The Kayak is Here! The Kayak is Here!

Yes, I finally bought my perfect kayak. After three years of searching and going back and forth on types, I settled on a Wilderness Pungo 140.

As in my previous posts, I can't get enough of the seat and adjustments. Plus the Kayak Konsole is AWESOME. I literally have THREE drink holders in my kayak. Not that you really need that many drink holders, but you never know.

I went with the 140 (14 feet) versus the 120 (12 feet) for the extra dry hull storage space. Plus, the extra two feet will help it track better/smoother while on the water.

I purchased this at Midwest Mountaineering's annual Spring expo this past April. They had a $100 discount and several colors available. If you are in the market for a kayak, I suggest following "outdoorsy" stores to see when they are hosting annual bashes. You'll get good deals on spendy items like kayaks and the rack systems you need to carry them. (I have a Yakima rack system I bought at another expo for 20% off. When you get 20% a $600 set-up, you are saving some dough!)

My inaugural trip with my new purchase was in the Lino Lakes area at the Wargo Nature Center. It was a program via Becoming an Outdoors Women through the Anoka Parks system on "Introduction to Kayaking." The cost was only $25 and included dinner, kayak, PFD and paddle! The guides were fantastic and even allowed me to use my own kayak.  I'm signing up for their "Advanced Kayaking" class this summer. And probably their Stand Up Paddle Boarding class as well.

For some of us in the East side, I'll say Anoka County and you'll freak out. But just visit their website at http://anokacountyparks.com and see all the great water classes they offer. The Wargo Nature Center was only a 30 minute drive - even with the road construction on 35E.

So I'm off to explore other lakes and streams in the Cities area. I am pleasantly surprised at the amount of excellent paddling. If you see a red kayak aptly named "Oreo," give me a wave!