chapter 319

Kaydeross

6/21/2013

the retiree flotilla

A group of us DEC retirees picked a day that turned out to be almost perfect for paddling the Kayeross or Kayerosseras Creek near Saratoga Springs. I want to keep their identities anonymous so I'll just call them Bill, Dick, and Phil.

We launched or as the kayak aficionados say, put-in, at the City Waterfront Park, a semi secret poorly advertised government operated spot on Saratoga Lake. It's unbelievable it has taken so long to gain free public access to this nice little lake. It resides on the old Waterfront Restaurant property where we used to watch

Christie's crew races, called the Head of the Fish, (Fish Creek headwaters that is).

Dick, a former hydrologist confirmed that the current was only moderate and this was indeed the mouth as we proceeded upstream to navigate around many downed tree obstacles.

After reaching the Northway 3 miles from launch we turned around heading back for home, and a nice lunch at a Broadway outdoor cafe. One of my models got topless as things were heating up. I don't want to say Phil is like the proverbial government worker who talks for a half hour and hasn't said anything. But, he is familiar with people like this.

It was a verdant forest all around with the Northern Mockingbird giving us a many toned serenade. Our only worry was the hostile native tribes, the alligators, and the pit vipers. Creek had quite a lot of turbidity from the recent heavy rains. Bill made it a continual almost incessant point that he should get credit for organizing this trip. This may be a hold over from his Engineering Technician days on water quality surveys where perhaps he felt slighted for not getting enough credit for his efforts.

Although it was more relaxing going back down stream, Dick felt frisky with his more sea kayak and put the hammer down. By the end, all were spent (doesn't take much at this stage), but looking forward to the now deserved luncheon reward. Phil and I had nearly cancelled. He with his hang toe nail and me with back injury putting socks on. Nothing that Social Security and Medicare wouldn't take care of, though.

We rafted up for a spontaneous group photo. Sure, you think it's easy to be the tour guide, paddling, fishing, photographing, checking exposures, settings, angles, navigating thru the trees, coping with currents and winds, while keeping the camera dry but I just do it to capture and savor the moment. And this actually was one of those rare moments worth recording. No we're not jumping off 60 foot waterfalls or tackling class 6 rapids but simple pleasures can be rewarding. The weather was outstanding, the attitudes were right, there was no consternation; it exceeded my expectations.

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