WHITEWATER RAFTING THE GORGE OF THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER

Between the rock and the hard place, the river narrows and finds it way. --- Peter Heller

As a kayaker, I've never really thought much about whitewater rafting. It was something river tourists did. But, not guys who regularly kayak. Kayaks are sleek, nimble, and fast. A good paddler can control their movements on the water and seek out eddies to catch and waves to surf, while those rafts are big, bulky, and cumbersome. It's been my experience while on the Lower American River that those rafts are slow and a little boring as they aimlessly drift in the current. Holding a beer can instead of a paddle, those folks watch me paddle by having all the fun.

So when Sydney Strange invited my wife Debbie and me for a trip down the South Fork of the American River, I didn't know what to expect. And nor did I know I would have the time of my life.
The South Fork of the American River is one of the most popular destinations for whitewater kayaking and rafting in all of California. The site which spawned the Gold Rush now attracts thrill-seekers of every age looking for that rush of adrenaline and excitement. The first 5 miles from the Chili Bar access is brimming full of Class III rapids with intimidating names like Meat-grinder and Trouble Maker. The so-called easy section runs from the Marshall Gold Discovery Historical State Park access to the Greenwood Creek through the valley consisting of several Class II rapids, including a popular surf spot named Barking Dog.

Raft guide Sydney Strange

It's a warm-up for "The Gorge." Descending at 33-feet per mile toward Folsom Lake for 10 miles, the river moves and moves fast, featuring the river's most challenging series of Class III rapids with even more fearsome and heart-pumping handles like Satan's Cesspool, Scissors, and its last big drop called Hospital Bar. I had never paddled it before, but I certainly had heard the stories of all the fabled rapids.
After shuttling our vehicles in place, Debbie and I met Sydney, her mom, and another friend at the Whitewater Excitement, where she's a river guide. Young, slender, and athletic, Sydney is a recent high school grad in her rookie season on the river. Sydney, however, had the confidence of a veteran. As our boat captain for the day, she would be in charge. In giving us a few instructions just after hitting the river. She told those of us in the front of the raft to paddle in sync, which proved to be a little tricky at first. When she would call for us to forward paddle, we would lean forward and forward paddle. When she called for us to back paddle, we would lean forward with our paddles in hand and pull our blades backward. When she commanded the two on the right to back paddle, while the on the two left to forward paddle, we would coordinate our strokes in kind. And most important, when she ordered us to paddle forward hard, we would dig our paddles into the stream and paddle as hard as we could until she called for us to stop.

Now in my whitewater kayak, I would've been dodging the rocks and boulders of Highway Rapids, but the big raft flew over them and danced over the waves of Swimmer Rapids with little effort. From here on would be an uncharted country for me. My whitewater skills are not quite up "The Gorge" just yet. I had never had gone past this Greenwood access till that day. 

Debbie Carlson

A popular destination for whitewater rafting, we followed, as well as led, a parade of rafts full of kids, chaperones, parents, and their river guides down the narrowing stream past landmark rocks along the river that resembles an alligator and a gorilla. At Gorilla Rock, some of the raft guides pulled aside to let brave daredevils leap off the rock into the deep pool before proceeding on.
My wife Debbie had been smiling and laughing the whole way like a kid on a roller coaster. While she had paddled countless times with me, this was her first whitewater experience.
"It's so beautiful here on the river. I can't believe I've lived here this long and have never done this," Debbie told us, "We'll have to do this every year from now on."

Seeing the large tree on top of the mountain called the Lollipop tree marks the beginning of the storied "Gorge." It's here where the river drops, the channel narrows, and the canyon walls get steep, creating large standing waves. If you are not holding on to your hat, you'll most likely lose it at Lost Hat Rapids, a series of drops and massive waves, leading up to Satan's Cesspool.
Guiding and steering from the back of the raft, Sydney had already lead us through some incredibly fun and splashing waves with assurance and calm. Even when the raft got pin-up against some rocks, she would coolly pry us off the boulder with her paddle or order us all to the other side of the raft to lift the weight off the boat off the boulder, letting us free. She was doing all the work, and we were having all the fun.
"Here comes Satan's," Sydney called out over the rushing foam, "This is where all the photographers hang out. Paddle hard on my command!"

Photo by Hotshot Imaging

 Satan's Cesspool at Class III is was one of the most feared rapids on the South Fork. Our blue raft followed the current that eased to the left, then swiftly turned to the right. Paddling hard from my position up in front, I could only glance up at my photo op before crashing down into a frothy hole that bent out our boat like a blueberry fruit rollup. If it hadn't for the foot loop at the bottom of the boat, I would have sailed overboard into the deluge. Meanwhile, Debbie, who was behind me, crashed forward into me like we were dominoes.
We were suddenly caught in the maelstrom, between the rock and the thundering river. The raft wouldn't budge off the rocks. In the rush of the water, we somehow got turned around on this thrill ride. I look up for an instant and see the photographers documenting our mishap like we were the flaming Hindenburg.

From then, my memory is blurry, all I can remember is our paddling crew laughing very loudly, as we tried to push our boat off the rocks. Sydney somehow got us off the rocks and back into the flow of the river. We only had a little time to catch our breath. More we continue to approach even more rapids.
"The Gorge" constricts even more as the colossal diagonal standing waves bounced us and the inflatable boat down the stream like a dribbling a basketball on a fast break. At the peak of each wave, we'd hold our breath only to toboggan down its slope with enough momentum to climb the next oncoming wave. Crashing into each wave, we were showered, with a churning hurricane of water with each drop.
"There's one more big one." Sydney told us, "Get ready."
"The Gorge's" last huge drop is called Hospital Bar Rapids, not because its huge series of waves that has been know to flip boats and wipe out paddlers, but because it was named a medical outpost set up here during the Gold Rush.
Our raft fell down its chute that twisted left and the right till another watery splashdown. We rode those bucking waves like a rodeo bronco getting a perfect score. We cheered with a paddle high-five. Lifting our paddles into the air above our heads, clicking them together in celebration.

Our Whitewater Rafting Crew

 In this year of low water, there were a few more rapids to run before we caught sight of the Salmon Falls Bridge and our takeout. Usually, they are underwater in Folsom Reservoir, so we enjoyed a little bonus round of whitewater to send us off smiling.
Thanks to our guide Sydney, My first trip down the Gorge was memorable. I look forward to many more trips down it in the future. And maybe even one day in my whitewater kayak.

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AN ESSENTIAL CHOICE: CHOOSING THE PFD THAT BEST SUITS YOUR NEEDS

The PFD Wall at the River Store

First things first. If you know you're going out on the water, whether in a kayak, canoe, or SUP you should already know you you need a life jacket or personal flotation device, AKA a PFD.
According to the World Health Organization, Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths. Children, males, and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning. 
So think safety folks. As the saying goes, "The best lifejacket is the one you will wear." 
Personal flotation devices (PFD) have come along way since you buckled on that dingy orange big and bulky lifejacket at summer camp for your first canoe trip. Today's PFDs are more comfortable and available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.

Kristin Kettenhofen

But with so many styles and features, how do you choose a PFD that is just right for you?
We floated a few questions to The River Store manager Kristin Kettenhofen to help us out with some expert advice on selecting a PFD.

OAM: What are people looking for in a PFD when they come into The River Store?
KK: We get a wide variety of people coming into the store looking to purchase a PFD from long time river guides to people up for the day wanting to go inner-tubing. Most people I would say are looking for the best "bang for their buck" so to speak.

OAM: There are a lot of PFDs on the wall. How do you break it down to the customer to the one that works best?
KK: They don't make just one style of PFD for a reason! There are so many different body types, personal needs, and overall comfort that are to be considered when getting a PFD. What one of us at the shop may view as the best fitting and most comfortable PFD may not be how the next customer feels when they try it on.
I break it down by first asking what they are going to be doing on the water and if they need a rescue PFD of non-rescue PFD. From there, I will talk to them about pocket space and any other features on the PFD they may be looking for.
Pocket space is usually the make it or break it point on a PFD purchase for a lot of people. From there, I will have them try on a few different styles that hit most of their wants/needs and we try to narrow it down to the perfect PFD for them.

OAM: They all seem to have some great features. What are some of your favorite in today's PFDs?
KK: I personally own an Astral Green Jacket and a Stohlquist Rocker. Both are big sellers here at the shop. I find them both equally comfortable, useful, and stylish. Because let's be honest, looking good on the river is important too! 

The Green Jacket is a big seller because of its large clamshell pocket, which can hold almost everything you want to put in it!

OAM: Describe the perfect fit for a PFD.
KK: I like to describe the perfect fit for a PFD like a nice hug. Not too tight but not too loose! That guideline is easy for people to understand and has helped get a lot of people into the best fit PFD for them.

OAM: Everyone knows men and women have different bodies. Tell us how the PFD makers accommodate their women customers?
KK: There are a handful of women's specific PFDs on the market like the Stohlquist Betsea, Astral Layla, Kokatat Naiad. What makes them different from a unisex PFD is they typically have thinner foam in the chest and for some, they have a shorter torso cut as most women do not have a long torso.

OAM: What's the difference between regular PFDs and rescue PFDs? 
KK: The most obvious difference between a rescue PFD and a non-rescue PFD is the quick release safety belt that is on every rescue PFD. This belt is a webbing strap with a high visibility quick release buckle and a metal O-ring that is secured to the PFD and wraps around the wearer's midsection.
Rescue PFDs are designed for special use and it is highly recommended that you only use a rescue PFD once you have taken swift water rescue training to learn how to use the rescue PFD among other valuable things that are taught in those courses.
The not an obvious difference between a rescue PFD and a non-rescue PFD is the USCG rating. A non-rescue PFD rated for use on the river is a Type III PFD. The USCG defines a Type III PFD as follows: For general boating or the specialized activity that is marked on the device such as water skiing, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and others. Good for calm, inland waters, or where there is a good chance for fast rescue.
A rescue PFD also known as a Type V PFD is defined by the USCG as: Only for special uses or conditions.
It is important to know that a Type V PFD is everything that a Type III PFD is just with some additional features including the quick release belt and typically more pocket space.

OAM: The customer says they may want to rescue vest, but do they really need one?
KK: There are pros to having a rescue PFD if you know how to use all the features the jacket may have.

But, when people are looking at buying a rescue PFD, I will always ask if they have taken a swift rescue course. If they haven't, I encourage them to take one within the year, if they do purchase the rescue PFD. 

At the end of the day, if someone does want to purchase a rescue PFD, it's up to them. We are here to educate everyone as best we can on what gear will be best for them.

OAM: Does the customer need a new one? How do you school-up a customer that it might be time to update their PFD?
KK: If their PFD is as old or older than me then it is FOR SURE time to get a new one. Many people come by the shop with PFDs that are over 10 years old, which we recommend that they replace.
For your average boater, the PFDs have a lifespan of around 5 years, give or take. For your above average boater, someone who is on the water 200+ days out of the year, replacing your PFD every few years isn't abnormal
A good way to judge if your PFD needs to be replaced is to take a look at how the sun faded the fabric is and if there are any stitches that have busted or broken buckles.

Another way to tell if your PFD needs to be replaced and the most important function of a PFD is how well it floats in you flat water, let alone on whitewater. 

If you wear your PFD in a pool and it's barely floating you above the water, it won't float you in whitewater the way that it should. That is a good indication that the PFD needs to be replaced.

Today’s PFDs are comfortable and versatile. Finding the right one for you and your paddling style is essential when getting out on to the water. Choose the PFD that best fits your needs. If it's comfortable and well fitted you’ll actually enjoy wearing and never want to leave the shore without wearing it.


If you want more information about Kristin Kettenhofen recommendations for PFDs, you can contact her at The River Store at info@TheRiverStore.com

We are always looking for guest bloggers to share the stories and pictures of their adventure.

 

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

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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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SUMMER NIGHTS

The moon is Swimming naked, and the summer night is fragrant with a expectation of relief. ---Leonard Cohen

Summertime comes in June to places like Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is not in hurry to get there. Sometimes as cool temperatures can linger for a while. In California, summer can seem almost endless. As the western states sizzle again in another historic drought, we continue to watch our reservoirs drop to all-time lows and unprecedented heat. We dream that next winter will longer and bring in more snow and rain.
Short winters or extended ones are a matter of seasonal and climatic change. And as the old saying says, you can talk about the weather, but not much you can do about it.

Length of winters aside, it's those long summer days that I have come to love. Starting in late May and lasting through August, I have spent many paddling evenings exploring and revisiting my area's lakes and rivers. A couple of weeks before the summer solstice through mid-July seem to be my favorite time of year. When it is the peak of summer when the sun is beaming at its brightest into the evening. Most of the sun-worshipers have already exited the lake leaving it in relaxing and lonely bliss.

Paddling out across Lake Natoma, last week with my wife Debbie, it is easy to why poet William Wordsworth penned, “A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable.” We have the lake all to ourselves. But meandering through the back channels of the lake, we discover we are not alone. Not at all. A much too friendly duck approaches looking for any kind of handout. Sorry duck, we have no food to give. It shuffles off disappointed with us as paddlers who did not offer something tasty.

Around we soon catch sight of three bobbing beaver heads foraging the aquatic vegetation. Excellent swimmers, the beavers are nocturnal creatures who remain partially submerged as we quietly paddle toward them. Sensing our presents, they scoot away before using their flat, scaly tail to signal danger with a giant slap of the water.
Otters are a common sight while on the Lower American River in the evening. Known for a renowned sense of play, the semiaquatic mammals seemed to be more curious than scared as they circled around our kayaks, voicing chirpy barks.
The highlight of our paddle on Lake Natoma, however, was catching sight of small baby deer. It was staring down a flock of geese along the shore. Prancing back and forth, it gave us two paddlers little mind as it challenged the flock of geese. It ran back and forth toward them in a game of tag before seeing that we were only yards away and hopping away.

"It’s good to be lost in this wild land for a while," wrote Minnesota blogger Greg Seitz, "One of the biggest benefits to spending time in nature is how it can pull all your attention toward its wonders and beauty."

My summer evenings can evoke a few memories of days on the Red River and on Minnesota lakes. Paddling into the sloughs, my nose is filled with that same earthy aroma I smelled on those distant nights long ago. It's funny how I can remember that smell. While just around another bend is the sweet smell of riping blackberries. Don't bother with those tempting ones that are bright red. They are still much too tart. I'll have to look for the fat black ones. But how come the sweetest and blackest berries are just out of reach for my reach? I pull myself in close. carefully holding the prickly vines, and reach up and pull down only a couple. I pop them into my mouth for instant deliciousness joy.

"Don't even try to talk to me when I'm watching the moon," wrote children author Wendelin Van Draanen, "That's my moon, baby."

It is no surprise. The full moon can make even the most ordinary spots on the lake beautiful after the sun gave up its bright status in the sky. The glowing orb gives me a rush of adrenaline as I spot it rising out of the trees. Mesmerized by the night sky Debbie and I paddle back to the access as the light of the sunlight fades and the stars appear.

Every paddler I know loves the summer season for their endless opportunities for kayaking adventures. But the long and warm summer days, offer even more bonus time for us to enjoy enormous sunlit sky, balmy breeze, warm fragrance of the air, and lots more while enjoying our favorite waterways.

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OVER THE BOW: THE RED RIVER

With all great journeys, the seed of adventure is planted long before the first step on a trail or the first stroke of a paddle. Looking back, I think a part of my soul was always searching the river. ---Leslie Warren

Back in 2011, the Red was my hometown river. The meandering ribbon of reddish-brown silt-filled water weaves, winds and snakes around for some 390 miles between North Dakota and Minnesota, rarely going the same place twice before entering Canada on its way to Lake Winnipeg. When paddling in the river's oxbows, North Dakota can sometimes be on the east. While Minnesota appears on the west along the river's corridor. Dropping at about a foot a mile, it's remarkably flat, to say the least. I've played on pool tables that have a worse slant. Formed in an ancient lake bed after the glaciers melted away 12,00 years ago, the river still practices the remnants of its glacial past. With a history of significant flooding, the beauty and nature of the river are usually overlooked. It's not uncommon to bald eagles, wood ducks, and deer along the tree-lined banks of the river.
Ten years ago, as it does today, the river ran right through the middle of Fargo and Moorhead. I would spend about any summer evening kayaking up and down the wandering the river sections. Access locations near my home made it the perfect retreat for my paddling fix after a day spent as a photographer for a local television station.
So when I heard about Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho's Minneapolis to Hudson Bay Canoe trip, retracing the route Eric Sevareid made famous in his classic Canoeing with the Cree, I knew I wanted to meet them and share their story.
Their 2,000-mile voyage started by paddling up the Minnesota River before heading downstream on the Bois de Sioux River, followed by the Red River. Fargo would be a pit stop for the duo. They still had miles and miles to go for their journey. Although they were just young college graduates, they were both season canoeists while attempting to make history as the first women to paddle this historic route.
"That confidence led us to believe that we could survive or even thrive, paddling together for three months through unknown territory with only each other, a canoe and our gear," Warren wrote in her recently published book, Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic. It's an account of their epic trip together, highlighting the ups and even downs of their adventure.
It had been an easy sell to talk my assignment editor into meeting up with two canoeists. Canoes, two women paddling on an epic journey, and it was right down the street. They were coming to us.
The Red River that summer of 2011 was running high and out of its banks. I can remember standing in the partially flooded campsites along the river with my tripod and camera in tow in Fargo's Lindenwood Park. If we had timed right, I wouldn't have to wait too long.
Watching downstream, I spotted their canoe moving quickly in the fast-moving current under the I-94 bridge. I panned my camera along with them, keeping the canoe in the frame. The women were all business as they moved through the swirling flow until they paddled out of the current into the calmer water. That is when they could smile for my camera. They pulled up onto the muddy shoreline. At the time, they had been on the river for 27 days were tired and more than a little bit ready to head to a hotel for a shower and a comfy bed. But they were more than gracious to do a quick TV interview with me. After that, they headed off with their family support crew.
They took me up on my invite to entertain their et rouge at a local Fargo winery later that evening. They would be taking a break from the river to re-supply, recharge and attend a family member's wedding before heading downriver.

You can get Natalie Warren's book Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic at her website at natalie-warren.com and on Amazon.   

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

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CANOEING WITH DAD

Cuz, I'm canoeing with Daddy, And it's just like magic. When he hands me my paddle, get a great big smile on my face. ---Jerry Vandiver

On some lake, somewhere, this weekend there will occur the long-established and age-old tradition of a father taking his son or daughter canoeing for the first time. I've seen it many times at Sly Park Paddle Rentals, where I have run the boathouse during the past several seasons.

Young children will come bouncing down the dock with the excitement and wonder of Christmas Day. They will be followed by a just as excited adventuresome Dad hoping to relive some of his memories from his days at summer camp. While Dad fills out the rental forms, the kids are exploring by looking over the dock at the fish swimming by below. Not before long, the family wiggle into their PFDs and board the canoe. One takes the bow while the other sits on a pad in the hull canoe. Paddles are handed out. They're ready.
Dad, I'm sure, is holding his breath as he pushes off from the dock and as smiles break out among the crew. The lake is calm. The only disturbing it is the bow cutting way through the water.
"Bye," they call out as they paddle away on their new adventure, "We'll see you later."

"Maybe my most indelible canoe memory," the current Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau recalled in an essay in Cottage Life about canoeing with his father the long-serving Prime Minister of Canada (1968–1979, 1980–1984) and celebrated canoeist, "Was one of the rites of passage for the Trudeau boys: When we hit five or six years old, our dad would put us into the canoe and we’d shoot the rapids on the stream that went down into Meech Lake. With much trepidation, we’d sit in the front and go down the drop. I look back on it now and laugh because my father was sterning, and there was nothing I could do from the bow to aim it right—but it was very, very important for us to do it. To get into the bow of a canoe with my father for the first time, to be the bowman for the first time, and to go down this big, scary rapid."

Via Twitter

As one can see, Trudeau has fond memories of canoeing. In 2016 he said, "You elected a paddler as your prime minister."
He routinely shares Twitter pictures of him and his family canoeing and says every year he still tries to get out for at least a few days or so in the summer and take a canoe trip. And to think of it all started with a canoe trip with his dad.

There are so many benefits to canoeing with your kids and families. From spending time outdoors together to learning a skill, canoeing with your children is a great way to get active on the water at any age. Canoeing is something the whole family will enjoy in the many years to come.

Tips For A Successful Canoe Trip With Kids

PFDs, PFDs, PFDs. Everyone should be wearing one. In California, every kid under the age of 13 must be wearing while on the boat. And to be a great example of safety for them, you should have one on as well. How else can I expect my kids to follow that rule if I do not?

Don't plan for a long trip. The first few trips are all about fun. Remember your first trip in a canoe and how it set the stage for your love of the outdoors. Those future trips that the joy will come. But right now, you're helping your kids build a foundation of life on the water and planting a seed of recreating outside. A short trip around the lake is a great way to get your kids paddling. In your float plan include a good lunch/ swimming spot. Breaking up the paddle and tiring the kids out with some good ole fashioned playtime is essential.

Keep calm and paddle on. Most of the time, your little tykes will enjoy sitting up front in the bow, between your legs. Give some instruction on not s to stand up in the canoe and how to paddle but keep it simple. We're having fun. If you crash into the bank. It's OK. Laugh about. Paddling skills will get better throughout the day. And remember, no yelling or scolding.

Plan on getting wet and dirty. It’s scientifically proven fact canoes attract murky water to the bottom of the canoe. What is more fun than mud and water? So wear water shoes and clothes that will be OK to get a bit soggy. That might include your backpack too.

Pack lots of snacks and water bottles. Who doesn't love snacks? But please keep those kids hydrated too.

Sunscreen and hats. It's pretty simple to protect the kids from getting sunburn.

And don't forget the camera. This a one of those memories you might just want to remember for a while.

You don't have to wait for Father's Day to take your kids canoeing. Traditionally summertime into fall is the best time to go.

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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Adiós and Vaya Con Dios

      

                         I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand
                         Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand
                         Life is good today, life is good today --- Zac Brown

 

We lounged there under an umbrella gazing at the unmistakable aqua splendor of the Caribbean Sea. The salt spray of the breaking surf hung in the air gave our lungs an instant feeling of ease. The snow-white sand sifted between our toes when we dared to rush toward the curling waves. The rhythmic waves seemed to leaves in a hypnotized state. It was hard to not look away. Not to peer out and wonder. I can't quite explain it, but there's just something so magical about spending a day by the ocean. 

Cancun paddling

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.'' said underwater explorer and conservationist Jacques Yves Cousteau.

The trip to Cancun, Mexico, was the kickoff to our summer. And after the last 16 months of living in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a pure pleasure to sit in the sultry sun relaxing at a luxury spa. I know I could get used to this all-inclusive lifestyle. We even got to kayak one day, where I looked down into the clear water and saw dozen of starfish just below my boat.
Our days in Cancun floated by quickly. Before long, we high in the sky, heading for North Dakota to see our granddaughter and attend to some family matters. It was followed by a cross-country trip in a U-Haul truck back to California back to reality.
There was little time for a return-to-trip hang-over. A day after unloading the truck, I packed up my camping gear and headed up to Sly Park and the pine-lined views of Lake Jenkinson and running Sly Park Paddle Rentals for a long weekend. I never had it so good. 

Sly Park Paddle Rentals

“Travel changes you," celebrity world traveler Anthony Bourdain said, "As you move through this life and this world, you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”

 

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

Slab Creek Reservoir

Lower American River

Lower American River with Bayside Adventure Sports

Rattlesnake Bar

Snowshoeing the China Wall with Debbie Carlson

Folsom Lake

The Lower American River

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