KAYAK SUMMER 2018

         Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air. --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have found that summers linger in Northern California. There are no hurricane warnings or threats of frost or snow. The mornings at the lake have a certain crispness where you just might need a sweater, at least through breakfast. Outside of my favorite Starbucks adding Pumpkin Spice Latte to the menu board and slow traffic coming from nearby Apple Hill, it feels as if summer is not all that anxious to concede to autumn just yet. But it's on way.

"There is something deep within us that sobs at endings." wrote American author Joe Wheeler, "Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?"

Lake Jenkinson

Bittersweet for some. A celebration of the change of seasons for others. No matter how you regard it, this Saturday marks the first day of fall, which of course subsequently, means its the official end of summer.

To keep my memories burning bright heading fall, I like to look back at some of my favorite images I created over the summer. Some picture-perfect tranquil moments are accompanied by some fast-paced and lively shots of my time on the water. They compose the snapshots of my summer recollections. But, of course, they are not the whole story.

In a recent Paddling Magazine article title Unforgettable, Everything Instagram Won't Tell You About Canoe Tripping, writer Kaydi Pyette says that her most memorable moments aren't always perfectly lit and beautifully composed, but are the gritty and hard moments hard moments of her trips.

The American River Parkway

"What Instagram so rarely shows is the side canoe tripping not so splendidly picture perfect. There are bugs,"  she wrote, "Followers don't get to see the hours of tediousness invested in capturing this one outrageously perfect moment. we don't see the work it takes to align the gear, sunlight, smoke signals and hang those twee tinkle lights just so."

Guilty as charged. Because I'm not going to tell you how I rolled and swam in front of everyone at San Juan Rapids, ripped the seat of pants while working the boat dock at Sly Park and sliced my big toe on rocks on North Fork of American River. The same goes for loading and unloading trailers of boats, dumping kayaks full of water and long shuttle drives, they just go with the territory.

They were all outweighed by watching a shy kid learn to kayak, helping a father, in an age-old tradition of taking his children on their very first canoe ride and coaching a determined Eppies Great Race participant take on the rapids of Lower American River. Summer 2018, like all my paddling summer before, those are the memories that will kindle in the consciousness of mind.

Sly Park

"When summer opens," wrote American transcendentalist essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, "I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn."

There is something incredibly nostalgic about paddling into the fall season. The lakes are quiet. Gone are the crowds and motorboats and the only sound you will hear are those of nature. The trees are ablaze with a canvas of bold-colors reflecting on the undisturbed peaceful waters.

It was early morning on the lake last weekend. Idly in a canoe, I lingered just a bit longer, before dipping my paddle. The water is still warm enough for a swim, but the air was noticeably cooler. In the distance, a wispy veil of mist hovers over its surface. It's the ghost of summer, I suppose.

Sly Park's Lake Jenkinson

A moonlit paddle on Lake Natoma with Current Adventures.

John Weed and kids classes with Current Adventures.

Debbie Carlson's new SUP on Lake Natoma.

Paddling after dark with Bayside Adventure Sports.

Eppies training with Current Adventures .

Fall comes to Lower American River.

Want to see more photos? Follow me on Instagram

@nickayak
The official feed of Outside Adventure to the Max. Follow us on river trips along the American River and the lakes of the Sierra with Current Adventures as we count my paddling days of the year.