PADDLING WITH SLY PARK PADDLE RENTALS

 

Sly Park Recreation Area is an idyllic summer setting nestled in the Sierra foothills near Pollock Pines, California. Offering something for everyone the park is the perfect spot to visit for a day trip or kickback for a long weekend.
Surrounded by a fringe of tall pines and rocky shores, Lake Jenkinson is reminiscent of those coming of age movies about summer camp. Certainly the jewel of the park, the lake provides opportunities for swimming, fishing, and boating. In other words, it's a perfect spot to paddle away the day.

Divided by a narrow channel, the lake is divided into two components. The larger lower lake is home to speedboats, picnic, and campgrounds and a swimming beach, while the upper lake has an old-fashion feel being a bit narrower and much quieter due to the 5 mph speed limit that is strictly enforced.
The upper lake is home to Sly Park Paddle Rentals which offers canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards throughout the summer on weekends in the park. For the past two seasons, The River Store & Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips has been operating the boathouse rentals.

The boathouses hours
Fridays 9 am-5pm

Saturday 9 am-5pm 

Sunday 9 am-5pm

To help you enjoy the paddling experience of Lake Jenkinson, while at Slay Park Recreation Area here are a few tips to get you on the water.

Before you go
Plan early. While Sly Park Paddle Rentals does take walk-ups, it's best to make a reservation to ensure you get the kayak, SUP or canoe you want for an hour, all day and even overnight. You can book online at Sly Park Paddle Rentals or call 530-333-9115 or email at info@CurrentAdventures.com.

Entering the park requires a day-use fee. Camping is also an additional fee and requires a reservation. You can book that through Sly Park Recreation Area.

Standup paddling boarding is extremely popular on the lake and the boards are always being rented on busy weekends. Tandem kayaks and canoes are also very popular for families to get their young children out on the water. Single kayaks are great for those who want to get out and explore while perfecting their paddling technique.
Boathouse staff recommends booking at least two hours on the water to keep having fun.

What To Bring
Sunscreen, sunglasses, snacks, and beverages (no glass containers), small ice chest(s), shoes, or sandals will make your trip more comfortable, and a COVID-19 face covering. PFDs are provided by the boathouse for both children and adults. Remember paddling even on lakes comes with inherent physical risks that can be minimized by wearing a PFD. California boating law requires every child under 13 years of age on a moving recreational vessel of any length must wear a PFD.
Also, Sly Park Paddle Rentals is implementing a few new protocols on the dock area to help keep the staff and the visitors safe and they are asking everyone to wear masks while on the dock area for everyone’s protection including our employees.

When You Are Here
Best advice, come early and stay late. The park is extremely popular on weekends and day-use quickly fills up fast. Expect a line to get in the front gate anytime after 10 AM on up to 2 PM. Beat the crowd by getting to the lake early to enjoy the best time on the lake.
Boathouse manager Nick Carlson says the lake is calm right at opening and in the evening.

"Early in the morning the wind is coming from the east, but a little after 9 it stops and the lake is like glass. It's my favorite time of the day and the best time to get on the water. Towards mid-day the wind starts up from west coming through the narrows." 

Beat the crowd all together by going on a sunset paddle on Friday evening when the boathouse is open till 8 PM. On both Fridays and Saturdays, you can rent your canoe, SUP or kayak after hours and return it the following morning. Check at Sly Park Paddle Rentals or call 530-333-9115 to check the availability of the paddle craft. What could be better than having a sunset paddle before returning to your campsite?

Parking is available at the Stonebraker Boat Launch, 2.3 miles from the park entrance. Sly Park Paddle Rentals is located near the ramp.

When You Are on The Dock
To help keep staff and visitors safe, Sly Park Paddle Rentals is asking everyone to wear a mask while on the dock to meet the State and local health requirements. Hand sanitizer is also available at the gate.

The staff will only allow one family or a group of friends on the dock at a time. Others will be asked to wait just outside the dock area until other parties left the dock to ensure safety.
Every adult has to fill out a liability waiver for themselves and their children. You can streamline this by filling out the form online when you make your reservation at Sly Park Paddle Rentals.

When on the Water
Getting on the lake is a great place to relax and have fun. Maybe take a trip up toward Sly Park Falls or just float around the narrows. However, during the current health guidelines please consider keeping a 6-foot distance between others and avoid large crowds.

If you want to go on a canoe or kayak trip at Sly Park contact:
Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips 
PHONE: 530-333-9115 or Toll-Free: 888-452-9254
FAX: 530-333-1291
USPS: Current Adventures, P.O. Box 828, Lotus, CA 95651
info@currentadventures.com
owner Dan Crandall dan@kayaking.com

 

This article was originally published Outside Adventure to the Max on June 26, 2020

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EARTH DAY 2021, LESSONS OF COVID-19

Earth Day was this past week marking the 51st anniversary of celebrating our planet. Last year's event was observed in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day would have been marked with worldwide celebrations, festivals, and massive clean-up efforts. All while promoting a cleaner, healthier environment worldwide.
Instead, we were all celebrating indoors while practicing social distancing. Under the guidelines of stay-in-place restrictions, environmental groups canceled all their outdoor activities and events and chose to rally online.

Little did we know then, but it what was in store for the rest of the year. Annual summer holidays like Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day, we were told to stay in place and avoid large crowds. Health experts said the risks of exposure were reduced while being outside. Soon, the great outdoors began attracting people in unprecedented numbers. Dispersed camping was all the rage as folks attempt to hunker down in the quest to flee COVID-19.
By the fall of 2020, it has seemed like the pandemic might never end. The death tolls continued to mount as holidays were put on hold. But now, as we celebrate another Earth Day, it a bit brighter than the last one. Vaccines have been developed faster than most experts had imagined, and more than millions of Americans have been vaccinated. Sure, health officials are still advising caution. But, they are saying by this summer, we might be able to safely gather in small groups again.
In the past year, the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly brought devastation across the earth. But it also showed us how billions of its citizens could come together to protect members of society and ensure that those who need medical care can access it.
It showed how quickly, through international cooperation and science research, a vaccine could be developed and delivered to its citizens.

"Like Covid-19, climate change is affecting us all. It is already devastating communities, impacting public health, and taking a toll on economies," wrote a research professor Robin Bell, at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in an opinion piece for Undark, "And it is exacerbating disparities, with poor and vulnerable populations being affected the most. But the same tools that we have sharpened during the pandemic — a willingness to engage with scientific literature, the will to take action, a sense of global connection — can be used to help address the health of our planet."
 

Lake Jenkinson at Sly Park

For years scientists have warned us about the effects of climate change. In California, water officials brace for more drought-like conditions as the state ends its third driest winter season ever. Typically the wettest months of the year are December, January, and February, but this year rain and snowfall at higher elevations in Sierra fell below average month after month. That means less water during the summer months for the state’s parched reservoirs and rivers.

“California is facing the familiar reality of drought conditions, and we know the importance of acting early to anticipate and mitigate the most severe impacts where possible,” Governor Gavin Newsom said at a news conference at Lake Mendocino this week.
He said, “Climate change is intensifying both the frequency and the severity of dry periods. This ‘new normal’ gives urgency to building drought resilience in regions across the state and preparing for what may be a prolonged drought at our doorstep.”

But as we all know, it not just in California. Hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and floods continue to increase in frequency and severity around the world affecting millions of people.
If we have learned anything from the Covid-19 pandemic, is that we have to trust our science and take action globally. We must apply the same lessons used in solving our worldwide pandemic to address our climate crisis. It will only be through global cooperation that we will save our planet. Happy Earth Week. 

 

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2020 IN REVIEW: PICTURES OF THE YEAR

 

I turned 60-years old this year. But in the year of Covid-19, the celebration ended abruptly. Like everyone, a lot of my plans were either canceled or put on hold. After orders to shelter in place spread across the country last spring, upending some of our favorite outdoor activities, we all soon learn to simply adapt. We made Zoom calls, hosted online events, and found ourselves saying, maybe next year when, things get back to normal, a lot.

“COVID-19 is not just a medical challenge," surmised writer Amit Ray, "But a spiritual challenge too. To defeat covid humanity need to follow the path of self-purification, compassion, nonviolence, God, and Nature.”

With the ongoing pandemic, this past year was a difficult one for us all. However, throw in a contentious election, the wave of shocking police brutality and continuing problems with race relations, along with global warming that caused havoc with West coast wildfires and hurricanes in the Southeastern part of the United States, 2020 will surely be remembered well into history. 

Lake Natoma

 Ironically the pandemic had a positive effect on the outdoors. Embracing the quarantine lifestyle and social distancing, many of us headed into our own backyards to explore again.
While kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding are considered to be a form of exercise, the practice of social distancing could easily be accomplished once on the water. The only problem that occurred was limited or challenging access to public waterways. Venues were locked down in the early part of the spring due to overcrowding.

By mid-summer, while our classes with Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips had taken a hit, the boat rentals at Sly Park Paddle Rentals were packed every weekend as folks flocked to Lake Jenkinson to escape quarantining inside. Doing outdoor activities close to home amid the pandemic was a way for people to exercise their bodies, minds, and spirit. More than once, I told our customers once at the lake to enjoy the moments on the water. Paddle towards the sound of the waterfall and forget about the rest.

Like always, the highlight of the summer was my annual no-frills expedition to Loon Lake with Bayside Adventure Sports, a Christian-based outreach group. The lake trip was a perfect mix of kayaking, camping, and great friends. Not to mention, the lake views, sunsets, and star gazing were amazing.

By Autumn, Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed, but the fire season had once again erupted in California. Ugly clouds of smoke blotted out the sun and sent us back indoors due to air quality. More trips were canceled as campgrounds were shutdown.
It seems 2020, for will for me, will be thought of more for what I didn't do. Rather, than what I did. However, I did get to run South Fork of the American and a few times and had my first down a section on of Sacramento River.

The Lower American River

It was a difficult year, as we all learn to adjust to living under the guise of the pandemic. We have mastered the art of socially distancing, we wear our masks and smile with our eyes and wave to each other instead of offering a handshake or a hug. Boy, I miss the hugs. But even so, I have witnessed inspiration and perseverance from my family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers, as they haven't given up during these Covid times. Yes, Yes, 2020 will be remembered as a very weird year when the world came to a sudden halt. But for we overcame and just kept paddling on.

So as 2020 draws to a close, I look back at some of my favorite images from this past year. 

Lake Jenkinson

North Fork of the American River

Donner Lake

Lake Jenkinson

South Fork of the American River

Sly Park Paddle Rentals on Lake Jenkinson

Loon Lake

Lake Clementine

The Lower American River with Bayside Adventure Sports

Folsom Lake

Lake Jenkinson

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KAYAK SUMMER 2020

Lake Clementine

Making storytelling photos has always been my mantra. Throughout my journalistic career to now, as I document my kayaking paddling days, on Instagram, and for my post in Outside Adventure to the Max, I want to tell you a story. Each day, I hope to capture in a photograph what the day was like and what did. Was it sunny and bright or a bit gloomy? Was I with or leading a group, or was I on a solo trek across the water?

Sunset Paddle on Lake Natoma

I love to shoot a lot of my photos in the so-called Golden Hour. I have a propensity to light and shadows and the mood it presents. I find it irresistible to let those magical moments pass without trying to catch just a part of it. I can not lie. It makes for beautiful pictures, especially when on the water. Those serene moments make my kayak tripping a bit romantic and picturesque.
Yet the storyteller in me also wants to share my so non-romantic things about my paddling days. The grittiness of the heavy kayak and steep portage to the sluggishness of sluffing boats at the end of the day at the boathouse, to the unplanned swims, Not all my paddling days are a memory of cool Kodak moments.

Summer 2020 was far from picture perfect and a bit more unalluring and unappealing than any photos can suggest. By most accounts, it was an unfocused and somewhat shaky ordeal that will be remembered more for what we didn't do rather than what we actually did.

Sly Park Paddle Rentals

For all of us, Summer 2020 certainly did not start all that well. The as the novel coronavirus know as the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly canceled and delay it from the start.
"Now we have something that turned out to be my worst nightmare," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN in June, "In the period of four months, it has devastated the world."

At the start of the summer season, self-quarantining recommendations and restrictions became the norm. Movie theaters, indoor restaurants, and churches were closed. Events and festivals were canceled, and stacks of guidelines were imposed, calling for "social distancing" by staying at least six-feet part from one another.
Across the country, popular national, state, and local parks and beaches were either closed or were limiting access as health officials raised health concerns about large, possibly maskless, groups of visitors arriving and potentially skirting social distancing guidelines.
But as we all know, going outside is good for us, especially in a pandemic. Being in nature and the fresh air can help us relax and feel less stressed, which is what we needed most both then and even now. 

South Fork of American River

So I took advantage of my free time to head to the Lower American River and even run the South Fork of the River with a couple of guys during the early days of the summer shutdown.

As the stay-in-place restrictions were relaxed, outdoor places like state parks suddenly become important in a new way. They were safe places, but only if people recreated reasonably. Masks for many became the fashion as we looked in either bandits or doctors when they arrived a the boat launch. At Sly Park Paddle Rentals, where I worked after the delayed start, I would give all the equipment a sanitizing bath in E-san 64 after each rental. As the pandemic lingered into the middle of summer, people continued to flock to places like Lake Jenkinson, giving me a busy and brisk business as folks tried to escape the routine of the pandemic by getting on the water. 

Loon Lake

But just the same, it was not all work and no play. The after-hours canoeing and kayaking sessions in the lake helped give me a sense of normalcy. An annual trip down the Lower American River and no-frills expedition to Loon Lake with Bayside Adventure Sports, a Christian based outreach group, gave me a chance to lead a great group of paddlers. Okay, okay! That week on the was close to picture-perfect as could be, for me and maybe all them. It was the highlight of my summer.

But with every high, there comes a low. And this seemly apocalyptic summer dished out a slew of record-breaking temperatures, devastating wildfires, and ghostly orange and Martian-red skies from the shadow of smoke blowing eastward during the ladder part of the summer. A mid-September camping trip to Sierra Mountains Silver Lake was called-off due to the threat of fire danger, and my days on Lake Jenkinson were plagued with smoke and haze. It led me to get some dramatic photos, but also a realization that with climate change being unchecked this could be a prelude of things annually. 

Lake Jenkinson

It's official. No matter how I regard it, this lost summer is over, and fall has begun. Time to start planning for next year. While for some, this ominous year of 2020 can not get over quickly enough as we all deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, racial unrest, and looming contentious election. As we start the Autumn season, we search for that silver lining.

“Our main job as artists is to make the art that only we can make, right now in the times in which we are living,” wrote California College of Arts Dean of Fine Arts Allison Smith to her students this past year. “The art you are about to make will be a source of survival, and it will change us all for the better,” she concluded. 

So in these crazy times, I look back on my summer 2020. I certainly will cherish all my photo moments, both good and bad, all the friendly faces, and all the memories of my time on the water. To help me and maybe even you cruise through to till next summer, I picked out some of my favorite images I created over the past few months to help recall the past season like no other.

Here is a look at some of my favorite images from this past summer.

Loon Lake with Bayside Adventure Sports

Lake Jenkinson

 

Sly Park Paddle Rentals

Donner Lake

Lake Jenkinson

Lake Valley Reservoir

North Fork of the American River

 

The American River Parkway

Lake Jenkinson

Lake Jenkinson

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OVER THE BOW: LAKE JENKINSON

“We come from a perspective, humbly, where we submit the science is in — and observed evidence is self-evident — that climate change is real and that is exacerbating this.”--California Gov. Gavin Newsom

I love to paddle in rain, fog, and snow. Weather for me is just a state of mind. As writer John Ruskin wrote, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating. There is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."
But, with wildfire erupting throughout the western states causing a path of destruction as it burns across million acres. Meanwhile, a hazy, milky overcast of smoke is choking us all. The climate is changing.

The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have all said global warming is priming forests for wildfires as they become hotter and drier.
“What we’ve been seeing in California are some of the clearest events where we can say this is climate change — that climate change has clearly made this worse,” Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, an Oakland-based think tank, told the Los Angles Times, “People who have lived in California for 30, 40 years are saying this is unprecedented, it has never been this hot, it has never been this smoky in all the years I’ve lived here.”
Scientists say wildfires are all but inevitable has plants and trees drying out due to climate change. Forest officials hope that implementing efforts to thin trees and brush through prescribed burns and careful logging will help prevent forests from being threatened with fire.

That was the case earlier this summer on the south shore of Sly Park Recreation Area's Lake Jenkinson as crews with a masticator cut, chopped, and ground dead and dying trees and dry vegetation into particles to reduce and inhibit the spread of a potential fire.
It was a disrupted noise to a usually peaceful lake scene. And when the winds were light a dust bowl like cloud darkens the lake view and faded the treeline. Paddlers floated in and out of the haze above the lake. But, at least it wasn't smoke from nearby.
Funding for the vegetation management project was provided by Cal Fire as part of the California Climate Investments Program.

Over the Bow is a feature from Outside Adventure to the Max, telling the story behind the image. If you have a great picture with a great story, submit it to us at nickayak@gmail.com

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BOATHOUSE DAYS, MY THIRD SUMMER ON LAKE JENKINSON

“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the sun. The course of water over the earth is circular coming down from the sky and circulating through the world to spread life and then evaporating up again. --- Elizabeth Gilbert

For the third straight summer, I worked the weekend paddle rentals at the small boathouse on the upper part of Lake Jenkinson at Sly Park Recreation Area in the Sierra foothills near Pollock Pines, California. The picturesque upper part of the lake could be a backdrop for any summer camp movie as It's lined with a border of ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, and oaks, and placid cool, and clear waters. A waterfall and babbling creek only add to the lake's already lyrical appeal.
Divided by a narrow channel, the lake's larger rounded half is where you will find the swimming beach and campgrounds along with a good share of speedboats, while the upper half of the lake being smaller and narrower has more of a timeless rustic feel where canoes are still paddled with reverence.

"To know once more the joy of a paddle in my hands and a canoe slipping along the shores," wrote naturalist Sigurd Olson.
There is a certain old-fashion charm to the upper part of Lake Jenkinson. Offering a no-wake zone and a five-mph speed limit, this part of the lake a bit quieter than the larger sister lake. In other words, it's a perfect spot to paddle at any time of the day.
It's also the home of Sly Park Paddle Rental's boathouse where over the summer weekends and holidays I rented out kayaks, canoes, and standup paddleboards. And like I have done over the past couple of seasons, I collected a series of notes recounting occurrences of my daily routine along with my observations of my days on the lake.

June 20...The first day of summer at Sly Park on Lake Jenkinson. It's been a long time coming. We usually would have opened the boathouse weeks ago in mid-May, but the Covid-19 pandemic has kept us way till now. Pulling through the gate and seeing Lake Jenkinson through the trees, still full in this early part of the season. Cobalt blue the lake looks big and bold.

June 21...Father's Day at Sly Park. Tandem kayaks are the vehicles of choice today on the lake. Being a family day no one wanted to paddle alone.
June 26...A lot of people want to get on the water after being cooped up due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are taking precautions however as I have to sterilize all the equipment after each use. The lake is amazingly quiet this morning as kayaks and SUP paddlers go about its waters. They look pretty carefree as they should be.

June 28...Today the wind blew straight through the narrows sending an endless parade of hissing waves with foaming caps right my way. The dock rocked and buckled underneath the unstoppable lake water as it took the full brunt of the wind. Paddlers faced a tough challenge. One couple even rolled their kayak right in front of my dock. I was helping another kayaker out of the boat when I heard them go over.
"Leave the boat and swim to the dock," I told them. Everything turned out alright but they did get all wet.

“A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable,” wrote William Wordsworth. In this Covid-19 era, we certainly all need to stay physically active to keep your minds and bodies healthy. This summer, the lake, and park offered that after opening up, as folks found a way to relieve stress, get some fresh air, and paddle around the water, all while practicing social distancing. For the most part, staying at least 6-feet apart was pretty easy once leaving the dock and getting on the water.
For me, it was also energizing, to see families enjoy the perks and pleasures of their time on the water and all while inspiring new generations to appreciate the natural world around us.

July 2...Off at the start of my five-day holiday week. The lake looks ready even though California, rightly so, is running scared again with new Covid-19 closings. I look forward to when the threat of Covid-19 is just a memory.

July 4...The lake is fair and mild this morning as I wait for folks to arrive. No wind and clear skies. We couldn't have asked for a better forth. the fireworks around the region are canceled this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but last night's full moon made up for it all. It was a glorious sight to behold.
I did have the time to paddle up to the waterfall finally, the night before last. I got there near dusk as the moon was rising over the trees. I had beached my kayak under the babble of the creek from where I heard the rushing sound of the falls. It's always a popular spot and a must-see for the people visiting the park, but that night to my surprise no one else was there except me to experience its wonder.

July 6...No forceful stroke needed. Just be at ease. it's the same for my customers. I tell them once on the lake, try to forget about time. Only worry about safety and don't think about the rest. Enjoy the moments on the water. Relax and paddle to the waterfall. Hike to its sound and enjoy watching the water tumble down.

July 18...My busy day starts right at 9 AM followed by another active crossover at noon. Another big-time is at 2 PM, and then when everyone returns their rented boats at the end of the day. My dock is empty and when they all return the boats float everywhere waiting to be put away for the evening.

“A lot of us are working harder than we want, at things we don’t like to do," wrote author Bradford Angier, "Why? In order to afford the sort of existence we don’t care to live.”
Arriving at the boathouse before 8 AM and staying late into the evening, I'm usually busy throughout the day helping folks safely get in and out of the boats. For those who haven't heard my speech, it goes something like this when exiting the kayak.
Don't stand in the boat. Kick your feet over the side of the kayak and on to the ladder. Now hold the ladder rails with both hands and pull yourself up. Remember the ladder is stable the boat is not.
It can be a busy day at times, however, the fringe benefits to my solitude-seeking adventuresome soul is always a paddle grab away when the day is through.

July 24...The light was fading fast. I was the only out on the lake. the half-moon was glimmers off the water. as paddled up the creek toward the waterfall in the twilight. It's quiet and dark. I kayaked up toward the creeks rocky channel. It's July now and the lake is down considerably since Spring and the hike to the falls is much longer now.

July 31...I saw a woman struggling with one of our canoes that she was out of. She yells for help. I quickly clear my dock and swim to her and the canoe. When I reach her I tell her to not worry about the canoe and swim to shore. She doesn't. So I tell her to hang on to the canoe as I swim them both to shore only 15 feet away. When I get her to shore, I realize she had been drinking.

August 1...The thing about moonlight paddles is waiting for the moon.

August 2...It's always a treat to send out a family on their first canoe adventure. It and age-old experience. Dad will take the stern and Mom will man the bow. The kids and dog fill the gunnels. They are all nervous and a little excited sitting in the boat for the first time. For some its a whole new experience for others, it brings back all their memories of summer camp.

Along with the pandemic, as we all know California is dealing with devastating wildfires again this year. It's not uncommon in these last weeks to have a heavy shadow of smoke to fill the lake valley producing an eerie orange glow both at dawn and dusk.
The peaceful silence of the lake has also been rudely interrupted as masticator thins excess growth that can fuel wildfires across the lake kicking up a cloud of dust that hovers in the trees and over the water's surface.
Rain is uncommon this time of year, but the lake did welcome a shower between the smoke and the dust of the hot summer.

August 7...People have dropped three cellphones so far this season when getting out of the kayak. They have them on their lap and forget them when they climb out of the boat. To their horror and disbelief, they watch as their phone plops into the water and sinks to the bottom. Today I was able to jump and retrieve it for them.

August 8...The big excitement of the day was when the Cal-Fire helicopter dropped in over the lake. There was a fire nearby and the fire crews deployed from the beach.

August 14...The tranquility of the lake was suspended today as crews were using a masticator across the lake. It's very loud and obtrusive. In the late afternoon, the wind blew the dock out of place.

August 16...Wacky weather indeed. Today we were soaked with a mid-morning rain shower as boaters were caught out in the rain. They loved it. It was a cool refreshing treat, away from the oppressive heat we have been subjected to. The paddlers laughed it off as they found joy in the rain.

August 22...A smokey day at Sly Park. I lost sight of the trees across the lake from the boathouse. While at the end of the day the sun appeared to be a red ball looming over the lake.

"Autumn comes with warning," wrote Sigrud Olson, "At a time when lush fruitful days of midsummer are beginning to wane." It's the same at Lake Jenkinson. There is little fanfare to the apprehension of autumn. Some will close out the summer with Labor Day, this year just hoping to go back to some sort of normal routine. While others, like me, hope to linger in the Indian summer just a bit longer.

August 28...There is a touch of fall in the air as a morning mist hangs over the lake. Unlike the smoke and dust, it's more of a welcome sight.

September 4...It's my last Friday of the season. From now I'll only be open on Saturdays and Sundays. Yep, the summer season is coming to an end.

We're not quite ready to call it a season. As long as people keep coming and the weather stays nice, we'll be keeping Sly Park Paddle Rentals open Saturday and Sundays into September.

If you want to go on a canoe or kayak trip at Sly Park contact:
Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips 
PHONE: 530-333-9115 or Toll-Free: 888-452-9254
FAX: 530-333-1291
USPS: Current Adventures, P.O. Box 828, Lotus, CA 95651
info@currentadventures.com
owner Dan Crandall dan@kayaking.com

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MOON & GLOOM

The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen. ---Shannon L. Alder

There was supposed to be a full moon. It was supposed to come over the trees and a glorious gleaming beam over the waters of Lake Natoma. At least that was my plan while leading a moonlight kayaking paddle for Bayside Adventures Sports, an active Sacramento faith-based outdoor group. I can think of no better time to be on the water, as the orb's ethereal light glistens off the water.
Accompanied the peaceful stillness of the lake it can create a very serene "zen-like" experience while kayaking. For many, including me, it's a favorite paddling activity.

But the devastating Californian wildfires that had burned up millions of acres and thousands of structures had blanketed the Sacramento area with a dense overcast of smoke and haze for the past weeks. A gloomy cloud covered the lake and surrounding area, while the setting sun was a burning red ball of ember in the sky. The closer it sank to the horizon the more obscure it became before it to would disappear into the murky clouds. For sure there would be no beaming moon, no big dipper, or the flickering planets of Jupiter and Saturn to gaze upon. Throw in the uncertainty of the never-ending Coronavirus pandemic, our country's unrest with racism, and a contentious looming election there seems no end to the dreariness of the evening. As Edgar Allan Poe wrote in his poem The Lake, "Whose solitary soul could make An Eden of that dim lake."

There are no bells and whistles on a moonlight paddle. No rush of adrenalin like whitewater. It's a tranquil experience and an escape from the commotion of the world, all while being lost in space between the stars in the heavens and the serene of the lake.
I experienced it just a few nights before as I watched the waxing moon appear over the pines at Sly Park Recreation Area near Pollock Pines, Ca. while leading a small kayaking group on Lake Jenkinson. As the sun sank into the horizon of tall trees, the powerboats sped away leaving behind a placid pool both calm and tranquil. The only sounds I heard were the gentle whisper of hushed voices and the whooshing of their paddles as the kayaks glided along. Like Linus said in It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, "Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see."

Author Luanne Rice wrote, "There's something enchanted about night. All those heavenly bodies, shooting stars, the crescent moon, celestial phenomenon."
Even on a gloomy night, I found that same magic that I have always had on every night paddle. As the light faded the world transformed into a silver a black panorama. Nature’s symphony of frogs and crickets singing from the unseen shore did even need the moon. My feelings of tension and worried thoughts seem to disappear into the night air.

But, even when you least expect it, the moon never fails to dazzle.
"I see it," called out a member of my party as we paddled back to the access, "There it is!"
Coming over the trees and glowing like a red sun the moon came through to end our night's paddle. Better late than never.

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