June 2018

My blog has been a bit quiet this month - you probably realize that the reason for this is that life is anything but quiet at the moment.

Liquid Fusion Kayaking is in full swing with our summer tours.  Each day I consider it an honor to be able to share the outdoor world with others.  From beginning kayakers (many who don't even know how to swim) to seasoned paddlers looking to improve their skills, I feel very fortunate to be able to share the wonders of the Mendocino Coast.  

Locals enjoying a kayak birding tour on the Noyo River.

The Noyo River is so beautiful and alive!!!  A highlight of our Noyo River Tours this summer has been acorn woodpeckers nesting in the alder snag by our shop.  Everyone is fascinated by them and I am observing and learning more about their life history and complex social structure.  Kate Marianchild describes it well in her book Secrets of Oak Woodlands: Plants and Animals Among California's Oaks.

Acorn Woodpecker prepares to enter its nest in the alder tree by LFK Headquarters.

On the ocean, I have been co-teaching with Jeff Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Art of Sea Kayaking Mendocino series and Whitewater of the Sea Adventures.  After this month's sea kayak surfzone class, I see the need for simple instructional information on the surf zone - specifically for sea kayaks in the surf.  Stay tuned for my blog posts on sea kayak surf zone skills.

Combining surfzone and rock gardening skills to traverse through a rocky surfzone on the Mendocino Coast.

Whitewater of the Sea continues to be a blast!  I highly recommend it for anyone who is adventuresome, physically fit, and comfortable in the water and especially if you are interested in ocean whitewater kayaking aka rock gardening or rock hopping.  Our funnest trips are groups of friends or family who come out together.  Last week, we had a family of 7 including 5 teenagers.  Everyone rocked!!!  It was especially seeing the teenagers watching in awe as their Mom got some of the best rides of the day.

A Mom showing her teenagers how it's done on a Whitewater of the Sea Adventure.

Jeff and I continue to take Tuesdays off.  The idea is that it is a day of rest and rejuvenation.  We definitely get both.  I have a blog drafted to share more about our Tuesday adventures which include whitewater river kayaking, kayak fishing, surfing, and mountain biking.

Catch of the Day - Vermillion Rock Cod aka Red Snapper

As of June 2018, Liquid Fusion Kayaking has been officially running kayak tours and classes on the Mendocino Coast of California.  I have been reflecting on the evolution of our business and am excited to see what the next 10 years will bring.

Rock Garden Etiquette- Part One

Northern California has an awesome coastline for sea kayaking - specifically rock gardening.  There are many variations of kayaking in ocean rock gardens.  I believe the simplest explanation of rock gardening is kayaking in and around rocks in the ocean.

Sea kayaking in the rock gardens and sea caves of the Mendocino Coast.

Variations range from tooling around rock gardens and sea caves in calm conditions to traversing technical passage ways, riding pour-overs, and surfing in rock gardens and sea caves.  For safety and enjoyment, it is important that we follow the written and unwritten rules of this marine playground.

Cate with a juicy rock garden pour-over ride.

First we need to consider that this is not just our playground but is home to many marine creatures and our actions can effect their survival.  Right now, things are drastically changing in the Eastern Pacific.  Many marine creatures are struggling to survive.  The rock garden habit in which we play is quite sensitive.

What we need to do:

Tread lightly - avoid landing on and crushing marine life.  Mussels, kelp, sea stars, anemones, and abalone are all important to the balance of the marine ecosystem.  Be cautious about where you land and try not to step on creatures or injure the kelp.

Police plastic - pick it up and pack it out.  We all find trash and plastic out in the marine environment.  Help out by picking it up and packing it out and of course packing out your own trash.

Minimize impact of plastic from kayaks on rocks.  Timing, boat control, and judgement are key skills to make sure that we don't impact rocks with our kayaks and leave behind plastic curly-q's.  If the tide is too low or the swell is not powerful enough to run a feature without scrapping over it, move on and find a spot that is working.  Avoid landing and dragging kayaks on abrasive rock surfaces including mussels and barnacles.

Be aware and avoid wildlife during the nesting and pupping season.  Most paddlers are aware of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are conscious of not disturbing harbor seals.  It is also our responsibility to avoid bird nesting areas during nesting season.  On the Mendocino Coast, this is typically March through the beginning of August.  The population and nesting success of birds that nest near shore is being monitored by local and state Audubon Societies as well as by Fish and Wildlife.  Human disturbance is a considerable issue and one that often results in chick mortality.  Human disturbance can also lead to areas being closed.  It is best for us to avoid these areas during the nesting season.  On the Mendocino Coast, species of concern is the pelagic cormorant.  Pelagic cormorants nest on the cliffs of headlands, near shore rocks and commonly around sea caves.

Large nesting colony of pelagic cormorants on the Mendocino Coast.

Smaller nesting colony of pelagic cormorants.

Stay tuned for Part II where we talk about rock garden etiquette related to humans.

Sea kayakers using a circuit for safety and fun.

Symphony of the Noyo

Happiness is a butterfly, 

which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

We all have those days when things don't go as planned.  Sometimes being open to possibilities or just being present or willing to embrace a moment is all that it takes to transform a derailed to-do list into a moment of bliss and happiness.

This week, I have ended up spending a good part of my days on our deck over the Noyo River priming boards for our shed remodel.  This wasn't on my extensive to-do list and I've had a moment or two of panic about the things that I wasn't getting to.  As I rolled primer onto the plywood and the sun shone on my back, the tension in my neck and shoulders started to ease as I tuned into the Symphony of the Noyo.

Over the years, the slow pace of kayaking on the quiet waters of the Noyo has expanded my curiosity about the creatures and plants that I see everyday.  This curiosity has blossomed into a fascination and love of birds.  Many birders love the challenge of identification and seeing many species.  My fascination is more about their behaviors and natural adaptations.  Part of their behavior that I enjoy is their songs of spring.  (Birds sing in the spring to attract a mate and/or to defend their territory.)

As I paint, I tune into the Symphony of the Noyo - the birds are painting the air with their colorful songs.  Here are some of the star performers - 
The swainson's thrush carries the main melody.  His spiraling song lifts ones' spirits.  

Song Sparrows chime in with their song.

The wilson's warbler contributes his "lazer tag" chorus.

The black-headed grosbeak stars.  His chortling adds some pizzaz to the movement.  

A western wood peewee adds dissonance with his off key - Rrreeeeeks!  

The osprey flies overhead.  When the female sees him, her pleading adds drama to the movement.

Chestnut backed Chickadees - add the "dee, dee, dee's.".

The rattling of the belted kingfisher adds "cha-cha-cha-cha-cha's

The occasional quoak, quoak, quoak of the great blue heron flying up river inspires commotion and percussion in the heron rookery.

The common ravens have a nest over the river and are like the peanut gallery. 

The ravens don't contribute much to the symphony's movement but are a vocal presence.

And a mute swan silently glides across the water - drifting to the Symphony of the Noyo.

Some day I hope to piece together a sound recording of the birds of the Noyo.  Until then, come enjoy the Symphony of the Noyo with me on the water.

Cate guiding Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Sunset Bird Paddle on the Noyo River

Snow Day on the Eel River

Cold and dry was the prediction for the winter of 2013/2014 and it seems that they were correct.

Over the weekend, Jeff and I did a scouting trip to the Eel River.  We were preparing for a swiftwater safety course and expected the river to be low but weren't expecting snow.

We saw at least 20 salmon.  Some were spawning and others were waiting in pools before traveling further up the river.  We can only imagine what a rocky journey it has and will be with very little water in the river.

Bald eagles were plentiful along the river. They like salmon too.

We enjoyed the familiar sounds of the American Dipper and watching them zip about and dip into the chilly water to feed.

While this wasn't the winter wonderland (or perhaps we should say playland) that we were looking for, it sure was beautiful and we enjoyed it.  Carpe diem!

Here's a link to more of photos from our traipse about on the Eel River.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Some days life as a kayak guide isn't glamorous, but with anything in life there is the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This week's good has been the amazing experiences that I have gotten to share with people kayaking on Fort Bragg's Noyo River.  On Sunday, we hosted the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society for a bird paddle.  It was great to share the water with 12 other birding enthusiasts.  Some had paddled the Noyo many times.  For some 40 year residents of the Mendocino Coast, it was a magical first time.

Also good, were some friends doing their annual father's day paddle on the Noyo,


a first time Greenland Paddler,


and sighting 2 river otters and lots of Pacific Pond Turtles.

The bad - Jeff hurt his back and is literally laid out on his back.  I guess this is inevitable when one throws kayaks around all day long.  This has made me Liquid Fusion Kayaking's one woman show (please be patient - I will return your phone calls, emails, and get you out on the water).

The ugly - the skunk train's speeder car went down this week.  On Monday, Jeff had to tow 4 recreational kayaks up the river for our Tracks to Kayaks Trip.  This probably was the final straw that broke his back.  Fortunately the Skunk Train acquired another speeder car for Tuesday's trip so I only had to tow one boat with gear in it for the trip.


Unfortunately, a glitch in their reservation system had me missing my chance to send boats up on the speeder  car.  I had to tow 3 barges (so they seemed) up the river.


The good though is that it was a beautiful day.  Lots of turtles were out sunning themselves.  I got to paddle Jeff's carbon/kevlar Valley Avocet sea kayak, with his Saltwood Paddle, and the river was GORGEOUS!!!  Except for surfing, running whitewater, or mountain biking, there isn't much that I would rather be doing.


Especially good is that this weekend, I get to co-teach 3 of my favorite classes - kayak surfing, whitewater of the sea - ocean rock gardening in whitewater kayaks, and a sea kayaks in the surf class.

Just Another Day at the Office

At 9am, I met 2 guests for our morning kayak tour on the NoyoRiver.  After suiting up in our splash wear, we took a quick look at the river from the deck.  My guests asked how the birding was on the river.  I smiled as a green heron flew down the river and landed just  across from us on a log.  Not to be out done, the male osprey  flew over head with nesting material.

We launched onto the river listening to the song sparrows and Wilson’s warblers singing.  The orange crowned warblers soon joined in as well as a Swainson’s thrush creating a symphony of bird song.  Meandering further down the river, we noticed a log that appeared to be moving.  I knew what it was and guided my guests slowly away from it to the other side of the river.  It was as I had expected - a mamma harbor seal and her pup.  We gave them a comfortable distance and were amazed to see the sea pup start nursing. 

Our magical trip continued with a snowy egret flying over us and a small flock of common mergansers hunting/fishing around us.  As we neared the mouth of the river, my guests were delighted with surf scoters and intrigued with a new raven nest under the bridge.   As we paddle back through the harbor, a large male sea lion porpoised along past us into the boat basin.  We paused to check out a kingfisher’s nest and then were treated to a sighting of the female American Kestrel emerging from the nest box, stretching her wings, and exerting her dominance over a brown headed cow bird.

As the tide pushed us back up the river, a sharp eye spotted a sharp-shinned hawk hidden in a fir tree.  Actually a bit of discussion ensued as to whether it was a red shouldered, sharp shinned or cooper’s hawk.  The hawk ended our debate by flying from his perch over us and showing us his angular tail feathers that defined him as a sharp-shinned hawk.

We quietly floated into the magic corner, our launching point and landing point for the trip where we discovered the male and female osprey together in the same alder tree about 25 feet above the river.  As we admired them, the head of a harbor seal emerged from the water and 2 black crown night herons flew down to the river to do some fishing.

The oddest sighting of the day though were some dry suit clad kayakers standing on shore gaping at the wild life surrounding us.

“Just another day at the office.”

Noyo

I was recently asked what does one see on the Noyo and instantly slipped into a dream-like state.

The character of the Noyo is quite unique. Located in Fort Bragg, California, it is a harbor, estuary, and river with a variety of ecosystems that include coastal, salt marsh, pine forest, riparian (wooded wetland), and coniferous forest.

A visitor's first impressions are often that of an old fishing harbor that has seen its heyday but is still operating. For many the harbor elicits flashbacks of the movie Overboard with Kirk Russell and Goldie Hawn.

The harbor is an intriguing place to watch fishing boats and coast guard boats travel to and from their berths to the sea.

Of course with any fishing village, there are the animals that thrive on the scraps and hand outs of the fishing industry. Sea lions are typically seen basking on the docks or cruising through the channel. If one doesn't see them, their raucous barking is often heard.

Great blue herons, gulls, various sea birds, harbor seals, and Noyo Harbor Cats are common sights in the Noyo Harbor. This great blue heron is having identity issues.

The Noyo Harbor is but a small portion of the Noyo and those that explore a little further will be intrigued and delighted its quirks and charm. To further explore the Noyo, one needs to get off the beaten path. Many venture up the Noyo River Canyon on the Skunk Train. On its 21 mile journey from Fort Bragg to Northspur, the Skunk Train crosses the Noyo River 13 times. Passengers on the train listen see the beauty of the Noyo River Canyon and see Fort Bragg's logging history.

Some will discover the Noyo via a journey into the "Working South Harbor." A drive down South Harbor Drive affords one the perspective of the workings of Noyo Harbor. Drive with your windows down and you will hear the sounds of a working fishing harbor - the clanking of boat repair, fishermen/women directing their crew or telling stories of the one that got away, gulls whining, sea lions barking, and in the summer the osprey calling. A special treat is the aroma of Thanksgiving Coffee being roasted.

Driving one may see the "Coasties" (US Coast Guard seamen/seawomen) doing their physical training - jogging or playing football or volleyball. Past the coastguard station, one comes to the boat basin which houses the majority of the Noyo's Fleet. It is fun to stop and take a look at the variety of craft some of which are from many years ago.

Driving past the boat basin, one comes to a large parking area and the south boat basin launch ramp. During salmon season, this parking lot is full with trucks and empty boat trailers. Other times, it is a great spot to pull over and stretch the legs and look around. There is a short walkway with a railing that is a good spot to see where the Noyo transitions from a coastal to wooded ecosystem.

Many make the mistake of turning around at the south boat basin parking area and miss one of Fort Bragg and Noyo Harbor's interesting off the beaten path locations - Dolphin Isle Marina. To get to Dolphin Isle, follow the private road that is tucked away in the back corner of the parking lot.

Dolphin Isle is the old marina that dates pre1960's. It now houses some commercial and sport boats. It is also an RV park with a deli/store and the home of a couple of businesses including Liquid Fusion Kayaking. Dolphin Isle is just over a mile away from the ocean and has its own climate. In the summer and fall, it is a good spot to escape the coastal fog that hovers on the coast. In the spring, one can escape the gusty northwestern winds and winter is the time to enjoy the warmth of the deli with a fresh cup of Thanksgiving Coffee or a bowl of Sandy's homemade soup.

Dolphin Isle is a great spot for wildlife watching and there are many days when the to-do list doesn't get accomplished because of special wildlife sitings from river otters hunting to baby birds and garter snakes. Or sometimes, it is just nice to bask in the sun by the river and read a book and enjoy some local North Coast Brews.

Dolphin Isle is a quirky spot with a sub-culture of its own and not one that everyone appreciates. I personally love it there. Dolphin Isle is also where the Noyo loses its feel as a fishing harbor and becomes a peaceful estuary that is best explored on the the water.


Stay tuned for the wonders and delights of paddling the Noyo.