HOW TO GLOW & PADDLE

The 5th annual Glow Paddle on California State Park's Lake Natoma is slated for this weekend, weather permitting. It will give a chance for paddlers to once again try to outdo each other, as they illuminated their canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards with colorful lights and decorations during the annual paddling event.
In the past, the unofficial Glow Paddle has been held in conjunction with the Folsom Parks & Recreation Department's annual Glow Event. The walk/ run is a family-friendly, non-competitive run/walk for all ages where participants have dressed up in costumes that glowed, blinked, sparked, and shined along the route. The neon shining walkers and runners decked out with glow sticks, glow glasses, glow necklaces lit up the trail from Folsom's Historic District, across the walk bridge over Lake Natoma, through the Negro Bar unit of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, and back again.
However once again the Covid-19 pandemic has doused the official Glow Event for the second year in a row. Once again, the paddling community is generating the power to keep it going.
"Who knew this activity would become so popular?" Glow Paddle organizer Tim Senechal wrote on Facebook, "Two years ago we had 30 participants, then last year 150. This year one group had 400 participants take part at their glow paddle, and multiple groups seem to do evenings every week."

To help you enjoy the magical experience of a glow paddle, here are three tips to get you shining on the water.
Number 1, Lights, lights, lights, and more lights. That's right, the whole object is that lighten up your kayak or paddleboard like a Christmas tree. The more lights the better. Remember Danny DeVito in the Christmas movie Deck the Halls? He wanted to make it his house seen from space. That should be your glow goal. Now, while it might hard to make out your floating SUP from space. You should at least be bright enough to be seen from the top of the bridge while floating under it.
Forget glow sticks. They are just not bright enough. Bring plenty of battery-powered lights from any hardware store, that have a Christmas section and tape to attach them to your craft and light up the night.
Number 2, Think Safety. Safety is always first, so don't forget your PFD. That is the most important thing to be wearing when you're on the water.
It's going to be dark when you're gonna get off the water, so make sure your boat is not the only thing that glows. Bring a headlight or flashlight to help you get out of the boat when loading up. It also will help you see the beach when exiting your craft.
Number 3, Have Fun.
This is a fun social event to celebrate the paddling community. Don't plan on working out or paddling hard. Just float around and enjoy the ingenuity of the other paddler's light shows on the water.

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

SACRAMENTO RIVER & VIDEO

Far below, the river frothed and flowed over pebbly shallows, or broke tumultuously over boulders and cascades, in its race for the great valley they had left behind. ---Jack London

There is no better way to get away from it all than to get out on the water on a long-distance kayak trip down the upper part of the Sacramento River. The upper reaches of the river is a paddler's paradise with fast and dependable flows, changing scenery with views of Mount Shasta, Lassen Peak, and a sense of serenity while floating along on California's longest river.

Last week, while scouting out a trip for next year for the faith-based Sacramento group Bayside Adventure Sports, we paddled the 11-mile section of the river from Mill Creek Park near Los Molinos to Tahema County River Park and Woodson Bridge State Park Recreation Area about 20 miles north of Chico.

While it certainly isn't the most complicated section of the river, it does offer an ideal way for beginners to experience paddling the river. While it had a few ripples, we mostly just dodged a lot of submerged tree stags along the way. Still, the river's clear water pushed us along briskly around each bend. We weaved under only two highway bridges at the beginning and end of this semi-remote section of the river. We nodded and waved to fishermen along the way and also saw our share of turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, and two promenade colonies of pelicans.

The put-in and the take-out were uncrowded for our October trip on the river when most recommend paddling is best, escaping the summer heat. 

"It was really nice. It was fun. It was exciting. It was everything you expect on a river trip. I can't wait to come back next year and do this with a bunch of people because it was so much fun," said Bayside Sports Paddling leader John Taylor. 

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

 

OVER THE BOW: LAKE NATOMA

Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves.” – Humbert Wolfe

On the crisp fall day of last year, every paddle stroke sprinkled water drops, reflecting the sun like sparklers across the still backwaters of Lake Natoma. Autumn, without any doubt, is one season you don't want to miss visiting the lake. The weather is cooler, the summer crowds are gone, and the placid waters reflect images of lusters.

Contemporary Turkish writer Mehmet Murat Ildan wrote, “Dancing of the autumn laves on a surface of a lake is a dream we see when we are awake.” 

It does seem like we were in a fantasy land of colors. Bright reds and yellows set a dazzling display along the banks of the lake mingled among the faded clumps of iris and shriveled blackberries that still clung to the vine.

My party of kayakers glided almost effortlessly through the meandering watery path past islands, through narrow channels, and into silent still ponds part of the Folsom SRA near Sacramento, California.

Ducks, geese, and deer are at home here despite being so close to an urban setting. Our slow speed, quiet nature, and ability to access these shallow waters in our kayaks made it ideal for viewing wildlife. We do our best to keep a distance and not disturb them as they bed down for the evening. Some creatures, however, had no intention of heading back to their burrow.  Excellent swimmers, the beavers are nocturnal creatures who remain partially submerged as we quietly paddled near them. Sensing our presents, they scoot away before using their flat, scaly tail to signal danger with a giant slap of the water.

After weeks of smoke-filled and hazing skies, the sky was so blue and the air so fresh we wanted to drink it in and make it last. In the serenity of the sloughs rounded ponds, we were thrilled to be in the luster of the autumn sun and brilliant shades of crimson leaves at the end of our day.

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

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

 

KAYAK SUMMER 2021

Above the mountains which lay beyond the further shore, the sky was murky with the smoke of unseen forest fires, and through this the afternoon sun broke feebly, throwing a vague radiance to earth, and unreal shadows. To the sky-line of the four quarters--spruce-shrouded islands, dark water, and ice-scarred rocky ridges--stretched the immaculate wilderness. --- Jack London

When summer arrived as Jack London wrote in the Call of The Wild, it's time for us to pack our backs, "Rafted across blue mountain lakes, and descended or ascended unknown rivers in slender boats whip-sawed from the standing forest....through the uncharted vastness."
In Call of the Wild, London tells the beloved classic tale of Buck's (a mix of St. Bernard and Scotch collie) transition from a kidnapped pampered pup to Klondike sled dog to his evolution to embrace the deeper parts of his wilder side. 

Lake Jenkinson

"Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it, and to plunge into the forest, and on and on, he knew not where or why; nor did he wonder where or why, the call sounding imperiously, deep in the forest,” wrote London of the Buck's instinctual call of the wilderness.
For those of us with a wanderlust soul, London's words stir our senses of adventure. For some, we have that need to answer that call of the wild. When summertime, comes it is our time to pack our packs, load our boats, and journey into the world around us. However, London's darker views can convolute our ideals of the inspiring novelist writing about dogs and the Alaskan frontier. In his time, London was an unashamed racist and a prominent advocate of socialism, casting a problematic shadow over his love of the wilderness and making him a bit more a complicated storyteller.

Much like London, summertime 2021 brought plenty of contradictions and complications to the great outdoors. Even as summer ends this year, we still don't have a handle on the Covid-19 pandemic. As the Delta variant increases, there is still a debate on getting the vaccine and wearing masks. Still the due to the upheaval from COVID-19, Americans across the country took to the outdoors. The 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, commissioned by the Outdoor Foundation, reveals that in 2020, 53 percent of Americans ages six and over participated in outdoor recreation at least once, the highest participation rate on record. Some 7.1 million more Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2020 than in the year prior. 

Lake Jenkinson

And it's secret that a lot of those folks headed to the water, and paddle sports sales exploded.
And as the paddling industry boom and people flocked to the water, there is still a huge lack of diversity. According to the same report, nearly 75 percent of outdoor participants were white. Participation rates declined 7 percent annually among Asian Americans for the past three years; stagnated for the last three years among Blacks and grew among Hispanics but remained well below whites.
Fortunately, the paddling community is recognizing people of color love the outdoors. Advocates are working to tear down barriers and diversifying the sport for all participants. California-based groups like Outdoor Afro and Vamos Afuera (Let’s Go Outside) have organized frequent outings to paddleboard, kayak, and explore magical places like Yosemite.

Climate change is another issue facing California. Summers get hotter, drier, and smokier due to another extended fire season. This summer, the Caldor Fire closed us down early at Sly Park as the blazed raged just to the south of the park and lake.
“These fires are blinking code red for our nation. They’re gaining frequency and ferocity, and we know what we’re supposed to do. Scientists have been warning us for years [that] extreme weather is going to get more extreme. We’re living it in real-time now,” President Joe Biden said after taking an aerial tour of land burned by the Caldor Fire last week. 

Sly Park Paddle Rentals on Lake Jenkinson

Despite the fire, my season at the boathouse was shortened anyway. Lake Jenkinson fell to record levels along with many other California reservoirs during this season of drought. All through the summer, the lake continued to shrink in size and depth. Each week I would return and find less and less water in the lake.

Regardless of all those arduous issues, my summer season flashed by again a golden haze. Once again, those months came and went so quickly.  Now in September, I'm looking back on a hectic summer of cross-country trips, boathouse days, paddling nights, and a very adventuresome trip down the South Fork of the America River. I've enjoyed hearing the sweet cadences of water ripples over rocks, seeing the vividly mirrored placid lake, and feeling the cool water on a moonlight swims while the stars danced over the trees. 

Moon over Wyoming 

But as London wrote in The Faith of Men, a collection of adventure tales set in the Yukon Territory, "Then came the autumn, post-haste before the down rush of winter. The air grew thin and sharp, the days thin and short. The river ran sluggishly, and skin ice formed in the quiet eddies. All migratory life departed south, and silence fell upon the land."

It's time now to transition into the colder months of the season while still, remembering fall which is still a great time to get outside. The appearance of autumn does not call for the disappearance of kayaks or standup paddleboards. Fall and wintertime waters offer a quieter and solitary experience. Who doesn't appreciate fewer bugs, crowds, and empty parking spots at the access? To provide a transition from swimsuits to wetsuits, I picked favorite images created over the past few months to help recall the past season to help you cruise through to until next summer. 

Bayside Adventure Sports on Lake Jenkinson

Canoeing on Lake Jenkinson

The South Fork of the American River. Photo by Hot Shot Imaging

Smoke over Lake Jenkinson

Power Paddle

Lake Natoma

Lake Jenkinson

Sailing on Elliot Bay in Seattle

Lake Natoma 

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

BOATHOUSE DAYS, MY FOURTH SUMMER ON LAKE JENKINSON

After struggling through the Covid pandemic last season, I was hoping for a new bright season while working at the Sly Park Paddle Rentals located on the upper part of Lake Jenkinson at Sly Park Recreation Area in the Sierra foothills near Pollock Pines, California. For the past four summers, I had been there almost every weekend, renting out kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards to anyone who wanted to come out and paddle the lake.

When teeming with water, the timber-lined lake is a boater's paradise. Divided by a narrow channel, Jenkinson Lake's larger rounded half is where you will find the swimming beach and campgrounds along with a good share of speedboats. While the upper half of the lake, being smaller and, narrower has more of a summer camp feel where canoes are still paddled with glee. Two babbling creeks, a scenic waterfall, and its icy pool only add to the lake's beauty and charm. 

When we started the season, the lake level was already as low as it was, back in September when we closed for the season. The Park Rangers told me it would only get lower as the summer continued.
This year was also going to be different because we weren't the only showing town. There was a lot more to do. With no travel restrictions, people now were going to restaurants, movies, and ballgames.
We had to make the best of the time that we had.
So like I have done over the past couple of seasons before, I began collecting notes, recounting my daily routine along with my observations of my days at the boathouse.

Saturday, May 8...Moving day at Sly Park. We packed two trailers of boats and canoes and brought them up to the lake. The lake is low but still looks good, at least until the middle of summer. I don't know when the water will stop coming. It is likely it will be a very dry summer. 
Friday, May 28...A quiet day as we kick off the summer season. Not many reservations, and so far, only a handful of walk-ups. Tomorrow looks like it will be busier.
The lake is low and not ready for swimming just yet. It's a bit too cold. It could use some more water, but after the third driest winter in California history, I think this is the best of what I can expect this season. 

Monday, May 31...Memorial Day. Both Saturday and Sunday proved to be very busy. After locking up, I took off to Sly Park Falls. Usually, the water is very high this time of year. However, this summer, the lake is very thirsty. I had to hike most of the way on the trail after paddling to the creek. I love coming to the falls at the end of the day. It is when the place is quiet. All you can hear is the sound of rushing water. Peaceful and relaxing. This is how I wish it could be all this all season.
I have three young ducks living near the dock. They like to find food around it. They appear to be orphans since I have seen no mother duck nearby watching them. They go under the dock back and forth and appear to be doing well. Meanwhile, some angler caught and happily released a nice-sized bass, I think to be Roger, who swims under the dock. My highlight last night was seeing the eagle of the lake sitting on a stump near Sly Park Creek. 

Friday, June 4...The lake has plenty of beaches this spring. I tell my customers that they can pretty much have their choice of any beach spots once they get on the water. With the lake so low, it's not difficult to find a spot.
I miss those days when there was a bit more water in the lake. It was always pretty amazing to paddle up to the bridge toward the rumbling of the waterfall. Its roar got louder and louder with each paddle stroke.
Hazel creek has never had the same appeal. It's like a boring straight-laced sister compared to the 33-foot dazzling display of falling water. However, last Monday, the creek was flowing quickly into the lake. Cold and icy water came in a rapid flow down toward the lake. I was tempted to surf it for a while, but it was not quite deep enough. When I turned my kayak, I got caught sideways pouring the cold water into my cockpit. I nearly rolled. Of course, I laughed. It was funny to be such a spot like a boat that's stuck in the Suez Canal sideways against the wall. My kayak is 16-foot, while the channel of the Hazel Creek was only 15-foot at the most. It would have been embarrassing if I had rolled.

The waterfall didn't flow after June. In the past, I would paddle up to the waterfall on the 4th of July. But this year, it wasn't flowing. It had been shut off.
Sly Park Falls is the jewel of the park. The waterfall trail is always a popular hike. Ordinarily, in the summer, the falls were filled with rushing water, splashing, and laughter as families came to visit the shaded pool. Now it was just a dribble.
For the past couple of seasons, I had usually worked alone at the boathouse. But this year, Current Adventures owner Dan Crandall sent up a young assistant to help me out on the busy weekends.
Teddy was a likable person who enjoyed working at the boathouse as much as I did. Bright and friendly the customers liked him just as much as I did. 

By July, There was no paddling up to the waterfall. There was no paddling even up Sly Creek. Instead of rushing cool water, there were dry stones and mucky silt. Every week, the bathtub ring around their lake grew larger. Tree stumps and boulders were rising from depths, and the lake wasn't as pretty as it had been before.

Sunday, June 6...It was steady Saturday at the boathouse yesterday. I even have a new helper that day. Teddy is just 18-years-old and was there to help me out. We had lots of reservations and many walk-ups all day. A likable person who usually works at the River Store.
The lake is still very low, is also very inviting. I have been able to jump in and swim. The water is very comfortable.
Friday, June 18...A very hot day at the lake. A very hot day all over California. The highs are all record highs of heat over 100 degrees. Dangerous to even some. Down in the valley, they are really suffering and trying hard to escape the heat. Up here, It was much better. Early on, there wasn't even a breeze. Teddy and I felt it as the heat bounced off the aluminum dock right back at us, cooking us like bacon on a skillet.

Friday, June 11...I escaped a bit and spent a share of the time observing the eagle of the lake. I think it's a young male. He has been flying around the boathouse this morning. So far, he is my only entertainment on an otherwise quiet day on the lake. In Minnesota, it is said every lake has its own loon. I would like to think that in the foothills of California, every lake should have its own eagle.
Sunday, June 13...Another busy day. The highlight being, my friend, Kelly, dropping by with a plate of BBQ ribs, salad, and of course, apple pie. Needless to say, She got a free rental. Like my wife Debbie, this is one of her favorite places to visit.
Saturday, June 19...The night before, I lead a sunset/moonlight paddle for Current Adventures. I had 7 adults and 2 kids, one of which I had to tow for a bit. The lake is so low it doesn't attract the same thrill, but there is still something special about a quiet evening on the lake as the sun slowly sets. In the spring, when there is a lot of water, we can kayak all the way to the bridge and have a short walk to the falls, but last night with the water so low, we had to hike a good portion and to make it even worse the pretty falls were not flowing and, the water had been turned off. It was disappointing because usually, it is my star attraction on this paddle. 

Sunday, June 26...Our boat ramp now touches the piece of pavement. After this, it's all dirt and sand. When we started the season, I think we were at least up 3 or 4 blocks. It doesn't look good for the rest of the summer. The lake is sitting at 75%, which is dismal for the last week of June. I told Teddy that this is what it looked like when we closed for the season last September.
Crazy fun stuff. This is National Canoe Day, and we didn't rent a single one. I guess that means I'll have to take one out for a ride at the end of the day.
Saturday, July 3...A good day at the dock. We were busy throughout the day. All our tandem boats went hit the water, and a good chunk of our day, our dock was empty.

Week after week, the walk to the boathouse got longer and longer. I got handy with a rake and a shovel extending my path after the cement ran. I outlined the trail with rocks and dead tree branches. Meanwhile, around the boathouse, sunken tree stumps rose from the depths of the lake each week.
Keeping the boathouse inline due to afternoon winds and lowering it into the lake came almost a weekly routine.
Still, I did enjoy the fringe benefits of running the boathouse with some canoe time after hours and especially nice when the speed boats were gone.
Toward mid-July, the first sign of threat to fire came as a helicopter showed up hovering over the lake like a hummingbird taking buckets of water to a fire. Little did we know at the time that it would be a sign of things to come for the lake and area.

Monday July 5...Last night, while I was out paddling, the rangers came by and moved the dock further out into the water. We lost some 7 feet. Now my customers will have to walk over mud and sand to get to our dock. I created a little nature trail to outline the path of logs and stones marking the trail.
Sunday, July 11...It's going to be another scorcher here on the lake. With no breeze, it's especially hot out on the deck. Yikes, it burns my bare feet!
The excitement came in the afternoon when after a report of a nearby fire. A big Chinook helicopter showed and took several loads of lake water to dose the fire. It hovered over the lake, dropping in large buckets, and scooping the water up, and flying away. 

Friday, July 16...The lake is holding steady at 72%, according to the sign at the gate. It does look down several feet at the boathouse. A nearby tree stump where a kid was standing last week made him look like he is walking on water is now down about another foot.
Friday, July 23...It's a bright and clear day. There is a bit of a breeze, but that's OK. It's keeping the smoke away from the fire that is in the east. I can see the smoky haze over the pines of Sly Park Creek. This is going to be a very long fire season.
Friday, July 30...The water which we don't have much of all dropped again. They moved my dock down into the shrinking lake. I was greeted by a sign at the front gate saying 15 mph as of August 9th.
Saturday, July 31...When I got to the boathouse, I met up with the ranger staff as we again lowered the dock further into the water and straighten it out. It seems this summer it has become a weekly occurrence. After that, I raked out another section of my long path down to the dock. 

During our summer, my customers would ask when would be the last day we would be renting out our kayaking. In the past, we went into September weekends. I mean, who wouldn't want to take a boat ride after taking a trip to Apple hill. But this season, we hoped to end on Labor Day weekend, but it would depend on how much water was still in the lake if it would be sooner. Little did we know that the Caldor Fire would abruptly end our season on the lake by shutting down the park. Instead of watching boats come and go, I'm checking the fire maps And Facebook posts and praying that the park and my houseboat house Are not destroyed by fire

Sunday, August 1...The lake is quiet and still to start this morning. At this time, any sound would seem sacrileges. Breaking the stillness of the water would be like putting a black line through the Mona Lisa. I wish it could stay like this all day. It would be wonderful to escape the daily battering winds that drive the waves up in the afternoon. Yesterday it pushed my dock around more than ever.
A good evening paddle last night as I paddled to the island and back in the fading sunlight. Not much for waves as all the motorboats were headed for home. They will be off the water soon anyway as the speed restrictions will be put in place next week. Our days are numbered, also. We won't get so much past September with the current water situation. 

 

Friday, August 6...A smoky day in the valley and a very smoky day here at the lake. The sun barely shines through the smoke-filled clouds. It is a great day indeed. The haze intertwines through the tall trees. By 2 in the afternoon, I could not even see across the lake as even more smoke blew the shore became more and more obscure. The lake is has been disappearing with the loss of the water and now the trees. It's by far the worst I have ever seen here on the lake. It's been that kind of year.
Sunday, August 15...Quiet start to the day. It is very still with the new speed restrictions. It will be a paddler's paradise now with the big boats off the water.
The rangers came and set my dock once again. While in the afternoon, a helicopter appeared on the lower part of the lake, taking more loads of water to a fire burning just south of the park.

Like many, we're waiting for all clear to get back into the park. The good news finally came this week. El Dorado Irrigation District announced, in light of the recent downgrades of the fire evacuation orders, Sly Park Recreation Area will reopen this weekend. According to a news release, the park sustained minimal damage during the Caldor Fire. The only damage to the park was caused by a back burn operation below the dams that have necessitated the closure of the trail system in that area. Horseback riders cannot circle the lake due to the trail closure. Other than that, the park was untouched by the flames, which is great news.
However, while the park is open, Sly Park Paddle Rentals is closed for the season. We'd like to thank all the Rangers and park staff who helped us keep afloat during the season and our amazing customers for their patronage of making a long walk down the hill to our boathouse.
The good news is we'll be back next year. Until then, we pray for the firefighters and the people displaced by the fire. But most of all, we hope for rain and snow to come to California this winter. To dampen the threats of fires and fill our beloved lake with water.

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

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

UP IN SMOKE

“But clouds bellied out in the sultry heat, the sky cracked open with a crimson gash, spewed flame-and the ancient forest began to smoke. By morning there was a mass of booming, fiery tongues, a hissing, crashing, howling all around, half the sky black with smoke, and the bloodied sun just barely visible. ---  Yevgeny Zamyatin

I'm not a fair-weather paddler. Not in the least. I have paddled on cold November days in Minnesota with icicles clinging to my Mambas. I have kayaked in gusty winds where the waves zapped my energy, and my destination seems to get further away with every forward stroke. And of course, I have paddled in the heavy downpours of rain. I have been soaked to the skin, exciting my senses to hear and see a thousand drops and splashes on the lake.
It is the end of summer now, and it should be the perfect time for paddling and camping adventures. But it's not. I look out my office window into an orange glow of haze. It seems odd that after being isolated during the Covid pandemic where we had to sit in our homes a good chunk of last year, that we are all now forced back inside looking out for pretty much the same reason. It's not safe to breathe the air.

For most of the summer, California has been contending with wildfires. It has become almost an annual battle Throughout the state as the fire season starts earlier and earlier every year. The smoke from these fires has made it unhealthy just to be outside, let alone being on a river or a lake. It has become extremely frustrating to area paddlers
"My summer has been interrupted with all those wildfires, closing several lakes and venues. Even locally recently, the air quality was really bad keeping us/me stuck indoors, while it's hotter than hell outside and unhealthy to breathe the air as well," wrote my paddling partner John Taylor on Facebook this past week.

Last weekend, the wildfires burning in Northern California, including the rapidly expanding Caldor fire that now even threatens Lake Tahoe, are affecting more people than those forced to evacuate.
Its smoke has choked the skies of the region sending the air quality index to unhealthy levels. Medical experts say that when the Air Quality Index exceeds 201 to 300, the air is judged to be very unhealthy. Children, asthmatics, and people with heart or lung conditions should avoid the outdoors, and all others should reduce their outdoor exertion. When the Air Quality Index goes over 300, it is hazardous for everyone.

The effects of smoky air pollution can be mild, like eye and throat irritation, or serious, including heart and respiratory issues. They can also linger even after the smoke has cleared, as pollution can cause inflammation of the lung tissue and increase the vulnerability to infections.
Simply put. On days like those, it's a good idea to keep your boat, paddle at home, and stay inside.

The unbearable part is why I'm worried about losing a summertime paddling day. People are losing their homes and their livelihoods every day. They've been evacuated from the dangerous areas, as firefighters battle the flames that every day seem to get bigger and bigger. My heart is also breaking for those beautiful places that are now lost. For those historic places that have been turned into ashes. And for the wildlife that can't outrun the flames. It is sad to think, that the majority of wildlife mortalities will come later, after the fire is out, due to the loss of habitat and food sources burned in the path of the fire. 

Since early July, 93 large wildfires have destroyed more than 2.5 million acres. Fires are currently burning in 13 states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The skies near these fires are thick with smoke but also impacted air quality several thousand miles away. The sun glowed red-orange as haze as the east coast has experienced similar smoky conditions this summer.
“We’re seeing lots of fires producing a tremendous amount of smoke, and … by the time that smoke gets to the eastern portion of the country where it’s usually thinned out, there’s just so much smoke in the atmosphere from all these fires that it’s still pretty thick,” said David Lawrence, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told media outlets, “Over the last two years we’ve seen this phenomenon.”

Weather watchers say, that these devastating effects of the wildfires have been exacerbated by the effects of climate change and it is only likely to worsen in the future.

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

OVER THE BOW: FOLSOM LAKE

It's a long way to the lake even after you enter the park. Following the bumpy dirt trail is a Mars rover experience as I made my way slowly down to the water. There is no vegetation to speak of, only rusty-colored sand, rocks, dried silt. I follow the tire tracks of the other land rovers, hoping they lead me to the water. Glancing down at my GPS monitor, I have to chuckle when seeing the dot that represents me, and my truck laden with kayaks is deep into the blue with what should be Folsom Reservoir.
However, there is water in view. In the haze of wildfire smoke, the lake was a grey and narrow band of water reaching northeast toward Auburn. A skeleton of it is what it usually is this time of the year. When on the water, the lake is void of the usual landmarks.
This year is the second driest year on record since 1977 and northern California man-made reservoirs like Folsom Lake SRA are at their lowest.

Climate change surrounds us with irregular seasons and rising sea levels. From the devastating melting occurring at the Arctic Ocean’s ice sheets to the destructive flooding wreaking havoc in the south and Europe. And of course, the droughts and wildfires are affecting the western part of the United States.

Climate activist Aneesa Khan reminded us that it’s very much in the here and now," when she said,
“Climate change isn't something in the future. That narrative is fundamentally flawed because there are millions impacted and so many displaced already. That is the new inconvenient truth that no one wants to hear.”

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

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