Lake Joe – Testing my kayak cart out!

I got off work at 5 and had a plan to go paddling on Lake Joe aka Lake Joseph which is across the street from my new residence.  Last year I had received a kayak cart as a regift from someone but the tires were flat so I’d never used it.  A few months ago, I had my truck in for service and had my mechanic fixed the tires, so it was now ready to use.  I didn’t really want to portage my boat the 2 or 3 km’s along the highway to the boat launch and I didn’t want to take the ten minutes to strap the boat to the car to drive it such a short distance, then unstrap and repeat, so I thought the kayak cart would be a good solution.

I got it all strapped on with some bungee’s I had and pulled my little boat down our steep steep driveway towards hwy 118 and Lake Joe. I had a bit of traffic whizzing by, but it wasn’t too bad.  A few people gave me a strange look,  but I just continued on my way to Appian Way where the boat launch is.

Appian Way is not a paved road. It consists of coarse gravel mixed with dirt. The kayak cart held up pretty well and I only had one issue all the way to the lake when the boat somewhat slipped off to the side a bit. I just corrected it and continued on until I arrived at a very wavy, windy Lake Joe!

The cart did a pretty good job overall getting there. I unstrapped it and took the wheels off and attached the frame to the back of my kayak, putting the separated wheels behind my seat.   I was ready to go.

I got in the boat with a hard thud. The dock was far too high up for my boat at this time so I just used the rocks that were there and winged it. Kayak entry is not always elegant! LOL

The current was really strong as was the wind, so I decided to paddle into the wind and the current as far as I felt like going. I would then just let the wind and current bring me back.  If I went the other way, I would get carried off very quickly and then it would be a hard uncertain paddle back. I really just wanted to check out the surroundings and get my boat wet as I hadn’t taken it paddling since my arrival in Port Carling.

Lake Joseph is full of incredible cottages and homes.  Some I would classify as mansions. I just doddled around and checked out all the amazing layouts, docks, boats, etc and enjoyed the evening sun and being out on the water.  It wasn’t quite my type of paddling, but it would do for today.

After a bit I paddled into a little bay that I really enjoyed. In it was a pretty cottage that looked like it was new, but had been created to look rustic.  It really caught my eye and I entered the bay to check it out and also enjoy some calm wind free, current-less water.

I found a few ducks playing in the water and they let me get pretty close so I could take their photos. I hung out in the bay for a bit enjoying the sunshine and eventually made my way back to the boat dock.

After I set my kayak cart back up with the boat on it, I made my way back home.  Travelling down Appian Way was fine, but when I got to the highway I started crossing it and then a car popped up from around the corner. I sped up my steps a bit and made a sharp turn when I got to the other side of the highway and my wheel fell off!  Oh dear!  I stopped to see what had happened just as a nice lady pulled over to check out my situation and see if I needed help. I was somewhat embarrassed but said I was fine and assured her a few times as she looked doubtful.  I continued surveying the situation and discovered my pin had come out and was missing. I waited for the lady to pull down Appian Way and then walked over to see if I could find the pin, but I couldn’t, and I didn’t want to take too much time as cars kept passing, giving me the odd look. I found a key ring that I had on my backpack and rigged it up so the tire would stay put on the frame, and I was on my way again!  Not the best experience for the first time using the cart but I MacGyvered it well, so all was good!

My first paddle in Port Carling was nice, and I’m glad I checked out Lake Joe, even though I just barely stuck my paddle in.  I can not wait though, to find the calmer smaller bodies of water to play in.  If you know of any that are in the area, please reach out and share the information with me. I would greatly appreciate your help! Until then, I am just going to wing it until I find what I’m looking for!  As for the kayak cart…. I’m not feeling confident it will survive anything but a very simple flat portage, so I guess I’ll still be carrying my boat on my shoulder. 🙂  Good thing it’s not that heavy!

I hope you enjoyed my little adventure and you stay tuned for more. Lots of great trips and outings coming your way from Camper Christina now in Muskoka!!!

Happy Paddling!

Camper Christina