A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM: A SOLSTICE PADDLE AT SLY PARK

Not only is it Sum­mer Sol­stice, drops a Full Moon. May love sur­round you like sun­shine on a sunny day. --- William Shakespeare

The lake was finally close to being quiet now. Gone were the speed boats and fishing boats, whose muffled motor rumble we could be faintly heard from the big part of the lake. Gone was the laughing and splashing the frolicking pre-teens jumping off the dock. They had either gone home or were back at their campsite gorging on hot dogs and potato chips. And gone was the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and the waves sloshing against the boat dock. The lake was still, calm and so inviting.

It was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year marking the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and sun was in no hurry to set. Each year, I've anxiously awaited for this time of year to stretch out my time at play on the water. For paddlers everywhere, longer days mean more time for paddling. It's that simple.

In Northern California, Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips has been hosting our popular sunset/moonlight paddles for all skill levels at Lake Natoma near Sacramento for many years. But, now they offer a new venue at Sly Park Recreation Area's Lake Jenkinson with paddle rentals, paddling classes and special programming like this Summer Solstice Paddle for those wanting to escape the valley.

Lake Jenkinson and Sly Park Recreation Area are stationed in a picturesque setting of the Sierra foothills near Pollock Pines, California. Divided by a channel into two parts, the larger rounded lower lake is home to the speedboats, picnic and campgrounds, and swimming beach, while the upper part of the lake is more narrow, much quieter due to a 5-mph speed limit and lined with a fringe of tall pines, reminiscent of my  of summer camp memories in the Northwoods.

It's was a great group for of both young and young at heart were joining me for our first Solstice Paddle on the lake. We traveled along the south side shore of the upper lake, past the eagle's nest under a border of tall pines on route to Sly Park Creek and its waterfall.

I loved to watch the light reflecting off the on the water as we moved along on it. How it changed with each ripple from our kayaks. How it at first it started with a sun blinding glisten silhouetting the paddlers and pines, before turning into a subdued glow of oranges, reds and shadowy greenish blues. On the south side, the trees of the lake the solstice sun brightly illuminated the trees in the distance like the moon while towards the west the tall pines filtered the light reaching the lake a picket fence flashing brilliantly between them as we paddled past.

At the creek, the forest closed around us like in a Tolkien tale as we paddled up toward the walking bridge. There the creek narrowed into a constricted rush of water just above the bridge that we could paddle no further. We would have to walk the path to the sound of the waterfall.

Sly Park Falls the bubbling man-made waterfall is always a popular destination for those visiting the park by either hike or paddle. Flowing from a pipe, the falls are only 33-feet high that drops into a translucent pool of water. It's just a brief stop before the water keeps moving on down to the lake.

It's the highlight of our paddle tonight that enchants the paddlers as they watch the water pouring vigorously out the hillside with an almost deafening roar. It always gives me a certain thrill. I'm sure the paddlers visiting it for the first time had the same sensation.

Before long it's back to our kayaks to circumvent the rest of the lake past Hazel Creek and Chimney Campground, named so because of the ruins of the chimney still left standing before the lake was formed rises out of its depths. Campfire smoke, camp clatter, and laughter hung over the water as it filtered down from the campsites.

By now our trip was almost over as the solstice sun had fallen behind the horizons. We paddled back in the coolness of the night air maybe wishing for our day not to end.

If you want to go on other kayak trip to 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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A SAFE HAVEN

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. --- Albert Einstein

It's a phrase printed on bumper stickers and T-shirts in paddle shop everywhere reading, ‘Paddle faster, I hear banjos.’

For years, it's given many folks in the paddling a slight chuckle as it makes reference to the 1972 classic movie Deliverance starring Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight. The film was adapted from the James Dickey novel, about a group of suburban men on a weekend canoe trip down the fictional Cahulawassee River in the Georgian mountain wilderness. The adventure turns to horror when they encounter a pair of dangerous mountain men that set off a disturbing sequence of events along the river.

In the memorable opening scene of the movie, a suggested mentally challenged and inbred banjo player joins in and plays with one of the guitar strumming canoeists. Improvising a song between them, the two produce a bluegrass tune known as “Dueling Banjos." It's the bright spot, in an otherwise, unbearably dark film about conflict on the river that is now a part of paddling folklore.

In all my days of paddling rivers, however, I have never really had any conflicts with anyone either along the shore or paddling nearby. Most of the folks I've come across along the waterway proved to be either helpful and courtesies. I have seen paddlers offer over equipment that has been forgotten as well as advice to just about anyone at the access site. I have seen total strangers retrieve lost boats and paddles for frantic swimming paddlers without any question.

"They were just ordinary paddlers," wrote Jeff Moag in a 2014, June edition of Canoe & Kayak magazine, "Who extended the lessons of the river of life: If you have a rope, use it. If you need one, grab it and hold on."

Those are the people of the river and paddling community I have come to know. I 've found that everyone is pretty much your friend when they have a paddle in their hand. That's why I was surprised and very disappointed after reading about the incident on the Flint River in Northern Alabama last month.

For a group of teens, a kayaking trip down a popular Alabama river known as flat water enthusiast's "dream come true" turned into a nightmare when the kids were allegedly attacked and threatened with sexual assault by three suspects.

Collins Nelson

According to Alabama news outlets, Collins Nelson of Huntsville says he and other friends were on the river when a man paddling behind them began heckling the group. He says, words were exchanged, as the group tried to get away from the man as he threatened one of the girls with rape saying he and his friends would see them downriver.

“We proceed to go down the river a little more and hear his friends running through the woods telling us just to be ready,” Nelson told AL.com, “It was just chaos from there. Flipping our kayaks, flipped my kayak, some man put me in a headlock and proceeded to beat my face.”

Nelson said he was held underwater by his attackers, and couldn't remember much of the fight after that.

John Norris who was in Nelson's party told, WAAY 31-TV this account, ""We are sitting there hands up begging, 'Please stop,' and they just didn't care and continue to go on,"

Someone on the river called the police, who were waiting when the party finally made it to the takeout point. According to a girl who didn't want to be identified told AL.com, "If the police hadn’t been there, I think these people would have continued to beat us up. I think that was their intention.  It “definitely” could have been worse."

Nelson suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket that will require surgery, among other injuries in the attack. The Huntsville police are investigating and have since arrested three suspects with at least one more arrest is still expected in the case.

Incidents like this should shake up our paddling community. Our rivers and water trails should be a safe haven for all who travel them without fear of being bullied, intimidate, coerce or attacked. Our rivers both wild and mild should be places where we offer those using and enjoying them despite their race, religion or sexual orientation the same friendly respect that our paddling community is known for  That alone should be enough. But, it isn't. There are many issues and the banjos continue to get louder.

In most cases, alcohol is always involved.

Nate Peeters, a public affairs officer for Huron-Manistee National Forests, told the Detroit Free Press this past February, while a Michigan group was trying lead a petition drive to ban alcohol on three of the state's popular waterways, that intoxicated individuals on the river have needed to be rescued from the water, have assaulted others, and pollute the rivers with cans and bottles.

"This behavior is really excluding families and youth groups and other community members from experiencing safe and enjoyable recreation on the rivers," he told the paper.

Other conflicts may arise with paddlers vs landowners in respect to river access with one of the most extreme events being The Burro Incident, where Arizona kayakers faced a gun-toting landowner. Paddlers should know their rights about navigable rivers, but also should recognize private property.

And maybe the most alarming case was the 2016 investigative report furnished by the U.S. Department of the Interior that showed that women in the rafting industry have been the victims of sexual misconduct for years. Since the release of that report, thousands of more women from all facets of the outdoor industry have stepped forward to share their stories of some form of discrimination, retaliation, or a sexually hostile work environment.

As you can see there are many concerns when comes to making the river a safe haven for everyone. But the days of "What Happens On The River Stays On The River" should be over for good and the paddling community should not try out paddle these banjos anymore.

As Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel said, "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever humans endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormenter, never the tormented."

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BORN TO PADDLE, KAYAKING WITH KIDS

The first river you paddle runs through the rest of your life. It bubbles up in pools and eddies to remind you who you are. --- Lynn Culbreath Noel

"Can I fall in?"
That question is usually unheard of in my adult classes. Just the thought of rolling upside in their kayak would strike terror into them. But, this query came from smiling freckled-face ten-year-old girl with boundless energy and little fear.

"Sure if you want to," I replied.

The girl and kayak in one motion capsize with a plop, gurgle, and splash. An instant later, in textbook maneuver, she lowers her head to the bow, pushes her legs and feet clear of the kayak and then drops them to the bottom and brings her still smiling face up alongside her kayak.

"Kids love kayaking and most take to it almost instantly," said Current Adventures' Dan Crandall, "We get them smiling at the beginning of class and have them laughing by the end."

Anyone who works with kids regularly knows they come with have short attention spans and aren't to focused on learning the technical aspects of the forward, back or sweep strokes.

The key for instructor John Weed, is to keeping paddling exercises fun, short and interesting. He used a game of keep-a-way to get the students to paddle and steer their boats. From the shore, it looked like a mayhem of bumper boats crashing about the lake, but before long the students are discovering how to propel and turn their boats while chasing a green ball.
Another game Weed used to help kids practice boat control all while having fun was called Sharks and Minnows. He is instructed one kid to be a shark while all the other kids were all minnows.

"I'm hungry!" called out the shark.

"And I'm a little minnow," cried the scattering minnows trying not to get tagged by the shark, because once tagged they become a shark.  It kept going until every paddler became a shark. By using these active games the young kayakers were soon making new friends and having fun all while building paddling skills that they can be used on the lake or river.

Next, it was off to explore. Across the flat-water, the lake offers some special hideaways like “Swampland” and “Berry Pond". As the kids toured the hidden backwaters occupied by turtles, tadpoles, deer and other critters, the wonders of nature came alive to them. Quietly paddling along they became naturalists as they explored and made their own discoveries in the lush wetland.

2019 Current Adventures Kayaking School and Trips Summer Schedule

Kids Kayaking Lessons
Ages: 8-11 yrs.
Prerequisites: none Location: Lake Natoma
Cost: $169 (Includes 10% State Park fee.  Parking is extra.) Time: (3 days) 9:30am – 12:30pm
2018 Dates: June 24-26 ( M-W), July 1-3 ( M-W)
July 23-25 (Tue-Thu)

Junior Beginning Kayaking 
Ages: 10-14 yrs.
Prerequisites: No prerequisites for beginning classes other than age appropriate.
Location: Lake Natoma & Lower American River (on day 3).
Cost: $169 (Includes 10% State Park fee.)
2018 Dates:
June 24-26 ( M-W), July 1-3 ( M-W)
July 23-25 (Tue-Thu)
Time: (3 days) 1:30pm – 5:30pm
Progression:  Teen Camp, Touring Classes, Private Classes and for ages 12 and up consider Eppie’s Junior Training program.

On day three the Junior class ages 10-14, moved on to the easy moving waters of the Lower American River. On the river, the young paddlers after two days of paddling lessons tested their new skills on moving water. While a little apprehension came over the group at the sound of rushing water, but it was all smiles on the other end after they punched through a series of fast water. Before the day was over the youths are immersed in river reading, river signals, and moving water paddling maneuvers.

"This class leaves them begging for more, said Crandall, "The kids always leave these classes super excited and many come back year after year."
Meanwhile back on the lake, I had pushed the kayak up on to shore and dump all the water out of it with help from the still smiling and a dripping wet ten-year-old girl. I was going to get plenty of practice doing over the next couple of days when she asked, "Can I do that again?"

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

This article was originally published in Outside Adventure to the Max July 7, 2017.

Deliverance II
For a group of teens, a kayaking trip down an Alabama river ended up resembling the 1972 movie Deliverance when a teenager says his friends being beaten and threatened with sexual assault.
According to Alabama news outlets, 18-year-old Collins Nelson of Huntsville says he and other friends were on the Flint River in northern Alabama on Sunday when a man paddling behind them began heckling the group.

Collins Nelson of Huntsville

Nelson said the taunting included a threat to sexually assault a female who was with his group and continued further downstream when he says the man and other adults attacked his group.
“It was just chaos from there,” Nelson said in a story told  AL.com, “Flipping our kayaks, flipped my kayak, some man put me in a headlock and proceeded to beat my face.”
Nelson suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket, among other injuries in the attack. Huntsville police are investigating and said the suspects have been identified and could face second-degree assault charges.

Kayaking NYC For Free
Think you can kayak for free in New York City? Well, then I have a bridge I can sell you too. OK, the bridge isn't really for sale, but you can kayak for free in its view while visiting the Big Apple.

Photo Courtesy of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse

  According to the web site InsideFlyer, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse with the goal of providing human-powered boating to everyone has been providing free kayaking on the East River since 2010. Their mission statement says, "If you’re willing to provide the human power, we’ll provide the boat, life vest, and paddling instructions. Simply walk up, fill out a waiver and we’ll handle the rest."
It must be working, over the years their program has grown from a couple of boats and a single day program to over 7,000 paddlers over the course of the 2018 summer season. Each 20-minute kayak session allows amazing views of Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and, of course, the Brooklyn Bridge
Besides regular kayaking, they also offer kayak polo games every week; they’re the only organization in the NY-NJ-CT tri-state area that offers that for free.

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THE LEARNING CURVE

This past April, Kathy Bunton owner and operator of Delta Kayak Adventures based in Antioch, California took part in an American Canoe Association Coastal Kayak Instructor Development Workshop and Certification session in San Francisco Bay. Bunton chronicled her three days of challenging and comprehensive education and training in her blog Kayaking in the California Delta, this past month which is being republished in Outside Adventure to the Max.

By Outside Adventure to the Max Guest Blogger Kathy Bunton

Last weekend, I was fortunate to complete a goal I have had for some time. I took part in the Level 3 IDW, Instructor Development Workshop, put on by Sean Morley of River and Ocean. It was an absolutely amazing experience and exceeded my expectations of intensity.
To be honest I was a little anxious about taking this workshop. I knew I was ready but didn't really know what to expect. Sean did an excellent job of preparing us beforehand by emailing us assignments and background information before the workshop began. The IDW takes place concurrently with the Instructor Certification Exam otherwise known as the ICE. Two out of the seven of us would be taking the exam.

Sean Morley was our Instructor Trainer and was assisted by Larry Wagner of Kayak Connection in Moss Landing. Both are incredible instructors with extensive kayaking and teaching experience.

Before I share my experience, let me give you a little background information on the American Canoe Association, aka ACA, and what it represents.
Briefly, the ACA is an organization that advocates for paddlers on the local, state, and federal levels, on a range of public policy issues pertinent to paddling education and safety.

• They work towards creating greater access to rivers, streams, lakes, bays, and coastlines.
• Addresses paddlesports education standards from state to state.
• Represent paddlers in meetings concerning boat registration issues
• Represent paddlers with state and federal entities.

They also play a huge role in stewardship. The ACA is committed to making the world a better place to paddle. Our paddling community explores waterways from small streams to the sea, making paddlers stakeholders and potential stewards of all waterways.
The ACA's Paddle Green and Stream to Sea programs focus on conservation and education activities that protect the environment, strengthen peoples connection to the outdoors, and foster stewardship ethics that protect our natural resources."
I strongly encourage you to join the ACA because they provide a huge amount of resources and support for all types of paddlers.

Photos courtesy of Kathy Bunton

Day 1
One of the best decisions I made was staying at a hotel for the entire weekend. My friend, who was doing the instructor certification exam, and I stayed at the Travelodge in Mill Valley. We arrived Thursday evening and right away began studying, watching YouTube videos and going over what we had prepared for the next day.
We awoke Friday morning at 6 a.m. and began packing up our gear and lunch for that day's instruction. We arrived at Sea Trek in Sausalito a little before 8 a.m. and made our way to the classroom.
After introductions and an overview of what the day would look like, we turned in the lesson plans we had prepared and spent a couple hours going over ACA class requirements, how to register and report classes we would teach and teaching and learning theory.
We then geared up and prepared to launch. Our instructor trainer, Sean, then demonstrated how a stroke should be taught using the side slip as an example. We spent a good amount of time working on this stroke and playing a game to hone our skill.
In order to be certified at Level 3, each instructor trainee must be able to perform the following strokes with skill and efficiency and be able to teach and assess each skill effectively and efficiently: FORWARD STROKE, SWEEPS (forward & reverse), REVERSE (& stopping), DRAWS (to hip, sculling draw, on the move), BRACES (high, low, sculling), LOW BRACE/HIGH BRACE TURN, RUDDERS (bow & stern), EDGING and SIDE SLIP.
After working on the side slip, we landed at a beach for lunch and while eating received a 10-minute presentation on tides and currents.
Each trainee was assigned to do one presentation during the IDW/ICE.
Back on the water, it was my turn to teach one of the strokes. I chose the stern rudder. After which I critiqued myself and was given feedback from participants.
We then paddled back to Sea Trek to be videoed of us performing each of the above strokes and a roll. Workshop participants are not required to roll but those taking the exam are expected to execute a roll. I've been working on my roll and have been successful in the pool but have not been successful in real water.
After being videoed we loaded our kayaks and dressed into warm dry clothes and headed back to the classroom to watch and critique what we had just done. It was great to be able to watch ourselves and see where we could use improvement. Everyone was kind and thoughtful but truthful which is always best if you really want to improve technique. We left sometime after 6pm, grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the hotel to study and watch more videos.

Day 2
We arrived at Horseshoe Cove at 8 a.m. and were greeted with a stiff breeze. The wind was blowing 12 knots with gusts to 19 or 20. The conditions were borderline Level 3 and above but each trainee had the skills to paddle and teach in these conditions.
After a review of day 1, we launched and headed out the gate towards Kirby Cove. Two trip leaders were assigned for this leg of the journey and were required to teach a stroke along the way.
We landed safely at Kirby Cove and presentations on Compass use for Navigation, towing and nautical charts were given.
After lunch, we were back on the water and began teaching and demonstrating paddle float rescues. My friend and I were then assigned as the trip leaders for our leg back under the gate. When we reached the bridge the tide was still ebbing and created a strong current against us as we rounded Lime Point.
The rest of the afternoon was spent on rescues and strokes. In order to be certified Level 3, the following rescues must be taught and demonstrated effectively and efficiently: WET EXIT (with spray skirt), SELF RESCUES (scramble, paddle-float), T-RESCUE (& variations), BOW RESCUE (& variations), INCAPACITATED PADDLER RESCUE (Scoop) UNRES PONSIVE PADDLER RESCUE (Hand of God),SWIMMER RECOVERY (bow, stern deck). ICE candidates then turned in their float plans for day 3 and we discussed what the best options would be considering the weather and current predictions.
We finished up again around 6 p.m. and headed back to the hotel for more studying.

DAY 3
I woke up around 6:30 a.m. Sunday and began experiencing some tummy issues. I could tell I was extremely low on energy and prayed I could make it through the day.
We were having some guest paddlers from Western Sea Kayakers and Kayak Connection join us for the day so we would be working with "real" students. We again met at Horseshoe Cove at 8 a.m. and prepared to launch with our students. We went over the float plan for the day with the plan to paddle to Angel Island via Richardson Bay to beat the ebbing tide.
The wind was up again and I began to have doubts about whether I could complete the workshop. We broke into two pods with Sean taking one group and Larry taking my group. We were to continue teaching rescues on our way to Angel Island.
I was assigned the Hand of God or Scoop rescue to teach. Both of these rescues take a lot of strength and I pretty much knew I didn't have it in me, but I was determined to try.
I had a glimmer of hope when someone spotted a whale spout in the bay. I turned to see it just in time as it dove beneath the choppy water and reminded myself why I was doing this.
It was my turn to teach the scoop rescue and after finding a willing volunteer, I proceeded. It didn't go well. I was able to get the paddler into his boat but upon trying to turn him and his boat over I proceeded to dump both of us in the water.

Kathy Bunton on the Bay

Frustrated and discouraged, I got back into my boat and knew I would not physically be able to make the paddle to Angel Island. I was confident I could get there, but with the wind against us, I feared I wouldn't have the strength to paddle against it on our way back.
I pulled Larry aside and shared how I was feeling. Without hesitation, he radioed Sean and both groups merged to discuss options.
Thankfully, it was decided that we would not paddle to Angel Island and instead continue to work on rescues, towing and strokes near Yellow Bluff.
We broke for lunch and I did my presentation on Hypothermia. I received some great feedback and plan on implementing the suggestions when I teach. I felt bad for wimping out on the paddle to Angel Island, but a few paddlers mentioned to me that they were glad we didn't go. Not sure if they were trying to make me feel better, but was glad to hear I wasn't the only person who was tired.
We made it back to Horseshoe Cove around 4 p.m. and thanked and said goodbye to our practice students. We loaded our boats and gear and headed to the Presidio Yacht Club for a beer, debrief and evaluations.

Conclusion
This was definitely one the most physically challenging endeavors I have ever partaken in but also the most valuable. I can't begin to explain how much I took away from this experience.
In the end, I was certified as a Level 2 ACA instructor and I look forward to taking my Level 3 exam next spring.
I couldn't have asked for a better instructor than Sean Morley and I also learned much from Larry Wagner.
The group itself was made up of extremely skilled guides and paddlers and were so fun to be with!
I have left quite a bit out of this post but hope this gives you an idea of what is involved in becoming a certified instructor. My highest respect goes out to all certified instructors who have taken the time to be the best they can be on the water.
Kayaking is a sport that involves life long learning and that is one of the reasons I love it so much. Keep on paddling!

Kathy Bunton is the owner and operator of Delta Kayak Adventures based in Antioch, California.  You can keep up with Bunton in her blog Kayaking in the California Delta.  

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

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THE ABC'S FOR YOUR SUMMER 2019

After a long cold winter and very wet spring, the days of summer are finally here. This weekend kickoffs the official unofficial start to summer.  It's time to organize and alphabetize yours for summer list of adventure and fun near the water. Not sure where to start? We have some from great tips A to Z  on how you can make this summer unforgettable. So you waiting for, as Van Morrison said, "Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly."

Abandon your phone Ok, not for the whole summer, but at least day or two. Writer Michelle A. Homme says, "The quietness we encounter will allow us to hear the birds sing and to hear the wind whip lightly through the trees as the seasons begin to change.  We can recharge without feeling like we’re being pulled in so many directions."

Blast to the Beach Whether crowded or remote, sandy or rocky the beaches rules are always the same. Breathe the sea air, rest, relax and reflect with no shoes required. "I feel so lucky to know the magic of travel by way of water," wrote kayak adventure Kate Hives in her blog At Home on the Water, "To intimately feel the ebb and flood of the ocean as it caresses the rocky shores and sandy beaches of this coastal playground. Sometimes I feel like I have been told a great secret of the mystery of the natural world and my – our – connection to it."

Catch a Wave  All of that white snow from this past winter means a summer of whitewater for rafters and kayakers as they anticipating a longer season than normal with rapids. “There’s nothing better than spending a great day in nature, on the river with some friends," said Whitewater Excitement's Phillip Schoenhoff, "If you’re looking to smile all day, laugh until your abs hurt, and experience the excitement and thrill of the rapids, come on out and join us!”

Demo Your Dream Ride You wouldn't think about buying a car without a test drive, so why would you want to do that with your kayak? Many shops have demo programs for people who are in the market to buy a kayak. The River Store
 
Escape the City Did you get outside today? No, really outside, away from the noise, traffic and the endless scurrying about. Scientific research has long documented how just spending time in the great outdoors can have numerous mental and physical health benefits for rebooting your body and mind. As John Muir reminded all of us, "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."

Feast on Your Float Tired of the normal river food being peanut butter sandwiches, simple freeze-dried packets, and oatmeal? Check out Lacey Anderson's Camp Cooking WITHOUT Coolers cookbook series.  She has developed menus that are nutritious, good tasting and easy to prepare, that is also lightweight and does not require refrigeration.

Go

Live

Incredible

Delights

Experience

Intimacy

Natural

Wonders

Experience

Tranquill

Lush

Amazing

Nature

Delta

Serenity  Paddler and operator of Delta Kayaking Adventures Kathy Bunton loves her experiences on California's waterlogged delta so much she put in the form of an acrostic poem to encourage you to come to glide along.

Help Clean Your Waterway Last year, cleanup organizers and volunteers spend a lot of time outside getting dirty as according to American Rivers the National River Cleanup registered cleanups at 3,166 sites, mobilized 57,228 volunteers and removed almost 2,000,000 pounds of trash. American Rivers
 
Indulge in S'mores What's a good camp out without the best dessert? Who doesn't love chocolate, marshmallow and Graham crackers? But as camping mom, Christy Harris Bryant points out pay close attention, "Because the golden rule with s' mores is. Never burnt, never burnt, Nobody wants a burnt s' more."

Journey Down A River "I love river trips," wrote outdoor educator Jeff Jackson in Paddling Magazine, "The whole trip though, not just the exciting bits or the paddling parts. I love the early possibilities and preliminary ideas, finding the maps and digging for the info I need to connect the dots."

 

Kayak a Lot That needs no explanation. Just go do it.

Love Your Parks "National parks are the best idea we ever had, wrote Wallace Stegner, "Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." We heartily agree. Whether it's a national park or state park visiting these national landscapes of beauty and history shouldn't just be done in the summertime, but all year round. National Parks State Parks

Mix and Mingle at Water Festival These gatherings celebrate the river community and its history. Some are well-funded mega-fests while others are grassroots efforts led by volunteers with a universal love of showcasing their river. "These unique assemblies of river enthusiasts, first-timers and nomadic paddlers produce intense challenges, excellent learning opportunities, and unforgettable memories," wrote Kalob Grady in Paddling Magazine, "While non-kayaking friends will love the live music, vendors, silent auction and wild party."

Navigate Your Neighborhood When you live somewhere long enough, it has a tendency to stop being interesting by being too familiar. "Throughout my life, I fell in love with places other than where I was living. This feeling is common in many adventurers," wrote Natalie Warren in her paddling town series for Canoe and Kayak Online, but, after exploring the beauty, and history and the attractions she had second thoughts as she treats her hometown as a new destination and recommends you do the same, "While I don’t doubt that you would love it here, remember to love where you live. Explore your home."


Open a New Window "Summer means promises fulfilled, wrote naturalist Sigurd Olson, "Objectives gained, hopes realized. The surge of doing and achieving, of watching and enjoying is finally replaced by a sense of quiet and floating and a certain fullness and repletion, as though one cannot absorb any more."

Plunge into Boating So what's stopping you? If you been thinking about learning to kayak either whitewater or just want to know how to tour the lake lets just say there are boatloads of ways to get on to the water. "We all know adventure and exploration are not just for teenagers," writes Current Adventures Kayaking School and Trips' Dan Crandall, "Learning to kayak is an easy activity that will rekindle your youthful enthusiasm for many years to come." Current Adventures

Quiet Your Mind It's summer. It's time to stop stressing. Chase away those negative thoughts and take advantage of your precious time. Writer Michelle Maros said, "Sometimes we even forget that the whole point of going on vacation is to relax and have fun! This week, let’s leave all the stress behind and focus on how to really enjoy your time away, no matter where you’re going or who you’re with."

Race on the River Whether you want to support a great cause, get in shape or awake your gladiator spirit. Whether with solo or with a team there are divisions and courses for everyone using almost anything that floats. “If you’re in a competitive class you’re gonna go and go fast pounding down the river to beat your neighbor," The California River Quest race director Emily Matthews told the Chico Enterprise-Record about this weekend's event, "In the adventure class you’re out there to play and have fun. But in both classes, you pretty much paddle the whole time.”Race the Red  Great American Triathlon

Swim in Nature I don't mean skinny dipping but then again, why not. Adventure athlete Sophie Radcliffe‏ tweeted, "There’s something about swimming in nature that makes me happy and relieves stress; I love watching the world float by and gliding through the water with the sun on my back."

Time Travel in a Canoe Go back in time this summer. No special effects needed for this odyssey. All you need is paddle and canoe to feel like a voyager discovering the lake for the first time. "We need to be more aware of where we are headed and from whence we came," said famed canoeist Bill Mason, "An appreciation of the canoe and acquisition of the necessary skills to utilize it as a way to journey back to what’s left of the natural world is a great way to begin this voyage of discovery.” Sy Park BWCA

Unwind at Sunset  English Novelist Pamela Hansford Johnson eloquently paints this description of dusk while on the water, "The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire." Who can argue? The sunlight flashing in each droplet from our paddles as the water glows in a golden glitter. How can you resist the sight of tranquil lake basking in the dimming light?

Vow to Wear Your PFD "We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: when you’re on the water, wear your life jacket, also known as a Personal Flotation Device or PFD." states the NRS website, "Year after year, dozens of people lose their lives while boating. And year after year, statistics show that many of these tragedies could have been prevented by wearing a well-fitted, properly-adjusted life jacket."

Wander Like Your Lost  It's the perfect quote for summer from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings that says, "Not all those who wander are lost." It encourages you to slow along the way to the lake or river. Stop in at the paddle shop to get some advice, hike that trail that you have always paddled or stop at that scenic vista. Summer days go by so quickly, you should make them last as long as possible.

X-Out Your Own Adventure "Let’s celebrate that we had our own adventure," writes Pete Delosa in his blog River Bum suggesting in these Instagram days of big water and even bigger drops there is no reason to count out your triumph. "If you went on the water and had fun then you won today and that is worth celebrating. Other people might have been looking paddleboarding kind of day today than we were and that is ok. I hope they found what they were after, but that doesn’t take anything away from our success."

Yoga on Your Paddle Board We get it. Just standing up on the board is challenging enough for some, but as the founder of Stoked Yogi, Amelia Travis told Yoga Journal, "Before you write off stand up paddleboard (SUP) yoga as impossible, here’s what I tell all first-timers: “If you can breathe, you can do yoga. If you can stand on one foot, you can paddle."

Zigzag a Water Trail Whether you want to go the distance or simply float to the next landing there is a water trail just waiting for you. Featuring public water accesses, campsites, rest areas and miles and miles of best paddling anywhere you can spend the day, week or the entire summer just like John Connelly did when he took his epic 1500 mile paddling adventure across the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada. In Dying Out Here Is Not An Option, a chronicle of his trip he wrote, "Seeing the canoe loaded with all I require to survive for the weeks to come," he wrote, "Makes me think. this canoe and I are going to forge a relationship over the next 800 miles. What will that end up looking like? What will be the story?" US Water Trails

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THE FATAL FLAW

“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.” --- Billy Wilder

I'm that guy who likes to bring on camera on every outing on the water. After working as a photojournalist most of life it just seemed natural for me to tote along with a camera and document my time on the river or lake. When I first started paddling, I would pick out my favorite image for my paddling journals. When social media blew up, I jumped on board and shared pictures with my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. For me, it's been a fun and easy way to look back on my experiences on the water. But along with was that, came that underlining worry that was always out there circling my kayak like a shark or crocodile.

Current Adventures 50+ Kayaking Class

Anybody and everybody who knows anything about photography knows that cameras and water just don't mix. These days most DSLRs can handle a few drops of rain, but a torrential downpour or an accidental drop into the lake can turn that once expensive piece of Japanese electronics and mechanization into one soggy piece of junk.

In the advent of outdoor adventure photography, Timothy O'Sullivan one of the better Civil War photographers went west after the war to document US government explorations expeditions of Isthmus of Darien (Panama) and the Grand Canyon. Using large-format cameras, glass plates, and wagon loads of darkroom equipment and chemicals, O’Sullivan hauled them up and over mountains, across deserts, through jungles, and down rapids while producing a classic and memorable volume work that are sill uninfluential to this day.

Conditions were brutal, as O’Sullivan faced extreme heat and bitter cold, dense jungle and dangerous swift rivers. In today's Panama, on an expedition in search of a canal route, he encountered dismal photographic conditions due to heavy rain. While disaster struck on an 1871 voyage down the Grand Canyon when O'Sullivan lost all the three hundred negatives glass plates he made when several of the expedition's boats capsized in the Colorado River.

Lake Natoma

In a quote attributed to him, O'Sullivan said, "Place and people are made familiar to us by means of the camera in the hands of skillful operators, who, vying with each other in the excellence of their productions, avail themselves of every opportunity to visit interesting points, and to take care to lose no good chance to scour the country in search of new fields for photographic labor."

Since the invention of the camera, scouring of the earth in search of those interesting points and majestic places has been a labor for photographers everywhere. As Ansel Adams said, "“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”

Clean up paddle on Lake Natoma with Bayside Adventure Sports

And for that reason alone, I have strived throughout my photographic career to make my great pictures by putting my camera into interesting as well as usual places. During my TV and newspaper days, I followed the mantra of legendary photographer Bob Capa who said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough."

When I got into paddling, my camera always came along in a gallon-size plastic bag. Those were in the days before I knew what dry bags were. I can remember on my first canoe trips carefully taking the camera and lens out the plastic bag, shooting a few pictures from the bow and carefully stowing it back into the bag and then into my backpack in the hull of the boat.

Lake Natoma with Bayside Adventure Sports

Thank goodness technology sped along and gave me a rugged and affordable waterproof camera that shoots both pictures and video but could also survive all kinds of tough and watery environments that I could dish out for it. Compact enough without ditching quality, it fit perfectly under my PFD making it easy to pull out and photograph others with me on my adventures, while simple enough to use to position it in a tree or on a rock to recorded my outing while alone.

In a recent report published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care found that 259 people died between 2011 and 2017 while stepping in front of the camera in an often dangerous destination. To achieve that dramatic shots, in most of these incidents shot these selfie-risk takers defy their personal safety to get that photo, that is until that would-be photographer slips and tumbles down over the cliff into a ravine or body water. Drowning, falling from a moving vehicle or high location was found to be the most common cause in leading to their deaths.

"It’s easy to write off these tragedies as catastrophically bad judgment," wrote Kathryn Miles in Outside Magazine Online, "Armchair internet commentators have had a field day with each reported death. For every lament of young lives, lost...you’ll find an equal number of comments about how the two were “surprisingly stupid,” “coddled,” “careless,” or “self-obsessed."

While I don't condone the high-risk selfies culture in any way and my heart goes out all these young victims families. Nevertheless, in a way I can see what they were hoping to achieve by putting themselves and their cameras in a distinctive and different position and away from the so-called standard shot despite the threat of peril.

A bobcat along the shore of Lake Natoma

Last month, to avoid that conventional and traditional and somewhat standard over the bow shot, I haphazardly station my camera on that slippery slope of peril and paid for it. Now I've done this many times before in other places and have had great results. I would put the camera with a float strap on a flat rock and set the timer to shoot a picture every few seconds or more and would paddle out into the water making a few passes in front of the lens.

As I paddled away, I could only watch in horror as the camera slipped off its perch into the water. Float strap stayed above the surface for only a moment, but the attached carabiner weighed it down. Who knows, I might have made things worst as reached out with my paddle in an effort to scoop it up. It sank even more.

In the clear water of the American River, I could, now only watch helplessly from my kayak as the camera, float strap and carabiner made a spinning slow-motion dive into the dark deep of the river. My heart sank as I watched the camera faded out of sight while relearning an old lesson that I always knew. Cameras sink.

Lake Natoma

Moving Day at Lake Jenkinson

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

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Lake Clementine

Lake Natoma

Full Moon Paddle with Current Adventures

Snowshoeing in the Sierra

Lower American River

Bayside Adventure Sports on Lake Jenkinson at Sly Park

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SPRING RUSH

Waterfalls are exciting because they have power, they have rainbows, they have songs, and they have boldness and craziness! ---Mehmet Murat ildan

Paddling up the narrow creek that feeds Lake Jenkinson at Sly Park Recreation Area, this past weekend, we heard the sound like a rush wind coming through the trees. As we approached the small wooden footbridge over the water that clamor had turned into a rumble. Beaching our kayaks and walking along a short trail that reverberation steadily became louder and louder as we follow the path along the stream. Following the roar, we turn the corner and were rewarded with a crescendo of thunderous of white noise. Sly Park Falls are gushing again.

Area waterfalls, like the one at Sly Park, are flowing with spectacular majesty this spring. This year's extra wet winter and spring have increased water levels and river flows across Northern California providing awe-inspiring beautiful views of these cascades.

Located at the far east end of the lake, this bubbling man-made waterfall is always a popular destination for those visiting the park by either hike or paddle. Flowing from a pipe, the falls are only about 33-feet high as they drop into a translucent pool of water. It's just a brief stop before the water rushes on down to the lake.

The pool beckoned the folks in my group from Bayside Adventure Sports to dip their toes and maybe even wade. But at this time of year, the water temperatures proved to be just a little bit chilly for most of us. We have to settle for the fresh and rejuvenating coat of cool mist spraying up from moss covered rocks. Science tells us that waterfalls like this one can really help you relax with all the negative ion-rich oxygen in the air to breathe. We don't need to know how it works, we just welcome the calming effect taking over. Maybe that's why we found it so hard to return to our kayaks and to the lake. There is no need to rush now.

What to go...Sly Park Paddle Rentals will be open on weekends 9 AM to 5 PM throughout the summer. Slip away on to the lake by renting a single or tandem kayak, canoe or standup paddleboards and spend the day fishing, finding a swimming beach or taking a sentimental trek around the bend to Sly Park Falls.
Start your Reservations by Clicking HERE

Rescue Rush

Courtesy of Jacksonville Police Dept.

There has been a spring rush of first responders in Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, Missouri and in San Francisco Bay have rescuing boaters after capsizing their boats this year.
According to NBC Bay Area TV, a pair of kayakers, in the bay incident, called 911 in the and told authorities that their kayak tipped over, leaving them floating in the water with the help of their life jackets but still in need of being rescued. Roughly two hours a CHP helicopter spotted the kayakers bobbing in the water. The helicopter crew alerted first responders in the water of the kayakers' location, leading to a successful rescue.
But in Jacksonville, it was kayaker Jeffrey Rancour who is credited to pulling the pilot of a downed seaplane to safety after it flipped into the water near the Arlington area during a sudden storm.
"He was out of the water on his plane already and we just paddled back to shore," Rancour told First Coast News Television, "Yeah, I’m glad that I was there.”

Spring Break
Paddle along European waterways for free all while helping the environment. GreenKayak, a Denmark-based nonprofit allows people to kayak for free if they pick up trash and clean up the rivers and lakes in the cities of Hamburg, Bergen, Dublin, and Copenhagen. Paddlers can use a two-person sit-on kayaks free of charge, in exchange for collecting waste on the surface of the water.

Courtesy of GreenKayak

The project began in Denmark in April 2017, where, with the help of a thousand kayak volunteers, three tons of trash was collected from Copenhagen harbor that year (11 tons to date). The goal was to expand to other cities and waterways.
Tobias Weber-Andersen, GreenKayak founder and CEO, told USA Today, "In Denmark, people hang out on canals and eat pizza and unfortunately see trash floating by,” “You can’t take your shirt off and jump in, but you can get in a GreenKayak and make an impact.”

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