Add kayaking to Niagara County’s charms
A relaxing journey helps you feel like you’re worlds away
When my husband and I bought a lake house on Lake Ontario in Wilson five years ago, we envisioned quiet afternoons counting sailboats dotting the water, attacking long reading lists we had compiled over the years, my husband playing his guitar, throwing the Frisbee with our kids and enjoying simple, pure relaxation.
We wanted to have a place where we could get away from it all. My one non-negotiable rule was that we were not going to have a television. Kayaking, hiking and biking throughout the year and cross-country skiing in the winter have kept us completely entertained, not to mention healthy.
If you’re looking for something fun to do for a day or a weekend, we have found that Niagara County has plenty to offer. It’s a 40-minute drive from our house in Kenmore to our lake door, and there’s no bridge to deal with, only scenic countryside.
We’ve taken long bike rides along Lake Ontario from Wilson into Olcott and through to Sommerset. Along the way we stop at the multicolored shops in Olcott, offering everything from antiques to cotton candy, and sometimes we stop for a picnic lunch in Krull Park.
Last Father’s Day I surprised my husband with two kayaks. Kayaking is a sport you can take up quickly and become addicted to just as fast. It’s a perfect way for women of my age group (anyone over 40) to exercise, have fun and enjoy the beauty of Lake Ontario.
Our daughter just got married and we needed to spend some time without the thoughts of menus, bands and tracking the weather forecast. A week at the lake was just what the doctor ordered. Our first morning we woke up to a peaceful, serine lake just begging us to put our boats in the water.
Kayaking is one of the few sports where you can be a beginner with confidence. There’s a completely natural motion to it. You feel that your paddle is doing all the work for you. It’s not until the next day that you find that it was your arms doing all the work.
“Kayaking combines exercise and nature in a way that refreshes the body and soul,” says Helen Domske, a senior extension associate with New York Sea Grant, a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting the wise use and protection of marine and Great Lakes resources.
“The waters along the Niagara River, Erie Canal and Lake Ontario offer kayakers the opportunity to see birds like great blue heron, kingfishers, gulls and shorebirds as they wade along the shore or dive into the water to catch fish,” she said. “Depending on the time of year and the clarity of the lake, fish can be seen swimming in schools, sitting on nests filled with eggs or darting in and out of aquatic vegetation.”
As someone who kayaks early in the spring and well into late fall, Domske, 53, knows everything there is to know about making your kayaking experience a safe and pleasurable one. “Kayaking is enjoyable as a solitary activity or as a fun experience with a friend or a group. For women, it is a great way to get cardiovascular benefits, build upper body strength and fight off those baggy arms that seem to curse us as we age.”
As much fun as it is, it’s still very important to be careful by taking every precaution to ensure your safety.
“Kayakers should always wear a life jacket, regardless of how shallow or calm the water is,” warns Domske. “The instability of a kayak must be recognized — and if you do capsize, a life jacket could keep your plunge from becoming a disaster. When paddling near other boats, kayakers also need to take special precaution so they are not flipped by the wake generated by larger boats. The best thing is to stay closer to shore where power boats are less likely to be found due to the rocky shoreline of Lake Ontario.”
The most important rule, she says, is “to know the limitations of your abilities and never try to exceed them.”
If you are in the market for a kayak, there are several things Domske suggests to keep in mind. “It’s important to make sure that you can lift and carry it, otherwise you will not want to get it to the water or on your car,” she said. “Also, a roller system to help get the kayak on car roof racks will be helpful to women.”
Before buying a kayak, it’s a good idea to rent one first. You can also go to Oak Orchard Canoe and Kayak where they let you try out a kayak in their pond before you buy it ( www.oakorchardcanoe.com ). “I know of several people who have purchased kayaks online, but that is probably not great advice for a novice,” Domske says. “The Internet, is however, a great place to find information on kayaks that can be very useful before buying one.”
Where to kayak
• Eighteen mile Creek (Burnt Dam to Olcott). There is a boat launch in Olcott and kayakers can head down the creek to see birds and fish if the water is running clear. Large carp, bass and other fish can be seen swimming nearby. By heading out to Lake Ontario, kayakers can get a more open water experience depending on the waves and the type of “paddle” they are looking for.
• Wilson-Tuscarora State Park has a boat launch site that can take paddlers through beautiful wetlands along a creek where they can see Canada geese on nest in the spring, and great blue heron, kingfishers or other water birds throughout the year. Kayakers can also go out into the lake from this location, but the creek paddle is nice when the lake is rough.
• Fort Niagara State Park has an easy entrance into the water, but it is quite a distance from the parking area. A wheeled carrier makes things easier and can be attached to the kayak with a bungee cord.
• Joseph Davis State Park has a fishing dock that can serve as a launch site for experienced kayakers who want to paddle on the lower Niagara River.
• Golden Hill State Park in Barker is another nice spot for getting out on Lake Ontario.
