KAYAK SUMMER 2022

It is the glistening autumnal side of summer. I feel a cool vein in the breeze, which braces my thought, and I pass with pleasure over sheltered and sunny portions of the sand where the summer's heat is undiminished, and I realize what a friend I am losing. --- Henry David Thoreau

We were lying on a white granite beach on a high Serria lakeshore staring up into the cosmos. Campfires were prohibited, and rightly so. So, the stars blazing in the sky were our only source of light since the full moon had leaped over the peaks of the mountains just yet. We were waiting for meteors to streak across the sky when someone mentioned Elan Musk's Starlink. It's a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access coverage to 40 countries around the world. Starlink now boasts well over 2,000 functional satellites orbiting overhead.

Sly Park Paddle Rentals 

Moments later, the strange moving chain of bright dots resembling a brilliant caravan of lights traveled from west to east across the sky. I tried to count the number of the bright lights but quickly lost count as they moved in succession across the sky. Lasting a few minutes, it was like a freight train rolling by and heading off to some faraway place. And then it was gone. The progression of satellites was a quick and stunning display. And then disappeared into the sky.

My summer was like that too. It's a very fast succession of days that dwindles at the dawn of autumn. Now once again, I'm saying goodbye to my well-spent summer days.

When my wife, Debbie, and I moved from Fair Oaks to Placerville, California, last May, it brought me much closer to the proximity of Sly Park and the South Fork of the American River.
Sly Park and Lake Jenkinson were a given since I was once again working the boathouse for Sly Park Paddle Rentals for my fifth year in a row. My weekends were filled with a steady dose of canoeing, kayaking, and swimming. And to think I'm lucky enough to be getting paid for it.
On the South Fork, on the other hand, I only got to cross the Highway 94 bridge. Like a lot of paddlers, I look over the bridge while driving over it to check out the current and see if I see any boats or anyone I know. And wish I was there. It didn't matter if the flow was high or low. I wanted to go. The South Fork whitewater will have to wait a while longer.

GAT training with Current Adventures 

They had been waiting for a long-time to be racing on the Lower American River. After a Covid-related shutdown for the past two summers, the Great American Triathlon race and our training resumed with Current Adventures. Dan Crandall and I showed the racers for the racers the best lines for the kayaking section run down the American River through San Juan Rapids. Win or just participate, our paddlers rocked their evening training sessions. By all reports, they rocked it on race day.

My summers wouldn't be summer without our Annual trips to Loon Lake and down the Sacramento River with Bayside Adventure Sports. Our jewel is Loon Lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. A scenic vista along the entire lake. It has picturesque mountain views and splendid emerald color waters surrounded by white granite boulders, laced with Sierra junipers growing on tops and ridges and in the splits between the glacier pavements of granite. My paddling partner john Taylor and I spent the whole week there leading two different groups during August. Our paddlers never know how valuable these quiet places are until they paddled into them for a few days.

 

Loon Lake with Bayside Adventure Sports

Our Sacramento River weekend trip near Red Bluff, California, finished my summer season just last weekend. The highlight was seeing Lassen Peak, one of the largest domed volcanoes in the world, as a backdrop for our fast river run.

Sandwiched in between, I paddled throughout the summer, trying to squeeze every drop out of our summer I could.

 

Lake Jenkinson & The Boathouse

"Suddenly, I experienced the feeling of longing, longing for the canyon. It was almost as if we left something back there." Recalled adventure paddler Andrzej Pietowski when describing the fleeting moments of looking back into Peru's Colca Canyon, the deepest on earth, after making its first descent down it, "Something viable, breathing, some small but living part of ourselves. The longing has remained with me ever since."
Summer 2022 is over. It's time to officially remember what day of the week it is. I do look back, longing for more of it. I feel like I left part of myself behind. I feel like I left something out.
And now, as we hurtle ourselves toward another autumn, I reflect on that high Sierra beach watching Starlink satellites trek across. Just like them, summer might be gone, but memories still flicker.

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

The Sacramento River with Bayside Adventure Sports 

Lake Natoma 

The Lower American River 

Shore dinner at Loon Lake 

GAT training on Lower American River 

Lake Jenkinson

The Lower American River 

Lake Jenkinson 

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BOATHOUSE DAYS, MY FIFTH SUMMER ON LAKE JENKINSON PART I

May the light that reflects on water be this wild prayer. May water lift us with its unexpected strength. May we find comfort in the "repeated refrains of nature," the softly sheltering snow, the changing seasons, the return of blackbirds to the marsh. May we find strength in light that pours in under snow and laughter that breaks through tears. May we go out into the light-filled snow, among meadows in bloom, with gratitude for life that is deep and alive. May Earth's fire burn in our hearts, and may we know ourselves part of this flame--one thing, never alone, never weary of life. ---Kathleen Dean Moore

It's been 5 years since I started working lakeside at the boathouse on Lake Jenkinson, renting out kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards to anyone who wanted to come out and paddle the lake. I have weathered a few storms, seen a lifetime of sunny days, and had way too many smokey days. I've seen enough water in the lake to paddle almost right up to the park's waterfall, and I have grimaced after seeing the lake level drop and drop and drop during these last few years of drought.

 

This year, I was happy to be back on the water at Sly Park Recreation Area's picturesque upper part of Lake Jenkinson near Pollock Pines, California, to start the season again at Sly Park Paddle Rentals. We had been unceremoniously closed in August of 2021 when the Caldor Fire raged nearby, forced evacuations, and closed the park for the rest of our summer.
When I opened the boathouse last May, I had high hopes for the season. And why not? The lake was sitting at 81% percent, Sly Park Falls was flowing strong, and I even had to bail out four nearly sunk canoes filled with rainwater after several inches of rainfall. Let's just say canoes make great rain gages.
Cool and cloudy mornings might not have been great for kayak rentals, but they allowed me to get everything for the upcoming season, while late evening paddles around the lake gave me a chance to get reacquainted with favorite spots at the lake.

Sunday, May 22...We are back on the lake today, open for business! It was a slow start with only a few reservations, but I took advantage of my time in the morning to clean up the boathouse and put everything in order. Also, later on, I bought down a boat from the parking lot along with a bunch of kids' PFDs. We will be needing more PFDs for adults, however.
The lake looks great to start the season. It is sitting at 81%. I also hear the waterfall is back, which is great for our paddling guests. I'll have to go up there and check it out next weekend when I'm here again.  

Friday, May 27...Well, we're kicking off summer and the Memorial Day weekend. It's a cool morning with a haze of clouds overhead. I brought up some adult PFDs and another boat today. The Ride Pescadores are very popular with my renting customers because they are so stable.
Last Sunday, I took a paddle up to the waterfall, or at least I tried to get there. The lake is 81% percent. While that's nice, it's not nearly full as it should be. A red bathtub ring borders the water and trees. I paddled past the buoys holding back fire debris but couldn't get much further. Sly Park Creek was a rocky rushing stream of water. So, I had to hike up the trail the rest of the way. Winding through the trees, I got a good view of Sly Park Creek as I walked to the waterfall. Past the bridge, I could hear the rumbling along with a group of men laughing and talking while standing under the fall. Knowing how cold it was, I wondered how anyone could stand to submerge themselves in the falls. Yikes! It's cold.
The water poured over the falls in white coursing foam. It thundered down, making the ground rumble. It's always very cool to see. The last time I was here, it was barely a trickle. But now, the jewel of the park glitters again. At least for now.

 

Sunday, May 29...At least the sun is shining today. I didn't see it much yesterday. The wind blew and blew so much. I was surprised anyone would want to go out on the lake. It was also really cold.
Today is a bit warmer and spotty with cloud cover, and the wind has already picked up from the west. The boats are rocking back and forth, and the dock is being pushed around.

Monday, May 30...Memorial Day. Quiet morning on the lake. Got up here early from my new house to get on the water for some canoe time. The lake was a glassy plane. It was like a mirror. No other boats, no loud noises, only stillness, and silence.
Took my breakfast out with me and coffee out in the middle of the lake, just floating along before we opened up. A pretty good way to start my day on the water.

The rains kept coming in June for two Sundays in a row. At first, the rains came down gently on the boathouse roof, before turning into a steady drumbeating downpour. As the deluge continued, water poured into the lake from all sides. Water flushed down the hill behind the boathouse. The soothing sound of millions of raindrops splashing into the lake filled the air. 

"How much good the rain would do, how fresh the water in every stream, how flowers would pop with the sun, the Linnaea, the anemones, the dogwood and everything else along the trails," wrote Sigurd Olson, while witnessing a similar spring rain. "The ferns on the rocks would begin to grow again, and the silvery caribou moss would be soft and resilient with just a tinge of green."
While the rain certainly took away any fire threat. But dampened the kayak rentals for the day. Only the hardiest of paddlers show up to paddle in the rain. So, after shutting down, I went out to kayak in the storm. The rain beat down on my face. The wind created swells across the water lake. An adventure for sure. Why not? Paddling in the rain can be a rejuvenating experience.

Friday, June 3...Very still and quiet morning. Bully the Bullfrog is making the only racket with croak, croak, croak.
Saturday, June 4...Rain on the windshield and sprinkles on the lake to start off the morning here at Sly. The weather hasn't been too kind to us starting this season. Calm winds, mostly, out of the east, which is a nice change.
  

Sunday, June 5...The day started with light sprinkles and turned into a real soaker at the boathouse. No idea if anyone will show up. It's pretty soggy out there. Even the fishermen are heading back in. On the bright side, there is no fire threat today, and the lake needs as much water as it can get.
By midday, it rained and rained and continued to rain. I had to dump out the canoes because they make for giant rain gauges.

June 10...I got a lot of minnows under the dock today. They swim less than a foot below the surface of the water. I don't remember ever seeing this many before. They swim underneath as the one bigger bass lurks even further below. It's not Roger, he much bigger. I have seen him a couple of times so far this year.
My other company this year is like always, the Candian Geese that don't migrate, and of course, there are plenty of ducks with their little brews swimming behind in a line. I haven't seen the eagles much this season. One did zoom by last week in the rainstorm, but so far, they haven't been hanging around this side of the lake much this year. I would love to see them up here on this side of the lake.

Saturday, June 11...I paddled out to the narrows and back down to Sly Park Creek just to hear its rumble. Then, I went back to the boathouse, where I watched a guy fishing roll his kayak. The fish, I'm sure, were laughing.

 

Sunday, June 12...Another rainy day at the boathouse. It looks like another soaker. It's welcome. But not good for the kayaking business. We need timely rains Monday through Thursday and bright skies all week.
I watched it fall from inside the boathouse. Only one reservation showed up, and I don't know why, but they paddled out into the storm on the lake and came back thrilled to be part of it.
When it was my turn out on the lake, it was still stormy and breezy. The rain pelted my face and waves broke over my bow, and the wind pushed me around. But I loved it. It was an exciting feeling to take on the storm. I was dressed for it, which always makes the biggest difference. I laughed at the rain.

From Father's Day to the Fourth of July brought in the summertime weather I was used to having on the lake. It brought a steady stream of paddlers to the boathouse. With an increase in business, I even got a few helpers from The River Store to help me on the dock. 

Safety is always our biggest concern. Yet every year, we have a few mishaps on the water. Some untimely dunking due to some paddling errors. What do you call people who stand up in a canoe? Why swimmers, of course. It doesn't happen very often. The crazy thing about it is they come back to the dock wet, sunburned, exhausted, and all smiles. No doubt about paddling is a fun way to spend the day.
I liked coming in early and leaving late to get my own time on the water. Because any time in a canoe is a good time. The morning might start with a swim and then some coffee on the dock.
My evenings would end with a kayak paddle around the lake. I would go to the far west end to see the mountains over the trees. I always wish I had that view. Then back to the quiet of the upper part of the lake. Most would consider paddling the lake after spending the day renting kayaks a little exhausting, but I can think of any other way to end my day.

Sunday, June 19...Father's Day. It's a bright beautiful day on the water. It's the first time in two weeks that it has not been raining or storming.

 

Saturday, June 24...Clear skies mean a busy day at the boathouse. Catherine came again up from The River Store today to help me out. She is a nice older gal who is set on helping out.
We had an exciting Friday yesterday when a bunch of guys spilled their canoe right in front of the dock. I had to jump in and pull it to shore, along with telling the guys to swim to our ladder. They were all laughing and were in good spirits about the whole ordeal. But I think, they were pretty bummed about losing a computer and camera to water damage. Who brings those things on a canoe? I felt a bit sorry for them and tossed in a free kayak rental because they were such good sports about it all.
The rest of that day was pretty relaxing. I took Catherine on a canoe ride up to Sly Park Creek and the falls, which is a favorite of mine. She had never been there before, so it was a nice treat for her and a good way to end the day.

Sunday, June 25...The lake is very swimmable now. The water feels good and refreshing. The lake traffic picked up today because with being so hot. The most popular craft on the water is the SUP at least that is what my reservations are made up of.

 

Friday, July 1...A nice and very hot day. Perfect for a day at the lake. It was such a good day. We welcomed two River Store and Catherine for the day. It's a training day. We will be opening up a boathouse on Lake Natoma soon. I'm sure these guys might be a part of that.
They were all good workers today. We had a steady line of business. Tomorrow will be very busy.
Another issue was our dock kept blowing out of place. The Ranger's patrol boat had to help put it back in place the first time. Next time I had to jump in and push it back in place. It is going to be an ongoing struggle all season for me and the rangers to keep the darn thing in place.

Monday, July 4...Independence Day. The lake is dropping on this holiday weekend. That is how it seems to be in Californian in these times of drought. The bathtub ring of the lake between the trees, and the water is getting larger by the week. The rangers say they hope it stays around 80% all season which certainly would be better than last year. It was a bit of a slow afternoon. It seemed everyone wanted to go home and see fireworks.

There was still plenty of summertime left after the Fourth of July. In the summer heat, Lake Jenkinson was a perfect escape for those looking for some good clean fun with or without reservations.

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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SEASON OF THE CANOE

Canoes, too, are unobtrusive; they don't storm the natural world or ride over it, but drift in upon it as a part of its own silence. As you either care about what the land is or not, so do you like or dislike quiet things--sailboats, or rainy green mornings in foreign places, or a grazing herd, or the ruins of old monasteries in the mountains. . . . Chances for being quiet nowadays are limited. ---   John Graves

It's not my first time across the lake. And it certainly isn't going to be the last time. Especially since I've been working at the kayak and canoe rental boathouse on Lake Jenkinson at Sly Park Recreation Area for the past five seasons. I'm used to it now. I remember when the lake was at bubbly high a few years and a dwindling low like last season. This year, I'm crossing my fingers in hopes the lake doesn't get any lower. But the long-running drought is doing any lake in California any favors. It has been the same for these past couple of seasons where I start with high hopes and watch as the lake shrinks in size by midsummer.

In the middle of the upper lake, just in view of the boathouse. From here, I can paddle out and look at the whole lake. In the west are the narrows and the large bowl of the lower lake. It's where the speed boats zoom along like on a racetrack. To my east, the mouths of Hazel Creek and Sly Park Creek with an extended rust-colored shoreline pinched in between. There is no mountain view like at the far west of the lake, where one can peer out over the whole lake and, on a clear day, see the Sierra Nevada Mountain range rising over the pines. I'm a bit jealous of that view. The lake's conifer wooded shoreline and glistening waters are my vista.

Although canoes are primarily used for transportation on lakes and streams, I'm not going anywhere as I shatter the stillness of the water's surface. I'm simply paddling for the enjoyment of paddling. Writer Jerry Dennis says that paddling makes you part of the lake, a willing participant instead of an intruder to the pastel dramas of the lake.

"A good canoe does not merely travel across a lake or river," writes Dennis, "It glides along the interface between water and the air, making hardly a ripple in passing, and is so silent that it blends with the world."

Out the lake, the canoe is timeless. It's amazing how much inspiration and direction we can learn from paddling a canoe. While floating along in the stillness, my mind wanders on how the canoe has become a proverbial direction for navigating the smooth and rough waters of one's life. How often have we heard the phrase "Paddle your own canoe?" It suggests how you paddle the canoe is all very relatable to life.
For me, it inspires a sense of unbounded range and freedom. Like my bicycle, while growing up, it was a craft that offered me unlimited movement and exploration. For others, it can rekindle a memory of carefree days gone by. When boarding my customers at the boathouse in a canoe, I've heard them say they haven't paddled one of these since summer camp.
Canoeing in summer is a rite of passage. No one will schedule a canoe trip in the winter. Not that you can't. It's just not done very often. You see, canoes are meant to be kissed by the rising or setting sun when the waters swirl in gold and red. A vessel for cruising lakes and exploring bays where you can sneak quietly on birds, deer, and beaver for an unexpected encounter. A boat for finding a secluded spot for a picnic or swim where all you hear is the whispers of your paddle gliding through the water.

The lake glistened in a golden evening glow as the setting sun silhouetted the castle of pines around me. Dipping my paddle, I inhale the view of tranquility in both its sight and sound. Across the lake, some stand-up paddle boarders, the new rage, were making their way back to the access, reminding the way the days of the canoe are fading. However, the magic summertime canoe paddle certainly, won't ever be forgotten.

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

Keep up with Outside Adventure to the Max, on our Facebook page and Instagram and now on Youtube.

PADDLE UP: SUMMER 2022

  

For paddlers, Cyril Derreumaux and Madison Eklund, the summer of 2022; will be one to remember. Both will be taking epic kayaking trips. One is going across the Pacific, the other across Minnesota and through the heart of Canada. And they are both doing it alone.
French-born U.S. citizen Derreumaux will be leaving next month in his second attempt to paddle to Hawaii from the coast of California some 2,750 miles aboard a 23-foot-long custom carbon fiber kayak. While Eklund's trip has already begun as she retraces the 2,000-mile journey Eric Sevareid made famous in his classic Canoeing with the Cree.
In 2012 Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho matched it. Warren recounted their story in her book, Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic.

Madison Eklund

Eklund will brave raging currents, strong wind and waves, and maybe polar bears. And she will do it all alone.
“It seems like it would be a really fun adventure,” Eklund told the Grand Forks Herald, "The danger there is lightning and the rough waves and being wind locked where the wind is so aggressive where you can’t paddle fast enough,”

Good luck to you both. Sure, many of us will follow their adventures on social media. But while epic trips might not be part of our summertime plans, a lot of us hope to spend some time on the water with a paddle in our hands. Here are 22 paddling ways to help make summer 2022 an epic paddle adventure.

Paddle A City Skyline
Once on the water, many cities, from New York to San Francisco, offer incredible views of their skylines. Sure, you won't feel that get off the grid feeling but paddling through waters surrounded by skyscrapers is a unique experience just the same.

The River Store

Head to a Paddle Shop
They have everything we want. Kayaks, canoes and paddles, and more. Where else can you meet folks that paddle the same places you do. You might even paddle with them. By getting your gear from your local paddle shop, you're keeping your friends employed, as well as keeping up on festivals, competitions, community gatherings, and river cleanups on your waterways.

Read a Paddle Adventure
Whatever reason you can't get to the water, you can still be inspired by it. There are some great guidebooks and autobiographical stories to help you get your paddling fix.

Dog and Paddle
Kayaking with your dog can be a great adventure for both of you. Getting your pet ready for paddling will take some prep work, but it’s more than worth it, and the dog will have to.

Paddle Without a Shuttle
Sometimes a shuttle isn't worth the trouble. If fish can do it, so can you. You will learn to read the river currents traveling upstream. And whenever you get tired, you can turn around and go with the flow.
 

Moonlight Paddle 

Paddle Under Fireworks
Independence Day fireworks celebrations are hard to beat. They are great on land and even better from the water. Coast-to-coast cities with rivers, lakes, or even ocean bays offer some boat-friendly places for watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. And if that doesn't work for you, there's always a possibility for a full moon paddle.

Paddle at Sunrise or Sunset
It's been said, the best reason to own your own kayak are sunrises and sunsets. We can only agree. The crowds are gone, and the water is still and glistening. We can't think of a better time to be on the water.

Get a New PFD for Your Paddle
We just float this past you. If it's old, faded, and worn, it's probably time to retire it. Experts say PFDs are made up of a variety of materials that over time can be damaged by UV rays. It might not float when you need it to, and that would sink your summer.

 
 

SUP on Lake Jenkinson 

Stand Up & Paddle
Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) offers something for everyone, and it's all the rage. You can head out for a relaxing paddle on a calm lake or catch waves in the ocean. Or maybe you’d like to do SUP yoga or go for a fast-paced paddle to get a workout.

Paddle It Before You Buy It
You wouldn't think about buying a car without a test drive, so why would you want to do that with your kayak? Many shops have demo programs for people in the market to buy a kayak.

Paddle with Snacks
Paddling trips are a lot of fun, but they can be very tiring. The last thing you want to happen is you run low on energy mid-paddle and then struggle to make it back to shore. Consider menus that are nutritious, good tasting, and easy to prepare, that are also lightweight and don't require any refrigeration.

Paddle Whitewater
Don't think the adrenaline-fueled world of whitewater paddling is beyond you. It's not. After a few lessons from qualified instructors, you still won't be going over waterfalls, but you'll be paddling Class II and Class III rapids with a big smile.

Loon Lake 

Paddle On Overnight Trip 

What makes kayak camping so appealing is anyone can do it. While some physically demanding canoe trips require a high level of skill, there are many kayak trips suited for the novice and first timer. Most people are looking for an authentic wilderness experience that is not over the top when it comes to being physically demanding, and kayak camping is a great fit.

Paddle in Your Neighborhood
As gas prices soar, this just is the summer you might want to stick closer to home. Check out where you can paddle in your own area. As paddle sports have become more popular, many rivers and lakes now offer public access to accommodate many a paddler.

Paddle Off the Grid
In today's world, we have become so dependent on our electronic devices and the internet. Maybe it's time to enjoy some tech-free days on the lake in the woods. Pack the boat and gear and experiences that are back to the basics, free of distractions with meaningful time with friends and family

Paddle Old School in A Canoe
Did you know canoes are time machines? They are a way to rekindle memories of your first paddling adventures at summer camp. To activate it dip your single blade in the water and paddle forward.

Paddle a New Paddle
Next to the kayak, your paddle has the biggest impact on your performance on the water. Even a short tour involves thousands of strokes, so a proper paddle can make all the difference. After all, your hands will be wrapped around this tool for the better part of the day. So, you might as well choose a great one.
 

Canoeing on Lake Jenkinson 

Be Ready for a Paddle Rescue
We're all ready for a great time on the water. But learning some basic rescue skills and first aid instruction will make it more fun for you and your paddling crew and a lot safer also.

Volunteer & Paddle
Don't be one who says someone should do something about this. Make this the summer volunteer. Help out in river cleanup, lead a youth group canoe trip and support local and national organizations working to preserve our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.

Paddle a Water Park 

Sly Park Falls

Whitewater parks are popping up on rivers everywhere there is a paddling community to support them. Parks are seen as good revitalization projects. Whitewater parks, in particular, are part of urban development plans and dam removal efforts across the US. Parks projects are intended to offer places for paddlers to play, boost recreation-based economies, and maintain the fish habitat.

Paddle & Leave No Trace 

The Leave No Trace rules are easy to follow. Dispose of waste properly. Leave it as you found it. Minimize and be careful with campfires. Respect wildlife. And be considerate of other visitors.

 Paddle Under a Waterfall
Whether on water or on a hike, there is no better reward than to end your water trail in sight of a spectacular waterfall. The cascading water is beautiful and inspiring but remember to stay on the trails and watch your footing rocks can be slippery.

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HORIZON LINES

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time... Abraham Lincoln

I just love to read guidebooks and look at river maps. First of all, they give you an idea of where to go. I cannot think of how many times I paged through my well-worn copy of Paddling Northern California by Charlie Pike to get an idea of where to go and where to put in. It Describes more than 65 of the best paddling trips in Northern California, including whitewater, flat water, and coastal excursions.

Just last year, a group I lead paddled the Sacramento River. A section of the river, we probably wouldn't have even thought of had it not been featured in the guide.

What to expect along the way is another reason I like to study them. As the leader of the group, I like to be a bit prepared. Warn them of possibly swift water or just give a few tidbits about the natural landmark or some history of the area. Of course, when the 80-yard portage turns into a double or triples that, I can blame it on the guidebook saying the write-up said it would be short.

The River Store

River maps showing the access, take outs, and especially the rapids are extremely important. In Duct Tape Diaries, NRS's official blog that celebrates the paddling lifestyle through compelling storytelling and photography, writer D.M. Collins gave an ode to river maps saying, "River maps are a small but mighty piece of gear. How do I know this? For one, they elicit confidence and a felt sense of security in my most anxiety-ridden river moments—at least for me. Holding and reading a map is one’s crude equivalent to central command in the backcountry. In a world riddled with screens and information at the tap of a button, the handheld binary paper map is both novel and understated in guiding one on their river journey."

Where to go and what to expect when you get there. As I start off my summer, I wish I knew. It will be out of the ordinary as my wife, Debbie, and I prepare to move to Placerville, California, a smaller Sierra Nevada foothills community located east of Sacramento. The Gold Rush-era history makes up a big part of the community's identity, but the town is also a popular destination for hiking, mountain biking, and adrenaline-pumping whitewater kayaking and rafting. Both the upper and lower sections of the South Fork American River offer rollicking rapids and gorgeous scenery. 

John Taylor and Debbie Carlson on Lake Natoma

While Working for Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips for several years, I've logged many miles to the shop in Coloma. I'll be much closer now to my jobs at Sly Park Paddle Rentals and The River Store while a bit longer to my other employment venues. It will be a trade-off.

I'm excited about this next stage of my life as I approach this river bend. Are there worries and concerns? Of course. But as Eleanor Roosevelt said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Here is a look at some of our favorite images from this year so far.

Lake Clementine 

Lake Natoma 

Lake Comanche Reservoir

Current Adventures' Dan Crandall 

Debbie Carlson & Yosemite Valley 

Lake Lodi 

Lake Clementine

Lake Jenkinson 

Rattlesnake Bar & Folsom Lake 

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RETURN TO THE LAKE

I returned to the lake last weekend. Coming back to the quiet waters of Lake Jenkinson and Sly Park Recreation Area that's nestled in the western foothills of the Sierra, near Pollock Pines, California. The past several summers, I have spent almost every weekend working the Sly Park Paddle Rentals boathouse, renting out kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards to anyone wanting to paddle the lake. Driving down the park road and seeing the water shimmering through the trees, I felt like I had arrived back home. It had been a long time coming. My season was abruptly cut short last summer after I was unceremoniously tossed off the lake as the Calder fire raged nearby. 

I had come back a couple times. Late in the fall, I came to gather up all the gear I had left behind. Even then, the walk down to the lake to sweep away the ash from inside the boathouse was a long one. It had been a dry year from the beginning. All season, I watched the lake levels drop, exposing the lakebed and tree stumps. The wildfire only exacerbated the already parched season. The Calder Fire reported on August 14th went scorched some 221,835 acres, but luckily only singed Sly Park borders. 

When my wife Debbie and I visited the lake for a mid-winter hike along the snow-covered lakeshore, we were happy to see the lake was still low. But on the rise. We were optimistic that winter storms would yield much-needed moisture into the lake. 

This past weekend, the lake was up. According to the sign at the front gate was up to 81%. Not quite full, but a far cry better than the last time I visited. Now the lake glistened an emerald green. The boathouse had been lifted from the depths of the lake. The long pathway down to its gangplank was only a memory. Looking into the clear water below it, I could make out a few of the rocks I had placed to mark the trail where the sidewalk had ended. 

The canoes that Current Adventures Dan Crandall had brought up lay half-sunken under the boathouse dock. A heavy rain a few weeks ago indicated how much rain had fallen. The four canoes served as large rain gauges. They would require a bit of bailing if my group from Bayside Adventure Sports were to be using them that evening for a sunset paddle. 

Paddlers often debate the perfect time of the day to paddle. Some say it's best in the morning mist. When the lake is still quiet. And the fishing boats have yet to arrive. On Lake Jenkinson there is a 90-minute window in the early morning when the lake is calm and before the winds start to blow through the narrows. The afternoon fetch is always troublesome to paddlers when paddling against it. Others might prefer to sleep in and wait for sunset when the pines cast shadows across the lake and the western sky is ablaze. There may be a sunset every day but being on Lake Jenkinson in a canoe at twilight while watching the sun slowly sink down into the pines is a special experience no matter how many times, I've taken it in.  

"I was entranced by the loveliness of the sight," Egerton Ryerson Young, a Canadian missionary and author wrote in his biographical tale, By Canoe and Dog Train Among the Cree Ad Salteaux, "The reflections of the canoe and men and of the islands and rocks were as vivid as the actual realities. So clear and transparent was the water that where it met the air, there seemed to be only a narrow thread between the two elements. Not a breath of air stirred, not a ripple moved. It was one of those sights, which seldom comes to us in a lifetime, where everything is in perfect unison."

After spending two days camping with my group, I can truly, say I can't wait for more. I look forward to opening up the boathouse for the season and all the summer days at home on the lake.

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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NOT GOING ALONE

"Solo trippers don't have partners to lean on when things go wrong," wrote Harlan Schwartz in Paddling Magazine, "To paddle alone, you need to be prepared and attentive to every detail."

No has to tell you, but the last two years have been like a solo canoe trip where everything has gone wrong. The Covid-19 pandemic has and continues to cause upheaval and uncertainty in our daily lives. Masks, vaccinations, Covid tests, and social distancing are the new routines of everyday life. While health experts say with more vaccinations, things should be back to normal. However, the virus continues to kill throughout the world.

The world's climate change hasn't helped much either. Some places are too wet, and some places are much too hot and dry. Outside of suffering through a few hot summer days at my home near Sacramento. I've been pretty immune in the past couple of years. That, however, changed this past year as California's drought and the Caldor Fire hit too close to home. I watched all summer long as Lake Jenkinson dwindled down week by week after suffering the third driest winter in the state's history. When folks asked when we would close the boathouse, my standard answer is as long as we have enough water to float the canoes and kayaks.
But that didn't matter much after the Caldor Fire sparked near Sly Park. With evacuation orders in place, our season came to an abrupt end, as the fire raged south of the park. Smoky days covered Northern California like a thick blanket offering little escape.

My daily and hectic work schedule has only added to the mix of this year's odyssey of life. Last year, in height of the pandemic, when the world was shut down it was a bit easier to escape to the river for an afternoon adventure. This year, however, my paddling days are way off my usual pace.
With that said, one might think I have little to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. No doubt about it, this year, I feel a lot like Charlie Brown when Lucy pulled away from the football once again flat on my back. Aaaah!

Thankfully it has not been a solo trip for me. Fortunately, the past year, I've had plenty of people to lean on as I have wandered down the trail. Some show me the way, while others I have been fortunate enough to guide along.
Hopefully, it has been like that for a lot of you also. Theodore Roosevelt said, “It may be true that he travels farthest who travels alone, but the goal thus reached is not worth reaching.”

Happy Thanksgiving

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RESERVOIR LOGS

A popular question I get while running the Sly Park Park Boat Rentals boathouse on Lake Jenkinson is just how deep is the lake? My standard answer is, I don't know. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Pollack Pines, California, the lake is the centerpiece for Sly Park Recreation Area. Formed as a result of Sly Park Dam, built in the 1950s, the reservoir covers some 650 acres and can hold a lot of water. The lake is divided into two parts. The lower lake is the round bigger portion of the lake, while the upper part is much narrower. While offering relaxing summer weekends of camping, fishing, and recreation a the park, the reservoir, was also constructed to provide irrigation and drinking water to the area.

So just how deep is it? Well, this year, as the lake keeps dropping and dropping, I might find out.

California is once again facing another season of drought. Its parched reservoirs and rivers are reaching record lows this summer. The state's two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville are on track for potential record lows this summer, now at 35 percent and 31 percent of their total capacities, respectively. Climate and water experts are growing increasingly worried about California's shrinking reservoirs.

Lake Jenkinson

“The reservoir levels in the second year of this drought are what they were during the third or fourth year of the previous drought,” said Jay Lund, a professor, and water resources expert at the University of California at Davis told The Washington Post, "Certainly, many reservoirs in the state will see levels lower than they’ve seen since 1976-77, maybe even lower.” A reference to California’s driest water year on record.

Down the road, at Folsom Lake, the water has receded to levels rarely seen. Remnants of a flooded away Gold Rush town have reemerged. Hikers can now see building foundations, bricks that were all once a part of the community of Mormon Island. The village was abandoned and covered with lake water after the Folsom Dam was constructed in the 1950s. While still not at a record low, the water has receded so much that a plane that crashed in 1986 was now visible from the bottom of the lake.

For paddlers, it's good news and bad news. Boat ramps on Folsom Lake are high dry for motorboats, and there is a 5-mph maximum speed limit established for the entire lake. Still, the water does offer some natural wonders to seek out. Paddlers can explore the lake and its rock formations without having to struggle in the wake of powerboats or listen to the whine of jet skis.

Lake Jenkinson is marked by large a bathtub ring around the lake. It's a barren and growing shoreline between the water and the shoreline of trees. It's a martian-like bone-dry landscape of rock, sandstone and ancient mangled decaying tree stumps of trees cut down to make way for the water. Bit by bit, the formerly submerged stumps have reappeared on the surface. Fishing lines and lures once thought lost have now reappeared. The park's jewel, Sly Park Falls a favorite hiking and paddling spot for many, is now a disappointing trickle. No water has cascaded down its green slope since early this summer. It is another reminder that each day the drought tightens its grip on the region and continues to shrink the lake day by day.

Due to lackluster rain, and snow combined with increasing temperatures due to climate change this summer, the question on just how deep is the lake? I might be reluctantly answering.

 

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