Autumn Moonlight Paddle

Greg, David, Cindy, Mark and Patty getting ready.

The weather was absolutely beautiful! The sun was still out. We were still around 70F (21C) when we were putting in for out Fall Moonlight Paddle. Even the water felt refreshing rather than cold!

Jay in his friends Kevlar canoe (light as a feather!) and Cindy and Greg in a rather handsome WI build tandem canoe. Lots of other folks having fun with their watercraft in T-shirts and shorts on a wonderful mid Octover evening with pink clouds in the sky: little solo sailboats, surfers...

Patty, David and Mark in short rec kayaks having a social paddle as the light fades away and with it my camera's power to capture more than colored fuzzy blurs...

We made it out to Cedar lake, where Graig apparently has seen a pelikan on another day. We were going to play aroud the islands in Lake of the Isles on our way back, but a lightning storm in the South made us take the shorter route and head back. It was in the far distance, so we were fine for now, but we were watching it to make sure we would be able to head into shore if we needed it and also, because it was just plain a beautiful light display in the back of our lake.

The lake was mirror calm and provided magnificent reflections of the light on shore as here the Minneapolis sky line.

Patty, David and Cindy.

Jay, Mark and Greg.

After the paddle we were enjoying cups of hot chocolate and treats and chatting about boating and this, that and the other, enjoying this mild Autumn evening as potential skinny dippers were making their way to the lake for testing the waters.

It had just been a plain fun evening of paddling, enjoying nature and mild weather and great company!

And just before we were going to leave the lake to those as Jay put it who are planning some "adventuresome bathing" the moon too made it's appearance.

Thanks everybody for coming it was a lovely evening with folks from Minnesota Canoe Association, Rapidsriders and Minnesota Rovers!