Kayaking Lake Marion
On the recommendation from an old guy I met at Cleary Lake, I drove down to Lakeville and explored Lake Marion.
A man I met a week and half ago while kayaking told me about Lake Marion and highly recommended it. I found it on a map, strapped my kayak to the top of my Jeep and drove down there.
First, I missed the exit and ended up talking a gravel road for about a mile. And then, for some reason, I thought there was public access on a road on which there was no public access. Thanks to the internet, I figured out where I needed to be and finally got myself into the water.
Lake Marion is an excellent lake for kayaking; at least it is right now. The water levels are high so the entire lake is a "no wake" zone. That means there's no point in taking your high-powered boat onto the water. No jet skis, no water skiers, no power boats. Just a few fishing boats, and as long as I stay away from their lines, they're no trouble at all.
Still, I headed north west to the shallower parts of the lake and once I crossed under I-35 there were no other boaters of any sort on the water. I had a hundred acres of lake all to myself!
There were lots of little bays, but no channels to explore. The submerged vegetation was inconsequential and hindered me not a all. The slight breeze kept trying to blow my off course, but that annoyance was easily offset by its effect of keeping me cool on an otherwise warm day.
Aside from the usual ducks, turtles, dragonflies and fish I think I saw some sort of black swan. I can't be sure because I never got very close to it, and, really, the only parts of I ever got to see were its long black neck and long orange beak as it bobbed around in the water, occasionally diving for snacks.
Additionally, the wide culvert under the freeway had a myriad of large (by Minnesota standards) spiders, one every six inches or so, along the upper corners of the culverts. The each had their own impressive web, but I wondered how effective is was to have two webs every linear foot. The spiders on the ends will do well, I expect, but those towards the center of the culvert? I worry about them getting sufficient calories.
Approximate total distance kayaked: 6.6 kilometers.
//Serially