After spending a great deal of time around Lake Winnecook (also known as Unity Pond), a group of my friends and I heard about an island on the eastern side of the lake. As it turns out, the owner of the lake, a relative of one of the well respected staff members at my college, was kind enough to let people camp there on occasion. Soon after, we planned a weekend camping trip to the island via canoes we were able to rent from our campus. Once we had the schedule figured out, we packed up our vehicles with gear and two canoes, and headed for the public access launch ramp in town. It was only a five minute drive into town, making this trip easy as far as necessary preparation goes. Being so close to the college, we didn't need to be too concerned about forgetting any supplies. This was especially important for Amanda and I, as we were beginners in the canoe department.
Any worries or doubts we had were soon put to rest, as we successfully loaded all the gear and launched smoothly into the water, which was shimmering under the setting sun. In the first canoe, Jay, Christy, and Amanda N. led the way to the island. Amanda S. and I, with the remaining gear and zero prior time spent in a canoe, followed behind quickly. It was quite a positive first experience, as we encountered very little wave movement. The water wasn't exactly flat, but the canoe remained stable with all the weight of our gear the entire time, thus creating a sense of confidence in our ability to cross with ease.
When we began to approach the island, the sun was almost fully concealed behind the dark hills. To our benefit, we spotted an obvious place to land our canoes within a few minutes of scoping out the northwestern shores of the island. Cautiously avoiding various rocks that created a small barrier, we headed into a miniature cove decorated with tall grasses and shrubs around the edges.
Upon landing on the island, Jay headed inland while the rest of us stretched our legs and unpacked the canoes. It was getting dark and increasingly harder to see, but we were glad to be on land after the mile trip into a headwind for roughly an hour. Once the rest of us were set to enter the island, we called the owner for final permission to camp overnight. As we hoped, he and his wife graciously granted us permission, and just in time for Jay's return to shore. Jay came through the shrubs with confidence, claiming to have found a decent spot to set up camp. We immediately secured the canoes and followed with our gear, battling through the thick growth that seemed determined to slow us down every step.
Once we reached the clearing Jay had found, we unpacked two tents while Jay gathered kindling wood for a fire. I soon followed under his command, gathering birch bark and rocks to create a fire pit. After only 30 minutes, we had a high pressure fire blazing and keeping us warm as the temperature began to drop. As Jay continued to feed the fire, Amanda S. and I finished setting up the rest of the campsite.
Meanwhile, on the shore, Christy and Amanda N. were preparing to go back to shore. Amanda wasn't planning on staying that night, so Christy was going to go back to shore with her, and return with Travis whom was busy when we first set out to the island. They would also return with food and a few last minute items we had left behind.
Shortly after 10 P.M., Christy and Travis appeared alongside the island. Due to the weak visibility, Jay went back to the shore with a flashlight to wait while they approached with a lantern. Once they landed with the food, the next order of business was to create a shelter for Travis. He decided he was going to create a separate shelter from the two tents we already had set up, and luckily he instantly found a suitable location at the edge of the clearing. It was a fallen tree, with branches spreading out wide enough for person to comfortably sleep under. The tree was securely wedged in place, so Travis spread a tarpaulin over the top and prepared a suitable place to sleep underneath. In the end, it turned out to be a successful shelter. In the meantime, we cooked hot dogs over the camp fire for dinner using skewers Travis had made, and enjoyed fresh fruit that our college had generously given us for the trip.
The following morning at five, when the moon was still high and the sun wasn't anywhere in view yet, Jay and Travis headed back to the mainland to take care of the day's plans. They had prior engagements to take care of that Saturday, as did Amanda and I, so we followed after at 7:15. The second time I woke up, just before seven, I was awakened by the sound of the majestic symbol of our country. Apparently there were two eagles that had come to call this island their home. Hearing one of them call out that morning was one of those moments that made me thankful to be a part of the beautiful outdoors. It was as though I was distant from the bustling world that humans had created, yet I was so close to the wildlife "residents" so I was never fully alone. It was an ironic contrast that intrigued me, and I just couldn't help but feel content in this increasingly unique situation. After all, each day there are fewer undeveloped regions in the Northeastern United States. Regardless, once I broke away from my daydreaming thoughts and arose from my sleeping bag, I got dressed and ready for the trip back to the boat launch.
The trip back across the lake was enjoyable, as the water was as smooth as I had ever seen it. It was like gliding across a dark silky highway to the shore, all the while the crisp air was waking us up each time the paddle dipped into the water. Within 25 minutes, we were within feet of the dock and the launch ramp, and fully prepared to take on the days task. The morning trip, however, didn't do justice for the lake's aggression later on that afternoon.
When Amanda and I had completed our errands for that Saturday, we headed back to the lake with unsuspecting excitement. When we approached the dock at Kanokolus Beach, we didn't notice that the waves had significantly picked up in height and force. However, once we reached the ramp and had a short conversation with a local resident just returning from a trip in his boat, we realized the waters would be more of a challenge than they had been the night before. Nevertheless, we decided to attempt the voyage. Subsequently, we didn't realize how poor this judgment had been until we were 1/3 across the lake. Once we had slipped beyond the protection the shore offered, the wind and waves instantly picked up violently. Not long after hitting the strong gusts of headwind, the canoe began to get tossed around by the waves. In addition, roughly a minute after the waves had picked up we began to get air going over the waves, where only a small portion of the canoe was touching water at all times. The violent nature of the lake left me with only a few seconds to make an important decision, and just as a large wave hit and threatened to flip us, I called out to sweep to the side and turn around as quickly as possible. I was definitely not an expert, this being my third time in a canoe, but I knew that the longer we spent turning the more the waves rolling parallel to our canoe posed a serious threat to us.
Once we were able to fight our way to turn around. we paddled hard towards the closest shoreline we could see. We were still in danger with the waves coming in at a slight angle, but the approaching land right within our grasp provided hope for us. Within five minutes or so we started to paddle beyond the danger zone, and towards the comfort of the beaches. Not long after that, we reached the calm section of the lake and followed the shore back to the launch ramp. On a brighter note, as we made our way back to the dock, we came within a couple feet of a fairly young loon. This helped us calm down and relax, as it turned our attention from the potentially serious situation. As we glided past the loon in our canoe, it kept a watchful eye and called to us, however not in a distressful manner. Already not too concerned with our presence, and seeing that we meant no harm, it went back to seeking out an evening meal. The interaction with this fascinating creature had lightened the mood, however we decided to call it quits for the night once we reached the launch ramp.
The following day, having learned from the previous experience, I decided it would be in our best interest to check the weather before departing the mainland again. Reading the wind speed of two knots reassured my confidence once more, and we headed back to where we had been defeated the day before. Once we loaded the canoe, my determination was at its fullest, as we headed across the open water. It was difficult to see the lake the same as I had before, but my nerves were at ease by the time we were more than half way across Lake Winnecook. As we approached the cove, we could see the smoke from camp, and an inflatable raft on shore where the canoes were normally secured.
As it turns out, one of our other friends, Jack, had crossed the night before once the water had begun to settle. With my confidence fully restored, I contently made my way back to the campsite. After a couple of hours of conversing and enjoying the serenity of this private island, we packed up the tents and began to load the first canoe. Unfortunately, Jack's raft had began to deflate, and a footpump was nowhere in sight. We decided then, to load some light gear into the raft, and to tow it across the lake with my canoe. It was a decent enough plan, and once we finished packing my tents, sleeping bags, packs, etc. Amanda and Jack hopped in the canoe. I got in last, and pushed us off, paying special attention to the raft we were pulling. The water had gotten a little rougher since our arrival on the island, however it was of no threat to us at this time. We just continued a steady pace towards the shore.
Once our crowded canoe was close, we stopped paddling and decided to just drift. It was one of the first times I had gotten to really just relax in the water, and it felt good. We decided to cut short and head to the beach, just a few feet off from the ramp, where we made a smooth entry to the sandy slope. We unpacked the last of our gear, and headed for my truck. In the meantime, Jack made a detour to start some casual conversation with a local resident standing on the dock. I soon followed suit, and thats when we decided our work for the weekend wasn't over yet.
The gentleman we had met on the dock was awaiting the arrival of a sailboat, which was slowly limping across the lake due to the absence of a decent wind. When it finally reached the dock, we agreed to help by loading it onto the trailer, and by helping to take down it's heavy mast. This would have been a much simpler task, had it not been for the series of events that followed. We had a hard time adjusting the trailer, as the boat wouldn't sit evenly on the it. Once we reasembled the supports on the trailer, we gave it another attempt, which is when we faced a more serious issue. The truck towing the boat out of the lake broke down when the fan belt snapped and cut through the transmission fluid and steering fluid lines.
We had to react fast, creating a dam of sand across the ramp to prevent the fluid from polluting the lake before we could clean it up. Once the truck was safely out of the way, we managed to get a hold of a replacement truck. When we finally loaded the boat one last time, we realized it was too large for the new truck which had a cap over the bed. With a little team work we removed the clamps from the cap and lifted it off the truck, maneuvering it onto the dock and up the hill. With all the elements in place, we made one last attempt at hauling the boat out, and this time with decent success. Although the boat was still tilted on the trailer, we managed to adjust it enough with man power to get it safely home.
Now that our tasks for the weekend were successfully completed, we were ready to return to campus. In addition to camping on the island, we had also helped a few friendly local residents and had some good laughs as a result. We all went home with a little more knowledge. I personally returned knowing how much fun you can have in a canoe, and how to ensure a safe trip. In addition, we all learned the personal benefits of lending a helping hand, and how good it felt to give back to such a caring community.
I would recommend Lake Winnecook for a day out for the following reasons:
- The lake is large enough to enjoy all day long.
- The public access is easy to get to and always available.
- There are two public beaches along the Unity shores of the lake (Kanokolus and Brier's), both with picnic and fire pit accommodations.
- The towns surrounding the lake are filled with friendly and helpful residents.
- The fishing is great.
- Plenty of wildlife, such as eagles and loons.
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