First the facts : The water is clear, nearly equal in purity to distilled, because the inflow comes only from precipitation and snow-melt. Visibility through the water is staggering. Scientists have measured it to depths of 157 feet, a world record. Gas motors were banished in early 2010. Sailboats use small electric motors, but they emit little noise, so the quiet can be intense. Designated wilderness surrounds the lake on three sides. The non-wilderness shore on the east side has 200 developed campsites, tucked discreetly among the trees of the Willamette National Forest, clean, large and beautiful.

Taking the “airplane view” above a map of Oregon it is weird to know how much high desert there is – and how many wonderful lakes. I’ve dropped my SUP board into a good many of them for all-season paddling. By far, the most amazing days have been on Waldo Lake’s water.  The gin-clear shallows give way to varied shades of blues and greens. When we reached the deeper areas – wow! Breath-taking.  the water was the same as the deep blue of the Gulfstream. What a trip down memory lane. Ed and I grew up sailing across the Gulfstream from south Florida to the Bahamas. While we’re solidly addicted to the Oregonian life, there are times when we seriously miss the colors of our 50 years in the tropics.  No more – we know where to get our fix now.

We stayed at the Islet campground on the north end, getting settled in just in time to leap on our boards for the full sunset/full moon experience. Our friend, Pam, and her “coolest dog ever” Sprocket joined us. In one word Pam summed up the evening: Magical! Right on.

Where do you grab the SUP Perspective in your home state? Got a great moonlight shot (I did not) – or sunset?  Send them along  or post them on our Facebook page. YES! We’d love it if you LIKE us  and we love it more when you share pics and video.