Trailblazers by Upper Lake Mary. [photo by Norma

Mimi, Norma, Randall, & Chuck. (Ron and Eva would join us later.)

In the last line of her August 14, 2023, Upper Lake Mary kayaking trip report, Norma Scott wrote “Definitely a lake worth revisiting in the future.” Well, here’s the future Norma, exactly one year and six days out and we’re revisiting Upper Lake Mary once again. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mimi, Chuck, and Randall are paddling across the lake. [photo by Norma]

At 9:15 on a warm August morning under partly cloudy skies, four Arizona Trailblazers climb into their kayaks and push off from the launch ramp of the Lake Mary Narrows Boat Launch and Picnic Area of Upper Lake Mary. Driving along Lake Mary Road earlier from the I-17 Lake Mary exit, after about seven miles we saw the marshland of what remains of Lower Lake Mary. Between the two lakes, the lower lake is much smaller and shallower and is always the first one to go dry during the summer.

Randall and Ron. [photo by Norma]

Randall and Mimi. [photo by Norma]

Together, Upper and Lower Lake Mary are often referred to as Flagstaff’s “twin lakes”. The upper lake provides much of Flagstaff’s water supply, along with ground water and reclaimed water. Upper Lake Mary is a long, narrow reservoir about 5 miles long from end to end and almost 940 surface acres in size when at full capacity, with an average depth of just 17.5 feet. This lake was formed from an earthen dam, built in 1941, on Walnut Creek. Upper Lake Mary is one of the very few lakes in Northern Arizona that’s regularly stocked with Northern Pike and Walleye.

Chuck and Eva. [photo by Norma]

From the launch ramp, we began paddling east through the narrowest section of the lake and then start heading southeast as we enter the largest and widest section of the lake. The water is very murky today, just as it was on Norma’s 2023 kayaking trip. But then both lakes were at 100% capacity, and the group was able to paddle both Lower and Upper Lake Mary. Unfortunately, that’s not an option for us today. The first mile or so of paddling is relatively calm and beginning to feel uncomfortably warm, until cloud cover begins to build up, shielding us from the sun, and we start getting a cooling breeze. Large cumulonimbus clouds begin building up overhead and to the east, as we start to wonder if this kayaking trip will be cut short by an early monsoon storm.

Some serious looking storm clouds are gathering over the lake. [photo by Eva]

But, thankfully, no signs of thunder or lightning so far, so we continue on, paddling toward the far southeast end of the lake where Norma tells us we should start seeing lots of colorful Pink Smartweed growing in profusion as the lake becomes shallower. They saw plenty of these colorful water plants on last year’s kayaking trip. But at the first signs of thunder or lightening, we’ll either make our way to shore as quickly as possible and exit our kayaks or try to make a beeline back to the launch ramp if possible.

Colorful Pink Smartweed is in full bloom in August. [photo by Eva]

Meanwhile, we begin seeing a wide variety of birdlife on the lake today, including a mature bald eagle flying directly overhead before settling onto the branch of a tall ponderosa pine tree at water’s edge. The perfect vantage point to watch for fish swimming below. We also see a couple of ospreys flying over the water in search of fish just beneath the surface. In these murky waters we wonder how these birds can actually spot their prey. Are they looking for slight ripples or other disturbances on the water’s surface? We also spot three Great Blue Herons at different locations along the lakeshore, patiently waiting for a fish to swim by. And, lastly, two small flocks of five to six Canadian Geese foraging along the shore for food. We usually don’t see geese on these kayaking trips.

Ron and his new 3-piece kayak. [photo by Eva]

The cloud cover continues to build up even more with large, towering cumulonimbus clouds, as we gradually make our way to the far end of the lake. As we get closer to the end of the lake, we begin to see increasing numbers of Pink Smartweed and the lake also quickly becomes increasingly shallower, soon forcing us to turn around before getting mired down in thick mud. Getting out of your kayak in this area and trying to extract it from the mud would be a risky, not to mention messy, procedure at best. My kayak has already started to bottom out in a shallow bed of mud, and it takes a minute or two of hard paddling and pushing off with both paddle blades to finally free myself and get out into deeper water. That’s a little too close for comfort.

Randall and his new kayak. [photo by Norma]

Randall and Mimi. [photo by Norma]

As we start paddling north and then northwest back toward the Narrows section and the launch ramp, the thick cloud cover slowly begins to break apart and dissipate, and wide expanses of blue sky begin to open up overhead, reducing the threat of storm activity, at least for now. And, true to form, the wind shifts direction 180 degrees again and forces us to paddle directly into the face of 10 to 15 mph winds almost all the way back.to the Narrows. There’s just no way to figure the whims of the wind on these kayaking trips.

Colorful Pink Smartweed. [photo by Norma]

We’re almost halfway back to the Narrows when we spot Ron and Eva paddling in our direction. They had inadvertently started from the main launch ramp, about a mile further to the northwest, and decided to just start paddling from there until they eventually linked up with the rest of us. So, all six kayakers are now together at last. After several minutes of rest and discussion, we all continue paddling back towards the Narrows Launch Ramp, where we plan on beaching our kayaks for a lunch and rest break.

Canadian Geese foraging along the shore. [photo by Eva]

After another hour or so of paddling, by 12:30 we finally reach the picnic area just east of the launch ramp and locate a nice table in the shade. We’ve been on the water for a full three hours and 15 minutes and are more than ready to get out and stretch cramped legs and cool off in the shade. We take a leisurely lunch and rest break and then briefly discuss paddling in the opposite direction to the northwest end of the lake by the dam. But the steady winds convince us to call it a day and head for home. But not before Randall gives us a valuable lesson on the correct way to feather our kayak paddles and place the blades into the water and to move our core muscles for maximum paddling efficiency. Thanks for the pointers, Randall. All good information.

More Pink Smartweed. Note the blue damselfly in the lower right corner. [photo by Norma]