HIYACKING

"My ears were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water and advancing a little further I saw the spray arise above the plain like a column of smoke which would frequently disappear again in an instant." Meriwether Lewis, June 13, 1805

It was one of those clear-skied early autumn days still being on the border of summer. Hot enough that a parade of rafters was still coming through the trees and down the bank to the water. Armed with suntan lotion, coolers and whatever that they have that can float, the army of rafters was heading down river with the flow. It's a popular activity along the American River Parkway in Sacramento throughout the summer. The Lower American River provides a cool and relaxing way to escape the heat during the summer months along its urban waterway. Rafts and inter-tubes are a common sight at the Sunrise Access all the way down to River Bend Park.
As I slid my kayak between a few rafts, I get the usual question.
"How far down are you going?" one asked.
"Not going down river today," I reply, "I'm going to paddle upstream a couple of miles."

It was a relatively easy paddle when I learned to paddle my way up the meandering Red River.  It twisted and turned along the North Dakota and Minnesota border. When the river turned, it forms a bend. The strongest current will usually be found on the outside of that curve. By staying to the inside of the river, I found the slowest flow of water. There the gradient dropped in inches per mile. I could travel miles upstream with ease before turning around to go with its northern flow.

In the foothills of California, when there is water, it comes cascading down the canyons only to be captured by reservoirs and frugally drained into its rivers like the Lower American on its way to the sea. There is a constant push to stay moving or risk losing ground.

In the past couple of weeks,  I have been taking trips up some California rivers and then back down again. For me,  it's always a challenging way for me to spend some time on the river without the bother of having to a shuttle. I ascended the waterway much like climbing up an assemblage of stairs. I'd crisscrossed the river's surface while paddling upstream, staying its inside, feeling the water pushing my boat backward. Rapids or fast water are hurdles along the way, however just above them are gentle pools to explore.

Scientists say that the sound of running water motivates the beaver to build. Something in the noise the churning water tells them to construct a dam. For them, it's the sound to make progress. For me, it's the call to "Hikayak" My paddling partner Carly Mariani's invented the term, a combination of hiking and kayaking when I took her on several mile trip up the North Fork of the American River.  I'm sure she expected a simple cruise but ended up ascending much of the river by foot, before getting a fun trip back down.

At the narrowest point of the rapid,  I locked my boat against the eddies, a relative calm where the main current flows reverse,  I climbed out of my kayak and push it through the fast water or leaning forward into the stream, I lash a bowline to the boat and waded through the water pulling my kayak behind me. It's a rocky trek through the fast-moving stream to the pool above. Water shoes are a must. The footing was uneven and slippery.

It's the drive to see what is around the next bend and the anticipation of not knowing what I will see. Above the rapids, there are placid pools of scenic beauty between the next set of rushing water. There the river spreads out in spaces as I circled around the shore and find a hidden cove of backwater. There the beavers had been busy working. Green and lush, it's a quiet little world to tour and reward of getting there before heading back to ride the bouncy rapids back.

Keep Calm and Paddle On: How to Keep a Less Than Ideal Situation From Becoming a Really Bad One

Outside Adventure to the Max guest blogger Pete Delosa

Whitewater kayaking might be the best thing on Earth, at least for me anyway. If you read what I wrote here then I’d guess there’s a better than average chance that you like kayaking at least a little bit too. If you’ve ever spent a day in a kayak then you’ve probably noticed that in kayaking, as in life, things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes we have to abandon play A and move to plan B, C, D, E…

When things start to go less than ideal, how can we make sure that they don’t make it all the way to really bad? I have a couple of ideas on this that you may or may not find helpful. The first and I think most important thing is to stay calm. I know it’s often easier said than done but trust me it helps. When we’re calm we can look around and take in information. Our brain can then use that information to evaluate our situation and make informed decisions. Sounds weird, right? Believe it or not when we start to panic we get twitchy and spastic. We start to cling on to the first idea that we see which isn’t always the best. It’s pretty easy in our frantic state to actually make our situation worse. Often times a better escape route is right in front of us. We just need to relax long enough to see it. I know I know, it’s really hard to stay calm when you think you’re about to drown. Just try to start practicing. Start by reminding yourself afterwards you need to be calmer in the future. Then eventually that will turn into reminding yourself to calm down mid incident. With even more practice you’ll stay calm right from the start. This works both when you are the victim and the rescuer by the way.

The other piece of advice I find myself sharing with people, often on the side of the river after a rescue, is to stay out of the water. Let me clarify. If you or a friend becomes a swimmer in the river, especially on class III and up water, once you are on shore you need to STAY THERE. When the swimmer is out of the water they are for the time being safe. They should not go back in the water, period. Now I know what you’re thinking, “what if we can’t get them back to their boat?” Situations may dictate that the swimmer needs to go back in the water. If so, fine. I’m just saying make sure, absolutely sure, that there really is no other option before you put someone back into the water.
There’s my two cents on minimizing carnage. Do with it what you will. Thanks for reading.

 You can catch up with Pete on his blog River-Bum.com and his videos on You-Tube. 
Outside Adventure to the Max is always looking for guest bloggers. Contact us at Nickayak@gmail.com if you are interested.

KAYAK SUMMER 2016

        When autumn dulls the summer skies, And paler sunshine softly lies --V.O. 
        Wallingford 

As summer comes to an end, I always look back on those long warm days and even nights on the water. Each day. Each and every one them was a unique adventure and experience for me. Kayaking towards a horizon of mountains on the reservoirs and lakes of the western Sierra or reading the river's flow and picking a good line whether going up or downstream. So when people ask me, which I prefer, the smooth and calm of the lakes or the swift or gentle flow of the river?  My answer of course is...well, both. For me, it would be like picking a favorite child.

Lake Natoma with Current Adventures

Yes, the call to the lake is forever powerful. As American writer and conservationist Henry David Thoreau said, "Lakes are something which you are unprepared for; they lie up so high, exposed to the light, and the forest is diminished to a fine fringe on their edges...So anterior, so superior, to all the changes that are to take place on their shores, even now civil and refined, and fair as they can ever be.""

South Fork of the American River

But, who can resist the pull of the river?
"Rivers are magnets for the imagination," said author Time Palmer,  "For conscious pondering and subconscious dreams, thrills, fears. People stare into the moving water, captivated, as they are when gazing into a fire. What is it that draws and holds us? The rivers' reflections of our lives and experiences are endless."

Lake Jenkinson

This past summer I paddled out on both lakes and rivers as often as could with my wife Debbie, my son Taylor or the gang at Current Adventures Kayak School & Trips.  So either,  a lake or a river it was an adventure in fun and friendship that keep my memories of summer burning bright.  Here are a few of my favorite images from this summer kayaking.

Lake Tahoe with Bayside Adventure Sports

Lake Clementine

Moonlight paddle on Lake Natoma

Lake Natoma

North Fork of the American River

Eppies Great Race

Loon Lake

End of Summer at Lake Jenkinson

OVER THE BOW: LAKE TAHOE

 

I have kayaked bigger lakes by far. Under Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior, Lake of the Wood on the border of U.S. and Canada and into sea caves along Lake Michigan in Door County Wisconsin.  All of those lakes are massive in size.  At their edge, you look out into a sea swell as far as you can see. The horizon falls off into waves. However, at the Lake Tahoe, you look across to see the gleaming Sierra Nevada Mountains raising from its blue depths and feel the majesty of the place. American writer, Mark Twain described the thoughts we all must experience when seeing the lake for the first time or one hundredth.

  "...at last the Lake burst upon us—a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft full three thousand feet higher still! ... As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords."

You will need waterproof pocket Thesaurus to come up with all the different types of color blue you will see when paddling around the lake. Its cobalt color was long credited to the unusual clarity of the water, however surprising new research suggests that the real explanation lies with algae that live in the lake.

“The result was totally unexpected, since we all expected that clarity and blueness of the lake is correlated,” Dr. Shohei Watanabe, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, told The Huffington Post, “Clarity is mainly controlled by fine inorganic sediments but blueness is mainly controlled by algal populations.”
Using help from NASA, Wantanabe, measured the lake’s blueness and then combined this “blueness index” with measurements of a Secchi disk, a white disk commonly used to measure its transparency of water that remains visible when it's lowered into it. His results showed that the bluer the lake, the lower the clarity of its water and the lake is actually bluest when algae concentration is low, suggesting a possible need to change in conservation efforts, which traditionally have focused on controlling sediment to keep the lake water clear.

The blueness of the lake is extraordinary along the massive granite walls of D.L. Bliss State Park's Rubicon Point. There it is hard for me to take my eyes off the water as it changes in hues blues as I paddle along with my son Taylor. Under the point, it is the most stunning shade of indigo I think I have ever seen. North of fabled Emerald Bay, this area is a  popular spot for boaters as well as swimmers, who brave the cool waters. Kayaks and speedboats rock along in the waves along the shoreline. For me, finally paddling towards the horizon of mountains proves to be an exhilarating experience.

"This place is spectacular because it is one of the highest, deepest, oldest and purest lakes in the world." said President Barack Obama told a crowd of about 9,000 at the 20th annual Lake Tahoe Summit last week, "It’s no wonder that for thousands of years, this place has been a spiritual one. For the Washoe people, it is the center of their world. And just as this space is sacred to Native Americans, it should be sacred to all Americans."

He challenged all of us, to keep the lake's spirit alive through conservation and combating climate change to protect its pristine views, keep its air pure and most certainly its waters clear and blue.

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

CROWDED WATERS

It's not like crossing the street. Out of the safety of Horseshoe Bay, some of the wildest sea conditions on the entire West Coast can be found.  San Francisco Bay is known for steep waves, fast and swirling currents and howling winds blowing through the Golden Gate. Adding to the chaos are the pleasure crafts, ferries and ocean-going vessels competing for the same waterway. Area guides and kayakers familiar with these water make it clear. You can't out run or beat the fast-moving ferries crossing their traffic lanes and caution should always be exercised.

"When I'm on the bay since I'm the slowest and smallest thing out there," said California paddler Mike Rumsey,  "I always trying to keep my head on a swivel and aware of my surroundings ."

"It's true that we share the waterways with all vessels," added California-based sea kayaker Kathi Morrison, "But believe it or not kayaks sit on the bottom of the right of way chain. We are no match for tankers, ferries, commercial vessels or something with a motor or sail. We must paddle responsibly and defensively understanding that vessels cannot see you or react quick enough to avoid consequence."

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Glare from the sun is being a possible reason for this week's accident involving a group of kayakers and a ferry on the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan. Police say the New York Waterway ferry was leaving Pier 79 at 39th Street just before 6 p.m. when it struck 10 kayakers, sending multiple paddlers into the water. Five people were hurt, including one employee of the Manhattan Kayak Company who suffered a severe arm injury.
"He was lying on top of the kayak and there was this pool of blood and we knew that we had to go over there and assisted him priority," told Harbor Unit police officer Tommy Le to NY 1 News. 

An other paddler suffered a serious head injury, while the guide had a punctured lung and a broken rib, while others were hurt with minor injuries to the shoulders and back.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“It is a minor miracle that it hasn’t happened to some other kayaker or boater or jet-skier before,” Eric Stiller, owner of Manhattan Kayak Co., the group that led the kayakers who were injured., told the Wall Street Journal, “I tell people out here, we don’t have great white sharks. I’ve got something bigger and faster than great white sharks. Out here, we’ve got ferries,”

A preliminary investigation determined the captain of a NY Waterway ferry, backing up from Pier 79,  “was unable to see the kayakers behind him” before striking them, New York Police Department Chief of Patrol Carlos Gomez told the Wall Street Journal.
 “Apparently sun glare was a factor,” Chief Gomez said. “It sets, as you know, west, and he was looking behind him and the sun kind of blocked his vision or impaired it.”

The accident highlights the risks for recreational and commercial watercraft when they share the  increasingly crowded waterways. "When you have that mix you run the danger of collision between recreational and commercial mariners,” Andrew Coggins, a retired U.S. Navy commander and professor at Pace University who studies the cruise industry told the Wall Street Journal, "The collision, clearly illustrates the dangers involved in mixing commercial and recreational shipping. Commercial ships don’t always see recreational shipping and recreational shipping doesn’t always stand clear of commercial shipping.”

According to their news release, California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) anticipates an increased number of recreational boaters on waterways during the upcoming Labor Day weekend and reminding boaters to following simple navigation rules can greatly decrease the chances of being involved in an accident. In 2015, 503 boating accidents, 232 injuries and 49 fatalities were reported to DBW on the state's waterways.

“Just like highway rules, navigation rules tell boat operators about right of way, signaling to other boats and how to avoid collisions on the water,” said DBW’s Deputy Director Lynn Sadler. “Not only must boat operators keep a sharp lookout for fast moving vessels, submerged hazards or swimmers and paddle craft, they must know navigation rules in order to quickly and safely respond to changing conditions.”

Those who lead recreational kayaks and stand up paddle boards tours,  should remind their clients they need to be vigilant when on the water.  They also should follow safe practices, including such common-sense measures as being aware of nearby vessels, staying clear of ships and avoiding designated commercial routes.

“Whoever is in the right or in the wrong, you’re the one who is going to get hurt,” said David Matten, of Long Island City Community Boathouse, which leads recreational kayak tours on the East River in the Wall Street Journal, “You have to stay away from the ferry. It’s incumbent upon us to pay attention, where they are and where they are going.”

"Assume no one can see you and give ship traffic a wide berth," agreed Rumsey, "Know were the ferry and shipping channels are. Even around the docks is like crossing the street stop look and don't play around moving boats."

"It's easy for a large group to cross the ferry path when the ferry is at the dock," points out California kayak instructor, Byrant Burkhardt,  "Actually a good idea, not knowing when it will launch but expecting the pilot would see them before taking off. The general rule when a large group crosses traffic is to stay close together to be more visible."

"Know the ferry schedule as it's easy to get displaced by their engines," added Morrison, "Stay in a close group, wear bright clothes and know that you cannot out run other vessels. Turn on your VHF radio to channel 16 monitoring all the ships."

Far off from any ferries or large boat traffic on Lake Natoma, near Sacramento, it was only crowded with small sailboats, paddle boards and dotted with kayaks. On the beach, surrounded by kayaking students Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips instructor Kim Sprague gives the last of his pre-paddle instructions before hitting the water. He hits one of the kayaks hard with his hand exclaiming that these boats are tough. You can crash into each other and they won't break. From the back a female student raises her hand and asks what about the bigger boats?

"I just always yield to the bigger vessel,"said Sprague.  Good advice when navigating congested waters.

BLUE LOON

 "God never made an ugly landscape. All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild." John Muir

It is not easy to get to Loon Lake.  Two highways of mountain turn and switchbacks meandering up into the Sierra leading to a Y in the road with one pointing the way to the lake. On my first trip, I wondered where are we going?  On my last,  when I knew the roads, I counted down the miles with anticipation.

In the late afternoon, the lake glistens in the background the of silhouetted pines. There is a lot more water in it than the year before. California's ongoing drought that has been plaguing the state for the last five years has eased up a bit in its northern region this past winter, that it now seems like a distant memory. Some patches of snow can even be seen on the horizon of mountains, while the cobalt waters of the lake are brimming up against its rugged boulder-lined shore.

"This is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality."








"Another glorious Sierra day," naturalist, John Muir wrote,  "In which one seems to be dissolved and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where. Life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. This is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality."

At 6,378 feet, Muir's spirit haunts this alpine lake cradled by rocky spires. The lake pools across some 76,000 acres in the northern section of the Crystal Basin Recreation Area in the Eldorado National Forest along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Nestled up close to the federally protected Desolation Wilderness, the recreation area is capped by the majestic granite peaks and traversed by lakes, reservoirs and streams spanning over 85,000 acres of forested rugged terrain along the Crystal Range. The lake was created in the 1960s by the Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District as part of a network of mountain hydropower plants. The nearby is Loon Lake Chalet, a popular winter recreation destination. While in the summer, three campgrounds and the boat ramp provide areas perfect for camping, hiking and kayaking.

Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips has been hosting kayaking campers for the for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower during its peak in August for nearly a dozen of years. All the meals, camping equipment and kayaks provided, paddlers and first-time campers enjoy a cozy "roughing it" in-style camp-out. Here are some photo highlights of our past trip they're with Current Adventures as we explore the lake's many sapphire colored coves and bays and textured granite islands.

 “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home;" wrote Muir  "That wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers but as fountains of life.”

It's so true of Loon Lake because, after each visit, I leave with tired muscles but recharged soul and spirit.

 If you want to go

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

AMERICAN GOLD! THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER

As long as there are young men with the light of adventure in their eyes or a touch of wildness in their souls, rapids will be run. --Sigurd Olson

This is where America went for the gold. Literally! When gold was discovered on the South Fork of the American River in 1848, it sparked the greatest mass movement of people in the Western Hemisphere igniting our country's passion to push west for those seeking fortune and adventure. Boaters seek that same thrill today as they parade down Highway 49 with raft topped vans and kayak adorn cars to the rushing waters of the South Fork.

During the spring and summer, the South Fork is a playground for whitewater kayakers and rafters of all different levels.  The river descends at a steep gradient of 30 feet per mile. The first five miles from the Chili Bar access is chocked full of exciting Class III whitewater with rapids with scary names like Meat-grinder and Trouble Maker. The so-called easy section is the next, nine miles through the valley consisting of a number of Class II rapids including Barking Dog. After that, the river enters what paddlers call "The Gorge." It's the most challenging series of Class III rapids descending at 33 feet per mile toward Folsom Lake.

In past several years finding water in Northern California has been just about as rare as finding gold, however through deals made with upstream reservoirs and powerhouses along the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines, timed releases on the South Fork,  keep dependable flows of whitewater pouring into the valley during the day, however towards nightfall much like faucet the flow drops till it's released again the next day.

"If you want to go paddling," said Conner Manley to a youngster on the beach at the put in at Henningsen-Lotus Park,  "Then don't get a job when you have to work during the day."

My crew of Manley, Ethan Howard and Kristin Kettehhofen,  all young employees of The River Store, the local paddle shop just up the road. They had just closed the store for the night and were now heading out on a sunset paddle with me. Low flow paddles are not the norm on the South Fork, but paddling is paddling I told them and besides, we'll have the river all to ourselves.

About mile down the river makes a sweeping curve to the right and then plunges into two standing waves and hole between as it turns again to left. In high flows river's velocity, turbulence and converging currents have created a steep hole in its path making it an appealing and challenging site for area play-boaters. In low flows, it produces still an exciting surfing wave for the boys. Local legend says this Class II rapid got its name when a neighborhood dog sprang to the bank barking loudly at the rafters and kayaks as they went down river.

Conner and Ethan take turns in their play-boats one after one to test their skills on the churning boil. In a cross between ballet and bull-riding,  the boys choreographed the dance of spins, flips and rolls all before the wave spits them out for one more try one more time. Ethan drops the nose of his Dagger play-boat into the turmoil of the Dog, heading straight into its current. Skimming at the edge of the standing wave he dips forward attempting to somersault only to be buried by crashing water.  Even in low flows, the Dog can still bite.

"That wasn't really a loop," calls out Kristin, "but, it was something."
Paddling back smiling towards us in the eddy,  Ethan, says "Did it look cool?"
"Yeah, it did."

Conner, who is planning next year to attend World Class Kayak Academy, a traveling high school for kayaking students exploring rivers and cultures around the world, is most at home spinning on the wave doing maneuver after maneuver. He loses his momentum after a while, rolling back into depths of the torrent before being spit out on the other side.  In high flows, he would have to wait his turn behind the rest of the play-boaters lining up like kids waiting to ride the roller-coaster.  Inching forward one by one. It's a boater's decorum so to speak, waiting to surf the wave one at a time.  He told me that sometimes the wait could be a long one. But on this evening he shares it only with Ethan.

The sun is now starting to hanging as low as the water in the river as we continue down river. The rocks and trees are silhouetted in the glitter of the stream.  I take the lead at Highway Rapid a long rock garden wave train. I twisted and turned and scraping against the stones along the way. The rapid proves to be a bit tricky even in shallow water but water still rumbles and few can resist it. Naturalist John Craighead says, "The call is the thundering rumble of distant rapids, the intimate roar of white water. . . a primeval summons to primordial values."

 The last one was Swimmers Rapid, rightly named because it seems to dump the commercial rafter customers at the end.  It's a victory lap for us. I look to Ethan and say, "This my best day of the week."
 We paddle forward toward the Greenwood Creek take out just as the sunset has turned the river into gold.

This article was originally published in Dirt Bag Paddlers and DBP MAGAZINE ONLINE.