It’s always great having a group of friends who enjoy shoving all they can fit for a long weekend into a small boat and taking off as much as you. It’s quickly becoming a tradition to take an extra day off for Fourth of July and go on a kayak adventure!
In 2019, we went to Lake Roosevelt in Eastern Washington, just above the Grand Coulee Dam. 4 days, 3 nights, and 30 miles of paddling!
The first night we disperse camped (where there’s no designated camping site or facilities). Always check the rules where you are for dispersed camping, for Lake Roosevelt it was permissible as long as you packed out everything (yes, everything! We used the Cleanwaste GO Anywhere Toilet bags and carried them until we found a dumpster at a campsite).
The other two nights were at campsites, shared with motor boaters (we were definitely the odds ones out in non-motorized boats).
We had a blast taking our time, swimming and enjoying the warm weather! Other than one afternoon when the wind picked up, and we hung out on shore until it calmed down, the paddling was easy. Lots of time for chatting and hanging out!
I really enjoy having weekends with no phones, TV’s or social media. Even if we might get service, I leave my phone on airplane mode for the whole trip and just stay present. I find the repetitive motion of paddling almost meditative, where my mind isn’t racing all over the place but just focusing on being on the water.
Sometimes I miss that from rowing, I would lose myself in counting strokes and feeling the boat moving beneath me and at the end of practice realize I didn’t think once about whatever was stressing me out. I strive to find that again in the kayak, biking or hiking!
