Kayak Trip #57, Upper Chain O' Lakes, 10-24-12

Unseasonably warm temperatures brought my husband home from work itching to get out on the water one more time before winter. Even though it was getting dark and was very cloudy, we headed out to the Upper Chain O' Lakes for a quick paddle. It was dark by the time we got back, but I had a head lamp and used the flash on my camera for some of the photos. Not great pictures, but nice memories for the end of a great season!

Kayak Trip #56, Lake Fort Smith, Arkansas, 10-21-12

This trip wasn't exactly in the Waupaca area... but we were on a family vacation in Arkansas and couldn't pass up the chance to take advantage of the warm weather. We rented kayaks from the marina at Lake Fort Smith State Park and paddled the reservoir. Because of the drought, our preferred destination of the Buffalo National River had to be put on hold because there wasn't enough water. Maybe next trip...

Lake Fort Smith was quite lovely, set in the Ozark Mountains. The day was overcast and hazy, so the autumn colors weren't quite as bright as we had hoped for, but it was still beautiful. Our two daughters were with us, so that made the day even more fun. The drive through the mountains was pretty, too.

Going through a tunnel in the mountains.

Lake Fort Smith

Kayak Trip #55, Little Wolf River at Big Falls, 9-30-12

Well, the weather has cooled considerable the last few weeks, but Sunday was nice enough to get the kayaks out again and head north to see some beautiful color!

We put in at the boat landing at the park at Big Falls, and paddled upstream to the Dells where the current is too strong to paddle against it. We took a break on the rock ledge overlooking the Dells. An absolutely gorgeous day!

A Bald Eagle!

You can see lots more pictures in this slide show put to music:

If you enjoy looking at the beautiful fall colors in the Waupaca area, you might also enjoy this slide show that features scenes from the Crystal River area, including the town of Rural, the dam at Little Hope, the Red Mill, Covered Bridge and Chapel in the Woods, as well as Spencer Lake and Shadow Lake. While we didn't have our kayaks along, we did meet some kayakers who had just made the trip from Knights Landing, through Long Lake, down the Crystal River to Parfreyville. They said it was beautiful.