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- Paddling My Own Canoe - 10/01/2018
- West Coast Board Riders Club - 10/01/2018
- Never Too Oldfor Gold - 07/29/2018
Nothing dry about it, the Arroyo Seco is a treasure in winter
By Haven Livingston
A spectacular canyon run makes the grueling hike in entirely worthwhile.
You were probably expecting to hear about how my 100 day challenge finished up in 2014. To be honest, Iโm still trying to put it all together in my head. A post will come of it, sometime. Wait for it. And for the record, I hit 115 days of paddling in 2014. Iโm still recovering!
Back to the here and now. The rains came. The rains dumped. Word was that Indians in Big Sur got six inches. Whoo HOO! That was enough to throttle Arroyo Seco and keep it running for a few days. Thanks Elijah for rattling my chain and getting me out there!
My friends Elijah and Kyle and I took advantage of the summer-like weather to sweat our way up the three plus mile hike to kayak down the Arroyo Seco River from Willow Creek Bridge. It took about an hour and forty five minutes to hike in with repositioning and rest stops along the way. For a place that is packed in summer with beer swilling frat boys and previously known to me only as a baking hot swim hole, Arroyo Seco is a treasure in the winter! Especially on days like this with the temperatures reaching near record highs. We only saw two hikers and had the river all to ourselves!
Elijah demonstrates position #14 of trying to find a comfortable way carry a kayak. It doesnโt exist.
Directly below the put in a few bouldery drops with brush and trees led into the steeper part of the canyon. After the short canyon the run finishes with a few more boulder hopping and tree dodging drops before reaching the flat water beach of the day use area.
Kyle drops off the horizon and into the canyon.
At our level of about 8.5 on the gauge we had enough water to keep it sporty, but not too pushy. It could be even more fun with a bit more water.
Running Mucho Cajones rapid.
