Waldo Lake Kayaking

Prime time at Waldo Lake is summer's end, after the mosquitoes and summer forest fires have died down.  My daughter and I paddled and camped around this serene wilderness lake in September, 2015.  This was my first multi-day kayaking expedition and I hope to have many more.  We launched from the southeast corner of the lake at Shadow Bay.  The boat ramp parking area required day use fees or a forest service parking pass.  For camping, we used our backpacking gear and several dry bags.  Our boats were inflatable Air Fusion Elite kayaks, easy to transport and set up.

I added bungee cord rigging behind the cockpits so that large dry sacks could be secured.
Food bags were stowed in the hatches. I hung water bottles from the upper frame pole in front of the cockpit

We couldn't have asked for better weather.  The lake was calm and the sky was sunny.  Waldo is about 7 miles long and 1 to 2 miles wide. The west shore is a wilderness area where primitive lakeshore camping is allowed.  The east shore has 3 developed campgrounds which attract boaters, bikers (there's a 21 mile bike trail around the lake), and people who like to fish.  Waldo's pristine water is safeguarded by a ban on gasoline-powered motor boats.  Although fish can be found, Waldo is not stocked.  It's perfect for late summer camping trips and kayak tours.

I estimate that a strong kayaker with lots of energy could circle around the lake in a single day.  But we wanted to alternate our time on the water and on land, explore, and camp.  We set out in the late afternoon and soon arrived on the Western shore, just south of Klovdahl Bay.  I was mesmerized by the intense blue color of the deep water.  I felt I was dipping my paddle into a pot of blue paint.  Near shore, the water clarity is astounding.

Deep blue water

Much of Waldo's western shoreline has a rocky edge

We found a small cove with a sandy beach for our first camp.  I hiked in a ways, bushwacking, in an attempt to find the hiking trail that circles the lake.  Apparently the trail was far from our camp and I did not reach it.  During the day, chirping birds and buzzing bees created the sound space.  But around 6pm, an eerie silence began.  I became aware that I was listening to the sound of silence and it was beautiful.  Sunset was a visual feast and the night air became very moist.  We inverted our boats thinking that we would rather have dry cockpits the next day.  We didn't need to, because although it was misty at night and at sunrise, the morning sun was eventually strong enough to dry everything out.

Sunset and quietude on Waldo Lake

Early morning mist

Setting out on day two

We paddled past Klovdahl Bay and explored Rhododendron island.  There were some great camping sites there but we wanted to get further north for our second night of camping.  We encountered a few other kayakers and canoeists.  Two sailboats cruised up and down the lake.  If you're looking for solitude, you can find it here. We kayaked for another hour or two and found a good campsite at the tip of the prominent peninsula at the northwestern part of the lake.  For the most part, the forest is fairly dense right up to the lake shore, and much of the shore is rocky, so good campsites are not abundant.  That said, there are some small coves with sandy or graveled beaches and some areas of forest with clearings large enough for a camping.

Lakeshore campsite

Although bears inhabit the forest, they are not known to be problematic at Waldo Lake.  We didn't see any bears but we hung our food bag in a tree for good measure.  I'm sure that most bears would have no problem climbing a tree to get our food bag.  We couldn't get it up very high, but it kept the food odors far from our tent site, and if a bear got it, at least it wouldn't run through our camp to do so.  And it was kinda fun to hang the bag.

There are mountains all around Waldo Lake which are enchanting to watch as their colors and shadows change with the shifting angles of sunlight. The lake changes colors too, especially as you paddle into different depths.  Reflective water added to this dynamic beauty.

Waldo Lake reflections

Our second night out was clear, with no mist.  We were treated to an amazing nighttime sky.  The milky way was as thick as I have ever seen it.  We woke up to perfect weather on our third day, looking forward to a few hours on calm water for our return to Shadow Bay.  Close to Shadow Bay there were several small islands and peninsulas that were fun to explore.  After a couple of days in the wilderness, I was feeling very relaxed.  We took our time and savored the last day of our kayaking-camping expedition.

Relaxing on top of our boats in the middle of Waldo Lake