Easy kayak escape near Medford Oregon

Kayaking Escape: … Armchair Travel in the Time of Covid-19

/ Curt Mekemson / 24 Comments

I ran out of time to do today’s post on our hike up into the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest behind our house in search of bears, cougars and snakes. Oh my. The best laid plans of mice and moose— you know how that goes. There were chores to do. So, I decided to pull a post from 2014 I did on kayaking a small lake that’s about 8-miles from our home. I’ve blogged on Squaw Lake since. You may have seen photos but each trip is different. It is quite beautiful. Enjoy.

Kayaking on Squaw Lake, Oregon. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.
Peggy paddling our inflatable Innova Kayak on Little Squaw Lake. (Her hair has grown like umpteen inches since— grin.)

Since Squaw Lake is only a few mile from our home, we can easily head up there when we have a couple of hours to spare.

Reflection shot on Squaw Lake in southern Oregon.
Paddling under cloudy skies, we thought it might rain.
Kayaking on the small Squaw Lake in southern Oregon provides beautiful refection shots. Photo by Curtis Mekemson
But then the sun came out, allowing for this very green reflection shot.
Young steer next to Squaw Lake in Southern Oregon. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.
We kayaked up to the end of the lake and caught this photo of a young steer, who also seemed happy to see the sun.
Cumulous clouds dominate the horizon at Squaw Lake in southern Oregon.
Towering cumulus clouds dominated the horizon and spoke of a later thunder and lightning storm. We would be off the lake by then. Peggy and I have been caught out on much larger lakes during storms. Dangerous. Once, in Prince Albert National Park north of Saskatoon, Canada, we barely made it back to shore.
Cumulous clouds reflected in Squaw Lake of Southern Oregon near Applegate Lake. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.
The clouds were reflected in the lake.
Turtle sunning on Squaw Lake in Southern Oregon near the California border. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.
A curious turtle, blending into the green, checked us out.
Jane and Jim Hagedorn kayaking on Squaw Lake in Southern Oregon. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.
Peggy’s sister, Jane Hagedorn and her husband Jim, joined us. We often take friends and family up to Squaw Lake. Its small size make it an ideal location for beginning kayakers.
Photo of Squaw Lake in Southern Oregon. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.
A final photo capturing the beauty and peace of the lake. Ripples from a fish that had just jumped are on the lower right.

I don’t know if you kayak, but it is hard to find a more peaceful experience than kayaking on Squaw Lake. We hope to be back there soon. (Look for another post!) We are also planning a trip to Klamath Lake where you can follow ancient trails through the tules once used by Native Americans. That, plus the fact that large numbers of water fowl stop there in the spring and fall, makes it another favorite of ours. And finally, if you are ever in our neck of the woods, we would be glad to take you kayaking on Squaw Lake.

FRIDAY’S POST: The blog on our trip up the mountain, assuming I’m not distracted again!