Fall on the Mendocino Coast

Fall is my favorite time of the year - especially at home on the Mendocino Coast.  Summer is super busy and our early fall seems to have become a bit of a whirlwind too; however, when November hits, things slow down.  The longer days are a welcome break for those of us who like an excuse to got to bed early with a book or snuggle under the covers a little bit longer in the morning.  The day to day operations of Liquid Fusion Kayaking shifts from a constantly ringing phone, continuous email correspondence, and teaching and guiding to gear maintenance and repair, book keeping, website work, and planning.  It is a nice change of pace.

November Sunset on the Mendocino Coast

Getting out in the surf regularly is a nice change of pace as well.  This summer, I managed to get out on my mountain bike regularly but didn't not manage my weekly goal of at least once a week in the surf.  My hp surf boat and I are rekindling our flame and stay tuned for reports on a new surf toy in our quiver.

My new hp surf kayak

Pace is a bit of an issue these days on mountain bike rides.  We are working on finding the balance between riding for exercise and riding as a means of transportation to our mushroom spots.  California is still dry so mushroom season has been off to a painfully slow start.  We have been longingly checking our spots and settling for buttons and seeking out less common (yet delicious) species.

Beefsteak!  One of our favorite mushrooms on the Mendocino Coast.

Speaking of delicious . . . fall is a time of harvest on both sea and land.  Dungeness crab season has been delayed, but we still have the month of November to get abalone.  A kayak is a great way to get abalone; however, so is coasteering.  Sometimes it is nice to travel light and not deal with the effort of loading and unloading kayaks and the associated gear.  With the proper equipment (where we live a warm wetsuit and hood), swimming in the ocean is a blast.

Coasteering and Abalone Diving

This year, I got a new wetsuit.  It is warm and comfortable and has gotten me into the water more.  As fall progresses, I plan to catch up on some gear reviews and definitely will be raving about my new wetsuit.  I have a notion that I am going to do a series of gear reviews and am thinking up a theme for them.  I am thinking of The 12 Days of Gear Reviews and posting a new review each day.  Let me know if you have any ideas.  Boots are definitely a hot topic on my list this year.

Having time to explore ideas is one of my favorite parts about fall.  Those that know me well, know that the wheels are always turning in my head and often have a creative spin.  I am hoping to get some of those creative ideas onto my blog this fall and winter and into Liquid Fusion Kayaking's adventures for 2016 and beyond.