LOON LAKE REFRAIN

It's been one of those summers across California we are getting more and more accustomed too. As dozens of large wildfires are burning across the state, public health officials are urging people to seal off their windows and doors, change filters in air conditioning units and in some places wear masks.
A smokey haze has obliterated the clarity of the sky and blotting out the views of the mountains as well as the city's skyline, all while turning the setting sun into what the Washington Post's, deputy weather editor Angela Fritz,  called an unsettling shade of red.

On the road just past the Stumpy Meadows Reservoir another grim reminder of past fires. It's the charred and desolate remains of the King Fire that scorched over 97,000 acres in El Dorado County, California in 2014. Driving past, the smoke tainted toothpicks of trees that flicker in the sunlight between the plots of barren and bleak tree-less hills on along the highway.

So it's a feeling of elation when I climbed the road up further. Past the burnt-out trees and away from the low hanging orange cast smog to the blue skies and crystal clear waters of Loon Lake.

"The air is singularly searching and strengthening." wrote Unitarian minister and orator Thomas Starr King after visiting the area in 1863,  "The noble pines, not obstructed by underbrush, enrich the slightest breeze with aroma and music. Grand peaks rise around, on which the eye can admire the sternness of everlasting crags and the equal permanence of delicate and feathery snow. Then there is the sense of seclusion from the haunts and cares of men, of being upheld on the immense billow of the Sierra, at an elevation near the line of perpetual snow, yet finding the air genial, and the loneliness clothed with the charm of feeling the sense of the mystery of the mountain heights."

Starr King loved being in the air of the Sierra wilderness. Best known for his role in keeping California in the Union during the Civil War. He traveled throughout the state speaking in churches, town squares and mining camps spreading the messages of his faith and preserving the Union. Spiritually moved by the splendor and beauty of Yosemite, three years even before John Muir saw it, Starr King advocated for protecting the area and encourage lawmakers and President Abraham Lincoln to pass the Yosemite Grant. Signed into law on June 30, 1864, it marked the first time the U.S. federal government specifically set aside parkland for preservation and public use setting up a precedent for the creation of Yellowstone, our first national park.

"A wearied frame and tired mind what refreshment there is in the neighborhood of this lake!" he would write of Lake Tahoe, Loon Lake's famous and much bigger neighbor to the east, where visitors have come for years to admire the cobalt blue of the lake.

At 6,378 feet, Loon Lake sits about 100-feet higher than Lake Tahoe in the northern section of the Crystal Basin Recreation Area.  A popular recreation destination, the reservoir created in the 1960s by the Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District with its three campgrounds and the boat ramp provide areas perfect for camping, hiking and kayaking.

Encompassed by the textured sun-bleached granite shore and a mixed/conifer forest of fir trees and Huckleberry Oak, the lake's pristine blue-green hued waters are a perfect venue for a classic late summer adventure.

Last week, Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips hosted its annual two-day overnight one-of-a-kind camping and kayaking experience at the lake. By day we explored the coves, bays and islands slowing meandering around glaciers exposed granite boulders dotting the lakeside eastern half including a trip inside the Buck-Loon Tunnel. While at night, we reclined along the rocky beach looking towards the heavens to view the Perseid Meteor Shower streaks across the skies. Interwoven in our awed responses of, "Oohs and ahas and There goes one!" and our laughter of "Where? Oh, I miss it again," our little group bonded by the lake under the stars.

Starr King and places like Loon Lake inspire us to see the world from a higher point and feel the everlasting presence of God.
"Believe in them, for they are the mountain-principles and alter-piles of life," he said in sermon Lessons from the Sierra Nevada, "Breathe the air that is freshened on their heights. Drink of the streams that flow fresh from the channels in their sides. And in every season of doubt, temptation, or despair, lift up thine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh thy help."

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

A Federal Judge Reinstates the Clean Water Rule for 26 States

Last week, A federal judge issued a nationwide injunction on the Trump administration's order delaying the Clean Water Rule, making the Obama-era regulation applicable in the 26 states that have not blocked it, E&E News reported.
The United States District Court in South Carolina found that the Environmental Protection Agency had violated rule-making procedures in delaying the regulation, also known as the Waters of the U.S. rule, which protects wetlands and tributaries under the Clean Water Act. Previously, a federal judge ruled in favor of states seeking to get out of these regulations.
Environmental groups call this a huge victory in their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to suspend the Clean Water Rule. American Rivers President Bob Irvin wrote on their website, "This was a tremendous win for protecting rivers, wetlands and clean drinking water nationwide. The court made clear that the Trump administration cannot ignore the law, science, or the views of the American people in its rush to undermine protection of rivers and clean water."
The federal district court’s decision is not the final word. The Trump administration or industry will likely appeal the decision, other litigation is ongoing, and the administration will undoubtedly continue its efforts to repeal and replace the Clean Water Rule.

THE LEGEND OF TWO PADDLES

Albert Bierstadt, Indians Spear Fishing

                        

It was a day on the river I would like to forget. Mostly due to the result of some nameless rapid and its churning eddy. It happened so fast. The river went one way and I went the other. Spilling out of my boat like cereal into a bowl. Submerged and floating, I reached for the bow only to have it slip away out of grasp. In disbelief, I watched as it quickly ran away through the boulders constricting the river.

"Isn't a little early in the day for you to be quitting?" called a voice from the side of the river. " It was the grizzled old Storyteller who I always seem to find along the river.

"I lost my boat," I told him gasping as I swam to the shore.

"I can see that," he sighed, "Looks like your afoot now. Sit down for a spell and catch your breath before we go after your boat."

I sat down looking glum. Embarrassed about the swim, but just too tired to start the hike down river.

"Cheer up," chuckled the Storyteller, "You're not the first and I'm sure you won't be the last to walk out of these mountains.

"They called him "He Who Wanders or Wandering Spirit," he began, "He would walk everywhere exploring the mountains, canyons and rivers. It's said he heard the song of the tree fairies. These fun-loving forest creatures would only appear to humans when they wanted to be seen. They would sing and laugh, and when He Who Wanders got to close to their music they would call him from a different direction. It was said, they would often take the form of a rabbit or deer and lead him to the river only to suddenly disappeared, with no apparent hiding place.

Because of this, He Who Wanders had a habit of disappearing for days and weeks at a time before turning up unexpectedly, hence his name."

George Catlin, Leopard Hunting in Brazil

The Storyteller looked at the river and then the path narrow path alongside it.
"It was probably a path like this, He Who Wanders was walking when he came upon the bobcat on fire," the Storyteller speculated, "You see after a raccoon was treed by the wildcat and knowing it had no escape. Legend says, the old coon or maybe it was a rabbit, somehow convinced the bobcat to build a fire. As the fire grew, the wind scattered the burning embers onto the poor cat setting it ablaze and screaming with pain."

"His crying tore at He Who Wander's heart," exclaimed the Storyteller, "Seeing the bobcat's struggle he quickly gathered up the animal and tossed it into the river saving its life. The soaking wet cat emerged from the river his fur singed with dark brown and black spots. His raccoon meal had escaped, but he was grateful to be alive. Ever since I'll his kind have been covered with spots."

"Thank you, He Who Wanders, you saved me from certain death," the Bobcat gasped, " the Storyteller continued, "We are now and forever allies," the Bobcat told him, "But I'm a creature of the forest and my place is here. I will offer this guidance. Go forward with courage, follow the river and discover your heart and spirit. When you need me, I'll be near."

The Storyteller then paused, straightened his hat, while studying the river.

"The great cat then disappeared into the evening fog," the Storyteller went on, "Leaving He Who Wanders alone on the river's path. Now let's go find your boat."

While we started down the river trail the Storyteller resumed his story.
"He Who Wanders followed this same trail all the way to the ocean. When he got there he was amazed by the sight of the great water," speculated the Storyteller, "But over the rumblings of the waves, he heard a cry for help. A young female killer whale was beached and dying in the sand."

"Her crying tore at He Who Wander's heart." conceited the Storyteller, "Stranded near the waterline he knew had to get the orca back to into deeper waters and could not wait for the tide. By then it would be too late."

"He comforted the sea creature by covering it with wet blankets and then fashioned a shovel to dig a trench behind the mammal then made a towing harness dried seaweed," the Storyteller divulged, "And began pulling with all his might"

"The Blackfish screamed in pain and told He Who Wanders it was no use she was just too heavy," confessed The Storyteller, "She was right, He Who Wanders could not make her budge an inch."

Baleen Whale Mask

"Then out the sky came the raven," the Storyteller, interjected, "He brought special mushrooms from a place in the forest where the moonbeams fell just right. He told He Who Wanders if he ate them it would grant him Superman strength to carry the whale back to the sea."

"As the raven flew off, He Who Wanders, quickly devoured the charmed mushrooms," guessed the Storyteller, "Giving him the strength of ten men. He grabbed the tow line and with ease pulled the orca back into the surf."

"Thank you, He Who Wanders, you saved me from certain death," the Killer Whale said with " the Storyteller continued, "We are now and forever soul mates," the ocra told him, "But I'm a creature of the sea and my place is here. I will offer this guidance. Go forward with courage, follow the ocean and discover your heart and spirit. When you need me, I'll be near."

The Storyteller then paused, straightened his hat, while studying the foam of the whitewater waves of the river.

"The great orca then disappeared into the sea" the Storyteller went on, "Leaving He Who Wanders alone on the beach path. Hey, I think I see your boat."

We started down the rocky trail where we could see my bobbing kayak in quiet eddy along the river as the Storyteller picked up his tale.

"He went north following the migrating seals and whales by day and the Northern Lights by night. The lights then were thought to the spirits of the animals: the seals, salmon, deer and the great polar bear," told the Storyteller, "After crossing over into a land of snow and glaciers he heard the whimpering of a tiny shivering polar bear abandon on the ice."

"His crying tore at He Who Wander's heart." pleaded the Storyteller, "Without his help, the little cub would surely die. He comforted the bear by covering it with warm blankets and took it to a nearby village. Where he found a woman who had no sons to care for her. She adopted the young bear cub and it quickly grew and became the villages' best fisherman providing fish daily to all."

"He Who Wanders found a home there too," emphasized the Storyteller, "He became fascinated by the villager's use of their- kayaks. Constructed with whalebone-skeleton frame and animal skins stretched over its hull, the boat had a covered deck with only a small opening on top. Unlike the canoe, they used a double-bladed paddle."

William Bradford Arctic Invaders

"Life in this cold climate was extremely difficult. Those who kayaked knew a single miscalculation could lead to death in freezing water," the Storyteller declared, "It took, He Who Wanders several seasons before mastering kayaking learning all its strokes and rolls."

"But the day came when He Who Wanders needed to wander again," reminded the Storyteller. "And as he was about embarked, the now giant Polar Bear came to him and said, "Thank you, He Who Wanders, you saved me from certain death. We are now and forever brothers, But I'm a creature of the arctic and my place is here. I will offer this guidance. Go forward with courage, follow all the world's waters and discover your heart and spirit. When you need me, I'll be near."

The Storyteller then paused, straightened his hat again, while studying my half submerged kayak floating against the shore.

"The great white bear then disappeared back to the village" the Storyteller went on, "Leaving He Who Wanders alone in his kayak. Look it's your boat safe and sound."

I grabbed the boat with relief and pulled it on to the rocks tipping it over spilling out all the water from its hull back into the river.

"So what happened?" I asked while climbing back into the boat, "Did he ever get home?"

"Like you, I think he found his way back to the water. There were more challenges, of course," replied the Storyteller, "On the third night out, while camping on a beach he heard the howl of wolves. Surrounded by the pack showing glaring teeth, He Who Wanders had little hope for survival. But a giant roar came over the ice and snow. It was his brother the polar bear driving all the wolves away."

"You have discovered your heart and spirit. I will always be with you, like the stars at night and the sun in each dawn," the polar bear proclaimed to him before vanishing into the snow," reassured the Storyteller.

"Twenty-one days later a sudden storm-tossed his kayak around violently just off the coast. He Who Wanders was about to crash on the rocks when a blackfin popped out of the ocean foam. It was his soul-mate, the killer whale. She put his kayak on her back and safely and brought him safely to a protected hidden cove."

"You have discovered your heart and spirit. I will always with you, like the waves in the sea and the ripples of the world's great rivers," the killer whale declared to him before breaching away under the sea," expressed the Storyteller.

William de la Montagne Cary

"Two months later, He Who Wanders was paddling upstream," the Storyteller, concluded, "He was tired and hungry having not eaten in several days when he saw a flash of the spotted coat. It was his friend the bobcat who had caught some game. Seeing He Who Wanders was hungry, he dropped along the side of the river and then saying to him."

"With your new boat and paddle, the river people will celebrate your return and welcome you to a place at the council fire. They will forever tell stories of your paddling journeys honoring your courage and speed, your strength. You have discovered your heart and spirit. From now on you will be known to the world as Two Paddles."

I felt the current of the river give my boat a gentle tug. And just like that, I drifted away from the Storyteller and the bank of the river. Turning down river, I thought of the opening lines of Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.

Should you ask me, whence these stories?
Whence these legends and traditions,
With the odors of the forest
With the dew and damp of meadows,
With the curling smoke of wigwams,
With the rushing of great rivers.

When I glanced over my shoulder one last time and over the rumble of the rapids saw the Storyteller waving goodbye and calling out, "Go forward with courage, follow all the world's waters and discover your heart and spirit. When you need me, I'll be near."

THE OVERNIGHT KAYAK TRAVEL GUIDE

 

By Outside Adventure to the Max Guest Blogger John D'Amelio

If you plan this kayak packing trip well you can pop out late on a Friday afternoon and still be back in time to make the kids pancakes on Saturday morning. The beauty of an overnight kayak camping trip is that they don't have to be all that complicated. Fair warning here: once you make this initial trip you'll likely be hooked.

With a limited window, the first step to a successful S24O (Sub 24-Hour Overnighter) is locating a body of water close to home that has decent chance of a place to camp. This 'Start from the end' method is a proven winner and will get you well on the way to answer almost every other question that you might have about such an enterprise. In fact, the only things you need to know will all be driven by this first and most important question.

Where To camp & How Far You Should Go?

The answer is largely going to depend on how much time you have and your relative skill level.  Generally speaking, +/-3-5 mph is a comfortable pace in a touring kayak. If this is your first overnighter then go for the sure win - 3-7 miles.  3 is enough to make you feel like you've gone somewhere and 7 is not so much that you'll get lost, exhausted or overwhelmed.

Locate your campsite on a topo or bombsight it on Google Maps and do some simple distance measurements.  Keep in mind a few things as you make your estimations.  Wind plays a bigger factor than you'd imagine in how much time the distance will take so factor in the prevailing winds for your location as well as the weather forecast.

If you are planning your adventure on a flat water river or coastal body then current and tides will also come into play. Best advice here is to start easy, short, and well within your skill level. You'll have enough on your plate without having to deal with too many external factors.

Where Should You Put In?
 
This is really one of the more fun parts of planning an overnighter. For me, its a little like releasing my inner Lewis & Clark or Marquette. With the knowledge of your camp sight in mind start referring back to your map, looking for overpasses, State DNR boat ramps or dirt roads that border your water.  Local kayaking clubs will also be a great resource.

A good alternative to planning your own would be to look for a paddle trail. The American Trails National Water Trails System has, as of this writing, 49 trails that include predesignated camping platforms or locations.

What Should You Take?
 
Besides some basic kayak safety gear – your PFD being the most important – you'll need less than you think.

1.  Water or a means to purify it,
2.  Food and a means to cook it if needed,
3.  Shelter pretty much round the list out.

If you are already geared up for backpacking or, with little exception, car camping, then with the addition of a few 15-20L dry bags you are probably all set to go. Some budget items are linked below if you are looking for recommendations. 

Gear List:
Cook stove
Fuel
Cook pot
  Cup
Lighter
Spork
Knife
Garbage bag
First Aid Kit
TP + Trowel
Bandana

Shelter:
Tent or Hammock
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping pad
Headlamp

Dry Bags
2-20 L
1-10 L
Map Case

Food + Water
H2O - 1g/person/day (Platypus 2L)
Dinner (Freeze Dried)
Breakfast (Oatmeal)
Snack

Optional
GPS
Bag Liner
Flashlight

Packing Your Kayak

We can't stress enough here the need to practice packing your rig prior to your departure.  Modern touring kayaks can hold a lot of gear so you'd be hard pressed to max your weight or storage space out on an S24O.  If you are transitioning in from car camping your most likely candidates for gear replacements are going to be your camp stove and maybe your tent.

Rule number one of kayakpacking: everything is going to get wet. Thankfully not everything that gets packed in the kayak has to first go in a dry bag. Really, it's just the stuff that would be unusable or ruined if it gets wet. If you have room for the essentials and can also put everything else in a dry bag – go for it.  But it's not a necessity of kayakcamping.  My kit usually contains 2 or 3-20L dry bags.  Everything else goes in a bulkhead or securely in a hold.

Clothes:
One of the really simple pleasures of kayakpacking is getting to camp, setting up the tent and slipping into some nice dry clothes. Going from wet paddling gear to wet camp clothes just isn't an option.

Don't take much on an S240 but do take a change of clothes for camp and/or sleeping. 

Sleep System:

You can get by for one night without sleep – by why risk it.  Reserve your other dry bag for your sleeping bag, and camp pillow if you like (I always take one). Your tent or hammock is optional here.  They dry fast and are usually wet by morning anyway. I usually just stuff it in the far end of the forward bulkhead and it stays mostly dry even in the worse weather or water conditions.

Electronics:
Not much to add here other than if you are taking a computer, iPad, smartphone or camera I'd double bag those items and test my solution in a more controlled environment like a bathtub or sink.  There are some commercially available products for all of these items but none that we have tested thoroughly enough to warrant an endorsement.

This is by no means the only way to go about planning a successful overnight kayak camping adventure. One of our contributors has a YouTube video on the subject that we highly recommend. Check out Trip Smith's "How I Plan Overnight Kayaking Trips - TIPS and the PROCESS" on his wildly popular channel "Out There".

 John D'Amelio serves as the Executive Editor of Kayakpacking.co.  When he's not dreaming about, planning or editing kayak adventures he is a freelance designer and writer. He calls central North Carolina home where he lives with his wife of 28 years.

Launched in late 2017 kayakpacking.co  is a resource specifically devoted to longer distance kayaking adventures. Their goal is to give paddlers the tools and materials you need to follow published routes while inspiring you to seek out and plan your own adventures.

Kayakpacking.co's route system has grown in a very short time to over 600 miles of documented flatwater (0-II class) trails and counting with over 400 more miles currently in development. Check out their getting started series. It walks you through everything you need to know to plan a simple overnighter to a full-blown multi-week kayak packing adventure.

Outside Adventure to the Max is always looking for guest bloggers. Contact us at Nickayak@gmail.com, if you are interested.

THE LATE, GREAT EPPIES GREAT RACE

"It doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."----Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

"Well guys, it's been a heck of a ride," said a hoarse-voiced Dan Crandall when leaving Sacramento's Riverbend Park in a van and trailer laden with kayaks. Eppies Great Race was days away and there was still plenty of work to do, but leaving the park on the last night of his company's kayak workout sessions for area racers his mood was a bit melancholy.

Early this year, organizers decided to discontinue the event following a steady decline in participation. The great race was on it's last and final leg.
"I hate to see it go," said racer Diane Marlow on the day of the race, "It's depressing, but I'm so excited, So excited about today, it's going to be a blast."

Diane Marlow on a Current Adventures training night.

For 45 years, Eppie’s Great Race was a summer tradition. Billed as the world’s oldest triathlons, the race was founded in 1974, using a 5.8-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike ride and a 6.1-mile paddle on along the scenic American River Parkway to raise money for Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services. Over the years, the race raised more than $1.2 million for (TRS) which specializes in treatment for those with developmental disabilities.

The kayaking portion of the race made it one of the largest paddling events in the United States, by offering a different dynamic from other triathlons with a "no swim" competition.

Training Night

While most of the participants came to the race with running and biking skills, many had never paddled the river before or even sat in a kayak. To help people get on the water, back in 1993, Crandall the owner of Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips started a uniquely designed training session to coach racers and ensure success come race day. Over the years, Crandall and his instructors have coached over 1,000 participants build their confidence, paddling skills and river reading knowledge.

"It's been a Godsend," said Marlow, "It's a been a wonderful escape. This race brought me to kayaking. About 11 years ago a couple of gals talked me into being on their team. I signed up for Dan's program about learning to kayak so I could do the race and I've been hooked ever since."

San Juan Rapids

What Heartbreak Hill is to the Boston Marathon, San Juan Rapids was to Eppies Great Race. Competitors could easily go from first to 31st by miscalculating the boil. The Current Adventures' practicing paddlers were encouraged to run the rapid a couple of times during their training sessions to familiarize themselves with its flow and circular eddy.

"Lean forward and smile," Crandall would advise before their first run, "Show the river you are not afraid of it and keep a paddle in the water."
By the end of their training and after more than a few spills, those pesky rapids were just a speed bump come race day.
"The river has been fabulous," said Marlow, "I like San Juan, I like it bumpy, I like the waves."

Race Day on the American River

On race day, the rocky beach at the Jim Jones Bridge, where participants transfer from bicycle to boat at the for the final leg of the course was a rainbow of every color and every kind of kayak prior to the race. Organizers said the final race attracted a record 2,500 people.

"Today is much more like what it used to be 30 years ago." Crandall told Fox 40-TV, "The number of people, the spirit, you know just everybody really being into it. A party atmosphere."

Encouragement from Dan Crandall

Six-miles down river at the finish line in Riverbend Park, it was a sentimental goodbye the area's annual summer celebration, as medals, hugs and high-fives were shared evenly. Racers posed together for pictures, knowing it might be the last time they all get together for this one of a kind Sacramento event.

Crandall says that everyone he talks with is hoping that someone starts a similar type of race. While he hopes other groups might take over the running and biking portions of the race, he pledges to keep the kayaking community racing on the Lower American River.

"We've always done the Eppies Pre-Race or Eppie Johnson Memorial." Crandall told his paddling group, "So even if something like Eppies Great race itself somehow manages to rise out of the ashes of this one. We're probably going to keep doing that race and just do that race every year."

OVER THE BOW: LAKE JENKINSON

A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable. --- William Wordsworth

The wake of a distant motorboat gently rocks the dock and boathouse. Boompah, boompah, boompah creaks the dock as it rises and falls with each wave mildly rubbing each canoe and kayak chained to its side. It lasts for only a few moments and before the rocking subsides and lake recaptures its stillness.

Lake Jenkinson and Sly Park Recreation Area is an idyllic setting nestled in the Sierra foothills near Pollock Pines, California. The lake and its fine fringe of tall pines remind me of lakes of the Northwoods similar to Wisconsin, Minnesota and far up into Canada. There are two main parts to the lake divided by a channel. The larger rounded lower lake is home to the speedboats, picnic and campgrounds and swimming beach, while the upper lake is more narrow, much quieter due to a 5 mph speed limit and nostalgic.

"Canoes, too, are unobtrusive;" wrote American writer John Graves, "They don't storm the natural world or ride over it, but drift in upon it as a part of its own silence."

In our frenzied lives, Graves warned, the chances for being quiet nowadays are limited. So it's a bargain at $20 dollars an hour for single kayak and $30 dollars an hour for a tandem or canoe to slip away on to the lake by renting a boat from Sly Park Paddle Rentals. For some the trek around the bend to a hidden waterfall is a sentimental trip to help regain their youth after not paddling for years or even decades. While for others, it's a reminder that life can be an off-line adventure when sitting in a canoe for the first time.

Working at the boathouse is like a return to summer camp as I watch the canoes and kayaks come and go across the emerald colored water of the lake with every paddle stroke leaving a twisting trail of whirling swirl of whirlpools in their wake. Down the way, I hear splashing and laughing of children at the beach, while across the lake, hikers are in their track in awe as a bald eagle swoops down over the water to catch a fish. Looking out over the lake. I couldn't find a more peaceful utopia.

"When you sit tranquillity," wrote contemporary Turkish novelist, Mehmet Murat ildan. "You set a great example to the people who rush around in panic and thus you show the crazy waves the beauty of being a calm lake!"

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, we would love to see it. Submit it to us at nickayak@gmail.com

GOODBYE YELLOW TANDEM

When a man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known. ---Sigurd Olson

My dad used to say, there are two happy days in life with you in your boat.
The day you buy it and the day when you sell it. Of course, he was right about the day I brought my Perception Prodigy 14.5 tandem home. Back in Minnesota, it opened up my summer with endless possibilities.

I purchased the tandem with the whole idea of taking my daughter's dog Mazie camping while she was working that summer in a Boy Scout camp. I can remember taking several trips that summer. Heading off across the lake to my favorite boat in campsite, Mazie a chocolate Labrador was a great companion. Over the summer, she excelled at becoming a "water dog" with little trouble climbing in and out of the boat and not rocking it too badly.

I can recall taking friends and family boating with it over the years. It was great for family campouts and getting folks on the water for the first time. My kids could bring friends along and paddle to tour the lake without leaving anyone behind. Usually called a divorce boat, the tandem boosted in the courtship of my wife Debbie. It took only a little practice to get our stokes in sequence. It was the only boat we used when crossed the country while moving to California. On a stop in Colorado, we got stuck in a late afternoon thunderstorm while on the lake together. We ended up soak while rushing back to our campsite.

Like that storm, a deluge of memories rolled back through my head as I watched the tandem being loaded onto a couple's vehicle, strap down and tied off before driving away forever after being sold. A bittersweet day indeed.

While many people think of a kayak as a simple mode of transportation for a fun day on the lake or river, for many of us, our canoes and kayaks are connected to our souls. We give them names and almost human personalities. Your boat automatically states a lot about you as a person. In fact, they become a reflection of who we are.

"The first thing you must learn about canoeing is that the canoe is not a lifeless,  inanimate object," wrote paddling guru Bill Mason, "It feels very much alive, alive with the life of the river. Life is transmitted to the canoe by the currents of the air and the water upon which it rides. The behavior and temperament of the canoe is dependent upon the elements: from the slightest breeze to a raging storm, from the smallest ripple to a towering wave, or from a meandering stream to a thundering rapid.”

As you can see, I have plenty of great memories of the camping trips, moonlight paddles and all the fun we had in that kayak. But, the thing is, I've not been using that boat as much in these last couple of years. It was pretty much just sitting on its side inside our garage being unused and forgotten serving only has a hideout for the cat. A sad fate for a vessel of its caliber.

So it's nice to see that the tandem, now has a new home a young couple who will use it more than I did. They studied the boat with glee as I showed the different features of the boat and retold its past adventures with me. They, in turn, told me how they planned to take their dogs along and looked forward to getting it on the area's lakes. For them, to paraphrase Bill Manson, the acquisition of this boat is a way to journey back to what’s left of the natural world and a voyage of discovery.

But I was more than a little sad to see it drive away and know that I would miss it. Afterward, I told a fellow boater that I had sold the tandem, she sent a back a message of condolences, like I lost a dear friend.
"I would be sad if I were you too," she texted, But, you still have the memories. Glad the boat found a really nice home."

A nice home and a better life, where it will be used to have more adventures and make even more memories. As the couple drives out of sight down the road, Jerry Vandiver's song True and Deep serenades inside my soul.

I hope the waters you cross are calm and still and take you to where you seek.
Should the wind start to blow just where it will, May your paddle be true and deep.
I hope the skies above you are always blue and your journey will flow downstream.
Should the current rise up to challenge you, My your paddle be true and deep.

It's was a wish for the young couple of course, but mostly it was for my faithful yellow tandem kayak.

LEARN TO KAYAK: FEEL THE FLOW

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.  --- C. S. Lewis

It's the first and most common question I get from every excited, but nervous first-time kayak newcomer, usually as they are filling out the release form in the parking lot.

"We're not going to go upside down are we?"

"We'll try not to make that happen," I will reassure them, "Our boats are pretty stable."

But then I'll pause and issue caution, "I'm not going to guarantee it can't happen. If it does we'll get you right back in the boat. But, I think you'll be alright."

Kayaking is an intimate relationship with water. You can feel pretty vulnerable sitting in your boat, with only a few millimeters of rotomolded polyethylene keeping you dry and protected. Everyone who sits in a kayak for the first time, feel they're at the mercy of the water. The biggest challenge for most beginners is just getting used to the kayak during the first few minutes they’re inside of it. They've all seen the extreme videos of some kayaker blasting down some Class V waterfall and rolling in its foam only to pop up on the other side. For some, that is their thinking of what kayaking is all about.

"I’ve always been an “outdoorsy” person, and at one time I thought that I would be a forest ranger. I used to canoe when I was young and always looked forward to doing outdoor adventures when I had the time…and now I do!" said the first-time student, Joyce Molthen, "However, I was a little more nervous than I thought that I would be. But I was immediately put at ease through the guidance and humor of our instructor."

Offering the more peaceful perspective of gentle waters while experiencing the wonders of nature, our Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips class
reminds them by staying stay calm, relaxed with the flow the water and have fun. Fellow instructor Kim Sprague told the group, "We just love paddling and hope everyone else will love as much as we do."
It's our goal as instructors to take away any fear and instead instill confidence.

Emphasizing basic kayaking techniques and water safety, our groups receive dry land instruction before hitting the water. The eager newbies are shown parts of a kayak, parts of the paddle and a demonstration of the different strokes that can be used on the water. Again, with water safety being the most important part about kayaking experience, all paddlers are outfitted with PFD's.

Lakes are a great place to learn to kayak. In the comfort of Sacramento area's Lake Natoma, our paddling rookies push away from the shore and test their newfound skills of paddling. Boats steer from the rear we remind them as they bump into each other in the lagoon of the lake. I still find it amazing that after just a little practice of front and back strokes and turns that they are paddling almost like pros.

After we paddle across the lake the fun begins. We lead the group into the backwater of the lake. They find when quietly paddling along the narrow and winding channels of the slough, they get to see wildlife up close and personal in a way not possible from shore. Beaver and rivers otters can be seen peeking their heads just above the surface of the water, while turtles sun themselves on the logs before plopping into the water when we get to close. The wetlands also harbor many species of birds including a convocation of American bald eagles nesting along the high bluffs of the lake. For our student paddlers, there is a sense of stillness and solitude reminiscent of the peace found in remote natural areas.

"I’ve always enjoyed the quiet moments of life, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my day," said Molthen, "The complete serenity of the kayaking experience and enjoying nature in the midst of a large city is a dream come true for me."

On the way back the students are now relaxed and having fun.  Their paddling skills have dramatically improved since first getting into the kayak as they cruise back to the beach. And while they are a little worn out from the water workout, the experience has also sparked a new enthusiasm for kayaking.
"By the end of the 3-hour class, after we learned the basics," said Molthen, "I was confident in my basic skills, so much so that I wanted to go right out and buy a kayak and go to the lake every day. I’ve already signed up for another class."

But the best quote comes from another student, I overhear while I'm loading the boats back on to the trailer, "I thought I was going to drown today, but it was easier than I thought."

What to go... Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips offers an array of kayaking classes for adults in the Sacramento area. Learn to Kayak- Discover Kayak Touring is designed as the first step in learning to paddle touring and sea kayaks. Learn about proper equipment selection and basic paddling safety and techniques.

Adventure and exploration are not just for kids. Discover why kayaking is the new activity of choice for baby boomers and beyond in the popular Learn to Kayak for Boomers 50+. Kayaking is great for fitness and easy on the body on a stress-free outing that will rekindle your youthful enthusiasm for many years to come.