Page 76 - SOM Summer 2017

the good life | Southern EXPLOREGON

TOP 7 PLACES

TO PADDLE

by Megan Mortimer-Lamb of Northwest Outdoor Store

ne of my favorite aspects of Southern Oregon is the diversity to pleasant zephyrs and ospreys, herons, and other shore birds can be
of climate within 100 miles of the Rogue Valley. On any given spotted fishing at dusk. For the hotter afternoons, it’s worth the trip to
Oday here, if it’s too hot in the valley, we can escape the heat drive up the road to the Mountain Lakes area.
by heading into the mountains or over the pass into the Klamath area,
where it’s 10 degrees cooler. With so many mountain lakes nearby, it’s HAYATT LAKE
tempting to visit every one of them in the summer and be transported Hayatt Lake, just up the road from Emigrant Lake another 30 minutes
to a peaceful scenic kayaking or SUP adventure. If you’re crunched for on Hwy 66 and sitting at 5,200 feet, offers a cool and quiet retreat
time, like we all can be, this guide will help eliminate the guesswork in from ski boats and crowds. With the view of McLaughlin to the north
finding your epic water adventure. and lonely snag trees standing in the lake, this lake offers scenic views
and a serenity that invites quiet reflection. It can also be windy in the
EMIGRANT LAKE afternoon, so a good tip is to kayak into the wind and paddle back at
One of the first lakes folks think of this time of year for kayaking is the end of the day.
Emigrant Lake. This is a convenient and pretty lake to kayak, especially
if you are able to get up with the birds and paddle at dawn for that pris- HOWARD PRAIRIE LAKE
tine kayaking-on-glass experience. With rocky cliffs at the north end of Just up the road another 10 minutes is Howard Prairie Lake. With
the lake and marshy areas on the south end, there are plenty of nooks a restaurant and convenience store, this lake offers some amenities
and coves to explore. Later in the day you compete with ski boats and along with plenty of water acreage to get lost in the wilderness splen-
jet skis, and the wind can often pick up out of the north, making mid- dor. Howard Prairie also has a marina and several different camping
day a less than ideal time to explore. If you do go midday, you can areas. This can be an enjoyable retreat for weekend to weeklong kayak
escape the wind by paddling near the rowing shell on the northwest adventures.
side of the lake. Evenings are often quite lovely here as the winds die

74 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2017