Oct/093
Behaving Like Salmon
Upriver Paddlers in Sea Kayaks Spawn New Sport
By Pete Gauvin
Photo by Pete Gauvin.
Garth Schmeck showing good form in swift water.
We park at the put-in on the Sacramento River near downtown Redding and unload our river craft, two slick Brit-style composite sea kayaks owned by Garth Schmeck, patriarch of the local paddle club and shop, Penguin Paddlers.
Living at the forehead of the Central Valley, four-plus highway hours from the coast, Garth keeps his fitness and rough-water touring skills honed on the swift green water and Class II riffles of the lower Sacramento between Shasta Dam and Red Bluff.
But not by paddling the path of least resistance – i.e. downstream. No, he routinely heads up river, for miles and miles, digging in through fleet current, small rapids and over rocky shelves, until fatigue, lunch or an insurmountable dam turns him back to his put-in. There, he hops in his vehicle and off he goes, no shuttle required. And that, as any river paddler knows, is a beautiful thing. Shuttles are the bane of the whitewater world, an impediment to frequent solo trips, and a stinky, time-consuming waist of gas and daylight … albeit, a necessary evil.
I’m keen on no shuttle. Plus, as a whitewater boater who usually paddles bathtub-sized Tupperware on turbulent rivers and saves long boats for lake, bay and ocean paddling, I’m curious to see how well a 17-foot sea kayak can progress up river against a current that averages some five miles an hour, or more.
Garth and I will have company on our upstream adventure: the Sacramento’s fall salmon run has just begun. The clearest evidence of that are the numerous river dories floating by with intense-looking fishermen modeling shirts with a dizzying array of pockets.
Garth slips into his white Valley Nordkapp – aka “Norman” – and out into the current. This is one of the most popular expedition boats of all time for ocean explorers. To see one headed upstream in the middle of the Sacramento Valley strikes me as an inventive cross-over adaptation, like beach volleyball in Cleveland. But it has parallels to the natural world: Just as salmon are sea-going fish that migrate to the river, sea kayaks aren’t restricted to salt water.
I carefully fold myself into the cockpit of Garth’s other boat as if I’m boarding fine china. This is his pride and joy, a brand-new $4000 Kevlar-carbon P&H Quest LV with not a scratch on it. This is Garth’s alter-ego boat: It sports a gold-hued paint job that is beautiful in a shimmering Hollywood sort of way. For the station-wagon sensibilities of the stereotypical touring paddler, it might be a little too flash. But in Redding, with the kayak-mad, Baby-Boomer groupies from his growing club and shop, Garth can claim a bit of a rock-star paddler status. Knowingly, he calls this boat “Elvis.”
Since the two of us have never paddled together before, I hope to demonstrate that his apparent trust in my boat-handling skills is not misplaced. I also hope to make “Elvis” perform like the young, handsome Elvis, not the ‘70s-era caricature stuffed into a white leather jumpsuit.
Sticking as close to the bank as possible, we sneak upriver along dense riparian foliage fragrant with rotting blackberries. Even here, the current is appreciably strong. My hibernating muscles send notice that this could be more of a physical test than expected.
We head for a channel where an upstream pond drops through a constriction formed by an island, creating a couple decent waves that look like good surfing for our British-born touring boats. Garth smoothly ferries across the current to an eddy, and paddles out on to the wave, holding his position with ease.
Eager to show-off my surfing skills, I follow. Edging into the flow, I feel the current lock on to my bow and rudely shove me sideways. I try to correct with a sweep stroke on one side and a shoulder-wrenching stern rudder on the other, but a 17-foot boat is not so easily persuaded once rushing current has caught you at the knees. I’m flushed downstream, throwing ungainly braces to keep from turning turtle.
As I pull up to him in the eddy, Garth is chuckling. He smiles and repeats his earlier advice, knowing that it might sink in better this time: “Keep your bow pointed into the current.” Yeah, I think, like a compass needle points north.
Lesson No. 1: What would be a shallow entry-angle in a rockered seven-foot river kayak is too aggressive when you’re in a sea kayak with a bow extending seven feet beyond your toes.
Slowly I get the feel for it, but I’m still paddling a bit herky-jerky, chopping my stroke up with over-frequent braces. Elvis and I – we’re squabbling. Meanwhile, Garth displays the fluidity of an experienced upriver paddler, comfortable in his craft, working with what the river presents. I aspire to emulate him, immediately. But I’m enjoying the challenge, the puzzle of river and boat, the urban riparian scenery and the vigorous workout.
On we head, upriver. Jumping out into fast-flowing green current to negotiate obstacles, my paddling muscles heat up like a cyclist’s quads at the head of a 30 mph pace line – except when I glance at shore the scenery is changing in slow motion, frame by frame, or not at all. So I grit my teeth and dig down a little deeper to grab more water with more frequency. Inching ahead, I feel a subtle change in the current, and then it relents. Just enough.
This is how progress is made; in steady crawls punctuated by short bursts. You either quickly learn to use the river features to your advantage, or you burn up and turn downstream.
Garth demonstrates a technique for stepping the boat up over a submerged rock or shoal, similar to bunny hopping a mountain bike over a log. With deft boat handling and a bit of determination and grit, it’s astounding the obstacles these craft can negotiate.
If flatwater paddling is the equivalent of road biking, and whitewater paddling is more akin to mountain biking, upriver paddling might be the waterborne counterpart of cyclocross. In addition to the Sacramento River, there are other rivers in Northern California that would be good streams for upriver paddling in sea kayaks. The lower American River through Sacramento comes to mind, as do many coast range rivers, such as the Eel and the Russian, although they are generally not as swift.
As we push upstream past guide-piloted river boats, the fishermen with the multi-pocket shirts cast quizzical looks our way. We nod and say hello, but they seem to be saying, “Who are these yahoos upsetting the natural order of the universe? We’re out here to chase fish and they’re paddling with them.”
We paddle under Redding’s newest, proudest landmark, the Sundial Bridge, where a few span strollers look at us as if we were driving the wrong way on the freeway. We skirt a long shoal and then head right up turbulent, shallow water. I glimpse a few red-snouted salmon finning up the shallows with us. Occasionally, one leaps out of the water.
Soon were at Keswick Dam, four or five hard-won miles from our put-in, and it’s time to ride the magic carpet back. After a couple hours of strenuous paddling, I’m ready to go with the flow.
Oct/090
Honeymoon on the PCT
Catching Up With Truckee Newlyweds
By Pete Gauvin
Scott Williamson & Michelle Turley
At the Washington and Oregon border, just north of the Bridge of the Gods.
‘Tropical islands, beach bungalows and fruity drinks with umbrellas. Ho hum and a bottle of rum. That’s so, uh, pedestrian … You know, honey, there’s a trail that runs 2,650 miles from Canada to Mexico, over some of the West’s most rugged terrain. We’ll put about 10 pounds of bare-minimum essentials in ultralight packs, lace up some comfy shoes and lock up the house for four months. It’ll be a wonderful honeymoon!’
In all honesty, Michelle Turley knew there would be no beach bungalow in her honeymoon when she married Scott Williamson on the shore of Donner Lake in early June. For Scott is a thru-hiker, nonpareil. He’s walked the length of Pacific Crest Trail nine times. He’s the first one to have completed a yo-yo of the PCT in one season (5,300 miles, from the Mexican border to the Canadian border and back). And he did it not once, but twice.
Dare to marry Scott Williamson and the term “getting hitched” takes on an entirely new level of meaning.
So on June 28, the Truckee residents began their honeymoon walk, headed south from Canada. In mid-August, we caught up with them (by phone and email) at Shelter Cove Resort in central Oregon, approaching the half-way point of their first matrimonial adventure. Michelle was resting bruised feet and taking a few days off, while Scott stopped for a day and then headed down the trail again, where Michelle hoped to rejoin him soon. Feet willing, they hope to arrive at the Mexican border in late November or early December.
Editor’s Note: For a feature on Scott Williamson and his exploits before he got married, check out “A Life En Route,” in the Climbing/Hiking section of the article archive, under issue #28, on our website, www.AdventureSportsJournal.com
ASJ: Why did you choose to head south from Canada rather than north from Mexico?
Michelle: Scott chose to go south because he feels it is easier over all. Even though you do start in snow he believes that it is easier and overall you walk in less snow. I believe that Scott’s experience helps to make this statement true. Someone with no mountaineering experience may disagree.
ASJ: How has the hike gone so far?
Michelle: Besides the bruising of my feet and the pain related to it, the hike has been phenomenal. At this point, we have only hiked through Washington and half of Oregon. The views have been breathtaking.
Being that we did start in the north, the beginning of the hike was extremely challenging physically. On our second day out, we were hiking through a lot of snow and crossing steep passes. We ran into a few other hikers who turned back due to the difficulty of crossing Rock Pass. We later heard that a number of other hikers turned away as well. One of the hikers we met went back to Manning Park to resupply. He knew Scott would get us over the pass, so he hiked back the next day and traveled over the pass with us. I feel so extremely lucky to be with Scott.
We also ran into a lot of blown-down trees in northern Washington due to the 100-year storm they had last year. At one point, we were traveling only about a mile an hour due to the fact that the trees were in huge piles every 25 to 50 feet or so for about 10 miles. Once we entered mid Washington the conditions settled down and we could just hike. Physically, I have become stronger and the days have become easier.
Scott: The hike as expected has gone well for me, but has still had challenges of a different sort. (See next question.)
ASJ: Scott, after hiking the PCT numerous times before, most all of it solo, what has it been like to do it with your new wife?
Scott: Even though I have hiked the PCT nine times prior (1993, ’96, ’97, ’98, 2000, 2004 twice, 2006 twice), this hike has had some challenges for sure. I have found out that hiking someone else’s pace, which is significantly different from my normal pace, actually tires me out more than if I were doing my normal pace.
Recently, when Michelle sat out for a few days to rest her feet, I opened up to 40-mile days and was shocked to find myself feeling much better than I did hiking 25 miles in the same 12-14 hour period. This makes me think that the amount of time spent on the feet plays almost as much of a role in fatigue as does the number of miles done.
One of the benefits (of hiking with Michelle) is I have been able to do a side trips to places I have never gone and spend time off in the towns and stops along the way.
ASJ: What kind of mileage are you averaging daily?
Michelle: We started the hike doing about 14 to 18 miles a day due to the snow. Right before I came off the trail for a couple of days of rest we were doing 26 miles a day.
ASJ: Since your traveling as newlyweds, have you made any concessions to comfort, such as food, shelter or a camp stove, compared to Scott’s previous trips? Or is it Scott’s usual dinner – dehydrated beans, tortilla chips and olive oil – for two every night?
Michelle: Scott has kept his normal routine. I chose to veer away a little and add some comfort. I am carrying a stove and do cook every night. I couldn’t stomach his beans everyday. I bought organic meals from Mary Jane’s Farm and look forward to them every night. I also carry a Thermarest for some sleep comfort. I also carry more clothing than Scott because I do not like to be cold. I am very grateful that I did so because I have used every piece. The other thing I brought that Scott doesn’t use is a SteriPEN for purifying my water. I do not want to get sick and feel safety is important.
Scott: Michelle is eating a diet somewhat more varied than mine. As for myself, I am eating my normal no-cook diet. Michelle is carrying a stove and does cook some. We planned our meals separately and have our own food. We do end up sharing but I think it is important that on the trail you have your own meals so that no conflicts arise. Food becomes so important out here! I am carrying my normal gear load and have not added any ‘comfort’ items. To me, these would add discomfort while carrying them!
ASJ: What’s been the best part of the trip so far? The most challenging?
Michelle: I would have to say the most challenging was northern Washington. Everyday was a struggle but on the other hand it was also the most rewarding. I am really proud of myself that I made it through. The best part is spending everyday with my husband. We have learned so much more about each other and I feel that the hike has brought us closer. We spend our days laughing and telling stories. It’s the best! Plus, I feel so grateful to see the backcountry of the Pacific Crest Trail. It has been something I will never forget.
Scott: Best part of the trip so far? Hmm, probably the first 250 miles in the North Casacades. The most challenging? Starting out in four straight days of rainy, sleeting weather, and hiking in snow from the first day out.
ASJ: Michelle, has the experience matched your expectations?
Michelle: I think the experience has exceeded my expectations. Nobody can comprehend the long-distance hiking experience until you do it yourself. I had no clue as to what to expect and the experience so far has already changed my life. I have so much respect for all the hikers who take on long distance trails – for the ones who try and fail and the ones who make it. It is not an easy endeavor. Everyone who does get to experience it in their life is lucky to do so and should be proud for just doing it! Before this hike I had no clue as to what Scott was actually doing everyday on the trail. I know that sounds crazy but it is true. I knew he was hiking high miles in the most beautiful places but the everyday living on the trail I could not grasp. Now he is my hero! I now understand why people are so in awe of him. I am as well.
ASJ: Any words of wisdom for other couples who might consider such an adventure?
Michelle: You must have considerable patience with each other. Times will not always be easy, but when you stop and realize where you are what you are doing and how lucky you are, things seem to melt away. Okay, sometimes it takes some time for the frustration to melt, but I have found that the scenery and the walking takes care of it.
Scott: Tough question. I would say have lots of patience and make sure you precondition, carry as light of a pack as you can get away with, and be ready for unexpected challenges.
ASJ: Any other highlights, such as wildlife, storms or people that you’ve encountered along the trail?
Scott: One of the interesting wildlife encounters was waking up to a six-point buck looking me in the eyes from only 7 feet away. Deer at a distance don’t look very big, but up close, looking me in the eye, this buck commanded respect. He walked off as I tried to grab the camera to take a photo. As for people, I really enjoyed running into my good friend Joe Kisner (AKA “Tattoo Joe”), as he made his way north on the final 500 miles of his record-breaking hike. Joe started at Mexico on May 19 and finished on August 7, hiking the trail in something like 79 days and 22 hours. He broke the existing “unsupported PCT thru-hike record,” which had been a little under 81 days. The “supported” record held by David Horton is 66 days, 7 hours.
STAY TUNED: Look for an update on Scott and Michelle’s trip in the Nov./Dec. issue of ASJ.
Oct/090
Sierra Summit: The Central Sierra Secret
SKI RESORT PROFILEs
– Pete Gauvin
Photo by Michelle Vikupitz
(559) 233-2500
(559) 233-3330 Snow Phone
If the weekend mass migration to Tahoe ski resorts makes you want to stay home, consider Sierra Summit Mountain Resort. Situated above its own beautiful Sierra lake, Huntington Lake, this 1200-acre resort 65 miles northeast of Fresno off Highway 168 offers plenty of great skiing and riding. It can be reached in about three and a half hours from the Monterey Bay Area and South Bay Area and is rarely crowded.
In terms of terrain, it’s a very worthy alternative that rivals many of Tahoe’s mid-size resorts. With a base elevation of 7,030 feet and nearly 1,700 feet of vertical, it’s not small potatoes. There are eight lifts serving terrain for all abilities (28% rated low intermediate, 33% intermediate, 28% advanced), including a 2.5-mile beginner trail, as well as three terrain parks and a halfpipe. With reasonable lift ticket prices ($50 adult all day, peak period), it’s perfect for families and soul skiers.
Originally opened as China Peak way back in 1959, Sierra Summit’s location on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada above between Yosemite and Sequoia national parks exposes it to wet storms that drop loads of snow (an average of 350 inches annually) as they rise quickly from the Central Valley to the high eastern peaks. This produces a deep, long-lasting base and makes for ideal spring conditions.
A short hike up to the top of China Peak (8,709 feet) rewards skiers and riders with great views of Huntington Lake and, when conditions are right, fresh tracks on the backside.
For this season, the resort has added a new learning area with a magic-carpet lift for beginners, additional snowmaking all over the mountain, and new features in the popular Tollhouse Terrain Park. For those that like to enjoy first tracks, the resort will be turning the lifts earlier, at 8:30 a.m., on peak weekends and holidays.
The Sierra Summit Inn, a short walk from the lifts, offers a variety of rooms and suites. After a day on the slopes you can kick back in the Buckhorn Bar or enjoy a casual meal in the Summit Dining Room.
Mt. Rose: High, Dry and Steep
1-800-SKI-ROSE
Last year Mt. Rose had far and away the best early season conditions, with more than double the amount of snow of other Tahoe resorts. Attribute that to its high base elevation (8,260 feet) and the towering peak’s ability to woo passing clouds to hang out for a shower or two before heading east into the dusty Great Basin.
If you’ve never skied Mt. Rose, you’re likely to be impressed. The mountain is not only significantly higher than surrounding peaks, but it offers some of the best sustained steeps of any resort in the Tahoe region. Opened in 2004, the Chutes offer a vertical drop of some 1,500 feet with a consistent pitch of 40-55 degrees spread over 200+ acres. The north-facing aspect combined with Rose’s lofty perch above the arid Nevada desert keeps the snow in good shape even on warmer days. Some of the driest lift-accessed powder west of the Wasatch falls on Mt. Rose (400 inches on average).
The feeling of weightlessness while making rhythmic turns down the Chutes will keep you coming back for more – if your quads can handle it. With two six-pack high-speed chairs serving both sides of the mountain (the Northwest Magnum 6 and Blazing Zephyr 6), lift lines are generally short and rides zippy – 1,800 vertical feet in 3.5 minutes. Fit skiers and boarders can often collect a full day’s worth of vert here before lunch.
Although a longer drive for day-tripping Nor Cal residents, Mt. Rose is less than a half-hour drive up the Mt. Rose Highway (SR 431) from Reno’s 17,000 hotel rooms, making it a perfect overnight or weekend destination. Bonus: the superabundance of casino hotel rooms keep room prices several times cheaper than Tahoe lodging options. Pack along a few friends and it just doesn’t pay to spend a frigid night sleeping in your car.
If you loathe winter driving, you can catch a cheap flight to Reno/Tahoe International Airport or, for a scenic ski pilgrimage, ride Amtrak over the Sierra.
Once there, Reno has some good options for skier refueling – beyond the all-you-can-eat casino buffets and strip malls. There are two top-notch brew pubs: Silver Peak Restaurant & Brewery (two locations near downtown; 775-324-1864) and the Great Basin Brewing Company (775-355-7711) in Sparks. And for breakfast, check out the quirky, cycling-themed Deux Gros Nez cafe (775-786-9400), a couple blocks south of the Truckee River Park.
Oct/090
Destination: Carson Pass/Hope Valley—Abundant Stashes of Alpine Charm
By Pete Gauvin
Photo by Suzanne Lucas
Of the three passes that climb over the Sierra in winter, Carson Pass is the highest (8,574 feet), most spectacular and least trafficked. Drive up on a sun-splashed winter morning with glittering fresh snow and you’ll be overcome with feelings of alpine lust.
The band of volcanic cliffs rising a couple thousand feet above Silver Lake … The view of the Crystal Range from the precipitous Carson Spur roadcut … The aspen groves above Caples Lake … The above tree-line flanks of Round Top peak … The snow-blanketed meadows of Hope Valley.
These scenes and more will crystallize your allure for this unspoiled high-country getaway. Although only about a half-hour drive south of the glitz, motels and one-armed bandits of South Lake Tahoe, this area is a world apart in ambiance.
The First Crossing
John C. Fremont was taken by the area, too. On Feb. 14, 1844, he ascended a high, unnamed peak (now known as Red Lake Peak), from which he is credited with the first glimpse of Lake Tahoe. “ … We had a beautiful view of a mountain lake at our feet, about 15 miles in length, and so entirely surrounded by mountains that we could not discover an outlet,” he wrote.
The leader of an expedition for the U.S. Topographical Engineers, Fremont was in the midst of the first winter traverse of the Sierra by white men. Despite being warned by indigenous Washoe Indians not to cross the mountains in winter, they decided to forge ahead because their provisions were low and they hoped to resupply in the Sacramento Valley. In a pep talk to his men, Fremont assured them that they would “place themselves in the midst of plenty.”
The snows were deep and they endured several storms and below-zero nights, but Fremont was still enchanted by the landscape. “… If we could be free of the many anxieties that oppress us, even now we would be delighted here; but our provisions are getting fearfully scant.”
As it was, they had to resort to eating horse, mule and dog en route. Although it was an ordeal, the party made the journey in 30 days without losing any men. (Of the 67 horses and mules, however, only 33 reached the destination, Sutter’s Fort.) Fremont named the pass in honor of his scout, Kit Carson.
Had Fremont’s party encountered more severe weather, they may not have been so fortunate. Two years later, a group trying to make a similar winter crossing north of Lake Tahoe were stranded by heavy early-season snows; 34 of the 81 members perished. They’re immortalized as the Donner Party.
Photo by Micheal Camargo
Planks on Snow
Today, the heavy snows that Fremont’s party was, for the most part, lucky to avoid are exactly what draw so many skiers/boarders to the Carson Pass area. No matter how you like your skiing served – downhill, cross-country or backcountry – Carson Pass offers some of the best terrain and snow conditions in the Sierra. Most of it is easily accessible, too, making it a prime destination for weekend jaunts.
For challenging lift-served skiing, Kirkwood is hard to beat. Set in a horseshoe-shaped canyon just off Highway 88, Kirkwood boasts the highest base elevation (7,800 feet) and deepest average snowfall among California resorts. Although one of the closest major resorts to the Bay Area, Kirkwood’s snow is often lighter and deeper than other Tahoe resorts. With 2,300 acres of terrain ranging from precipitous chutes to long backside cruisers, there are runs catering to all abilities.
Cross-Country
Next door, Kirkwood Cross County offers 80km of groomed trails amid spectacular alpine scenery. A cozy lodge and trailside warming huts provide refuge from the elements. Dogs are allowed on two trails.
Fourteen miles east on Highway 88, the Hope Valley Outdoor Center, next to Sorensen’s Resort, has 100km of skier-packed trails (no, that doesn’t mean they’re crowded) ranging from wide-open meadows to forested ridges. Ask Joyce, the owner, for the best trail suggestions. (Apres note: The café has some good beers on tap.)
On Jan. 7, the Outdoor Center (530-694-2266) will host a free event to introduce folks to XC skiing and snowshoeing as part of Winter Trails Day. The event is part of a hundred such events taking place in the U.S. and Canada.
Backcountry
Backcountry enthusiasts have a bounty of options on Carson Pass. The best earn-your-turn adventures start from the Sno-Park lots near the summit. From the north-side lot, it’s a three-mile ski to the summit of Red Lake Peak (10,061 feet). Unlike John C. Fremont, you can enjoy a number of descent options without fear of starvation.
To the south, broad-shouldered Round Top (10,380 feet) dominates the horizon. It provides good downhill terrain for snowboarders and skiers. Just east of the summit, the Red Lake turnout on Highway 88 is a launch point for several other tours. Follow the unplowed road south to Forestdale Creek; the bowl on the right often has excellent powder.
Sorensen’s Resort.
Photo by Michael Camargo
Hot Springs
For warm soaks in a wintry setting, Grover Hot Springs State Park on the east side is open year round, even during blizzards – if you can get there. The park is four miles west of Markleeville in an alpine meadow at 5,900 feet. Call (530) 694-2249 for pool hours.
Lodging
No place exemplifies the charm of the Carson Pass area more than Sorensen’s Resort. A collection of two dozen rustic log cabins interspersed with aspen trees, Sorensen’s has the feel of a Norwegian village. You can ski right from your cabin door – to the backcountry or dinner. Cabins accommodate two to six people. A cozy café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the gift shop has an assortment of wines and interesting books. (1-800-423-9949, www.sorensensresort.com)
Other options in the area include Kirkwood, Caples Lake Resort, and the Woodfords Inn. For a backup option, South Lake Tahoe has about 22,000 rooms.
Oct/091
A Life en Route—The Extraordinary Ho-Hum Exploits of PCT Hiker Scott Williamson
Story by Pete Gauvin • Photos by Patti Haskins
Should you ever find yourself in a bar-room dispute with Scott Williamson, do not — I repeat, DO NOT — challenge him to a walk off. Sit down and cool your heels. You know not what you’re getting into. You’ll lose. You’ll lose big. You may even lose your soles; yes, the soles of your feet.
Although a mild-mannered tree trimmer by day, Williamson is a Zen master in the art of putting one foot in front of the other, over and over again, across hill and dale and desert and glaciated mountain ranges.
In a country that tries to avoid walking whenever logistically possible, he lives to walk. He’s spent the better part of the last 15 years doing just that for months at a time. He’s good at it. More than that, he’s stubborn and resilient and determined and able to eat the same thing day after day after day. For a long-distance hiker, such qualities are as important as stout legs and tough feet.
Last year, the 33-year-old ace ambulator did something no one else has. He yo-yoed the Pacific Crest Trail. Starting at the Mexican border 40 miles east of San Diego on April 22, he hiked the length of the PCT. When he got to the Canadian border on Aug. 8, he turned around and headed back to Mexico. After 5,300 miles, 205 days, 42 re-supply boxes and a dozen pairs of running shoes, he arrived back at his starting point on Nov. 13. A small crowd gathered and a bottle of champagne was opened.
Perhaps most amazing is he didn’t lose a pound during his nearly seven-month jaunt. Some PCT hikers drop 40 or 50 pounds before they get to the Washington border. The 6-foot-1 Williamson started and finished at 190 pounds. Talk about having one’s metabolic efficiency dialed. In so doing though, Williamson cheated himself out of another potential sponsorship opportunity: He’ll never be the poster boy for the Thru-Hiker’s Diet.
Head in the Trees
As much as he’d love sponsorship, Williamson is a self-supported record breaker. Soon after yo-yoing the PCT he was back at work climbing trees and living out of the back of his Toyota truck in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Now a resident of Truckee, where he lives with what one must assume is a very patient girlfriend, Williamson is hoping to find a way out of the tree-trimming business before he gets hurt or old. So far, he’s only suffered one concussion when a large section of tree top struck him on his helmet. But he’s torn: for an itinerant thru-hiker, it’s a good way to earn money.
Certainly beats working in a convenience store. Williamson, who grew up in the rough East Bay city of Richmond, has done that to support his hiking habit, too. On the afternoon of Jan. 20, 1996, a man in a hooded sweatshirt came in and asked him what time it was. Williamson lifted his head from an article he was reading in The New Yorker and the man pulled out a gun and shot him in his left cheek. The bullet lodged near his spine, making it too risky for doctors to remove.
Looking at Williamson, no obvious visual cue to that tragic incident remains, but the salivary gland on the left side of his mouth no longer functions and the bullet remains at the back of his head. After this, tree trimming and logging, which he did during winters in frigid Maine and soggy Washington, seemed safe in comparison.
Footloose Summers
Williamson’s obsession with long distance hiking began when he was 16 and did a week-long hike near Tahoe. “I talked to some people doing the PCT and the idea that you could be out hiking for months at a time fascinated me.”
In 1992, he hiked the PCT to Oregon. In ’93, to Canada. In ’94, he did the first 1,000 miles of the PCT as training, then jumped over to the Continental Divide Trail and hiked that trail, which wasn’t much of a trail at all; perhaps 50 percent was cross country using a map and compass. In ’95, he did the Appalachian Trail Å0ç0 but he started at the tip of Florida and hiked the Florida Trail and then some 400 miles of highway just to get to the start of the AT in Georgia.
In ’96, only months after being shot in the face, he first attempted to yo-yo the PCT with his good friend, the late Kenny Gould. After more than 4,000 miles of hiking, they were snowed out in the Sierra in late October. In ’97, he hiked the PCT again solo. In ’98, he hiked it southbound with his ex-girlfriend from Canada to Mexico. In ’99, he took a break from thru-hiking and climbed all thirteen 14,000-foot peaks in California, plus Mt. Rainier. In 2000, he attempted to yo-yo the PCT again but was again snowed out in the Sierra.
Luck Finally Smiles
As noted above, Williamson had attempted to yo-yo the PCT twice before. Each time he was stopped short by snows in the Sierra. In 2004, it was almost the same story. “The only difference from past attempts came down to luck and timing,” he says.
Just two hours after crossing Forrester Pass, the highest point on the PCT, it started to snow. It snowed on him for the last three days and just got down to the desert when an unusually fierce storm hit on Oct. 18. The same storm killed two climbers on El Capitan in Yosemite and stranded several groups of backpackers in the southern Sierra. “The wind from that storm battered me for three straight days.”
Mind Over Muscle
Williamson did not train for his yo-yo attempt last year; he hiked himself into shape. “The first three weeks were really tough,” he says. “But my endurance has increased a lot as I’ve aged. I don’t hike as fast as I used to, but I can hike farther.”
“Long-distance hiking in my opinion is 5 percent physical, 95 percent mental. Many people who train to hike the PCT spend months getting in shape and getting their gear dialed, but then quickly lose their motivation due to cold, hunger, fatigue, loneliness. The hardest part of any hike is the second day. You’re sore and the reality of your goal to hike several thousand miles sets in.”
The dropout rate for people over 35 is much less than people in their 20s, he notes.
“One of the great things about long-distance hiking is that the trail doesn’t care how old or fit you are or how much you’ve trained. Virtually anybody can get out there and enjoy walking. It’s not like running or climbing which can take years of training and dedication.”
Return of the Yo-Yo?
Call him crazy, but Williamson wants to yo-yo the PCT again next summer. “It would be a great challenge to do it again . I really enjoy pushing myself that way.”
He also wants to qualify to run the Western States 100 next June, so he’s started running a lot in the mountains near Truckee. He figures if he’s doing the PCT next summer he’ll just take a little break to run one of the most grueling footraces in existence and then hop back on the PCT headed north.
He can then relax and cool down over the next 4,000 miles or so.
The Nitty-Gritty of a PCT Yo-Yoer Scott Williamson averaged 35-40 miles per day while yo-yoing the PCT. His pack weighed 8.5 pounds without food and water. It included such luxuries as a rain jacket, mittens, a homemade sleeping quilt, and a GoLite tarp for shelter. He ate about 2.5 pounds of food per day and resupplied with caches every 3-4 days on average. During some stretches he carried up to eight days of food and water, and his pack totaled 35-40 pounds.
He didn’t bring a stove. Dinner consisted of dehydrated refried beans soaked for three hours while hiking along the trail, topped with tortilla chips and olive oil. For breakfast, he had a protein shake. And for lunch, he snacked on dried fruit, nuts and organic raspberry fig bars. After leaving towns, he’d supplement his diet with fresh fruit.
“To me, a good diet on the trail is very important. I focus a lot on organic or more natural food. Other people are able to do the PCT on Top Ramen and Snickers bars. I avoid sugar on the trail because sugar highs and crashes affect my hiking rhythms. But in towns I pigged out on junk food and ate whatever I wanted: candy bars, pastries, burgers.”
Oct/091
A Fine Time to Paddle
Indian Summer is the ideal season for kayaking the coast, Lake Tahoe
By Pete Gauvin
Half Moon Bay Coastline
Photo: Lou Solitske
Push off from a sandy beach or paddle out of a protected harbor along the coast and you are physically no longer a resident of California, but of the eastern Pacific, at the edge of a vast wilderness.
September and October are usually the best months to explore this wilderness along our ruggedly beautiful coast. The fog layer loosens its grip and peels back to sea, while ocean swells are likely to still be mild. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a warm, sunny day and calm seas, but it’s a better bet now than any other time of year. On the coast, everyone knows summer comes in the fall.
Post Labor Day, the absence of summer crowds also makes for serene paddling on the jewel of the Sierra, Lake Tahoe. Fewer power boats, less traffic and mild temperatures will allow you to experience Tahoe at its most peaceful time of year.
Here’s the skinny on five prime destinations for autumn paddling: Mendocino, Tomales Bay, Half Moon Bay, Big Sur and Lake Tahoe.
For more information on these areas and others, an excellent book is the Guide to Sea Kayaking in Central and Northern California, by Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner.
Mendocino shoreline
Photo: Lisa Norman
Mendocino
Highlights: In two words: sea caves. Sea caves litter the Mendocino and Sonoma coast. Where there is no sandy beach, most likely there is a cave or the beginnings of one. Some are little more than shallow depressions or arches, while others are complex tunnels that you can follow hundreds of feet from one rocky cove to another. In some of the more serpentine caves it’s good to have a headlamp. Huge unimpeded northwest swells have pummeled this coast for centuries to create this network of caves. In September and October, the big swells are usually still on vacation, making for one of the best times to explore the caves by kayak. But caution is advised at all times. Novice paddlers should go only with a guide.
But there’s more to see than just caves, as Lost Coast Kayaking guide Craig Comen relates:
“Around me are sandstone cliffs, lined with cypress, pine and redwood. Above me, osprey screech and hover, seeking prey. Below me, sea stars, green anemones, and red abalone lead their sessile lives and thrive in the 55 degree water. It is here I watch pelagic cormorants nest, the young growing each day of summer, and finally taking that leap of faith for their first flight. It is here I get to know harbor seals by their markings and personality, and each pupping season another youngster takes to me like Curious George. They spin and frolic under my boat, come speeding at my paddle and look up at me with compassionate eyes. On these waters, I watch the black oyster catcher scale the rocks, court their mate, and voice their opinions loudly about worldly matters. My terrestrial life floats away as I join the other beings of this habitat and put myself in a different chain of circumstance.”
Another great side trip, but not quite as saline is a quiet paddle up one of the many scenic rivers. Here one can meander with the tidal ebb and flow, and catch a glimpse of otters, harbor seals, egrets, osprey, kingfishers and spectacular redwoods.
Logistics: Approximately 3.5 hours north of San Francisco, Van Damme State Beach is one of the best access points. It offers a sandy south-facing launching beach and convenient parking. Other good put-ins are found at Albion Cove and the Navarro River to the south on Highway 1, and to the north, Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor, Russian Gulch and Caspar Beach. A good reference for current conditions and forecasts is NOAA weather radio, especially the bouy reports from Point Arena and Cape Mendocino.
Outfitters: Guided tours are available from two local outfits, Force 10 Ocean Kayak Tours in Elk (www.force10tours.com; 707-937-2434), Blue Water Ventures (www.bluewaterventures.org, 831-459-8548 and Lost Coast Kayaking in Little River (www.lostcoastkayaking.com, 707-937-2434), which offers two-hour guided tours on sit-on-top kayaks for $50 per person.
Other outfitters also lead weekend trips to Mendocino, including Kayak Connection (www.kayakconnection.com) of Santa Cruz. California Canoe & Kayak (www.calkayak.com; 800-366-9804) also has a trip planned to explore Mendocino’s sea caves on Sept. 10-11 ($249 including gear, meals and camping).
Getting there: Take 101 north to Highway 128 west, just north of Cloverdale. Continue west through the vineyards of Anderson Valley until you meet up with Highway 1.
Camping on the beach
Photo courtesy of Blue Waters Kayaking
Tomales Bay/Drakes Estero
Highlights: One of the best year-round paddling destinations on the West Coast, Tomales Bay is a long sliver of a bay on the lee side of the Point Reyes peninsula. It’s wind-sheltered and swell-protected waters, kayak camping on secluded beaches, tremendous bird life and an organic rural ambience, all within in an easy drive of the Bay Area. It’s an ideal place for beginning touring kayakers to try their first overnight trip. Conditions gradually become more challenging as one approaches the more exposed northern part of the bay.
Drakes Estero, on the south-facing sweep of the Point Reyes National Seashore, is another stunning place to paddle in the fall. (It is closed to kayaks from March 15 until July 1.) Surrounded by rolling grassy hills, the estero is rich in wildlife, including harbor seals, bat rays, leopard sharks and a wide variety of birds – osprey, geese, white pelicans, loons, grebes, shorebirds. After launching from Johnson’s Oyster Farm, the only access point, you can paddle 3.5 miles across the estero to Drakes Bay or explore several other fingers of the estero.
Logistics: Follow 101 north to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and head west to Highway 1. Turn north toward Point Reyes Station and Inverness.
Outfitters: Blue Waters Kayaking (www.bwkayak.com, 415-669-2600) offers guided half-day and full-day tours of Tomales Bay and Drakes Estero. Kayak rentals are available at both of Blue Waters’ Tomales Bay locations: in Inverness on the west side, and in Marshall on the east. Closed-deck kayaks and sit-on-tops are available. To rent closed-deck boats you must have completed a sea kayaking basic skills course or equivalent, and know recovery and re-entry techniques.
Kayak Connection (www.kayakconnection.com), Blue water Ventures (www.bluewaters.org) and Adventure Sports Unlimited (www.asudoit.com) also run overnight trips to Tomales Bay.
Half Moon Bay
Highlights: Wild paddling at the Bay Area’s front door. From protected Pillar Point Harbor, experienced paddlers can venture out to open ocean to explore the rugged coast of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, including sea stacks, kelp beds, secluded beaches and the legendary Mavericks surf break (No worries – it breaks only under big winter swells). Inside the harbor breakwater, there’s a mellow three-mile loop tour and some sandy beaches that are good for practicing rescues and other skills. Accomplished adrenaline-seeking surf-ski paddlers frequent Half Moon Bay to ride ocean swell. For short boaters, there are also some good breaking-wave surf spots. As always, use caution, paddle with a buddy, and get proper training before getting in over your head.
Logistics: From the Bay Area, take Highway 92 west to Highway 1 and go north to Pillar Point Harbor. Launching sites include the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club in Princeton, along Highway 1 near Surfer’s Beach, and the beach near the boat ramp.
Outfitters: California Canoe & Kayak (www.calkayak.com, 800-366-9804) Venture Quest kayaks (www.kayaksantacruz.com, 831-427-2267) and Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. (www.hmbkayak.com, 650-773-6101) offer tours and classes. Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. also rents sit-on-tops and closed-deck touring kayaks.
The rugged Big Sur coastline
Photo courtesy of Big Sur Kayak Adventures
Big Sur
Highlights: If you think Big Sur is dramatic from the road, you should see it from a sea kayak. The Santa Lucia Mountains soar above dramatic cliffs to dominate your macro-vision, while at water level you experience the rich sea life of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, among the most productive marine habitats on the planet.
The problem that flummoxes most paddlers to this stretch of coast is where to put-in. The protected beach at Andrew Molera State Park is one of the best spots, but you’ll have to carry your boat a mile from the parking lot. The reward – solitude, scenery and good surfing waves – is well worth it. Offshore, otters populate thick kelp beds. Further south, Mill Creek State Beach offers the best access to the southern reaches of Big Sur’s 90-mile coastline, where the mountains surge to more than 5,000 feet above sea level.
Outfitters: Big Sur Kayak Adventures (www.bigsurkayaks.com, 1-888-5BIGSUR) offers single- and multi-day trips from Point Lobos to San Simeon. Daily tours depart from Pacific Valley, Andrew Molera State Park and Point Lobos State Reserve. Santa Cruz-based Kayak Connection (www.kayakconnection.com) leads weekend trips to Big Sur ($125) on Oct. 8-9 and Nov. 5-6.
Rocky Tahoe shore
Photo: Paul Vincent Tralka
Lake Tahoe
Highlights: Beautifully clear fresh water surrounded by sandy beaches, granite boulders, forests of pine, alpine peaks and a lot less congestion than in the summer months, Lake Tahoe provides a refreshing alternative to coastal paddling. Many paddlers make it a goal to circumnavigate the lake, approximately 80 miles. Among many spectacular spots, Emerald Bay provides the most dramatic setting. The California state park system maintains 20 boat-in camping sites at Emerald Bay (reservations not accepted after Sept.1).
Outfitters: On the south shore, Kayak Tahoe (www.kayaktahoe.com, 530-544-2311) offers rentals, tours and classes from its shop on the pier at Timber Cove Marina. Tours include Emerald Bay and the Truckee River estuary. Kayaks can be rented overnight for camping at Emerald Bay. On the north shore, Tahoe City Kayak (www.tahoecitykayak.com, 530-581-4336) offers rentals and tours through September before shutting down for the winter.
Oct/090
The Lure of ‘Yak Fishing—Paddle-powered angling offers a boatload of advantages, thrills.
By Allen Bushnell
Photo: Pete Gauvin
I’ve been in the ocean all my life, surfing since I was 12 and fishing seriously since age 25. Often I would sit on my board between sets and look longingly at the outside edge of the kelp beds, wishing I had a rod with me to catch some tasty rockfish for dinner that night. Fishing off my longboard was never very comfortable, so I was completely stoked when my wife bought me our first sit-on-top kayak. I immediately took it out for a full bag of rockfish, and have diligently pursued this exciting sport ever since.
Saltwater kayak fishing has been a popular pursuit in Southern California for a number of years. It’s not unusual to see 40 or 50 kayak anglers out on a summer weekend at La Jolla Cove, for instance. Despite somewhat less hospitable conditions — including bigger seas, colder water, more wind, and a shorter fishing season — paddle-powered fishing is rapidly gaining devotees north of Point Conception. The number of Northern California kayak anglers, once scarcer than a 40-pound halibut, is growing at a consistent rate.
Most saltwater kayak anglers use sit-on-top kayaks, rather than a sit-inside touring boat with a decked cockpit. The SOT offers more usable deck space for equipment and rigging and most include some degree of protected storage via a front or back hatch, or an open rear tankwell. SOT’s may be a bit slower than a sea touring kayak, but they are a lot more stable as a fishing platform and are much easier for performing a self rescue, should you wind up in the water. Made of tough, roto-molded plastic, SOTs offer an inexpensive way to get out on the water. Usually light enough to be handled easily by one person, SOT kayaks can be transported easily on roof racks. They open up many remote areas for fishing without the need for a launch ramp or a lengthy boat ride.
The first concern of the kayak angler, or anyone who ventures even slightly offshore on self-powered craft, is safety. You should know your boat, your abilities, and your limitations. Newbies to the sport are encouraged to take their kayak out to the surf zone, without any equipment aboard, and practice surf entries and recoveries. Fall off the boat deliberately and practice your self-rescue technique. Tip the boat from side to side to test how far on edge it go before capsizing. Learn the secondary stability characteristics of the boat. Practice sitting sideways, backwards, and scooting to the bow and the stern. Test the limits by kneeling and even standing on the boat. Having a physical knowledge of your boat’s limits will go a long way towards staying within those limits when fishing offshore.
There is safety in numbers. When planning a fishing trip, try to get a partner or two for company. Besides being more enjoyable and having witnesses for your big catch, your partners help ensure your safe return. They may also keep you a bit more honest in reporting the size and number of your catch. If no one is available for company, and you have gained enough experience for solo offshore ventures, always let someone know where you will be fishing, and when you expect to return — “file a float plan.” Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and remember conditions can change very quickly in our northern waters. What starts out as a bright calm morning often switches to howling winds and white-capped wind chop, or thick disorienting pea-soup fog.
Every saltwater kayak angler should carry a few items that are considered “the minimum” as safety equipment. Some of these are self evident, but this is by no means a complete list:
PFD (Personal Flotation Device or lifejacket): PFDs are designed to keep a person floating face up when worn correctly. Always wear your PFD properly and you will stay alive even if you are not conscious.
Communication Devices: I prefer a handheld VHF marine band radio. Many models of submersible VHFs are available on the market. This will allow you to speak directly with the Coast Guard, port authorities, or other boaters in your area should you need assistance. Cell phones can serve in a pinch, but should be kept in a dry bag as no submersible models are available. A loud waterproof whistle can come in handy to signal other boaters that you need help, or if it’s foggy, just to let them know you are in the area. Other signaling devices to call for assistance include signal flares, a hand mirror to flash the sun reflection, or a small waterproof air horn.
Paddle Leash: This connects your paddle to your boat or to your PFD. You do not want to have your paddle drift away while you’re a mile offshore fighting a fish. Many kayak anglers will carry an extra paddle inside their boat just in case.
Allen Bushnell fishes for live bait in the harbor.
Photo: Pete Gauvin
Compass: Even the best mariner can get turned around when no landmarks are visible. A compass is a must. Even better are the handheld submersible GPS units that display your exact position using latitude and longitude. Most models include a local marine map upon which you can track progress from your launch point and provide a backtrack feature if necessary. Like anything electronic, GPS units can fail and batteries can die, so always have a compass as your backup.
Proper Clothing: Even at its warmest, our ocean waters will induce hypothermia in a short while. In 50-60 degree water, exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur within an hour and expected survival time is 1 – 6 hours. For this reason, I always wear a wetsuit when paddling out to fish. A farmer-john style suit is probably the best for kayak fishing, as it leaves your arms free for paddling, but will preserve body temperature if you end up in the water. A rash-guard, poly-pro or fleece pullover, windbreaker or paddling jacket are usually plenty for most paddling days in our area. Don’t forget a good hat with a brim for glare, and your UV-blocking sunglasses.
Fishing equipment varies according to each individual angler’s preferences. Most saltwater kayak anglers use conventional gear, that is, open-spool reels and appropriate rods for the species being targeted. A few essentials for rigging your kayak for fishing would include rod holders, a gaff or net and a stringer or bag for holding your fish. Many saltwater anglers adapt 12-volt fishfinder sonar units for their craft. Some consider the fishfinder an essential piece of equipment. Another essential is a drift-chute or sea anchor that an angler can deploy to slow their drift and keep fishing when the winds get strong.
In the Monterey and San Francisco bay areas, and the greater central coast of California, we mostly pursue rockfish and lingcod, halibut, salmon, striped bass or sturgeon. Each of these species requires a different approach in terms of strategy, areas and locales, and often in bait, lures and equipment used. Luckily, practice consists of getting out on the water and actually fishing. No kayak angler will ever forget the heart-stopping moment of his or her first big takedown, or the thrill of a big fish “sleigh ride.”
Even the greenest grommet can find some measure of success to build upon, and near-shore trips for gopher cod and blue rockfish can soon escalate to fishing the edge of the Monterey Bay Canyon where the drop-off plunges thousands of feet and anchovy schools attract big king salmon. Pay attention to your safety equipment and talk to other anglers for tips, tricks and techniques. No one of us knows more than all of us, and anglers, as a rule, are eager to share. (Indeed, sometimes the challenge is to get them to STOP talking!) In Central and Northern California, we’re enjoying the infancy of this sport. The saltwater kayak fishing community is still small and somewhat intimate, much like surfing was in the early 60′s. It’s an eco-friendly, healthful, exhilarating pursuit and to top it off, you get the freshest seafood dinner in town!
Allen Bushnell is the 2003 winner of the Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing Derby. He writes the weekly fishing report for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and is co-host of “The Let’s Go Fishing Radio Show” that airs every Thursday evening at 7pm on KSCO 1080AM. Bushnell operates a kayak fishing guide service for our area and can be contacted at scruzfishing@yahoo.com, or through these websites:
www.theletsgofishingradioshow.com
Bushnell displays a colorful lingcod before releasing it.
Photo: Pete Gauvin
Morning at Sea
Guided kayak fishing trip introduces writer to growing sport
By Pete Gauvin
We meet at the Santa Cruz Harbor at 5 a.m., painfully early for an unconditioned fisherperson like myself. Seven is early. Five borders on torture. But that apparently is what separates fish catchers from mere line wetters — the willingness to sacrifice a warm bed for a foggy morning of threading bait to your line while sloshing around in the swell.
It had been a couple years since I’d been out on a charter boat, a “party boat,” to drop my line from the rail with 30 to 40 other guys of varying levels of hygiene and beer appreciation. A couple of $70 trips while inhaling engine fumes, pitching and rolling for hours, and getting skunked had pretty much excised my urge to catch my own. Store-bought steaks started to seem like a much better deal.
But here I was, back at the game, only this time I would be my own skipper, and for that matter my own engine. Such is the autonomous nature of kayak fishing.
Down at the launch ramp, real fishermen with manly trucks and serious fishing boats with big motors lined up to launch their pride and joy and kid’s college tuition. Looking on, even a low-impact, wallet-lite sportsman like myself couldn’t subdue irrational pangs of vessel envy. Since boyhood and learning to sail small boats resembling bathtubs, I’d always dreamed of owning a Boston Whaler. It was the pinnacle of my boater-porn fantasies, although I would have settled for anything with an outboard that left a purling wake behind it. My guess is that it stems from watching too many after-school episodes of “Flipper.”
At the bait shop, I meet Allen Bushnell, a college administrator and unofficial kayak fishing ambassador to Northern California. (See accompanying article) He has his own kayak fishing guide service and hosts a radio show on fishing and writes a fishing column for the local paper and magazine articles for “Kayak Fisherman.” Other than that, he’s pretty green.
I plunk down for a fishing license thankful that I don’t have to pass any tests. Allen purchases a couple packages of squid; I think it’s still a bit early for breakfast.
Out front is Allen’s stealth fishing rig: a sporty VW van with a couple sit-on-top kayaks on the roof rack. He says that when the fish are biting up near Davenport he can drive north, launch his kayak and be fishing for a good while before the power boaters even make it to the fishing grounds, swell weary and sea sick.
We hop in and drive over to the kayak-launching dock on the other side of the harbor. We have it to ourselves except for one other kayak fishing denizen — a middle-aged guy bubbling with enthusiasm whom Allen infected with the sport last year. On his first trip with Allen as his guide, the rookie caught a 27-pound halibut, bigger than Allen himself has ever landed. I guess that’ll do it. Of course, he couldn’t help but tell me about it after about 30 seconds. Among fishermen, landing a huge halibut is the equivalent of a frat boy scoring a supermodel — you’re bound to hear about it for years to come.
As the salmon hadn’t started biting and the rockfish and lingcod were still out of season (until July 1), a big fat flat halibut or two would be our piscatorial goal today. One good size halibut would make for a lot of tasty fish tacos, I projected.
After figuring out my fishing outfit — a wetsuit on my lower half and a synthetic shirt, fleece and wind breaker up top — we set off in a matter of minutes, generating a little welcome body heat as we paddled out the harbor, dwarfed by the hulls of commercial fishing vessels and private yachts. Allen stops near the mouth and grabs the smallest of three rods, one fixed with a Sabiki bait rig for catching live bait. He quickly catches a couple frenetic anchovy and tosses them in the battery-powered live bait well behind his seat. I am impressed!
Paddling past the jetty we are met with incoming swell and the adventure begins. We proceed in our roto-molded personal fishing vessels out onto the inky immensity, as power boats of varying stature throttle out for the hunt (weenies!). We paddle out about a mile until Allen’s fishfinder tells us were in just over 50 feet of water. He shows me how to rig the squid to my line with the single hook in the tail end and the treble hook between the eyes. Good thing they’re not cute and fuzzy.
As rays of sunlight begin piercing the fog, we drop our lines to the sea floor and then reel up a turn or two so our bait is just off the bottom, where halibut lurk. As soon as our bait is in position, the bite arrives like knocks at the door. But time after time we reel up and find only colorful, mischievous rockfish on the hook. Apparently they didn’t get the memo that they’re out of season. A little later, Allen pulls up an extravagant turquoise-colored 12-pound lingcod, a tasty fish and a definite keeper, but it too is out of season. What a tease!
Allen mentions another advantage of kayak fishing that hadn’t occurred to me: On a kayak, you can use lighter weight test line with less chance of it being snapped because the kayak acts as natural drag. This is great so long as you don’t hook the sea-going equivalent of Lance Armstrong.
A couple hours into my first kayak fishing adventure, I faced my biggest challenge: I had over hydrated and my bladder alert system was at four alarms. I could no longer chase halibut until taking care of business. But how from a kayak in rolling swell? Thankfully I was on an ultra-stable model that allowed me to kneel. But it was a shaky operation that I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re a good swimmer… Women? Did I mention that these kayaks are self-bailing?
Back to fishing: Allen had been monitoring his VHF radio and no one seemed to be catching any halibut anywhere in the vicinity. If they were, apparently they’d be bragging over the radio. When even the rockfish stopped biting, we tossed the rest of our squid to the seagulls and paddled back to the harbor.
We were back before 11 a.m. While we didn’t catch any fish to eat or brag about, at least we got in a good paddle and I gained a bit of angler knowledge for my next time out. Fishing, after all, is about perseverance.
Oct/091
Destination: Chico—A Bike-Friendly, Park-Rich Sporting Oasis in the Sacramento Valley
By Pete Gauvin • Photos by Matt Muirhead
Many people live for years in California without ever visiting Chico. Surrounded on three sides by farmland and set against
the Sierra foothills 90 miles north of Sacramento, Chico sits safely off major thoroughfares. Unless Chico is your destination, or you’re headed up Highway 32 to Lake Almanor or Lassen National Park, there’s little reason one would need to go there.
Thus, a lot of people miss this attractive, affable university town and never discover its civic charms or realize the richness of outdoor opportunities afforded nearby.
For residents, that’s a good thing. For despite being off the radar of many, Chico has been discovered by plenty of others. It has grown substantially in recent years, undergoing suburban growing pains and an unprecedented rise in property values for a somewhat remote valley town. The population of the “Greater Chico Urban Area” now hovers near 100,000 and average home prices near $300,000.
While some of this ‘progress’ is less than grand, there is still a lot to recommend Chico.
With its compact and lively downtown, a vibrant and leafy campus, porch-profuse older neighborhoods, the third largest municipal park in the nation, and an active population of cyclists, runners and outdoor enthusiasts buzzing through it all, Chico is like a hybrid between Boulder and the fictional Mayberry, with a little Modesto thrown in.
The outdoor ethic runs rich and deep in Chico. Stimulated by California State University, Chico, the town’s relative isolation, and the bounty and proximity of its natural surroundings, Chico has long been a breeding ground for outdoor athletes and innovators.
Companies such as Overland Equipment, Caribou Mountaineering, Moon Travel guidebooks and Jeff Lindsay’s Mountain Goat cycles, one of the first names in high-end custom mountain bikes, have got their start here. There are also companies like Knudsen Juices, which makes one of the few non-artificial sports drinks and supports many local events such as the Bidwell Classic Half Marathon (March 5th) and the Wildflower Century (April 24th).
And who could overlook one of the mightiest of microbreweries, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which if not directly related to outdoor sports, is certainly a symbiotic business. After all, based on purely observational sampling, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would seem to be the unofficial favorite reward at the end of many a Californian’s outdoor adventure. The brewery, established in 1981 and still independent, also sponsors one of the state’s top cycling teams and its colorful jerseys are favorites with weekend warriors and century riders.
And if all notable outdoor towns must be home to at least one microbrewery, Chico’s got an edge — it’s home to two. In addition to Sierra Nevada, Butte Creek Brewing has been fermenting an impressive lineup of organic beers in town since 1996.
But if thanks goes to anyone for Chico’s pleasant blend of town and nature, it goes to John and Annie Bidwell. John founded Chico and donated the land for the university. After his death, in 1905 Annie deeded more than 2,200 acres of their ranch along Big Chico Creek to the city for a public park.
Bidwell Park
Bidwell Park, which now spans 3,750 acres, begins as a streamside urban forest near downtown with developed playgrounds and swimming areas and runs 12 miles northeast into the heart of a deep and wild canyon. Lower Bidwell offers paved bike paths and wood-chip running trails under a canopy of lofty oak and sycamore trees. Upper Bidwell has numerous rugged trails for mountain biking and trail running with splendid views and craggy swimming holes.
Two-Wheeled Town
In addition to being a capital for good beer, Chico is a capital for cycling. With flats for commuting and plenty of bike lanes in town, miles of surrounding farm roads and long climbs into the foothills for roadies, and Upper Bidwell and plenty of dirt nearby for mountain biking, Chico has something to offer two-wheeled enthusiasts of every stripe. In 1997, Bicycle
magazine chose it as the nation’s “Most Bicycle Friendly City.”
Chico might have been the site of the first off-road bike race, the Bidwell Bump a rim-thrashing, bone-jarring ride over rutted dirt and lava rock in Upper Bidwell according to storied fat-tire explorer Chuck “Bodfish” Elliot, who organized the first event in 1976.
The cycling community is supported by a bevy of bike shops and a vibrant cycling club/advocacy group, Chico Velo, which sponsors one of the top centuries in the nation, the aforementioned Wildflower Century, which draws more than 2,500 riders. This spring classic winds up beautiful Butte Creek Canyon past the Honey Run Covered Bridge to Paradise, descends back to the valley, and then circles up and over the wildflower abundance of Table Mountain before returning through rolling green hills and orchards to Chico.
Chico Velo’s website, www.chicovelo.org, offers maps and descriptions for popular road rides in the area. For mountain bike routes, visit one of the local shops or pick up a copy of Mountain Biking Chico by Mark Menard (Falcon Guides, $10.95).
Water, Snow and Rock
Beyond great cycling, Chico has a lot more to offer outdoor enthusiasts. The Sacramento River, which winds down the valley only five miles west of town, offers mellow paddling for canoeists and kayakers. Nearby Butte Creek offers novice whitewater kayakers a scenic Class II+ six-mile run in spring and early summer (see description at California Creekin’, www.creekin.net). Many more North State rivers, numerous reservoirs and mountain lakes provide a wealth of other options for wild- and calm-water paddling.
For a great spring day hike or trail run, Feather Falls, at 640 feet the sixth highest waterfall in the U.S., is one of the most impressive attractions in Butte County. The trailhead is off Lumpkin Road above Lake Oroville; roundtrip is seven miles.
Rock climbers will find plenty of impressive granite in the Feather River canyon. Backpackers can head for the Ishi Wilderness, Lassen Park or the Trinity Alps. Backcountry skiers and riders can find some of the deepest, best quality snow in the state at Mt. Lassen, an hour and a half from Chico. A bumper crop of spring corn snow usually lasts well into June and makes for easy picking after the Lassen Loop Road is opened to the summit trail parking area at 8,500 feet.
Of course, when you’re pooped from all the adventure, you’ll find plenty of options to hoist a made-in-Chico microbrew back in town.
Oct/090
Book Shelf
by Pete Gauvin
There are so many exercise books on the market that it’s difficult to imagine that there’s any real need for another. But for outdoor athletes who pursue more than one sport — that is, most of us — there’s little to be found between the sport-specific training manuals, the vanity-focused muscle-building titles and the celebrity-in-leotard exercise guides.
Welcome to the shelf “CONDITIONING FOR OUTDOOR FITNESS: Functional
Exercise & Nutrition for Every Body, 2nd edition,” (The Mountaineers, $24.95), edited by David Munick, M.D., and Mark Pierce, A.T.C. It comes loaded with wholesome value for outdoor-minded readers seeking sound information and guidance for all-sport fitness and everyday health.
In a single serving of 417 pages, “Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness” brings a fresh, comprehensive blend of the latest scientific and practical information of interest to outdoor athletes and adventure hounds. Since first published in 1999, it has been revised to incorporate the latest medical research and expanded by nearly 100 pages with new exercises and material on nutrition, weight loss and disease prevention.
Written by a team of specialists in sports medicine, nutrition, physical therapy, and athletic training, “Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness” emphasizes “functional training” — training your body in ways that mimic how you actually use them in a variety of sports, from climbing to cycling, trail running to windsurfing, sea kayaking to telemark skiing.
With functional training, your musculoskeletal system will respond to the same forces of gravity and experience similar balance and coordination challenges as in the activity itself. So, the theory goes, these exercises can promise to fine-tune your body to meet the specific demands of your sport in ways that other conditioning programs cannot.
Thirty-one chapters are grouped in four broad sections: Basic Principles, Body Regions, Conditioning for Outdoor Activities, and Optimal Wellness. Basic Principles includes excellent background information on physiology, nutrition, aerobic conditioning and interval training, stretching, and strength, balance and agility training. Those without a gym membership or an
aversion to exercising in walled spaces will also appreciate the chapter on “Creative Use of the Outdoors in Training.”
Body Regions tackles anatomy and injury prevention and treatment, and then follows with chapters that provide insight on the function, use and training of specific body regions from the abdominals to the foot, the neck and back to the forearm and hand. Specific exercises are recommended and illustrated with photos; icons indicate which sports they’re of value to.
Conditioning for Outdoor Activities includes in-depth discussions on the demands of and specific exercises for hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, snowboarding and skiing, kayaking and rowing, road and mountain cycling, running and windsurfing.
Optimal Wellness discusses body posture and movement patterns, lifestyle considerations, conditioning for seniors and others with compromising health
issues, and special issues for women athletes, such as weight control, osteoporosis and menstrual function.
In total, more than 180 exercises are profiled and grouped according to
how they benefit certain muscle groups, general fitness or specific sports. Best of all, this book doesn’t skimp on the science or gloss over the complex functioning of the human body to appeal to a broad audience.
Just as “Freedom of the Hills” is the go-to bible of mountaineering, “Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness” could become THE reference manual for health and fitness information geared for an outdoor lifestyle.
Oct/091
Baja Paddling: Kayak the sun-kissed Sea of Cortez this winter
By Pete Gauvin • Photos
by Danny Boyer
There’s nothing quite like spending a week on a desert island surrounded by turquoise water to recharge your batteries, recenter your priorities, and lighten your soul.
Throw in the adventure of getting there by sea kayak, camping on remote beaches, lots of Vitamin D sunshine, and a margarita or two, and you’re just about guaranteed one relaxing, memorable winter/spring escape.
This is no pipe dream. It’s as easy as booking a trip with an outfitter to the enchanted Sea of Cortez and surrendering to “Baja time.” Two Northern California outfitters currently offer trips to Baja: Blue Waters Kayaking (www.bwkayak.com) and Outback Adventures (www.outbackadventures.com).
Both companies run trips out of Loreto, the oldest town in Baja California Sur. Loreto, located about 750 miles south of the border, is set amongst the 4,000-foot escarpment of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains and the warm, blue Sea of Cortez. Aero California (800-237-6225), the only airline that flies into Loreto from the U.S., offers daily flights from LAX for about $280 round trip.
Kayak trips put in at Puerto Escondido (“hidden harbor”), about 15 miles south of Loreto, and kayakers paddle out to the protected islands of the newly designated Loreto National Marine Park, including Isla Carmen and Isla Danzante (“dancing island”).
Don’t forget to pack your mask and snorkel! These islands are famous for their sun-washed beauty and the proliferation of sealife in the waters around them. Sightings of manta rays, dolphins, roosterfish and sea turtles are common, and sometimes even a whale or two. Visitation is strictly controlled to minimize environmental impacts and maintain the wilderness experience for fortunate visitors.
Trips are eight days long and include five nights of camping out on the islands. The first and last nights are spent at a hotel in Loreto. Blue Waters will run six trips in March and April. Outback Adventures will run five trips from February through May. No prior sea kayaking experience is necessary.
Double and single kayaks are available through Blue Waters. Lead guides Roger Schumann, a noted author on sea kayaking, and Emily Beckwith, a naturalist and yoga instructor, are available for skills training. Trips are limited to 12 people. A Mexican chef cooks the meals, including plenty of fresh seafood.
A Whale of an Experience
As an alternative Baja adventure, Blue Waters will run seven whale-watching/kayaking trips to Magdalena Bay this winter from January to mid-March. From Loreto, “Mag Bay” is an hour-and-a-half drive across the peninsula to the milder Pacific side. A big base camp is established on a beach on a little island amid a mangrove at the north end of the bay, near the small fishing village of Lopez Mateos. The entrance to the bay between two sandbar islands, Isla Santo Domingo and Isla Magdalena, is a great place to see whales right from camp.
For closer views, pongas take campers out into the lagoon’s whale calving area, where you’re likely to see whales surface, breach and spy hop. In addition, there’s great hiking, bird watching, and calm-water kayaking in the mangrove, where you’ll see dolphins, sea lions and fish.
