Payette Lake was glassy blue and there wasn't a sound except for the fluttering of the wings of a bald eagle landing on a snag.

No kidding. I'm talking about Payette Lake near McCall, which can be boating's equivalent of a California freeway in the height of the summer.

But this is fall, and the lake is pretty much empty when it comes to motorboats.

It's definitely a time for paddlers to canoe or kayak along the lake's shoreline, or up the meandering North Fork of the Payette River.

I mentioned canoeing the lake in our Idaho Outdoor Magazine story on fall colors Thursday in the Statesman.

The North Fork, upstream from the lake, is an incredible flatwater adventure.

The stream twists through meadows and evergreen forests. You'll zig-zag your way through puzzles of floating driftwood and maybe kick up a moose or something. Fall colors look like sparks of fire along the banks of undergrowth.

This is a prime time of the year for paddling Idaho's lakes and reservoirs. You can paddle places like Payette Lake, Little Payette Lake, Upper Payette Lake, all near McCall; Warm Lake or Lake Cascade near Cascade; or Anderson Ranch, Lucky Peak or Arrowrock reservoirs in the Boise area.

If you want to travel farther, you can try parts of Coeur d'Alene Lake or Priest Lake.

Sure, you might get into rain or snow, but hey, that's part of high-country fall paddling.

There's also a good chance to see wildlife because there is less powerboat traffic.

One thing about cold-weather padding, watch the wind and get off big water before the waves kick up. I usually stick pretty close to shore (about three boat lengths) and avoid open water crossings.

Have fun and good paddling.

PADDLE SAFELY

Gurgle, gurgle, spit, choke.

Now, here's the bad news. While flatwater paddling can be relatively easy going, there's always a chance for a mishap.

When I was doing our story on fall colors at Payette Lake, I took a swim out of my canoe.

I lost my balance while trying to sneak up on a bald eagle for a better photo. It wasn't fun (don't even ask about the camera), but I came to a realization about dressing for flatwater paddling.

When in my whitewater canoe, I'm dressed to the hilt in a dry top, neoprene pants, insulating layers, synthetic long johns, neoprene paddling gloves and a helmet liner.

All that combined with a life vest is enough to give you insulation for a swim in the river.

But when I'm flatwater canoeing on a fall day, I'm usually in quick-drying lightweight pants and shirt with wool socks and sandals. I'll throw on an insulating top layer or rain jacket, if the weather goes sour.

I learned that's not good enough. I didn't have the proper insulation for a swim. The water was cold around my legs. It wasn't as bad around my chest because I was wearing a wool sweater and life jacket.

Luckily, I had my life jacket on and I bobbed to the surface for a gasp of air. I was only a canoe-length from the bank.

So, after all these years of being prepared for a whitewater swim, I was unprepared for a flatwater swim.

I will be prepared from here on out.

I talked to Stacy Jensen, marketing coordinator of Northwest River Supply in Moscow.

"Dress for a swim, regardless of whether you do or not," she says. She's a sea kayaker.

Here's how she would dress for the following scenario: paddling close to shore on Payette Lake; water temperatures in the 50s; air temperatures in the upper 50s; and cloudy weather.

Jensen would start off with NRS HydroSkin, a lightweight neoprene base layer. On top of that she would wear a splash jacket, splash pants, neoprene booties, a wool ski cap and light gloves. And, of course, a life jacket.

"No cotton," she says, because of the material's poor insulating characteristics.

If she was attempting long open-water kayaking on the big lakes, she would wear a drysuit instead of the splash gear.

My swim got me to looking at other ways to dress for paddling. Innovative Designs Arctic Armor thermal-insulated jacket and bibs is an ideal choice.

The suit is warm to minus-15 degrees, waterproof, breathable, and buoyant enough to float the person wearing it.

"It's warm and it's a great insurance policy if you happen to 'pull a Zimo,' " said John Eigen, who markets the suits. More information can be obtained by going to www.idigear.com.

And another thing, carry a dry bag along with a few insulating layers.

Luckily, I had a change of clothing in the truck, and that's a good rule to follow, too.

OUTDOORS VIDEO

This week's outdoors video takes you on a fall-colors paddling adventure at Payette Lake.

Check it out at http://videos.idahostatesman.com.

Luckily, the video camera wasn't in the canoe at the time of the swim.

Pete Zimowsky: 377-6445