If you’ve checked out my blog posts the last few months of this summer, you know I’ve been enjoying a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP). I love it and highly recommend the manufacturer of my board, NRS (Northwest River Supply in Moscow, Idaho). Not only is it an enjoyable and relaxing exercise, but it has offered me the chance to get to better understand the shorelines of many lakes in the Alexandria Area. I’ve been trying to take an hour every other day to head to a Public Access at a lake and take a tour of appreciation of the lakeshore and the lake homes. Twice in the 30 days I have been to the first lake I called home, Lake Brophy. When I was a little boy my family lived at the southwest corner of the lake and it was very fun to once again see the home we lived in from the lake. My best friend lived at the southeast corner and we spent a lot of time exploring the shoreline between the two homes. Good memories.
Lake Brophy (the most recent MN DNR Survey reports water clarity of 9.3 feet) is 293 acres and has an island resident (check out this Bing aerial, if you drag the view to the right a little you’ll see that a plane was caught it in the photo). I don’t know anything about the owner of the attractive home on the island but would love to hear how they manage challenges of lake island life. For example, how do they manage the logistics of getting back and forth to the island? Challenges aside, it has to be quiet peaceful and they have a serene view north towards North Union Lake. This lake was in my tour during my second visit. The Central Lakes Trail passes between Brophy and North Union and I have admired it each time I bike or rollerblade by. It is incredibly scenic and always very calm. From North Union, I headed to the channel that brings you into Stony Lake. It is another lake like North Union that is a ‘no wake’ lake that is ideal as a muse for a painter. On this paddle, my hour was up, along with my energy, so I didn’t head to Lake Taylor but will hopefully before winter arrives. Stay tuned.
