Cool quick Thanksgiving paddle on beautiful Creve Coeur Lake, St. Louis County, MO.

This trip was not my first choice for the day.  I had set out a few hours earlier to go to Horseshoe Lake, IL.   I thought it would be cool to paddle and see the St. Louis skyline on a kayak again.  Note to self: It is duck season and the lake is closed to duck hunters.  So I left there and drove up towards Alton.  I figured I would paddle the Mississippi River area on the Missouri side.  Note to self: It is duck season.....areas are closed and people are duck hunting.

So out of frustration and heading towards my house, I was debating not even getting in the water.  However, I figured that to be a self-defeating attitude, and very "counter productive" to the kayak "lifestyle" so I stopped at Creve Coeur Lake.

What an incredible paddle!  Almost the minute I hit the water, the sun came out, it warmed up a tad, and the paddle was on.  Was not my first choice.....sometimes you have to be grateful for the trip that you got :)

Paddle ON!

Mike

48 degrees....time to get the kayaks out! Paddeling Lake St. Louis, St. Charles County, MO. November 23rd, 2011

Sometimes the best kayak trips are the impromptu ones.  My friend Ray Schroeder lives right on Lake St. Louis in St. Charles County.  I just happened to have my kayak strapped to the top of my car.  I had left my sea bag in his van from our trip on the Meremac River a few days prior.  We had just enough time for a quick paddle before the sun went down.  Started with a light drizzle (it rained off and on all day) and a temperature of about 48 degrees.  It made me appreciate my spray skirt (I consider this a must have if you want to get out in the winter).  We paddled about 3 miles total.  Felt really good to get back out on the water.

Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking 10.5 mile stretch between Route 66 SP and Castlewood SP, Meremac River Missouri

Great 10.5 mile paddle between the Route 66 State park and Castlewood State Park in St. Louis County, Missouri.  The weather was semi-cool and cloudy, but not too awful.  Weather like this really helps you to appreciate a spray skirt.  I had it strapped to the kayak for about 1/2 of the trip.

 Came up on some trapped raccoons close to shore.  Missouri has a season for this, however, I find it to be incredibly inhuman and just down right mean.  I am not "anti hunting" or anything.  But I think in todays world, there are other methods other than trapping.  I had thought about trying to help release them, but they probably would have tried to tear my arm off.  It had looked like a couple of them (still alive) had been trapped for days (that part is not legal).  In a kayak, I was really inequipped to handle it.  If I had a 9mm or something, I probably would have put them out of their misery...one more reason to pack when you kayak.

Sorry to be a buzz-kill......

Other than that, it was an awesome trip with my friends Ray Schroeder and Dan Main.  I think everyone really enjoyed the fellowship and kayaking.  We had a couple of rapids that were semi-challenging (the colder the water gets, the more challenging, at least in my book).

It really has been awhile since I have been out....I think it was like therapy or something

Paddle ON!

Mike

Kayaking the Meremac River from Route 66 SP to Castlewood SP, Missouri

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