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CanisLupusArctos · 09-05-2007, 11:38 AM

October has given me some of my best boating memories on this lake. No more Capt. Bonehead crowding the waters, lots of solitude, and fall brings very dry air that makes for some of the best visibility we ever get. Add deep blue skies overlooking hillsides covered with bright-red and orange trees, and you've got something special that a lot of people never get to see.

JeffK, you're right on the delayed foliage schedule on the lake shore. Black Cat Island's leaves usually lag behind the mainland's fall color by about a week, and the immediate shoreline can lag by 2 weeks. Like you, I'm pretty sure that's because of the water temp. We usually have to wait until November for our first frost, even when they're scraping their windshields just a mile away on the mainland.

Beware though - October has two faces. It can be a very nasty weather month on Winni. Sunny, windy cold days with an average chop have left my windshield and clothing covered in ice from the spray over the bow. October usually brings the first arctic cold fronts that can whip winds from Center Harbor to Wolfeborough at 40+ mph.

It's probably not a bad idea to plan for a fall boat ride in some of the same ways you'd prepare for a cold-weather hike. Hypothermia can be an issue, especially if you get stuck out there for longer than a few minutes in windy weather. Therefore I'd bring high-calorie snacks and wear poly-pro, fleece, and other non-cotton clothes with a rain shell.

Last October I shot a fantastic picture of the lake with peak fall foliage and Mount Washington's summit overlooking it all, on a clear, calm day. Just a few days later (Oct. 20) I measured a wind gust to 50 mph as a heavy rainstorm with thunder ended as light snow. Soon after we lost power, the MOUNT came by on an evening cruise in the high winds and I watched as it slowed and kept the search lights on for 2-3 minutes as the captain tried to find the Black Cat Shoals in the storm. I'd never before seen it pass the island with as much care as it did that night.

09-05-2007, 11:38 AM	#16
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	October is some of the best & worst October has given me some of my best boating memories on this lake. No more Capt. Bonehead crowding the waters, lots of solitude, and fall brings very dry air that makes for some of the best visibility we ever get. Add deep blue skies overlooking hillsides covered with bright-red and orange trees, and you've got something special that a lot of people never get to see. JeffK, you're right on the delayed foliage schedule on the lake shore. Black Cat Island's leaves usually lag behind the mainland's fall color by about a week, and the immediate shoreline can lag by 2 weeks. Like you, I'm pretty sure that's because of the water temp. We usually have to wait until November for our first frost, even when they're scraping their windshields just a mile away on the mainland. Beware though - October has two faces. It can be a very nasty weather month on Winni. Sunny, windy cold days with an average chop have left my windshield and clothing covered in ice from the spray over the bow. October usually brings the first arctic cold fronts that can whip winds from Center Harbor to Wolfeborough at 40+ mph. It's probably not a bad idea to plan for a fall boat ride in some of the same ways you'd prepare for a cold-weather hike. Hypothermia can be an issue, especially if you get stuck out there for longer than a few minutes in windy weather. Therefore I'd bring high-calorie snacks and wear poly-pro, fleece, and other non-cotton clothes with a rain shell. Last October I shot a fantastic picture of the lake with peak fall foliage and Mount Washington's summit overlooking it all, on a clear, calm day. Just a few days later (Oct. 20) I measured a wind gust to 50 mph as a heavy rainstorm with thunder ended as light snow. Soon after we lost power, the MOUNT came by on an evening cruise in the high winds and I watched as it slowed and kept the search lights on for 2-3 minutes as the captain tried to find the Black Cat Shoals in the storm. I'd never before seen it pass the island with as much care as it did that night.