Nature Therapy

I recently heard the statistic that the average American only spends 15 minutes per day outside.  Research studies are showing the beneficial effects on mind and body of being out in nature.  Schedule it into your day and get out there!  Ideally around trees and/or water but at a minimum getting outside is beneficial.

Enjoying a hike in the Redwood Forest in Mendocino County, California.

Need some inspiration - here is a 1 minute video that I created from some nature, wildlife and kayaking clips from Fort Bragg's Noyo River.  Take a moment and enjoy . . .

To share our love of nature, Jeff and I are offering a nature therapy aka forest bathing experience.  Check out Liquid Fusion Kayaking's  Forest Immersion Tour.

Tearing It UP!

I missed the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium again this year but was stoked to host several coaches and friends afterward for some rock gardening and surfing on the Mendocino Coast.

After event paddles are a great way for coaches to unwind and play. Bryant Burkhardt writes in his Paddle California Blog - "After a couple of days of teaching that were fun but hard work, it was great to get out on the water just for fun. On Monday Cate took us to Noyo Habor, a two minute drive from her house (where she kindly put us all up). We didn't launch until noon and we didn't paddle more than half a mile. It was a mellow and relaxing afternoon (that still cracked two boats and ripped a drysuit)." Here's a link to Bryant's Video.

Yep, I put the holes in my drytop and some nice gouges in my hand as a bigger wave than expected reared up, threw me down, and raked me over a pour-over.


Richard didn't get as big a wave as expected and ended up repairing the bow of his boat.

A submerged rock claimed some of Paul's shiny red gel coat.

After a few repairs, we were all good to go and off to surf Chicken Point.


Chicken Point is a tricky break made trickier by the consequences of rocks. To catch the waves, one had to be among the rocks or drop in toward them. (This is spot for expert paddlers only). After studying the break and a few runs, the guys started tearing it up!!!

Nick Scoville and Richard Davis with NDK Explorers and their Saltwood Paddles (Jeff just got one and I can't wait to paddle with it).


Paul Kuthe of Alder Creek Canoe and Kayak ripped it up in his TideRace Xtreme.


In my whitewater kayak, I was only going to catch one if I was in deep and it was one of the bigger, steeper waves. I watched and photographed for a while but of course, I couldn't let the guys have all the fun and dropped in on a couple. Bryant caught me on video back surfing one of the waves.

It was an awesome day - having all the kids over to play in my playground.

(It was a little bit of a bummer that Jeff wasn't here - guess we will have to have to call up the kids and make a play date to do it again.)

Back on the Water

Just before Christmas we packed up our bags to spend the holiday season with our families – a couple of days with Jeff’s family in San Jose and a couple of weeks with my family in Central Pennsylvania. Tom Cat was not happy about our travel plans and thought that he might try stowing away in my suitcase.

We debated shipping our drysuits to Pennsylvania to do some canoeing but figured that the weather would be too cold to even think of paddling and decided to take a 2 week break from paddling.

2 weeks is the longest time that I have not been on the water since the summer of 2008. Physically – it felt great and was a nice break. The weather in Pennsylvania was unbelievably mild. I was a little bummed not to have snow for sledding but enjoyed lots of time in the outdoors.

My family’s dairy farm is nestled in a valley of rolling hills surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains. It was nice to spend time with my family and enjoy the familiar sights, sounds, and tastes (not the smell) of home. I reminisced of my childhood and teenage years – milking cows, tending to the sheep and calves, and working in the fields.

Any trip off the farm though had me looking at the rivers and dreaming of paddling them again. One day, we hiked at Trough Creek State Park and eyed a couple of slots and wave trains on the creek as my brother told of his adventure kayaking it after Hurricane Irene. Another day we saw a bunch of boaters taking out at my favorite fishing hole on the Little Juniata River and I longed to have been with them. The only time that we had our hands on paddles was as we carved a few in my brother’s workshop.
We had hoped that California was having a normal weather year and the rivers would be flowing so that we could go whitewater kayaking when we returned. Unfortunately, there has been no rain (or snow) in California. It is scary how dry things are and how low the rivers are. We can’t control the weather and fortunately had packed the “Fun Truck” full of our favorite toys so we headed to the coast for some kayak surfing.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” During my 2 weeks in PA, I didn’t look at the marine forecasts, swell predictions, or buoy reports. It was strange to be away from the pulse of the ocean. When I returned to California, I realized how much the ocean has become a part of my soul. As we paddled out, I relished the familiar sights and feeling of the California Coast. As the swells rolled under my kayak, I marveled at the size of the common loon that was casually rising and falling with the swells and enjoyed the bobbing and diving of the eared grebes. I soaked in the sun’s warmth as it reflected off the water as did the pelagic cormorants perched on the rocky cliffs. But the best feeling was surfing my first waves of 2012 and being back on the water.

Washed Ashore

Here's Jeff checking out Henry -
Henry was washed ashore in the form of millions of pieces of plastic

After a busy summer, Jeff and I meandered off the Mendocino Coast to check out The Washed Ashore exhibit at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.


It is AMAZING - 15 creations made from trash that washed up onto Oregon beaches. The creations are clever and the displays are educational and thought-provoking (like this one)


Many know that sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jelly fish, but they are only one of many species that are significantly impacted. I was astounded by this whale of a tale -


It is disturbing when you think about how much plastics have become a necessity in our lives. Jeff and I were trying to think how we could live without plastics. It doesn't seem possible, but we can "Rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle, reinvent, and refuse" to minimize our use and impact.


We also can become involved in activities like California Coastal Cleanup Day and support groups that are working to create awareness like The Surfrider Foundation. Seeing their photo of the internal contents of a bird's stomach has made me obsessive that every little shred of plastic that comes from a wrapper gets into the trash. Be sure to check out their Rise Above Plastics program.

I also have become increasing aware of my impact as a kayaker. Seal launches and landings with plastic kayaks often leaves bits of plastic on the rocks.


While seal launches and landings are fun, we use them only when necessary in favor of lower impact on the environment. Jumping off of rocks into the ocean and swimming to your kayak is good fun too.


Be sure to check out the facebook page - Out of Sight, Out of Mind . Here's a group of 3 paddlers working to create awareness of the trash issues in our waterways and what we can do to help. For many of us, every day is Coastal Cleanup Day as we pick up trash on our streets, in the forest, and on the water.


If you get a chance, definitely check out the Washed Ashore Exhibit and share it with others. Every Action Counts . . .

River Nazi

Noyo River Nazi??? I hate yelling and generally only raise my voice in dire circumstances. This week the circumstances weren't necessarily dire but here's my tale.

We've been having phenomenally warm and sunny weather on the Mendocino Coast. Kayaking on Fort Bragg's Noyo River has been GORGEOUS! Everything is green and blooming, and lots of different babies are starting to appear on and along the river (baby otters, merganser ducklings, fawns, kingfishers, downy woodpeckers).


I enjoy watching the babies as they learn about the new world. Even the Canada Geese's goslings are intriguing. (We have mixed feelings about Canada Geese. They are beautiful but non-native breeders in our area that are starting to overpopulate and really make a mess).


One of the joys of kayaking is being on the water and seeing wildlife. I emphasize to all of our renters the joys of watching wildlife from a kayak but also our responsibility to be respectful of it.
This week, I was doing some equipment repairs on our deck while a few of our customers were paddling on the river. I saw a few kayaks coming down river but didn't pay much attention to them as they were not part of the LFK fleet. A few moments later, I heard tons of splashing and honking from the geese. A boy in one of the kayaks was chasing some goslings and their parents. At first, I thought he had just paddled too close trying to get a good look, but it became apparent that he was chasing them. The goslings are fairly good swimmers but can't fly and were panicked and swimming in circles while the parents honked and tried to protect them.


So the River Nazi stepped up to the edge of the deck and yelled across the river, "STOP Chasing the Geese!" The boy stopped and his mom and sibling looked at me dumbfounded. They continued on down the river toward where a group of ducks were sleeping. I called them over and proceeded to try to explain the need to respect wildlife especially the babies.

From their expression, they either didn't get it or didn't care. I hate having to yell but felt it necessary to protect the creatures who make the Noyo River their home. I can only hope that they understood and didn't harass any more birds, harbor seals, and other creatures as they kayaked on the river.

Taking One for the Team

Yep. Sometimes, you get to take one for the team. In last week's Tour de Mendo, I took at couple. Sometimes, it is taking one when guiding another paddler through rocks or waves and other times it is being in the impact zone for that perfect photo.

I took 2 on our first day of the Tour de Mendocino. The first was guiding some sea kayakers in through a small, dumpy beach break. I had paddled in to check on a student and then turned to come back out and a larger set came in. I didn't have the speed to punch through the wave and did a nice end over end. It was quite entertaining, but most importantly I guided all of my students in safely without carnage.

The other was sitting in the wash zone of a pour-over. A larger wave came through and I was photographing Jeff and John coming over the pour-over together. My one handed brace wasn't enough and ker-plop I went with the camera dangling. All was well though, I got the shot and rolled up (although not one of my better photos, but sometimes its not the photo but the story).

Swimming the Eel River

The Eel River is on my mind this morning with many thoughts - we haven't been on it much this year - the Willits Water Festival next weekend - our upcoming trip on its wilderness stretches - and those warm sunny days kayaking it last spring.

The Outlet Creek to Dos Rios stretch of the Eel River has been described as a Class III whitewater kayaker's delight. It isn't run regularly by a lot of boaters due to its location in the northeast corner of Mendocino County and because it is primarily a rain-fed winter and early spring run (making it a foul-weather run that is often chilly). This stretch of the Eel River is quite special to me because it is where I learned to whitewater kayak (I probably should say am still learning).


Yes, my beginnings on this run were tormentous as many who were with us might recall. Fears and tears and of course lots of swimming. Jeff's patience and the strength of our relationship was definitely tested on our trips to the Eel River.


When we started running the Eel River, I was a SWIMMER (in several senses - one being that I was a life guard and water safety instructor who swam regularly for fitness and the other being that I swam most of the time when I capsized). Fortunately, I was a good swimmer and usually self-rescued by holding onto my gear and getting into an eddy and onto shore.

When we started boating on the Eel River, I had just relearned to roll. I had a decent flat water roll and was racking up combat rolls in the ocean surf and rock gardens; however, the river roll was eluding me. I hated capsizing for numerous reasons - the water was COLD, the air was COLD (problem with learning to boat in the winter), my playboat was not easy to roll, my kinesthetic senses were altered in the current, I was terrified of hitting my head on a rock, or being stuck in a hydraulic. Yeap - a TON of EXCUSES!

(I would like to say that more time on the river has cured these things, but I am sure that I will swim again on the Eel - afterall - we are all in between swims.)

My first season of boating on the Eel - I ran (swam) it twice and gave up on whitewater kayaking FOOORRREEEVVVEEER! It was too cold, too scary, and too frustrating.

I continued sea kayaking and rock gardening and then even started kayak surfing. I saw photos and videos of the beautiful waterways that people were whitewater kayaking and felt a little sad when I stayed home while Jeff and our paddling buddies went river kayaking.


In the winter of 2010, I became determined to master my fears and learn to whitewater kayak - so off to the Eel River we went. Some days we would just park and play (drill) on one rapid and others we would practice different skills while heading down river. I still managed to swim plenty; however, I rolled more than I swam. I am certain that I have swum every rapid on the Outlet Creek to Dos Rios section with the exception of Tunnel and CalTrans(Willow).

In our sessions on the Eel, I realized many of my fears - hitting my head on a rock (the helmet has a couple of scratches but I am no worse for wear -I think- and getting stuck upside-down in a hydraulic and working my way out without swimming -took 3 rolls but I did it).

The cold water is still a huge issue for me. The Eel River has some great surf waves and I so want to learn to surf, but I still prefer to keep upright in chilly fresh water. My kinesthetic sense underwater in current is improving with experience, but I still get disoriented. The Eel River has many firsts for me including my first combat river roll, my first time whitewater river kayaking without Jeff and I am excited about the prospect of my first multi-day wilderness whitewater trip. Will swimming be involved on this trip? I definitely hope so . . . when it is warm and sunny and not necessarily an out-of-boat experience.


Sorry - no photos or videos of my swimming on the Eel, but this video might show a bit of the character of whitewater kayaking on the Eel (notice the contrast between the gray days of winter and the sunny green days of spring).

Following the Pied Piper

I missed the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium (GGSKS) but as the stars aligned I had the fortune of paddling and playing with 5 of the instructors after the symposium.


Like the Pied Piper, Jeff played a sweet tune and lured several of the GGSKS instructors to our house and the magical paddling playground of the Mendocino Coast. Paul Kuthe, Dave White, Matt Nelson, and Bryan Burkhardt couldn't resist the piper's tune and came to play.


I was a little skeptical about tagging along knowing that my skill level was no where near their caliber and also not wanting to hold them up if they were looking to get some miles in and see our coast. Ahhhh - but what do these guys do for their paddling fun - ROCK GARDEN and SURF!


Our Pied Piper led us to a bouncy passage to the south of Russian Gulch and the opening of a sea tunnel that traveled under the headlands. Through this sea tunnel, we traveled to a magical playground of surge channels, pour overs, and slots.



After a journey through the milkshake room (aptly named by Bryant) we traveled to a reef break in Agate Cove. Steep 10-12 foot waves had me stepping back and watching but eventually venturing in for a little fun. The Northwest wind kicked up and made getting into and holding position to catch the wave tricky.


The guys carved this baby up and I held on for dear life, keeping my sea kayak from broaching and heading right and into the rocks.


After a lunch break, our pied piper turned out to be a business owner who had to get back for a teleconference with the accountant so we all returned to tell our tales. But being in the kayaking business, we couldn't resist a few more rides as we traveled back to our magical tunnel. The northwest wind had kicked up significantly so we stayed on the inside using the rocks as buffers from the wind and breaking waves. I surfed every wave and surge possible to help with gaining headway in the wind.


Before traveling through our magic tunnel, we rode one more pour-over. The pour-over was straightforward but holding position in the wind and current was challenging. The guys were much better at holding position than I was but were stoked to see me in there charging it and encouraged me to be patient and wait for the right wave.


Back through our tunnel, we returned to Russian Gulch, extended invitations for more play, and sped away - Matt back to Orcas Island, Dave and Paul to Portland, Bryant to Sacramento, and Jeff and I to our meeting with the accountant.


It was awesome to paddle with these guys and I look forward to paddling with them again - Lumpy Waters maybe?

Rainy Day Reading

After a busy summer, a much awaited rainy day has arrived. Ohhh . . . how I have been looking forward to a rainy day spent in a cozy chair in the sunroom cuddled up with a blanket, a cat and a good book.

Today I am reading Wild Trees by Richard Preston. A story of passion and daring and redwoods . . .


As my laptop has been down, I have been reading more than writing while at our shop on the Noyo River. If you are looking for a rainy day book, here's my top picks from my summer reading -


Confessions of a Wave Warrior by Eric Soares - Tales of Eric's beginnings as a boy in the water and sea kayaking adventures (and misadventures) with the Tsunami Rangers. Eric has recently started blogging on his website. His latest blog was on sea cave safety.


Diary of a Sea Captain's Wife: Tales of Santa Cruz Island by Margaret Holden Eaton - Jeff is reading this one now. Fascinating stories of early days in the channel islands including stories of boats, fishing, camping, bootlegging, and movies.


The Raven's Gift by John Turk - An adventurer/scientist's travels to the Siberian Wilderness and spiritual journeys with a Koryak Shaman. A must read!!! Adventure, exploration, spiritual journey, and even a search for reindeer. I am going to check out his other writings.


The Chicken Thief Soldier by Michael Fields - My high school English teacher crafted a page-turner coming of age novel set within Valley Forge, PA. Here's a description of it that does way more justice to Fields' writing than I can.


The Shack by William P. Young. An "out of the box" look at how we view tragedy and god and probably a book that will mean something different to each reader.


Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. A fun tale that entertains with a family's quest to raise their own food and support local farmers that also educates about the realities of agriculture in our modern world. Good resources as well in the book and website.

California Kayaker Magazine - a fun, new magazine that covers different aspects of kayaking.


Although I have to admit that a rainy day at the beginning of fall may have me picking up Dick Schwind's - West Coast River Touring: Rogue River Canyon and South which is likely to bring sweet afternoon cat nap dreams of our upcoming Mendocino County whitewater season.