On the positive side it seems that you hear thunderstorms in Ohio long before they reach the area. I suppose it's because of the flat terrain but it seems that the thunder echo's for miles. In a few places we've stayed there was 24 hour weather radar that allowed us to track pending storms. Anyway, back to the trip.
Saturday brought crowds out to the beach and increased boat traffic on the lake. So instead of launching the kayak I went in search of the railroad tracks on the west side of the lake. Unable to find a road described on another trip report there were a few access points to the tracks. As described the tracks ran alongside the lake but for the most part both sides of the tracks were surrounded by forested areas. Taking advantage of the wide open space with sunlight baking my nude body I strolled for hours before deciding to turn around and head back. Other than the usual sounds of nature the only other disturbance was the sounds of motorboats on the lake. The other shocking thing was despite the almost four hour walk not one train! It appears that the tracks are well used but maybe not on the weekends? Anyway the solitude made me braver so there seemed no need to dress when I got back to the vehicle and before heading back more exploring for free range places was done. After dinner that night we treated ourselves to ice cream at the camp store before the campfire and a recap of the day.
Sunday dawned hot and humid again with showers predicted later. So I took the kayak out in the late morning only to find everyone else that headed out were going to the southern part of the lake. So I headed north into the no wake zone, slipped off the bathing suit and paddled toward a boat ramp discovered in yesterdays travels. According to a paddling website the ramp is not used much since it has silted in but yesterday a truck was parked there by what could be assumed were fishermen. After scoping out the launch, which could be used for kayaks or canoes, I made my way north between the islands along the west bank of the river. Soon there was an outcropping which seemed to be made of railroad ballast, perhaps a spur from long ago? It did seem like a good place to put ashore and explore the area for sunning spots. As I put ashore and fastened the paddle to the kayak then pulled it up out of the water. It seems that my guess about fishermen was right as there was a path along the shoreline which led me back to the boat ramp. Despite being naked by this time I was getting hot and my drinks were in the kayak. When I arrived back much to my dismay the paddle was gone! A quick search nearby revealed nothing but soon I spotted it floating away in the small lagoon. Now I have made mention of the water advisories that had been posted and I rally wanted to do some skinny dipping so now there was the excuse. Not wanting to submerge my head I waded in until I could swim and retrieved the paddle. Once it was safely back on shore there was no reason to be in a hurry so why not enjoy the sensation of the water caressing my body? Then I had to air dry on the bank before resuming the trip by scouting out the area between the islands. There seemed to be quite a few areas that would be better than the one I landed at for sunning and relaxing. The trip back to the launch point was uneventful except for the fact I was still undressed and there were a couple families fishing near the take out point. Who knows how discrete I was wiggling back into the bathing suit while sitting but I managed to make myself presentable before exiting the craft.
Later that afternoon we drove around as the misses did some shopping and treated me to Red Lobster as she said all that talk about the kayak trip made her crave seafood. As predicted the storms did arrive by early evening and the trip back to the camper was delayed a bit because the rain came down so hard I had to pull over. We did make it back before sundown to an almost empty place; so why not do some free range walking? I put on a running kilt, tank top and flip flops and headed to a trail connector nearby. Once I cleared the tree line everything went into a drawstring bag and off I went on some of the same trails only a different spot. I had thought of walking the horse trail but it was too muddy so I bypassed it and got to the Licking Bend trail. Last time I walked it toward the sled hill but this time I headed toward the cabins. As it started to get darker I turned back, debating on if things were quiet enough to make it across the open space from the trail connection to the camp without being seen. Just as my mind was almost made up to go for it the rattle of a diesel engine changed it quickly. So I donned the kilt and short before entering the clearing only to see the tail lights moving away from me.
