The day was cold and very windy so I wasn’t too surprised when a group of 4 called me to cancel that morning. I then called everyone else on the list to reassure them that the trip was still on, good thing too because one of the participants was wavering until I called. So we had seven adventurous women willing to brave the chilly, windy day on Lake Martin. Perfect!!
As soon as we arrived at the lake it started misting, causing some reservations but I insisted it would be a great paddle, not in spite of the weather but because of the weather. I love to paddle in this weather because there is a different kind of natural beauty. There are no wildflowers blooming and very little green but the contrast of color is astounding. Cypress tree trunks are silvery gray with auburn needles above, those fallen are draped across the buttress and the water on their way to decomposition. 
All of this backlight by a dark gray, winter sky making all natural colors seem brighter. The leafless trees and shrubs, reminiscent of death are in stark contrast to the feeding birdlife that call this lake their home reminding you that Louisiana is filled with life, whether you recognize it or not. We paddled within these trees, staying mostly out of the wind. We watched anhinga and cormorants drying their wings on trees and had flocks of white ibis fly overhead.
I’m not sure how this happened… maybe because I was bragging so much about the stability of Native Watercraft’s Ultimate kayak… but I was talked into doing yoga in my kayak to prove that I would not fall into the water. I pulled up to some water hyacinth for a little more stability and did the tree pose, first on one leg then on the other (one foot on inner thigh and hands over head while balancing on the other foot). Yes, I was successful!! The boat is stable!!
We paddled the north end of the lake, stopping for photo opportunities and to cut up before heading across the lake back to the landing. We loaded up our boats then drove to the boardwalk to have supper as the sun disappeared. Thanks to Jimmy for making red beans and rice with sausage, cornbread and those yummy cookies. We ate good!! And a perfect ending to a great trip with some fun-loving, adventurous folks open to experiencing what Mother Nature has to offer.
-Stacey Scarce, Trip Leader
Here’s a link to all the photos from this trip:
https://packpaddle.com/events-and-trips/recent-trips-photos/?album=SundayAfternoonPaddleNov2011