Maine Paddling Connection Blog
What a fun weekend on San Francisco Bay! Cindy & Steve Scherrer came down from WA to help me run an American Canoe Association Level 1/2 SUP Instructors Certification Workshop for 6 potential candidates. We had a great team of paddlers with a ton of learning going on and super support from all. In the end, we certified four new Level 1 Instructors and two new Level 2 Instructors - success!
Read MoreSunshine and warm weather can sure help you have fun. I spent the weekend in Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon Coast for the 5th annual Lumpy Waters Symposium hosted by Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe. That crew operates as a true team and does a fantastic job delivering a fun & safe event for all.
Read More9 paddlers, one panga and 5 days of Sea Leader Training. While in Baja this week, I sat in on a BCU course run by Ginni Callahan and Santiago Burreuta of Sea Kayak Baja Mexico. As an observer, I had the best job - no responsibility, no stress. I helped when they asked, when they were set, I simply paddled.
Read MoreAs many trips do, this one had a goal. It wasn't clear, but it clearly involved spending time on myself & resetting for a major change. I recently left my job in search of something more meaningful and more fulfilling, and a trip to Baja seemed a good starting point. So far I'm feeling way more 'in touch' with myself and am taking the time to listen to my body.
Read MoreFor the last few months I've been paddling with locals on these weekly Meetups in the Oakland estuary and have seen a ton of growth in the paddling skills of the participants. It seemed appropriate that we all get together for an end-of-summer paddle that included a reasonable amount of mileage, current, wind, vessel traffic & chop.
Read MoreMy favorite summertime paddling workouts are upwind downwinds. We get such good wind in the San Francisco Bay Area that it's easy to forget the morning flatwater and save the workouts for the late afternoon when it's blowing... I paddle straight into the wind for a set amount of time or distance and then surf my way back to the start for another lap.
Read MoreHere in the Bay Area we have a little tidal race called "yellow bluff" that creates a fun play spot during a strong ebb. I've seen it create some really beautiful standing waves at times, but normally it develops into a wave train with one or two clean waves at the front.
Read MoreToday, I launched from Tidewater Boathouse in Oakland just before 11am for a lap around Alameda island. The course is 15.5 miles long and offers a balanced circuit of upwind & downwind. I caught the very end of the ebb and was able to ride that almost to the north tip of the island. Paddling against the very start of the flood, the wind threatened to pick up some, reaching maybe 10 kts at times.
Read MoreOn Saturday I participated in the inaugural California 100 paddling race from Redding to Chico on the Sacramento river. 100 miles of continuous paddling is a challenge for anyone in any discipline and I opted to do the course on a standup board. I anticipated a conservative, consistent pace down the river and was shooting for a time under 14 hours 24 minutes.
Read MoreThe Davenport race last saturday, put on by the Ghostryders Watermans Club, was one of my toughest days on water ever.. I've paddled sea kayaks in some very challenging conditions and this was right up there. 20-25 knot sustained winds created some good sized swells a bit mixed up. The route is a 14-mile downwind shot from Davenport Landing to the wharf in Santa Cruz.
Read MoreSean Morley & I got out recently for a nice downwind crossing of San Francisco Bay from Horseshoe Cove, beneath the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, to Berkeley. We had to get an early start in order to be back in time for other responsibilities, which meant we were a bit too early for the wind. But, no worries, the wind made an appearance halfway into the trip just as we were getting near Point Blunt.
Read MoreSea Otter is one of my favorite events of the year. It's a ton of work that involves long hours but in a strange way it's one of the easiest events I've ever worked on, mainly because I had so much fun I forgot I was working. There was an overwhelming amount of teamwork between departments this year and everyone was working towards one end goal.
Read More1 trashed fin, 2 holes in my board and a 3rd place finish. What a fun event! This was my first time running the section of river from Alexander Valley campground to Veterans Memorial Beach Park in Healdsburg. The fifteen mile route started out shallow and rocky and continued for most of the race. Some fast moving water in places moved over shallow rapids and around overgrown bends.
Read MoreBaja Kayak Fest was a blast. Even though I had to jet out on Sunday morning and missed a day on the water, it was well worth the trip and was just an overall good time. Jennifer Kleck of Aqua Adventures and Victor Leon of Baja Aquatics did a fantastic job organizing the event in a worry-free and safe manner for students & coaches.
Read MoreI recently spent a few days dog sitting in South Lake and got a couple days of paddling in. Since the forecast called for warm temps and sunshine I went up armed with paddling & skiing gear. Instead of skiing uncrowded spring conditions I opted to hit the lake.
Read MoreI recently assisted Steve Scherrer on an ACA Level 1/2 SUP ICW in Long Beach with ten SoCal instructor candidates. We spent the first 30 minutes of the course on the 2nd floor balcony at Bayshore Park, just a short paddle from Marine Stadium Park, rowing site of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In the foreground we watched locals enjoying the heat wave on the beach and in the water, in the background we stared at the snow-covered Mount San Antonio, tallest point in Los Angeles county standing at over 10k feet.
Read MoreI finally got a chance to paddle at GGSKS this year, but it wasn't until Monday morning during the 3-day 5 star training with Steve Maynard & John Carmody. We had quite the group with Jen Kleck & Roger Schumann joining the coaching team. Santiago, Victor, Andrea, Kim, David, Lee, Richard & myself had a full 3 days of BCU that was fun, mellow and complete with broaching whales underneath the Golden Gate. We saw mysterious 6-ft breakers rolling into the bay and we had strong representation from the Mexican Canoe Union (MCU). It was just fun.
Read MoreThree weeks have passed since the 2013 Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium in the San Francisco Bay Area. The vibe was right-on this year with a healthy mix of personality, positive attitudes, a relaxed atmosphere & abundant sunshine. It was a great place to make friends and do some paddling.
Read MorePowder skiing is my favorite thing in the world. A few days after xmas, Haley and I flew to Spokane, rented a pickup truck and drove into Canada. We arrived at the airfield in Nelson, British Columbia around 2pm, organized our gear, squeezed into the helicopter and ascended into the hills. Barely 10 minutes later we were scurrying across the helipad through a frigid downdraft surrounded by winter at Baldface Lodge.
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