We have a few different options for this weeks paddle at Hazelwood Lake.

Routes and distance are outlined below.
From the boat launch:

1. paddle around the entire lake – 10 km
2. paddle around the islands - 6.5 km
3. paddle around the islands then cross under Hazelwood Drive to the dam and back – 8 km

We can paddle from the boat launch to the first island and decide from there if we would like to continue around the lake or circle the islands.

Getting There:
Hazelwood Lake Conservation Area is approximately a 20 minute drive from Thunder Bay.

Follow Dawson Road (Highway 102) past County Fair Plaza to Hazelwood Drive. Turn right on Hazelwood Drive and follow it to the end at Hazelwood Lake Conservation Area. You’ll see the boat launch on your left.

Time:
6:30 - Meet at the Hazelwood Drive boat launch (red star on the map)

For anyone who hasn’t been to Hazelwood before we can meet in the County Fair Plaza parking lot (by the TD Bank) at 6:00 and drive out together.

Weather Forecast:
High: 20°C, Low 10°C
Scattered showers
Wind: NW 5 km/h

The water is still pretty chilly so make sure you bring a sprayskirt and all your safety gear.

Superior Kayak Club
If you would like to join the club, please bring the application and waiver forms along with your membership fees to our next paddle.

You can print the forms the links below:
Application
Waiver

Membership fees are $15/individual or $20/family.

Non-members are more than welcome to join us to see what the club has to offer.

Click below for more information about the club and previous paddles:
http://www.geocities.com/outrageous_outdoors/ThunderBaySKClub.html

 Jamie and I went out for a quick paddle around Hazelwood Lake tonight.  Unfortunately, I didn’t charge my camera battery and only got to take a few photos.

Jamie’s Boreal Designs (can’t remember the model) rental from Wilderness Supply.

Ryan and I decided to go to Hazelwood Lake tonight for a paddle. His canoe is a little big for soloing and since his paddling partner/fiance was on vacation, I brought my 240 Aquabound Flaire for him to try.

We launched from the beach and only paddled for a little more than 2 hours tonight. It was a pretty strange evening with it going from the typical gloomy spring weather we were used to, to being really bright and sunny, then back to gloomy dull skies all within a matter of minutes.

Ryan seemed to be getting around pretty good with the kayak paddle (or, double-bladed canoe paddle for you purists) and since I don’t have any use for it, I let him keep it. Hopefully this means he can come out paddling more often. Checkout that duct-tape patch job.

Ryans canoe looks so much better from this side. No duct tape or major scratches to be seen.

My new 220cm Nimbus Kiska. I like it so much that I think I will get the graphite version later this summer. Dropping down to a 220 from a 230 made a huge difference in my paddling (both tracking and speed but not so much with bracing…read below) . I’ll try a 215 a few times before I spend any more money paddles. I think my kayak might be a little wide for a 215 cm paddle though.

Once we started heading back to the beach, the sun came out again so we zig-zagged back and forth across the lake to delay heading home for as long as possible. This was the perfect time to practice some paddle strokes and braces

Unless some of my friends start bringing cameras with them, you’ll be seeing lots of these “MySpace portraits”.

Straight ahead is the Hazelwood Lake Centre. About 5 minutes after I took this photo, I was practicing bracing but didn’t do a very good job and got dunked. It was the first time I’ve ever tipped by accident so it was a bit of a shocker at first and my reaction wasn’t the greatest. I don’t know what the exact temperature of the water was but it was the coldest I’ve ever been in (as far as inland lakes go) so I didn’t waste anytime with getting the kayak upright, reentering and bailing out the cockpit.

Upright and soaking wet. The water was pretty cold but now, being wet, the air was colder. I was quite happy that we were only a few minutes away from the beach where we launched. Time to take some rolling lessons and spend more time working on my braces. At least the water will be warm in a couple more weeks (hopefully).

Website: Hazelwood Lake Conservation Area

Satellite: Google Map