There's a saying in the mountains "if you don't like the weather wait a few minutes."  Thankfully it was true today as the morning started with thunder, lightning and a deluge of rain.  Flash flooding and washouts were all around.  Only AccuWeather got the forecast right (sorry NOAA), rain in the early AM and clear skies by noon.  As with my previous 3 days this one was a delight weather-wise as I waited out the storm at home.  The paddling was more of a hiking pace (2.6 mph) which allowed me to take in the panoramic scenery and of course the wildlife.  My sit-on-top fishing kayak proved to be a great choice, tough enough to handle some rocky Class I+ whitewater and fast enough to help me make good headway across the lake.  If I had a partner traveling with me a general recreational or tripping canoe would work well too.

While not the Upper Yough of the previous day, paddling the 4 or 5 small rapids on this short section of the river before the flatwater cannot be ignored when you are in a touring boat.  The boat wants to track straight but the small boulder pinning rocks are scattered in a zig-zag pattern all over the river.  Add in a couple of downed trees and a flat sky and you have to stay alert.  Lots of sweep strokes and draws with some quick acceleration to the Vs got me down.  Also got to take a good look at the 1890 B&O Railroad bridge pilings that the town hopes to build a bike & pedestrian trail on.  Would be nice to have a land trail here to provide access to the river and as an alternative to this section in low water (today's gauge reading was about 400 cfs and rising at Friendsville - can probably paddle this down to 200 cfs).  The 1.7 mile trip took 30 minutes.  If you want to skip there is a lake boat ramp at Selbysport at this point.

The fog lifted just as I entered the lake in the less inhabited Maryland end.  The panoramas with the clear water, green mountain tops and cotton ball clouds on a blue canvas were amazing.  Carp were jumping and visits from Kingfishers, Cedar Waxwings, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Red Tailed Hawk, Osprey, Mergansers, Mallards and Swallow Tail Butterflies kept me entertained.  People watching was fun too with old timers shore fishing, a few families tubing and some other paddlers on the water.  While taking a lunch break I saw a monstrous canoe with 12 paddles flashing in the water, the owners had hand built this trapper canoe and were introducing a new generation to the joys of outdoor recreation as they paddled across the lake singing in cadence to their strokes.  Got a really good breeze from behind so I decided to put up my home-built V sail.  As soon as I was back on the water the wind shifted to my nose for almost the whole day.  Did manage 1/2 mile of sail assisted paddling late in the trip for a welcomed rest.

This 12 mile paddle can be done in about 4 hours with a steady pace and a couple of rest breaks.  Navigation is line of sight if you know the land points to connect to.  I saw very little power boat traffic and most captains were courteous about keeping a good distance.  Two riverside camping areas are available along the way (Mill Run and Tub Run) for those interested in making this an overnight trip.  The Rt. 40 bridge is about halfway after you hit the flatwater (8.2 miles from Friendsville).  This is the point where you start to see lakeside homes and more boat docks.  The lake reminds me of an early Deep Creek with modest cabins and lots of undeveloped land.  The dam pops into view at mile 11.5 with a hard left and the boat ramp is on the right side of the lake at its base.
Whitewater paddlers tend to frown at flatwater but to me this was a great day on the water and a good way to test my upper body for future paddling adventures.  Onward to the Great Allegheny Passage trail and 49 miles of bike riding.