April 26, 2002

Lake Towada

Lake Towada

13.3 Miles

At an altitude of 1315 feet, Lake Towada is a caldron formed by the eruption of Mt Towada. With a mean depth of 230 feet, and a maximum depth of 1095 feet, Lake Towada's crystal clear waters lure the observer into thinking the water is much shallower than it is.

Originally I had planned to camp on the lake, but finding all the campsites closed, I decided to paddle and then reassess if I wanted to camp or not. I found a parking lot just across from a retaining wall at the water's edge and determined this is where I would launch. I carried the Sirocco and all my gear to the retaining wall and spent the next 15 minutes looking for the sunscreen I had in my hands only minutes before. Giving up I decided (hoped) the sun wouldn't be bright today.

Looking over the retaining wall the water looked to be only ankle deep. As I hopped over the wall into the water I found that it was over my knees. It was at this moment I got my first dose of the clearest water I've ever paddled. And cold. Despite wearing my dry suit I noticed the water seemed just above freezing.

I boarded the kayak and stroked away from shore. The Sirocco felt like an old friend. I closed my eyes and knew I was sitting in my Gulfstream. Time to take her through some paces.

A few leaned turns and a bow rudder or two and I knew this boat was a good buy. This is my Gulfstream.

I headed straight out against the left side of the lake, keeping about 200 feet off shore. The water is a deep turquoise color. I stopped to take a few pictures of the rim of the caldron that runs around the lake. From a distance the rim doesn't look high but seeing a bus winding it's way up the side, I guess there is 300-400 feet of ridge above the water. To my right a tour boat three stories high is heading out into the lake.

I become bored with the scenery this far from shore, and deciding the tour boat knows what to go see, I decide to follow it. Turning right I head to the outermost tip of the first of two peninsulas heading out into the lake.

Crossing this mile of deep and open water I see two, then three tour boats. Before long I have my eyes simultaneously on five large triple decked tour boats. Are there that many tourists here?

The water is like glass except for an occasional swell from a tour boat. As I approach the edge where the first peninsula enters the water I can now see the bottom. Thinking it is only 3 or 4 feet deep I push my paddle down and I'm shocked when my 7 foot paddle doesn't even come close to touching the bottom. The shore is much more interesting than the deep water I had crossed and I spend some time looking down into the water at the boulders near shore. Greens, browns, yellows - all different colors of algae attached to the rocks just below the surface. Some of the boulders on the bank have the color of poured concrete.

I decided to take the camera out again and found it would not turn on. Back at home I found it is fried - the smell of burning electronics emanating from it. It was well protected in a clear camera bag, so I have no idea what happened.

Crossing the 1.5 miles from one peninsula to the other I began to feel like I was crossing a major shipping channel. All five tour boats crossed my path at least once in the 30 minutes it took to get across. At the second peninsula I began to notice the high shore and how it affects the nearby water. Steep cliffs ran next to water that turned deep quickly in the water. For sloping cliffs I found the bottom sloped gently away from the bank. There were outcroppings just below the surface and one moment I would be worrying about scrapping the bottom of the boat and the next drifting across a shear drop into darkness.

A tour boat went by loaded with people. I could hear what seemed like hundreds of shutters clicking as they passed. This would be the only tour boat today that had more than 3-4 people on it.

The Sirocco spun on edge as just past the second peninsula I turned around. My eyes had touched all the walls of the caldron, and having paddled a little over 5 miles so far, knew that this was enough.

I crossed back to the first peninsula but this time hugged the shore on around. I found a place to land and take a quick break. I picked up a few pebbles from in the water. I'll mail them home to my kids with the URL to this story and hope that they'll feel connected as they read it.

Back in the boat I began skirting the edge of the shallow and deep water and saw a monstrous fish. Probably a good 20 pounds and at least 15 feet down just staring back at me - motionless.

I moved back over the shallow water and saw several good sized carp looking fish. Nothing like the monster I saw a moment ago. I neared the launch for the tour boats, passing a statue of two (naked) women. Passing a small island maybe 7 or 8 boat lengths long, I noticed what appeared to be two small shrines. On closer look my guess is they are bird houses in the shape of shrines. The shore is lined with people walking between the parking lots and the statues.

Finally crossing behind the tour boats I made a last turn towards my launch location. I didn't want to end the trip, but I was tired and feeling a bit of sun. On landing I carried most of the gear to the car (including the sunscreen that I found in the day hatch) then went back and got in the boat. Sculling brace - that was easy. Onside roll - easy too. Offside roll - this seems too easy. But an ice cream headache is starting to set in with this cold water. It seemed to rush into my left ear for some reason, despite me trying to readjust my Warmers cap several times.

I decided to try a high brace on the move - that too seemed easy. Once more and I was done. I'll try a little more tomorrow on Lake Ogawara where the water is a bit warmer.

As I landed and stood up I realized the cold water had had an effect I wasn't prepared for. I was dizzy. Not just a little, but enough my eyes couldn't focus. I sat on the bank a few moments to get my equilibrium back and then carried the boat back to the car. I had had my fun. I t was time to head back to Misawa.

Woody