Betsy Spiker Holcomb, Deep Creek Lake’s Favorite Realtor
Taylor-Made Real Estate Betsy Spiker Holcomb-301-616-5022
Throughout the last couple of years as the focus shifts to the upcoming fall foliage season, I have found the most spectacular and soothing way to experience this sought after season via paddleboard. The visitors have slimmed down to next to nothing and the lake shifts from being a physical playground for activities to a visual backdrop for nature’s art. The season also brings calm days mixed in with traditional windy fall days. It is on these calm days that you can witness a spectacular visual ever-lasting gumdrop of emotions that will take you from pure elation to a centered mental calm. It is experiences like these that elevate the lake to spiritual status.
To see the mountains gleaming with fire and glowing with rich hues of the fall season is only magnified when you see a double image reflection mirroring off the lake. These powerful reflections bring the water alive as they transform into a three-dimensional bouquet of seasonal colors. The paddleboard becomes your soul mobile as Deep Creek Lake takes you down a peaceful highway that will recharge your faith in nature. Each quiet dip of the paddle propels you across an amazing and colorful glass-lake, virgin of ripples. The horizon slowly inches toward you like an out-of-reach oasis which gives you plenty of time to enjoy the dreamy conveyor belt that only a few have experienced.
Our nationally respected and loved Fall spectacle is an event here at the lake that a lot of folks have been lucky enough to experience year after year. This year I encourage and challenge you to try it from a different cockpit vantage point. The end of summer does not mean the end of paddleboarding or enjoying an intimate relationship with the lake. Set sail this autumn with your favorite non-powered watercraft and experience the hallowed ground at Deep Creek Lake that is worshiped by only a handful.
Betsy Spiker Holcomb, Deep Creek Lake’s Favorite RealtorTaylor-Made Real Estate Betsy Spiker Holcomb-301-616-5022
We are often asked what are Deep Creek Lake’s best spring activities. In a four-season resort like Deep Creek there is always plenty to do as you transition into each season. As we start getting closer to the end of the 2016 winter season it’s a great time to start planning next season’s family adventures. Springtime always has a special place in my heart personally because of the abundance of “new life” after a long winter of hibernation. You will not be disappointed with the diverse amount of activities we have here at Deep Creek to experience. Here are a few to get you started…
Early morning fishing trip Deep Creek Lake.
Fishing-Like fishing? Get up before the crack of dawn and get out on the lake with a pale full of golden shiners in some secluded little cove near the dam and get ready to wear out your wrist reeling in 14+ species of fish. All your favorites are here such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, black crappie, yellow perch, bluegill and many other species. Start your day enjoying the peaceful calm that Deep Creek offers every morning and fill up your cooler with lunch for the family.
Hiking Swallow Falls
Hiking–If you like to check-out from civilization and become one with nature then Deep Creek Lake is your home for great hiking adventures. With seven State parks, you will have no problem getting your fill of the green life. Mild temperatures, budding trees and blooming wildflowers make spring a great time to hike in the area. There is plenty of information online to get you started, so grab your family and get stepping!
Muddy Creek Falls
The Spring Thaw at Swallow Falls- You can witness a really amazing spectacle here at Deep Creek Lake in the Spring time. The Spring thaw at Deep Creek lake is basically all the snow accumulation during the winter melting which swells the rivers and waterfalls. Take some time to research and check out this amazing event.
Hale Irwin Lodestone Golf Course-Deep Creek Lake
Golf – Deep Creek Lake is lucky enough to have the wonderful mountain course Lodestone near Wisp Resort. There’s also Thousand Acres Golf Course, Oakland Golf Club and Wisp Golf Course. You have a nice selection of different tiered golf courses for your enjoyment.
Paddleboarding Deep Creek Lake
Canoeing/Kayaking Paddleboarding- Take an early morning sunrise canoe/kayak or paddleboard run around the lake and have the entire lake to yourself. If you have never been on the lake early in the morning you are missing out on one amazing experience.
Deep Creek Lake Paddleboarding/Photography in the Fall. I know I have been preaching the gospel of SUP-IN or paddleboarding over the summer. That passion has steamrolled into fall and has opened up limitless opportunities and experiences for me as of late. I pride myself as a passionate, amateur photographer who enjoys capturing moments that are special to me in my daily life. My camera is never more than an arm’s length from me at all times so I don’t miss any special moments. I have been itching to take my camera with me on my SUP trips but had this nightmare image of it falling in slow motion, splashing into the water forever to be lost in the depths ofDeepCreekLake. But…the problem was solved when I was cleaning out my closet and found my old go-to camera that at one time was close to state-of-the-art. This camera has now become my SUP camera. I enclosed it in a zip lock freezer bag and off I go to try and capture these wonderful experiences on the water. What I realized after a few shoots is that paddleboarding is an amazing and unique way to photograph this wonderful lake. I always go very early before work or very late after work and I can tell you that during this time of the year I almost always have the lake to myself.
As the leaves start to ripen up I have found some superb angles and vantage points around the lake to witness the fall foliage spectacle. This morning I woke up and noticed the glassy lake immediately and rushed down to launch before my shift started at Long and Foster. I had a good hour and a half pulling slowly through the calm lake literally in awe of the colors around me reflecting off this wonderful lake. I think it’s safe to safe to say that today, October 5th, 2012, is THE PEAK of the fall foliage spectacle. I missed the opportunity to go out this morning but have many amazing memories and photographs taken from my SUP to keep me buzzing on the fall season. I wonder when the first snow fall will be and how I can utilize my wetsuit, camera and paddleboard before the lake freezes!
Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor
Fall Foliage-Deep Creek Lake. I hear a lot of groaning about summer coming to an end, but don’t fret people; fall and winter have plenty of things to keep life on the positive. It all starts with the glasses that you look through daily to get maximum enjoyment out things. Perspective, awareness, and perception come to mind! Anyway, what I am getting at is the simpler thing in life that surround us all the time that may get lost in the everyday things that life deals to us. The fall season gets me back to the feeling nature again and the first event that takes me away is the turning of the leaves. This fall foliage spectacle does have a devoted following and rightful so. The beautiful colors that explode from these Garrett County mountains are simply mind blowing! I took a few photographs last year trying to capture the moment but really couldn’t get true definition and clarity of the experience. Long and Foster manager and master photographer Bob Carney hit a homerun last year captured a real stunner that you can see at his website Bob Carney Photography.
Leaves here in early September are starting to slowly turn having locals believing we are going to see the fall foliage event a bit early. I can tell definitively that last year they peaked a few days before our Autumn Glory Parade which is held October 10th-14th. My guess, for all its worth, is we will see the prime peak in late September through the first week or so of October. That forecast should be spot on because I; looked up into the heart on the clouds, licked my finger, held it in the wind, then waved at a passing groundhog. I hope to see you here enjoy the changing season and don’t be afraid to call me for a real time update of the fall foliage status. Bob Holcomb 240-321-5335.
Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor
Deep Creek Lake-Paddleboarding-The Sport-The Lifestyle-The History. I know that you know that this up and coming sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding (or SUP for short) is picking up steam among the masses, but unless you have tried it you will never know how simple it is to have a Zen like experience and keep your body in fantastic shape. Entry level folks need not be discouraged. You do not have to be a triathlon athlete to start your way toward bliss in a sport that discreetly sneaks in fitness while putting emphasis on FUN!
There is a movement happening worldwide involving people who are pushing the limits to the many different activities this sport can touch. You’ll see SUP’s cruising lakes, bays, sounds and oceans, as well as surfing mighty to mild surf breaks. There are racing Sup’s, fishing SUP’s, River Sup’s, and thankfully for you beginners, rental SUP’s!
Stop!Let’s look at the history of the paddleboard..,.
Thomas Edward Blake is credited as the pioneer in paddleboard construction in the early 1930s.
While restoring historic Hawaiian boards in 1926 for the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Blake built a replica of the previously ignored olo surfboard ridden by ancient Hawaiian aliʻi (kings). He lightened his redwood replica (olo were traditionally made from wiliwili wood) by drilling it full of holes, which he then covered, thus creating the first hollow board, which led to creation of the modern paddleboard. Two years later, using this same 16 ft (4.9 m), 120 lb (54 kg) board, Blake won the Pacific Coast Surfriding Championship, first Mainland event integrating both surfing and paddling. Blake then returned to Hawaii to break virtually every established paddling record available, setting half-mile and 100-yard records that stood until 1955.
In 1932, using his drastically modified chambered hollow board (now weighing roughly 60 lbs), which over the next decade he would tirelessly promote as a lifeguarding rescue tool, Blake out-paddled top California watermen Pete Peterson and Wally Burton in the first Mainland to Catalina crossing race (29 miles in 5 hours, 53 minutes). During the 1930s, Blake-influenced hollow boards (called “cigar boards” by reporters and later “kook boxes” by surfers) would be used in roughly equal proportion to solid plank boards for both paddling and surfing until the new Hot Curl boards led wave-riding in a new direction. For paddleboarding, however, the basic principles of Blake’s 1926 design remain relevant even today.
Now that you know more about the history of paddleboarding, lets gets back to how it can relate to you here at Deep Creek Lake. Go to Deep Creek Marina Rentals and rent a 12’0” (which is the largest) Doyle paddleboard and launch the board by getting on your knees and slowly paddling a few strokes on the left then the right side. Get comfortable in balancing and paddling around the quiet coves nearby the rental docks until you feel confident enough to stand up. There is a handle to pick up the board directly in the center that can serve as a guide point as to where you stand. Stand up dead center on the board and slowly pull the paddle easily through the water until you gain a little glide through the water. As you gain speed, you will also gain control just as you do as you start peddling a bike. Now you are all set to start to begin to follow a new road in life that may become a passionate addition.
This morning before work I got out on the lake at 6am sharp and was rewarded with a windless, glassy lake which makes for optimum conditions for many water sports. A friend and I paddled the length of McHenry Cove to the 219 bridge and then turned up toward the direction of the DCL Dam. The sun was peeking through the clouds and there was not a boat on the lake to interrupt our morning therapy. On the way back in, we saw a magnificent Bald Eagle gliding over us in search of his morning snack. I can only think of one other time that I saw a Bald Eagle here at the lake. Take some time out of your busy life before or after work to discover and submerge yourself into a sport that may have you hooked for a lifetime.
Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor
Deep Creek Lake Beach Hut
Wisp Resort has set up shop at Deep Creek Lake State Park with their new Beach Hut. The Deep Creek Beach Hut has a bunch of different recreational equipment to rent while visiting DCL. Take a 1-2 hour course learning the basics about sailing then rent a Hobie Cat. Enjoy renting by the hour or if you really have a knack for sailing, rent one for the week. They also have kayaks, canoes, tubes, and paddleboards for rent. Don’t hassle your family and yourself trying to haul bulky equipment around on your vacation. Just show up with a picnic basket and your favorite cool drinks and relax at the beach and enjoy your favorite lake activity.
Deep Creek Lake paddleboarding
They also offer guided paddleboard, kayak tours if you want to explore the lake with trained professionals. The weather is perfect at the moment, so pack up the family and come de-compress here with us at Maryland’s favorite vacation destination.
Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor
Paddleboarding Deep Creek Lake
Paddleboarding Deep Creek Lake
Paddleboarding Deep Creek Lake. My passion for surfboard construction tipped me off to paddleboarding many years ago, as builders looked for new ways to experience the soulful glide of surf crafts. Basically, the boards were stretched out a bit longer than their modern longboard cousins and widened by about a foot around center. The curve in the bottom of the board or “rocker” dictates if it’s going to be good for paddling/speed or performance and ability to turn. At my favorite surf break at my second home in the OBX, high performance paddleboards are the norm and have been in the line-up for many years. The surfers there are taking the sport to extreme levels surfing waves in excess of 10 feet. This sport is constantly evolving and being refined by the board builders and wave-riding community.
This year paddleboarding has made its way to Deep Creek Lake. Both Deep Creek Marina and Wisp Resort rent an array of different paddleboards to suit your taste. I had my first attempt at it last night and can tell you that it is a blast. Being very tall does offer a disadvantage for balancing as you can be a little top heavy but it doesn’t take long to master it and be off on your way. I suggest starting off on both of your knees facing the front of the board until you get stabilized, then stand up at about the center of the board. I found it easier to keep your eyes on the horizon as opposed to looking down at the board, to maintain your optimum balance. Start sweeping your paddle through the water gently and you’re on your way to a peaceful glide across beautiful Deep Creek Lake. A word of warning, you are required by law to wear a life vest at all times when on a paddleboard; you can be ticketed and fined for not wearing one. Be safe and have a fun time this summer enjoying DCL’s newest craze.
