Special Report: Kayak Camping on Hidden Lake

I’m going to take a step back from the story of the Sea Marie and report on an overnight kayak trip I did last night. I have been a member of a Facebook group called Kayak NE Ohio and every now and then write up a float report to give the member an idea of what to expect in any given area. This is my report to the group.

Forgive me for being negligent in writing up a float report this year. I have been busy writing my Sailing Saga of the Sea Marie for public consumption.

However, I'm happy to get in a Float Report on Hidden Lake.

For the past year, I wanted to experience true kayak camping, where you load your kayak with food, water, and camping supplies, paddle to a designated campsite, set up a tent, have dinner, enjoy a campfire, and get in a good night's rest. breakfast upon rising, break down and reload my kayak, and paddle back to my car. But where within a short drive from the west side of Cleveland can there be such a place.

It just so happened I stumbled on a small lake last fall called Hidden Lake in Leroy Township south of Painesville. It has a reservable campsite that sits on the water's edge, and it has a fire ring with plenty of firewood provided on the site. 2 picnic tables, a tree-canopied tent platform, and a grassy area right on the water's shore.

It has two small drawbacks 1) is that you must carry your kayak and supplies 300 ft from the parking lot to the launch but would not be a problem with a kayak cart, (If I had remembered to bring mine.), and 2) reserving the site can be hectic as it is very popular and reserved far in advance. 2 weeks ago I was lucky to find a date open and reserved it for last night. Paid my $20 as a non-resident of Lake County Metropark online reservation and printed out the permit, one to leave on the dash of my car and one to carry with me. Figured out what I think I might need for one night. packed the car and loaded the kayak. By the time I got out of Marcs with some onions, bananas, and a gallon of water, stopped at a buddy's house, and got a fillup on gas it was 5:30 pm when I arrived.

There were a few people fishing from shore when I carried my kayak about 300 ft and returned for my bags of camping gear, clothes, and food. My buddy texted me with a warning of pending rain and a check on my radar app showed an extensive rain pattern about to descend, I was in haste to get my camp set up. I avoided the gravel ramp the park uses for its canoes and instead chose to launch from shore in shallow water. The rain was holding off so I paddled the long way to the campsite which is about 600 ft from the launch and the car in the parking lot is about a quarter-mile hike, just in case I forgot something,

The lake is only 8 acres but if you make a lot of turns you can get a 3/4 to mile paddle in. But paddling was not primarily what I came for. It was the camping atmosphere of being outdoors and being self-sufficient. Paddling about I found a low bank to get out and dragged my kayak over to the grassy area. The rain was still holding off as got my Sierra Designs 1-person, 3-season Tensegrity 1 FL Elite tent up and started to boil water for dinner on my backpack butane stove giving me time to get some firewood and start a fire. The fire was going well and water was boiling as I opened a bag of freeze-dried Mountain House Beef Stew. I quickly chopped up a small onion to give this some real flavor. Sure wished I brought some seasoning like pepper. Next time. Let the beef stew bag sit and fetched more firewood. I had to make another cup of hot water for the coffee and I was set to enjoy my evening before the rain hits.

Just before dark the rain starts and making sure there are no open food containers lying around I crawled into the tent to inflate my newly purchased (and sadly the last item I bought from the former Cleveland Outpost) Klymit Insulated Static V air pad for the first time. I bought one of those little USB-charged battery pumps and forgot how to turn it on. Oh yes, there's a little protected switch you turn on before pressing the outside switch. I even had time to throw up a small hammock fly over my door for more rain protection and everything worked out fine.

Then the heavy rain started and it was drowning out my thoughts. Earplugs might be nice. My phone cell service was good to fair and didn't have any major issues using the web on the phone. Little after midnight, I hit the sack. Around 2 am I thought the air mattress was a bit hard so I let a little air out. But I couldn't get the cap back on the valve. The valve was holding and I thought it would be ok without the cap and in an hour my butt was hitting the ground. I flopped off the air mattress and blow it up manually and this time got the cap on. Much better to have the air in the mattress stay in the mattress. The insulation was quite effective as I did not feel any cold spots even when my butt was on the ground and the temp hovered around the mid-50s F.

Texting to let my family know I was warm and dry and by morning the rain was just down to a drizzle. I waited a bit to see if it would stop and it didn't so I fired up the Pocket Rocket stove just outside the tent door and had hot water for my oatmeal and coffee. Waited till the rain stopped, got another cup of coffee, and soon the tent was drying out.

Then the voices of a million munchkins descended on the lake. Day camp for grade school kids. Dozens of them, some hiking, some fishing, and others getting the canoes out filling the pond with red park canoes from shore to shore. All the time the adults in charge were yelling instructions to each child with a paddle, "Front to back, Front to back" Thinking, isn't that what our mothers thought us how to use toilet paper?

Some of the canoers were rather close to the shore and my tent and upon seeing me start to wave. No doubt wishing I was a grizzly bear so they could tell the best story of the day. Around the pond, they paddled with the stern paddler firmly telling the bow paddler, "Front to back, front to back!" and their teacher/instructors scurrying about in their sit upon kayak rescuing stranded canoers stuck in the tall grass. I fault the teachers/instructors for failing to deliver the necessary paddle stroke to go in reverse, Back to front, kids! As quickly as they appeared they were gone. Like a sudden squall dumping its torrent and moving on.

The tent was dry enough to fold up and pack and all went back in the kayak as I had the lake to myself again. A few round trips and I exit where I entered. A campsite far from secluded and not very well hidden but entertaining nevertheless.