Thunder Lake

In late July, we took the dog up to Thunder Lake by Barrhead to have another go on the paddle board. Thunder Lake is a bit of a drive (90 minutes). We figured the provincial park would be quiet on a Sunday afternoon and give us some space to get the dog used to the water.

There is a dock here, but it is too high to be an effective launch site. Most people just go off the beach by the parking lot.

There was a kayak-o-mat here this year, which was nice to see.

The dog was excited to try the boat again, mostly because it means treats.

The paddle went okay, with only three unscheduled swims. The handle on the top of the life jacket is super useful for hauling him back onto the paddle board.

It was quite smokey and overcast the day we were there and the beach was empty under a moody sky. 

The dog lasted about 30 minutes on the board before before he started to get antsy. At 75 pounds, it isn't great when he started moving around a lot and erratically.

My wife had a good time. The dog and I seem to have matching wtf faces going at this point.

Shortly after this, he jumped off the board, swam to the beach and that was that. My wife walked him back to the car along the shore.

I towed the paddle board back. Not the best trip of the summer but alright, I guess. Thunder Lake is usually a very nice paddle on a sunny day (sans dog).

I'm not sure how many more attempts I have in me to make the dog like paddling! He may be a land lubber at heart.