Canoe Camping

On Labor Day weekend, Caleb and I embarked on our first solo canoe camping adventure.  We were both introduced to canoe camping last summer when a professor from Corban and his wife took us and another engaged couple from Corban on a premarital canoe trip.  We learned from them how to waterproof the gear, how to tie down the gear and balance the canoe, and how to work together to maneuver the canoe wherever we want to go (theoretically).

We borrowed a canoe from a friend and set out late morning that Friday on Horseshoe Lake.

The lake is true to its namesake in that it does snake around into a horseshoe shape in such a way that you can only see a small part of the lake from any given spot.  In that way, it has definite river-like qualities, although there was never much of a current.  We took our time and paddled to an open portion of the lake where we floated and ate our lunch.  Then we continued on until we found our campsite.

The bank was pretty steep, but there was a spot mostly level for our tent, and a fire pit a previous camper had built out of rocks.  

After we set up camp, we took a hike to the nearby "Devil's Well", a naturally formed rock pit, filled with water.  There was no guardrail surrounding the steep drop into the well, so it made us a little nervous, especially after the wind picked up my empty camera case, which I had set to the side while I was taking pictures, and blew it irretrievably right down into the well!  

 

We haven't checked to verify the truth to this, but we heard that the water depth in the well was tested and so far, the bottom has not been found.  Also, dye was put in the water to see if it would surface anywhere, and the dyed water was found in five area lakes, some quite a distance away.  

Next, we paddled over to Exley Falls which appear much bigger in person than in the picture!  We hiked up one side of the falls and down the other after crossing the stream at the top that feeds the waterfall.
This was the view from the top of the falls:

We then canoed down the farthest tip of the lake, where it feeds into a stream, into another lake, I think.  

On our way back to our campsite, we enjoyed watching many turtles sunbathing on logs.  As we would approach, they would one by one slide off the log into the water.

We spent the evening cooking dinner on our new Coleman camp stove, reading books, and enjoying conversation around the camp fire.    

Caleb is an excellent camping organizer and canoe packer I discovered.  How fortunate!  We are grateful for the wedding gifts that provided the equipment for us to go camping, because it allows for a very inexpensive, local getaway for us!  

Doesn't this picture just make you want to go camping?  It does for me!  We're headed out this weekend for the last campout of the season - via car instead of canoe this time. 

 God provided a car for us with four wheel drive to get ready for the rough winter ahead - we found it on Craigslist and bought it on Friday.  Thanks for praying!