The Backpacker demo day — June 13, 2015

After a Friday with a Bayou Fountain expedition and a Sunset Paddle with BREC Outdoor Adventure, what better Saturday than a demo day on University Lake with The Backpacker?

It seemed only hours after we’d left the lake before we were back, but it was a great looking morning for paddling.  The Backpacker’s demo days are always fun, and you can’t beat the convenience of being able to try out paddling (or pedaling) right in town with no more difficulty than filling out a waiver and choosing what you want to paddle first.  It was so convenient, Mike arrived by bicycle after a stop by the farmers market downtown.

The demo day got underway with excellent weather, and quite a few people came through trying out paddling.  We had PaddleBR fridge magnets at the table for everyone, and we had the PaddleBR sign canoe on the water.  The winds in the morning made paddling it a bit fun, but they died down quite a bit as the day continued.

After a couple hours of excellent weather, a spot of thunder made itself heard, so all boats were called in for a bit.  Some rain came through, but nothing like a Louisiana downpour.  The short intermission made for a convenient lunch break, and soon enough the rain was gone, the skies were bright again, and people were back out on the water.

It was a decent day for birdwatching, too, or at least that’s what I gathered from the turtle on the log there.  The ducks and single goose hanging around all the people and kayaks on shore were also rather entertaining.  At one point I saw someone pick up a PFD and walk away, and the goose’s “you’re not doing that right — feed me” look was quite entertaining.

Mike and I each took some turns paddling laps in the PaddleBR sign canoe, and many people took jaunts in the various paddlecraft The Backpacker brought before thunder returned a bit before 2pm and wrapped the day.  A good time was had by all (perhaps especially the walk-ups — they’re always pleasantly surprised when they find out they get to enjoy trying out a bit of paddling for nothing but a filled waiver).  It’s always great to paddle and hang out with The Backpacker, and we introduced local paddling (including our Bayou Fountain Paddle Trail info) to many people we’d otherwise have never reached otherwise.  That, I dare say, is a round of wins for everyone.