Champion Lake in early November
November, 2016
by Natalie Wiest

On short notice, or I’d have put out the word on the Forum, Dave Kitson and I decided to take a spin around Champion Lake on Saturday, November 5. My willing canoeing assistant Ellen was along for the ride, and Marilyn Kircus, nursing a recent surgery on her rotator cuff, rode along to the put-in with us but spent her time hiking and taking photos while the rest of us paddled. Unfortunately the pair of wood storks we saw sitting in a tree some distance from the boat ramp took off before she or I could get a decent picture of them, so you’ll just have to believe that we saw them.

The gauge on the fishing pier was reading 4.5 feet and we discovered that’s a bit too low for all the back-country paddle trails but there was still plenty to paddle.

The duckweed was very abundant on the nearly stagnant water. We could glide over it in most locations, but this is as far up this particular passage as we were able to go.

We headed up Caney Creek and tested many of those side passages. This area never disappoints for its natural beauty and we had a grand time.

 

 

 

And here is my sidekick Ellen. Do you think she is enjoying the trip?

 

It’s always a good day when you can spend it on the water.

 

 

  - Natalie Wiest

Meteorological Observations:

 

Water level	4.5 ft	Not automated, on the fishing pier
Temperature range	75-80	Recorded in Houston
Windspeed	5-10 mph	Recorded in Houston

Here’s what the gauge looks like on the pier:

 

The author, Natalie Wiest