Kip’s Comments - April 14, 2024

I Needed 6-inches, There Were 4-Inches… I Quit!!

Maybe I am the only person in America wanting to paddle the newly dug channels at Marten’s Lake at Sweet Marsh - or maybe not. I do know I was the only person to attempt such an adventure this afternoon. And what did I learn?

I learned I needed 6-inches of water to have any chance of paddling my canoe up and down the recently dug channels. I learned there were maybe 4-inches of water in some spots. I learned that I quit.

Really, I turned around and headed back to my truck. The effort was not worth the labor needed. I quit, and that does not happen very often. And to make it more miserable, I came home with stinky muck on my canoe, my paddles, my shirt, my shorts, and my feet. Yuck!

Canoeing Marten's Lake - Image 875233

On a more serious note - the paddling was so very tough and not worth the energy spent. While paddling I found what I believe was a Blanding’s turtle I released several years ago with a naturalist from southwest Iowa. The turtle was attempting to dig into the soft material along the channel. It seems early for a turtle to be laying eggs, but what do I know. After all, I am the guy attempting to paddle the shallow channels!

Injured Blanding's Turtle - Image 875246

At the boat ramp I photographed some of many snail shells gathered as the water was drawn down for renovations.

Washed Up Snail Shells - Image 875260