Purden Lake June 11, 2011

It was a harsh winter with an alarming amount of snow.  Spring came eventually, but it was slow, and as a result it was almost mid-June before I got out on the water.  Usually I am out on the water by mid-May. 

My first trip out this season was to Purden Lake, on a cool but rain-free Saturday on June 11th.  I spent many weekends in the Provincial campground here as a child, but never really appreciated the lake until I saw it from my kayak.  It is very close to the Rocky Mountains, which makes for some nice views of snow-capped mountains from some spots.  Purden Lake is usually very busy with boat traffic, but it was almost deserted this afternoon.

Small island near the boat launch.

A pretty spot in the  far west corner of the lake, near the boat launch.

Once I got away from the boat launch, I paddled past the beach, along the northern shore.  As always, I found plenty of stumps.  This was the nicest one.

Continuing along the northern shoreline

I didn't get to see very much of the lake this time around, but it was nice to finally be out on the water.  All in all, it was a good start to the season.