A Canada Day Weekend Day on Link Lake

July 2, 2022

Our next taste of summer came right around Canada Day, and once again we took one day off from our projects to truly enjoy the day.  This time we headed out onto Link Lake.  It was the first time that we had been up on the lake this year. 

We went out with our friends, Ken and Shelly, and also a bunch of other friends.  We loaded up Ken’s landing skiff with kayaks and people, and then we also took Ken’s lake boat with the rest of the people.  Jason was appointed Captain of Ken’s lake boat and since our three other passengers had never been out on the lake before, we took them from spectacular viewpoints to stunning waterfalls and told them what history we knew of the lake. 

It was a stunning day with not a cloud in the sky.  The waterfalls were rushing from snowmelt and previous rainfall, and the day was warm and gorgeous.  We took the boats and the kayaks right up to the large sandbar at the end of the lake where we beached the boats and set up our day camp. 

Most people hopped into their kayaks and headed out exploring.  Jason and I pumped up our inflatable kayaks and headed out with our fishing rods.  Kayaking up the river we explored up some of the many shallow tributaries walled on both sides by lake grasses filled with chirping birds. 

On the main river we found several deep pools that were full of Cutthroat Trout and it was easy to catch our lunch. 

Fishing in the crystal clear water of the Braydon River we could easily watch the trout as they fought on the end of the line.  Many times I reeled in the lure and watched as two, three, or four trout followed it right up the my kayak, darting at it as they went.  

Back at our sandbar day camp the people who had remained on shore had a fire going and we had a delicious trout fry for lunch. 

Jason and I went back out in our kayaks again after lunch and paddled and fished our way through the stump patch to the far tributary coming from the Braydon Valley. 

While paddling up the tributary we came around a corner and saw a black bear walking along the shore.  At first it just looked at us, seemingly unconcerned, but then seconds later it took off running across a stream and into the forest.  We were quite possibly the first humans that it had ever seen. 

Jason and I wanted to take a few trout home with us, so that we would have enough for another fish fry and also a couple to try to do up in our smoker; we fished a bit more and caught a few nice fish. 

When we got back to the boats and people were packing up we were surprised to see how many fish people had kept, but we assumed that, like us, others wanted to take some home.  It turned out, however, that people had just been keeping more fish than they actually wanted and once everyone had as many as they wanted to take home, there were still a lot left.  Not wanting any to go to waste, we took them all home and smoked them all.  They turned out delicious!    

Jason was once again our Captain and tour guide on the way home as we stopped for photo opportunities at some of the most spectacular spots.  It had been a beautiful summer day.   

With my optimism running high, similar to that in May, I hoped that this was the beginning of the summer to come.  Unfortunately, again, this was not the case and our weather quickly deteriorated again.  By the ninth of July we were back down to morning lows of 11 and 12 degrees and a full week of non-stop rain.