Paddling Pinole California

Summary: This is an excellent paddle for a few hours before and after a high tide. But at low tide, it isn't recommended due to mud. This paddle is great for train lovers, you see beutiful rock formations and caves, and there is minimal boat traffic within a few miles of the shore. There are great landing sites at the halfway point on a regional park.

Here is the map of the paddle:

View Larger Map

The map includes several useful placemarks describing put in and take outs, bathroom, and parking situation.

Here is a slideshow of my pictures: (To see bigger pics at your own pace, just click on the slideshow, and the Picasa album will open in a new tab/window)


It's been too long! I'd been watching the tides and the weather for a while now, and looking for new spots to put in. I used Bay Access to find this put in. But it is also on another site I use to find put ins that may be better. It is GoToes.org. Then I scout out the area and get driving directions from Google Maps. I checked out the tides and weather using Weather Underground. I knew from the Bay Access site that the launch site is muddy at low tide, so I planned accordingly.

When I got to the Bayfront Park, I scouted the area. The first problem is that parking in the lot is limited to two hours. If you launch at the pebble beach, you have to carry the kayak 630 feet. My Necky Looksha Sport is 58 lbs, so I'm looking for shortcuts. I talked to one guy walking his dog, but another guy parked in the lot sitting in his pickup told me about the boat ramp. This led to the discovery of the free unlimited parking alongside Bayfront Park Loop Trail (see the map for the placemark and advice about parking). It's always a good idea to talk to the locals for great tips. This ramp was great for the put in, and it's such a low use place. Basically, you can drive right up the the water, gear up, then go park.

I finally parked, hopped in the kayak and I was off down Pinole Creek. It's possible to go up the creek (yes, with a paddle) when the tide is right, but with the high tide I had, there was not enough room under the bridges to go upstream. I put on my spray skirt, and headed out to San Pablo Bay. It was a gray day, and misting, but the wind was very low, and the water was very calm. There were plenty of shore birds to see. I saw a great egret spear fishing. There were gulls, mallard ducks, sandpipers, and coots. I find What Bird? to be a fun website for bird identification. You have to take notes on bird coloration etc, or take good pictures, because birds are so similar and it's sometimes hard to identify them from memory.

It was foggy, so I was glad to have my deck compass to help me keep a bearing. I aimed for formations on the coast that looked interesting, and that's how I found the rock formations that I took pictures of.

This is a great paddle for train lovers. I count myself among that group. The whole length of the shore to Point Pinole is traversed by rails, and Amtrak trains roll by every half hour or so, in both directions. I enjoyed that very much. I paddled very close to the shore/tracks to get a shot of one train heading south, and the engineer gave me a little toot-toot on his horn. Very nice!

As I rounded the first point, I'm calling it Rock Bridge Point because that's where that picture was taken, I encountered a couple fisherman. I had to watch out for two things. One of them had a line in the water, and you don't want to get snagged on that. The other fisherman was about to cast, and he was using big weights. You wouldn't want to catch that in the head. So, I made myself known to them and he said he'd wait for me to pass by before he cast. I told him I hope he catches a big one. He said, "Me too."

Then I made a line for the pier at Point Pinole. This was much like a boring crossing, but the trains kept coming and going for entertainment, and it isn't too far. It's cool as you approach the pier, there are the snags of an old pier jutting from the water. You can observe the current against these, and they're fun to paddle between. I headed under the new pier, and rounded the point. The course changes from West to South as you skim past the shore of Point Pinole Regional Park/Shoreline. Here I saw a sea lion, but as soon as he saw me see him, he dipped and disappeared. It was a nice sighting though.

I noticed that the current was moving nicely past the point, and this made me think about the return trip which would be against that current. I pondered the rule of twelves. Since high tide was at 10am, I put in at 9:45am, then as I delayed my return, the flood would be approaching maximum flow against me. So, I decided not to dawdle too long. This turned out to be a good decision as you will see later on (in avoiding a muddy landing).

• Rule of twelves: During the first hour after high tide, 1/12 of the tidal water volume will drain (ebb). Second hour = 2/12. Third and fourth hour =3/12 each. Fifth hour = 2/12. Sixth hour=1/12. The same applies in reverse (flood).
  

I decided to land for lunch, then return. I was able to find my exact lunch spot on the satellite map provided by Google, because there were brick building ruins at the spot, and a readily identifiable ruined embankment wall in a semicircular shape just north up the beach. Can you find it? It's good to be observant of things that will show up on the satellite view for later identification.

It was a gorgeous beach, but still cold and rainy. As soon as I wasn't paddling, my body started to cool off. Though I was dry and wearing a farmer john wetsuit, and topped that with a neoprene kayaking shirt and life vest. I was fine while moving, but not for sitting still. My thermos with coffee was waiting for me back at the car, and I could hear it calling. If I were stuck there, I would have changed into my thermals and dry set of clothes in my dry bag. I finished up my lunch while walking up and down the beach taking pictures. Then I jumped back in the kayak and headed back. Now the only time I was ever in any danger of tipping over was while putting on my spray skirt while on the sea. I should have put on my skirt before pushing off.

Like a horse returning to the barn, I always seem to go faster on the way back. You've already seen all the sights and now you're retracing your steps so why not? There is another reason why I paddled for speed, and that is I was now going against the flood current, and the wind. It was a light wind, but now it was in my face rather than to my back. So, the faster you paddle the less work you end up doing because you're in the stream for the shortest time fighting the current and wind. When I passed the pier again, there were three fishermen headed out on it. They all were watching me. I was paddling much faster than they were walking, and I got a kick out of speeding under and past the pier.

It was so foggy that I couldn't see any landmarks to identify Bayfront Park. So, in so many words, I didn't know which way I was going. You can follow the shore, but that is a much longer route. So, I used my compass. The compass, by the way, was a Winter Solstice present from my partner, and a wonderful gift! I had noted that my bearing out to the pier was due West. You can see this in my picture. So, all I had to do was maintain a bearing of due East. When I approached close enough to the shore at that bearing, I could make out the parking lot of the park right in front of me. However, mud peninsulas and rock jetties which had been underwater before started to appear.

I headed for the boat ramp first. When I got to the boat ramp, I found it was now blocked by a wall of mud (see the picture). So, there was no way I was climbing out through that mess. A local on the bridge suggested I explore upstream, so I thought I would give it a look. However, in hindsight, I think he was trying to get me stuck in the mud upstream. The tide was on the way out, and the water in the stream was getting shallower fast. I paddled upstream a few hundred feet, until the end in fact, but now the water was so low that things were scraping my hull. So, I turned around and sped out. Check out the slideshow to see what was left of Pinole Creek when I left, and that was two hours before the low tide.

I found a pebble beach which I had identified during my scouting. It was 630 feet from the parking lot, but it was not muddy. I went and moved the car, picked up my gear, picked up my kayak, and by then the tide had really gone out. If I had arrived half an hour later, I would have had to slog through at least 100 feet of mud. I don't like mud.

Back at the car, having changed into my thermals, wool socks and dry clothes, I enjoyed my coffee, cupping my hands around the ceramic mug that I brought for just that purpose. I really enjoyed this trip even though the weather was gray and drizzly. I get a thrill from just getting out on the water in a new place. There is so much time spent in preperation, packing, transportation, cleaning and stowing, but it is all part of the ritual that I love.

Kayaking is the New Canoeing

I was driving to Desolation Wilderness for a day hike yesterday when I heard a new show on NPR, a series, called What's the New What?, and the show was Kayaking is the New Canoeing (listen to it by clicking on the link). That reminded me of a story.

Once I was staying at a friends house in Guerneville and I woke up early in the morning and was eyeing my friend's rowboat. Everyone was still asleep, and I was contemplating a little joy ride. Then my friend, Roger, told me he was about to take the canoe, Tippy, out to check his crayfish trap. So I proposed a race. I would get in the rowboat, and he would take the canoe, and we would see who got across the river to the buoy first. Now I was 23 at the time, and my friend was 55, so I assumed that I would win by a mile. He accepted the challenge, and we put in. I rowed with both oars with all my might, but Roger, with only one paddle, and without seaming to exert any particular effort at all literally paddled rings around me. And he was serenely smirking. I etched a fundamental rule of seamanship onto my brain, "The canoe is faster than the rowboat." Now this reminds me of another story (hang on, last one).

Fast forward eleven years, it is now 2001, and I'm 34. I'm on a paddle with my friend Marc, and my partner, Kevin. Marc and I are in a canoe, and Kevin is downstream a few hundred feet in a kayak. He is too far out of range to hear Marc and I plotting against him. The scheme that came into my brain was this. Marc and I would paddle the canoe as fast as we could, and we would come up behind the unwitting kayaker, and speed by him as such a rate that it would knock his socks off, and wow him to his core. Kevin was not paddling for speed. He was gently paddling along. On the other hand, Marc and I were pouring on the coal, driving as fast as two very fit men could push that canoe. But, we could barely catch up! Let alone speed by Kevin. So, with all our effort, we couldn't blow by the kayak, and the kayaker wasn't even racing. Aha! I etched another rule, "The kayak is faster than the canoe."

Kayak vs. Canoe

Speed - The kayak wins because it has the lower to the water closed in deck and creates less wind resistance. Canoes are usually heavier, often made out of alumnium and a lot heavier.

Tippiness - Not sure here. But the kayaker can roll with a spray skirt on and never get any (or much) water in the cockpit. The kayak has bulkheads protecting compartments that won't fill with water very easily, so tipping over is less of a problem than with a canoe that is swamped.

Cargo - You can load a lot into a canoe, but I'm going to call this one a tie. The right kayak can hold a lot in it's compartments.

Socialability - It is true that you can ship your paddles and meet your canoeing buddy in the middle for lunch. Just be careful turning around in the canoe or your sandwiches may get wet. But the canoe's edge over the kayak is only slight. When I have lunch with my kayaking companions, we usually raft up, passing bags of chips down the line. They can be very social. Also the tandem kayak is just as social as the canoe.

Transport and Storage - It is easier for one person to carry and load a kayak. Though there are fiberglass canoes that are quite light, they are still bulkier than the sleek kayak.

Cost - (based on REI's selection) The price ranges are roughly as follows. Canoe $700 - 2,700. Kayak $320 - 3,250. Per person, that's about the same. Buying a kayak is more complicated, because you have to fit the kayak to your person and your intended use much more than you would a canoe.

Conclusion: I much prefer the kayak, but both are a lot of fun. I sure wouldn't pass up a canoe to get out on the water and see some nature. The canoe can simplify getting a novice out on the water, as long as the person in the back isn't a novice, and knows the J-stroke. Always wear your life vest, and have fun!

The Nina

On Wednesday, September 3, 2008, a replica of The Nina was scheduled to arrive in Vallejo, so Gary and I paddled out to see if we could find her. Sure enough, we spotted her rigging near the end of the Mare Island jetty. So we paddled up to her, and got some great pictures. To find out more about her, visit her website.

She is 93.6 feet in length with a beam of 17.3 feet. The deck length is 66 feet, she has a 7 foot draft and her displacement is 100 tons. Her sail area is 1,919 square feet. I went aboard her after she docked at the Vallejo Marina. See the schedule on her website to find out where and when you might see her. I was amazed to learn that Columbus sailed her a total of 25,000 miles. Her crew of 27 slept on deck! It is a remarkably small ship to imagine 27 people setting out on a months long voyage. When you see what they went to sea in, you can't help but respect their bravery.

Saugatuck, Michigan

This Summer, my partner and I made our way to the Midwest to visit family in Chicago and Minneapolis, and while we were there we made a little side trip to the resort town of Saugatuck, Michigan. Saugatuck is located on the Kalamazoo River where it meets Lake Michigan, and recreational kayaks are available for rent. We took one out for four hours and had a great tour. We first headed upriver, under the Blue Star Highway bridge toward Douglas, then under the Highway 196 Bridge into Silver Lake. The Kalamazoo River wends its way off to the Southeast, but we only had so much time, so we headed back toward Saugatuck to get as close as possible to the mouth of the river where it spills into Lake Michigan. The rental company doesn't allow the rec kayaks to be taken out on the lake, and that is understandable.

The boat we were in had only an aft bulkhead, and no sprayskirts. The cockpit was one big opening for both paddlers, and would have taken on water wonderfully. The life vests were cheap, and the symetrical paddles were the cheapest I've ever seen without drip guards, yet they still sufficed in propelling the kayak. The tandem kayak had no rudder, and didn't track very well. I found it was easiest to control when both paddlers were aware of a bearing and aimed for it. When my attention lapsed for even a few seconds I found we drifted off course rather quickly. When renting, you may not have a lot of options for good equipment, and I've seriously begun to consider purchasing a good folding kayak for travel. This trip was not primarily about kayaking, so it was good to get out on the water even if the equipment was very basic.

We saw many fish jumping out of the water, lots of ducks and ducklings, water lillies in the still waters of Silver Lake, and many turtles.

Shared Adventures Day on the Beach

Shared Adventures Day on the Beach

On July 12, 2008, I received an email from Dean McCully, organizer for this nonprofit event. They needed volunteers for their 16th annual Day on the Beach to provide a day of beach fun for disabled people the following weekend. They needed people with battery powered drills to help assemble the platforms that allow wheelchairs to go out onto the beach. The activities include kayaking, outrigger canoeing, SCUBA diving, water floatation, and using beach wheelchairs. Sounds like a lot of fun, and it was! As soon as I saw kayaking I was hooked. I didn't know what all was involved, but I signed up via the online volunteer registration form.

By midweek, I received a call from one of the organizers, and I committed to being there on Friday morning at 9:30am at Chris Bordner Auto Body on Center St in Santa Cruz where we would be building platforms. Chris Bordner Auto Body very generously provides its parking lot for use by the volunteers to stack wood, and build frames for the weekend. If you're looking for an autobody shop, please give them a call: (831) 423-1301. I added my tool belt to the list of things to bring, recharged my drill battery, and made sure my screwdriver bits are in the case.

I left the house on Friday at 6am, and arrived in Santa Cruz by 8am. Traffic was not a problem. I grabbed a humous bagel at the Bagelry (320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA). Then I headed for Bordners. Made sure to put on plenty of sunscreen, though it was cloudy, plenty of rays come through, and it could clear up. I showed up, and was put to work. Jonathan and Tom were the foremen and had been there many years in the past. Two tables were built on which lumber is laid out and frames built. The frames are transported to Cowell Beach the following day where the plywood is attached. San Lorenzo Lumber (A Division of Lumbermens) stores all of the materials each year, so shop there and support them! We worked until 3pm, and we had built 57 frames.

We were asked to show up the next morning at, gulp, 7am to load the frames and plywood onto trucks for transport to the beach. A special truck is needed, and provided by the City of Santa Cruz, that can drive on the sand without getting stuck. Another crew is on the beach to unload the frames, put them in place and attach the plywood to them. The loading went on until 10am, when I went down to the beach to join the kayaking volunteer crew.

After the orientation for kayaking crew, and safety demonstration, I put on my wetsuit, PFD, and booties, and was ready for action when the kayak trips started at Noon. Here's how the kayaking activity works. There is a loading platform where there is a portable hoist that lifts the wheelchair bound out of their chairs and lowers them into their kayaks. A loading crew position the guest into the front cockpit of a tandem and make sure that they are well padded inside, with a PFD, and a spray skirt. Then the launching crew moves the kayak down beach to the edge of the water. A contact volunteer is assigned to each guest to talk to them, find out their name, introduce them to their paddler, make sure they're comfortable, and so on. The guest may or may not have a paddle themselves depending on their abilities and wishes. The paddlers gets into the rear cockpit down at the water's edge, and as soon as they're ready the launch lead (John or Shark Mark) watches the waves, and times the launch. When the lead orders the launch, the kayak is pulled by about six launch crew volunteers into the water, and off they go. Two tandems are escorted by one safety Sit-On-Top kayak. The front paddler on the safety kayak is responsible for jumping in the water if a guest goes into the water, and your one job is to get and keep the guest head out of the water. Other volunteers may help the guest either back into the tandem, or onto the deck of the safety kayak. Safety kayakers must be prepared to spend 20 minutes in the water, so must have wet suits. The landing procedure is timed by the launch lead. A tandem returning from a route waits for the signal from the lead both to make sure that a landing crew is ready, and so that the lead can time the waves. The goal is to bring the guest in on the back of the wave, not the front of the wave. This is because the kayak is less likely to broach and roll this way. As soon as the kayak is in shallow water, the landing crew have hooks that they slip through the D-rings on the kayak, and pull the kayak up the beach. The paddler gets out, and then the crew drag the kayak back up to the platform can lift the guest out of the kayak if needed.

Bill was my safety kayak companion and we took turns escorting the first pair of tandems around the bay at Cowell Beach. I was in the rear, so Bill was on point to jump in. Jerry and Bob were our tandem paddlers. The route is out to the kelp beds, then to the point off the warf, then back to the beach. It is about one mile, and takes about 20 minutes. This is repeated all day long until about 5pm, and many people rotate into the various roles. On the first trip, we saw two sea otters in the distance off of the point where the surfer statue is. The next trip, I was on the front of the safety kayak, and after that, I switched to various shore duties, mostly launching and landing. We saw a family of three sea otters right out in the middle of the bay this time. Under the warf there are scores of sea lions barking. Since safety paddling is the most fun, most people want to volunteer to do it, so you swap out to give someone else a chance. I spent the rest of the day on landing and launch crews. Each kayaking volunteer wears as many hats as needed, and goes to where they are needed based on the situation. I was often the contact person for guests about to launch, and was honored to meet and get to know a number of our guests.

We had one capsize on launch, and a very exciting rescue. We had a very heavy guest who leaned to the right. After launch, the kayak wanted to roll to the starboard. I stayed with the kayak after launch, past the soup, to hang onto the port side to stabilize things. The lead told the safety kayak to come alongside (the starboard side) and attempt to reposition the guest to center his weight. I told the paddler that I would let go and he would call me back if he needed me to steady the kayak. I was treading water closeby in case I was needed, ready to swim back to shore. Then, suddenly both the tandem and the safety kayak capsized rolling toward each other. I did as I was trained and did a scissor kick to throw myself over the hull of the tandem. I grabbed the gunwale and threw my weight backwards rolling the kayak back upright. Looking to the left I verified that the guest was still in the forward cockpit, and his head appeared to be out of the water. Since I was viewing from behind, and his PFD was riding up, I couldn't see his face to verify that he was Ok. There were two safety kayakers now in the water, and one was with the guest, and I asked if the guests head was out of the water and they confirmed that it was. Three volunteers swam and pulled the kayak back to shore. I asked the guest if he was OK, and he was calm, said he was OK, except that he was blinded by the saltwater. I told this to the launch lead when we reached shore, and he said that we'd all done exactly what we were supposed to. We got the guest back onto the platform to hoist him out of the kayak, because he was cold we decided to cut the spray skirt off of him. Unfortunately, the guest was wearing blue jeans, and a cotton hoodie; not good water wear. If you're going to be kayaking, you need to wear clothing that drains and dries quickly, so synthetic swim trunks and a synthetic fleece are perfect. We got our guest out of the kayak, wrapped in towells and blankets, and the excitement was over. Unfortunately, the guest didn't get to do the tour of the bay.

This was a tremendous event, and I plan to be back again next year. The participants enjoy the kayaking so much, that it is well worth it, even if you don't get to go into the water. I loved getting to help others do what I love to do, and share that mutual enjoyment. I encourage others to put this event on your calendar for next year, because the event is growing. More participants attend each year, and you will love every minute of it.

Sea Kayaking in Seattle

Sea Kayaking in Seattle

Tuesday – 6/24/2008

When my good friend from college days emailed me that he was between jobs for a short while, and now was the time for me to come up for a visit to Seattle, I jumped on the chance. I told him, if at all possible, I want to kayak in Seattle. And it is in fact, possible.

There is an outfit called Aqua Verde, and we found out all about it from their website. They have a midweek special advertised, or did, stating that if you start by 3pm, and get back by 6pm, the third hour is free. Their rate for a tandem is 2 hours for $30. So we arrived at 3pm to take advantage of the deal. There are bike racks close to the water right next to their kayak rental counter. Turns out that they had changed the deal, but hadn't changed their website, but they very kindly agreed to honor what was posted on the website, and we were grateful. Check out their website for the current deal, start by 1pm, back by 4pm, and you still get the third hour free, so the total trip is $30.

They asked if we're headed toward Lake Washington or Lake Union. If you say, Lake Washington, they give you spray skirts. It wasn't choppy at all though, and we kept the skirts open to stay cool. They outfit you with paddles and life vests, and get you in the kayak. They coach you through the process of mounting the kayak by holding the paddle behind you, with one hand holding the paddle to the coaming of the kayak, and the other hand bracing the paddle against the dock, which is level with the deck of the kayak. You just sidle over into the cockpit. Then we were off. I didn't notice the make and model of the kayak, but it was a very uncomfortable seat. Now I know how spoiled I am in my Necky Looksha Sport. There were rudder pegs, but nothing for my thighs to brace against, so it was like sitting on the floor of a canoe. This was my first time operating a rudder, and it was just fine.

We paddled around the Arboretum, and saw several blue heron, muskrats, and even a bald eagle. I did get pictures of the Bald Eagle, but they weren't National Geographic Quality. See the album for the pictures. My Dad tells me these pictures are fantastic, and I'm sure there is no bias whatsoever.

We meet Yoram, Lara, and Anjie at the mexican restaurant, Aqua Verde, and have a great meal. I would highly recommend it.

Lake Tahoe - Emerald Bay

Summary - Paddle into Boat Camp in Emerald Bay from Meeks Bay and back. See Osprey, Bald Eagles, Western Tanagers, and Canada Geese. Hike into Desolation Wilderness to Middle Velma Lake.

June 16, 2008, Tuesday – I hit the road at 7:30am. From Vallejo, CA, I took Highway 80 to 50 to 89. I drove directly to Sugar Pine Point State Park, but found that things have changed since my guide book was written ten years ago. I didn't find any location to park at Sugar Pine that would be a reasonable haul to the water. Also, the website says, “Beach access is restricted to foot traffic only.” By the way, Sugar Pine Point is a beautiful park with a historic museum, and is definitely worth checking out arriving by car or water. You simply can't tell how nice it is from the road. So, I decided to put in at the Meeks Resort beach. I paid $7 a day times three for parking over the three days that I'd be gone. I later learned from the camp host at Boat Camp that parking at D.L. Bliss State Park is included in the price of your campsite. Although that is a shorter paddle, I would recommend doing it, because you can add miles by following the coast, or exploring after you make camp.

Getting all of my camping gear into the kayak took a little shoving, but I knew it would fit because I had done a dry run packing before I left the house. Everything fit inside the holds. The tent and Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad fit into the bow compartment, followed by the sleeping bag. In the stern, in the pointy end, I shoved a duffel bag with my clothes, then the bear canister went in and pivoted and was shoved up against the bulkhead behind my seat. Finally, a gear bag with the stove, water filter, and other gear. Everything was packed inside thick plastic garbage bags to protect them from splashes or minor leakage. Though not water tight, the closed garbage bags would add buoyancy in the event that the cargo holds became flooded.

With the car parked, a note on the dash telling where I was camped along with the parking pass, all my gear stowed, I pushed off into the serene blues of Lake Tahoe between Canada Geese, children building sandcastles and sun worshipers. It sure felt good to be under way! At first, the water was a turquoise, and you could see the bottom, but the lake gets deep fast and the light color is replaced by a very deep blue. The wind was very mild at 1pm, and midweek, there was very little boat traffic to be concerned about. At one point, a speedboat approached, and I put my whistle in my mouth. I mentally rehearsed the deliberate capsize (roll away from the oncoming vessel and swim down) to prepare for an impact, but the boat changed course long before there was any real danger. It was daylight, on flat water, and my kayak and life vest are red. The blades on my paddle are orange, and I'm very easy to see. If you're choosing a kayak, choose one that is a bright color!

Directly south of Meeks Bay is Rubicon Bay, and I chose to paddle from headland to headland. The coast of Rubicon Bay is lined with private residences with their own docks. There is a fair amount of boat traffic, construction, and little scenery following the coast of this bay. The southernmost headland of Rubicon Bay is a rocky cliff rising out of the lake. I saw an Osprey soaring overhead, with its distinctive markings on its underside. Rounding the rocky shore I spotted a nest high up in a snag (dead tree). As I approached the nest, I kept my eyes on it, and I could hear something in it squawking. Then I saw a Bald Eagle sitting at the edge of the nest. This is a first for me, and already the trip is a huge success. Next time, I'm bringing my binoculars. Although they are not waterproof, I'd much rather have them with me until I can afford a waterproof set.

The next big bay follows the coast of D.L. Bliss, and there is a beautiful trail along this coast. You can see the hikers high up on the cliffs behind a cable railing, then the trail follows the coast closer to the water and links up with Boat Camp. This is the Calawee Trail. I followed the coastline very closely, and this makes the trip longer, and harder to predict which point Emerald Bay is hiding behind. When you finally see a tree covered spit blending into another point directly behind, and boats disappear into the trees, there you have the entrance to Emerald Bay. The approach is beautiful with sunken boulders and logs. I glided over submerged boulders for the fun of it, and because you're well out of the way of boat traffic. Then I spotted the dock at Boat Camp, and made my way for it. Now you might think that the bay would be protected from winds as I did, but you would be wrong. In the late afternoon, the wind comes down off of the mountains to the west. The wind was refreshing, and didn't interfere with paddling, though it did blow my baseball cap off and into the water. I had to backpaddle to retrieve it, then wore it backwards from that point on.

At Boat Camp (BC) there are signs on the beach not to moor, beach, or tie up boats with a picture of a bear. I checked with the camp host, and this policy doesn't apply to kayaks. I left my hatches open, so that bears wouldn't have to damage my kayak to discover that there is no food in there. Not only did I pull my kayak well up onto the beach, but I dragged it behind a large log, and tied it up. I was worried that my skeg might catch someone's shin unless it was well out of the way.

BC is very developed. It is the same as car camping, except that cars are not allowed. However, the rangers drive around in cars, and the first thing I noticed was the large RV that the camp host lives in. BC has a few spigots to get drinking water, and pit toilets with no lighting. Each campsite has a large capacity bear box, a BBQ, a fire pit, a picnic table, and room for a tent. I had campsite 18, and though I liked it very much, there is a shed very close to it. The shed has power lines going to it, and every few minutes a noisy pump fires up inside the shed, for what purpose I don't know. This noise interfered with my enjoyment of the site, especially when it came time to sleep. Next time, I would choose a site as far from the shed as possible. Also, BC suffers from the same problem that car camp sites do, that is people come in on powered boats and bring everything from home. Well after 10pm there was noise from unrestrained kids. I resisted the urge to wake them up when I got up at sunrise.

After getting the tent up, the Therm-a-Rest inflating, the stove set up, water bottles refilled, and into clean clothes. I took some time just sitting on a big boulder next to my camp to take in the quiet of the late afternoon. A Steller's Jay was hanging around looking for a handout, I witnessed him taking winged insects in flight. Suddenly, a bright yellow bird with an orange head swooped in to chase off the Jay, followed by a mostly all yellow companion who stayed nearby in the trees. I later described this bird to my friend who identified it to me as a, "Wasted Teenager," but of course, he was kidding. It was a Western Tanager. This bird is quite a sight, and looks like a parrot in its colorfulness.

I was ready to go for a little hike. So, I headed out on the Calawee Trail that heads north along the shoreline toward D.L. Bliss. About a mile north on the trail I checked my cell phone, and discovered that I had five bars. At BC there is no reception, but from the shore of the lake, directly across, and in line of sight, from some tall buildings on the Nevada side of the lake there is perfect reception. So, I was able to call family to let them know that I was safe and sound. For me, this was an important part of my boat plan, to be able to check in and let monitors know that I was OK, since I was on a solo paddle and camping trip. I want to emphasize that there was very little risk on the trip, but there is always some danger of injury, and it is good to be able to check in and let concerned parties know you are well and having a good trip.

Back at camp I had my dinner, and as it had become dark I was surprised to see a very bright light shining up through the trees from the direction of the lake. Suddenly I remembered that this was the night before the full moon, and the moon had risen over the rim of Eagle Point. I ran down to the water to enjoy the moonrise from the beach and the dock. I finally went to bed, tired and happy, and slept very well through the night. Even in June, it gets quite cold at night, almost to freezing, so I was prepared with long underwear, fleece pajamas, wool socks, and a wool hat. My sleeping bag is good down to 20F, and I was in a Eureka Spitfire solo tent with the fly, and I was not too hot, and was never cold.

June 17, 2008, Wednesday – When I could tell the sun was up, I climbed out of bed. After coffee and oatmeal, I jumped into the wetsuit and got my kayak gear and went down to the water. I wore booties, which aren't great for trails, so in the future I'd prefer to take water shoes. When I put in, it must have been about 6:30am, and I was the only boat moving on the water. It was still as glass, and my wake was the only disturbance on the water. Also, there were Canada Geese on the water at the beach when I put in, and they were completely calm around me. It was dreamlike. I set my bearing right to Fannette Island. Now, I had been told that the best place to land the kayak on Fannette was on the north shore, but I didn't see the trail after circling the island twice. I landed and tied up on the north side when a man on a surf ski with a rowing rig passed by, and told me of a better landing spot. The landing spot and trailhead are at the southeast tip of the island. It is marked by a brown sign that forbids landing during the months while birds are nesting there (Feb. 1 - June 15). I pulled the kayak up onto the rocks and tied a line to a large piece of driftwood that I used as a toggle between two stones to prevent a large wake from taking the kayak adrift. I hike up the short trail to the teahouse and enjoyed the exclusive view.

Eagle Falls spills into Emerald Bay, and I couldn't resist paddling upstream as far as possible. It gets quite shallow, but it is well worth exploring for the cool temperatures, and serenity. I paddled right up to the lowest rapids, then rode the fast flow back out to the lake. I followed the shore very quietly, and came around a bend to catch an Osprey about two boat lengths ahead. He was perched on a rock drinking from the lake. I held still, but he took flight as my boat drifted by. I continued to paddle over submerged boulders and sunken logs with long branches that reach out to the surface of the water. As I approached the mouth of Emerald Bay, a group of 10 jet skis entered. So, the dream ends. However, as jet skiers go, they were well behaved and observed the law to slow to 15mph in the bay. I exited the bay, and explored further down the shore to the south, but not too far. I decided to get in a hike into Desolation Wilderness, and so turned back to BC.

On my way back to BC, I heard something that sounded like an Eagle calling out from the treetops on the north shore of Emerald Bay. So, I paddled closer to find a Bald Eagle high in a tree, and he was being harassed by a Steller's Jay. At one point the Jay came close enough to the Eagle that the Eagle flapped his wings and tried to bite the Jay, but missed. Finally, the Bald Eagle took flight, and I watched him disappear to the north, white tail and all.

I changed into hiking clothes, and packed a bag with plenty of food and water, map, compass, whistle, rain poncho, cell phone, jacket, and headed out to my chosen destination, Middle Velma Lake. I let the camp host know where I was heading, so that if I wasn't back by 9pm to send a search party, as I only intended a day hike. She assured me that if I wasn't back by morning, she would send one. So, er, it would be a cold night if I sprained my ankle. Actually, these trails are well traveled, even midweek, and if I need help, I could send any of dozens of trailgoers that I saw for help. I saw a lot of dogs, by the way. From BC, this hike is 6.5 miles, one way, and has an elevation gain of over 1,700 feet. I thought I was in good shape when I started, but the hike proved to be challenging, steep, but very gratifying. I took many wonderful pictures, and met many wonderful people along the route. I was stiff and tired upon returning to my camp, and very grateful for my hot dinner. Both nights, I ate Mountain House dinners for two. Oh yeah, I ate both servings, and still I lost a little weight. They sure filled me up, though. The first night I had Mountain House Pasta Primavera For Two and the second night I ate Mountain House Vegetable Lasagna For Two. You just open the pouches, pour in the right amount of hot water, stir, then seal up the resealable top. I eat right out of the pouch, so there are no dishes except your eating utensil. Then I use the empty pouch as a trash bag because it seals so tightly.

At sunset, I set out to hike to the cell phone spot to make calls after 9pm, and wound up hiking back to camp in the dark. The imagination starts to work against you when you have to hike a mile in total darkness. At one point, I heard a large animal crashing through the bushes to my left in a wooded area, and I'm sure it was a bear. Didn't sound like a deer, so I made little extra noise, “Hey, hey, I'm hiking here.”

June 18, 2008, Thursday – Time to paddle out and head home. I had breakfast, packed up, checked out, and put in. On my way back I accidentally overshot Meeks Resort, because I failed to spot the headland between Meets Bay and Rubicon Bay. I knew when I reached Sugar Pine Point that I had gone too far, but I landed anyway to talk to a ranger to find out about the park. There was almost no one there. Perhaps because it was so early (10:20am), but I had made the 7 mile run in two hours which means my speed was an average of 3.5 mph. Not too shabby! I backtracked to Meeks, which wasn't far, and I was very grateful to find my car still there. I packed up and very happily hit the road home.

Please feel free to comment if you have any questions.