Birding-Kayaking-Babbling: 2025

It's Friday July 4 and my friend George and I have decided to do a paddle on Charleston Lake. So around 10 a.m. we arrive at the boat ramp at the end of Water St. in Charleston. The plan is to paddle down to a campsite at Captain's Gap that has a little bit of a beach which makes for an easier landing.

Unfortunately my GPS is no longer working properly and won't display a map and I left home forgetting to bring my printed map of the lake. It can get a bit confusing here as there are many islands.

Charleston Lake

My plan had been to go as far West as possible then turn left going south to Covey's Gap then paddle east till we find the campsites on our right. But we made a wrong turn too early and got a bit disorientated missing the campsites and travelling too far south.

Heading SW

Then we spotted some paddle boarders and I stopped and asked if they knew where Captain's Gap was. They said if we backtracked a bit and turned left we would get to Covey's Gap, so we did that and lo and behold just after rounding the corner I spotted the campsite we were looking for. Today the site was occupied but I asked the gentleman if he would mind if we hauled out there and sat and had our lunch before returning to the water, he said no problem.

Lunch spot

George at lunch

Me at lunch

View from campsite

Then lunch over we thank our host and launch heading straight up the lake which will be a little shorter going back. My paddles have been getting shorter as this past year I have developed athritis in my left shoulder which has been causing me a lot of problems. I don't paddle by myself anymore because I can't seem to get out of my yak by myself, relying on my friend to give me a haul up and out.

Heading north past Buck island we then bear east then NE to pass Sheep island on our right before turning north back to Charleston.