Paddle: Gonzo 10 Island Tour

Much paddling about riding the tidal currents. Worked well except around Rat Rock and getting back into Raccoon Straight. The beer sure tasted good afterwards.

Paddle: Monterey Whale Watching

A vast armada of kayaks launched from Monterey on Saturday to hunt for the elusive gray whale. We paddled out to the bouy off Point Pinos where most of the group turned back. I went on with seven others and we managed to catch some spouts off of Point Joe. It was a great day on the water, very mild conditions. My pod ended up doing just over 14 miles.

We had a great dinner in Pacific Grove at Vivolo's Chowder House with over 30 BASKers in attendance.

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Paddle: Pt. Richmond - Albany

On a beautiful Saturday morning, Jesse, Joe, Mike, and Mike launched from Ferry Point at Point Richmond. We paddled out around the break water then headed east towards Albany. We stopped for lunch at Albany and watched pelicans dive for fish. After lunch we checked out the art exhibit and the old Ford plant in Richmond. Very nice paddle.

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Paddle: Drake's Estero

Joan initiated a beautiful winter paddle at Point Reyes. We launched from Johnson's Oyster Farm and rode the ebb tide to the ocean. Saw a flock of white pelicans on the sand bar at the mouth of the estero. We enjoyed lunch at the entrance to Limatour Estero and then paddled back. Had to poke around a bit to find a route as the water level was getting low but made for some good photos of the oyster beds.

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Paddle: La Jolla

After cycling around La Jolla and having a sushi lunch it was time for kayaking. There were a bunch of folks signed up for the kayak tour. We suited up at the shop and walked down to the beach. I almost lost my camera, left it sitting out side the shop fortunately I remembered in time and ran back to get it. We launched off a sandy beach with no surf and headed south. We followed the coast line until we got to a series of seven sea caves. We checked out the caves but didn’t go inside. We did go through an arch further south and then turned back north. It was a pleasant tour even thought we were in big plastic sit-on-tops.

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Hiking: Torrey Pines State Reserve

Got to San Diego early enough in the afternoon for a hike. Rode the 101 Bus north through La Jolla to Torrey Pines State Reserve. You can only enter the park from the north which is good because I missed the bus stop and ended up at the beach. I hiked back to the visitor center which sits on the ridge above the beach. I had a chat with the friendly volunteer who recommended the Razor Point Trail. You hike down one ridge to a cliff just above the Pacific Ocean then turn south and hike back up the next ridge. The sunset into the Pacific was spectacular.

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Paddle: Petaluma River Mouth

Susan initiated a paddle on the Petaluma River. It was a beautiful, sunny fall, Sunday. Joining Susan were Joan, Paula, and myself. We launched from Green Point right under the Hwy 37 bridge. There was a gentle breeze (8 – 12 mph) straight out of the north so everyone naturally wanted to go south. We paddled past the railroad swing bridge to the mouth of the Petaluma Creek. We headed up the creek wondering if we would run out of water or if the tide would go out and we’d be stuck schlepping through the mud. Surprisingly, we managed to go nearly a mile inland before the creek narrowed making turning around difficult. We paddled back out of the creek and continued south around Petaluma Point. Enjoying spectacular Bay vistas we paddled past the mouth of Navato Creek. We turned around and worked back against the wind and current to Green Point were we had to thread our way around fishing lines to land.

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