorite section (Schroon Falls - south the Schroon Lake).  There are not as many inviting little beaches either.  Still a nice paddle.

A nice easy launch location - I didn't even get my feet wet

  

Several embankments line the river

Not too many sandbars on this section of the river, but here's one

I love these old small "out-buildings"

 

Quite a few ducks and geese were in this field

 

Another small beach

 

Still some ice on the back bays, but not in the main river channel

 

The "take out" was just beyond the bridge (County Home Road) on paddler's left

Just so you know, you will hear some interstate noise as you get closer to the take-out (especially with the leaves down).  In my mind it's not horrible.  That section of the interstate doesn't get much traffic.  By the way, since I was solo on this trip, I left a bicycle at the take-out.  It provided an easy way to get back to the car after my paddle.  I simply peddled north on scenic County Route 10 for 4.25 miles.

This is the first time I've gone skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, bicycling and kayaking in the same week.  It was great.  I hope the boat gets to stay out.  With this warm weather pattern extending for most of the coming week, perhaps I'll go kayaking again mid-week with my daughter during "spring break"!  This time I'll let her choose between all the activities mentioned above.

Kayaking the Schroon River at EveryTrail