SUP on Medicine Lake, MN

• Lake size: 925 acres
• Maximum Depth: ~49'
• Clarity: Low

We put in at French Regional Park — on the north side of the lake — which was under construction, so drop off and parking was a bit of a mess. Hopefully that will be done before the end of summer 2017.

I dropped my board in the water and while I was walking out deeper, I felt a sharp poke on my toe. I picked up my foot and found a giant water bug stuck to my foot! Maybe I should have left my flip flops on this time. I pulled it off before I got a picture, but it was actually giant. :) Almost three inches, for sure.

The giant water bug should have been a warning for the paddle to come. Not knowing that Medicine Lake is the second largest lake in Hennepin County, we were taken aback when we stood up on the boards. It was really windy, which made for choppy water. If you took your gaze off the front of your board, it greatly increased your chance of falling in. At least three times, we both almost fell off our boards, into the cold, weedy water below. But if you keep your gaze down and don’t lock your knees, you stayed dry.

Even though the water was rough, we had great conversation with two friends from college, Brittany and Jonathan. As they paddled leisurely in kayaks, we paddled hard to keep up and stay above water. We didn’t go as far as we wanted, but the route to the left of the boat landing was lovely.

We brought a small speaker on this trip to listen to some summer tunes along the way. It actually worked really well. My solution to keeping electronics dry and floating (if they fell in): a large plastic bag with a tennis ball. That’s also where I keep my phone when we paddle. I want to take pictures, but I don’t trust myself to not drop it. The plastic bag and tennis ball solved my problems.

Unfortunately, there was no yoga today, because the water was so choppy. One or both of us would have gone in for sure if we tried yoga or taking photos. I would paddle this lake again, just not on a windy day. Follow us at @theecotravelers to see if we go back.

Don’t forget to always wash your board off when you get home! :)

This review is brought to you by Jenna and Travis (@theecotravelers), Brand Ambassadors for Paddle North. 

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