Cochiti Kayaking Magic: Strange Calls, Explosions

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Geo: 35.6915, -105.937

Cochiti Lake is on Pueblo land about 35 minutes south of Santa Fe.

There are two entrances.

Tertilla Peak Entrance opens in spring, and we had not been there in some time.

The huge launch is quite steep so we went around the waterfront to a more level place to air up our Sea Eagle and prepare for the paddle.

We could see birds on the water and the clouds on the mountains looked quite forbodeing, but the forecast was for a small chance so we went for it.

We were paddling along a cliff face when we were startled by what might have been and owl flying out of a nest in the rocks.

We spotted some fisher ducks that Laura determined were Western Grebes. They made exotic calls to each other, strange, echoing sounds on the empty lake which we had all to ourselves.

We continued to paddle upstream and saw more birds, some quite colorful.

Occasional we would be startled by what almost sounded like an echoing mining explosion but was probably thunder.

After a couple of hours paddling upstream to some Rio Grande wetlands and spying what Robert thought might be the work of a bank beaver, we turned around and paddled back toward the put in.

A motor boat came slowly toward us on the no wake lake, and the captain asked if we were looking for the Far Flung Adventures shuttle.

We told him no and paddled on, when at once we heard a frying sound coming from across the lake. What? What's that? Turned out to be rain! Beautiful sound, but strange.

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