Jewell Island SUP Camping Trip

Jewell Island is a 221 acre island named for George Jewell and sits on the outer edge of Casco Bay, an eight mile paddle from Portland, ME.  According to history, he traded a bottle of rum to the local indians for it in 1636 and used it a fishing base.  After George Jewell drown in Boston Harbor the island became home to many settlers who continued to fish and farm on it and by the early 1700's settlers even tried to mine gold, silver and salt on this rugged coastal island.

During WWII, 400 troops were stationed on Jewell Island to watch for the enemy and protect Portland Harbor, the closest US Harbor to Europe.  Island infrastructure included watchtowers, searchlights and anti-aircraft guns.  Casco Bay was never threatened but a German U-boat was spotted off the shore in 1942.

The state of Maine acquired the southern end of the island in 1972, the northern end four years later and has administered it as an undeveloped recreational use island since.  In 1988 Jewell Island became one of the first islands on the Maine Island Trail.  Last week it became our base for a 3-day paddling vacation.

Since an injury in April and surgery in May, I've done very little paddling.  In the past couple weeks I've tested the arm on a few short and moderate trips and felt stronger each time.  This paddle was another test for me since it would be the longest paddle since surgery with the most difficult conditions.  A loaded board, an unsettled weather forecast and an unprotected route had me a little concerned.  But, I was traveling with some strong sea kayakers and felt ready.

In the end, conditions turned out better than anticipated with some fun wind on the third day.  The highlight of the trip for me was spending a day exploring the island on foot.  It's a really cool destination with beautiful forest and walking trails.  Nine large campsites dot the island along with bits of history in every direction, from fallen down buildings to old foundations to underground bunkers to chimneys standing tall and straight.  The pictures below begin to tell the tale.

Goodbye Summer.  Hello Autumn.  Thank you Drew, Sara, Emily, Ashley, Zack & Mitch from the Portland Paddle crew for a relaxing yet challenging sup camping trip back in time.

Last paddle on San Francisco Bay

I'm leaving town soon so when I got the call from Gretchen to do one more paddle before I left, there was one particular paddle I had in mind.  Looking at currents and weather, everything appeared perfect for a trip going west and then east.  I'd always wanted to paddle to Angel Island and hike to the top so it seemed the perfect day to give it a try.

We met in Berkeley at 5:45am with Shanna surrounded by fisherman and power boats.  By 6:50am we paddled out of Berkeley Marina right into a quartering chop.  Winds weren't strong yet, but were showing signs and it was the chop that slowed our progress.  What I predicted as a two-hour crossing turned into three hours.  Not big deal though, because we still made the island before the wind turned on.

Taking our time on the beach, we changed into dry clothes and proceeded to hike to the top of Mt. Livermore, 781ft above sea level in the middle of San Francisco Bay.  It was my first time to to the top of Angel Island and on a great day with great company.  It really couldn't have been better for my last paddle in the area.  But wait, it got better.  While we ate and relaxed, the wind did pick up and was blowing about 20mph when we re-launched on the east side of Pt. Blunt.  This was exactly what I wanted, although the wind didn't line up for perfect straight downwind rides.  It lined up well enough that we could catch some bumps, paddle south and repeat.  We zigged and zagged right back to Berkeley in ninety minutes with a bumpy mix of 2ft wind chop and swell.  We spent about 8 hours on the trip and covered 16.7 miles of paddling and hiking.  So fun to mix paddling and hiking!

SUP Instructor Certification Workshop May 1-3 San Diego

When three days disappear in a blink, you know it's fun.  We had a solid group of eleven made up of eight candidates and three Instructors.  The real kicker for this weekend is that every single person brought something to the course, most notably their fun personalities and willingness to learn and contribute.

It's difficult to measure the outcome of these courses.  You can't just say he or she got certified.  The certification shouldn't be and isn't the most valuable piece of these workshops.  It's really about improving skill, learning new teaching methods and becoming better instructors for our future students.  Candidates dial-in their personal skills as much as possible.  They practice with coaching models, they learn and review safety & leadership.  They gain awareness and become safer, stronger paddlers.  Hopefully they leave the course inspired and stoked for more.

I get better at delivering these courses each time, but I still ask myself 'were we safe?' 'Did we improve our measurable performance?' 'Did we have fun?' 'Was it valuable to the candidates?' 'What could I have done better?' Yes, yes, yes & hmmm.  That's the question - what could I have done better?  After every course I run, lesson I give or trip I lead, I'm immediately reflecting on the experience and taking notes on what worked, what didn't work, what will I change next time, what could I have done better.

We have a new group of ACA certified SUP Instructors in the US and I'm pretty certain everyone left the course with new paddling friends and a renewed appreciation for the SUP community.  That makes me feel pretty good, even though there are lots of things I'll do better next time.

Thank you Mitch for assisting, thank you Tim of Try Standup for assisting and thank you Jen of Aqua Adventures for hosting the course.  Fun times!

Chris, Alex, Matt, Paul, Erin, Tara, Dylan, Mitch, Tim & Wendy.  photo by Erin O'Malley.

double trouble

Tomales Downwind Camp

Months ago I got an email from Jeff Burton that basically said "we should put on a downwind camp."  Time passed and we brainstormed, put together a basic curriculum and eventually evolved the idea into a 3-day Tomales Bay Downwind Camp with friends who were interested in learning more, getting some focused practice, sharing ideas and having some fun.  It was an unofficial beta test for any potential future courses offered to the public.  What actually happened did not got to plan, but it didn't matter because we ended up having just a fun, refreshing weekend with a handful of dedicated paddlers with positive attitudes and a willingness to go with the wind, and the flow.

On Thursday evening I arrived to the hostel to realize there is no phone service (expected) and no wifi (not expected).  So I backtracked to Point Reyes Station and camped at the library for a few hours to finish some work before focusing my long weekend on paddling.  We approached Friday without an outline but with a general plan of collaboration and peer-coaching among the group.  Since the first run took way longer than anticipated and the wind sort of blew out while we were on the water, our 2-run intentions turned into a 1-run day.  The tail end of the wind passed and the calm before the storm came in.

It rained hard that night and we woke to increasing winds on Saturday morning.  We blasted through run 1 pretty quickly and everyone did really well.  Everyone is at a different level and was working on different things, but we still managed to function as a group.  At the Marconi Cove takeout we had some lunch in the sun, sang Gretchen a song (Happy Birthday Gretchen!) and shuttled back to Nick's Cove for a second run, this one with faster wind and bigger conditions.  Later we found out that others didn't fair so well on the bay that day and the Sonoma County Sheriff's Dept pulled off two separate rescues, helping 5 people in distress that day.  marinij.com/general-news/20150425/five-rescued-in-two-separate-incidents-at-tomales-bay .  Over pizza and drinks we discussed goals, attitudes, paddling theory and how much fun the bumps were.

Sunday was mellow with just four of us left on the water and small, defined bumps to chase.  Since we were all solid, I went all out and paddled hard until Marconi, gliding as much as I could along the way and linking some good ones.

Overall, we learned quite a bit about the venue and the logistics of offering such a course to the public. Tomales Bay has great wind, but little protection.  Not a great place for beginners, but an excellent location for paddlers with solid fundamental skills, proper equipment and the desire to get better and learn to downwind.  Future course or not, this was a fun weekend and a great chance to bond further with some good people and good paddlers.  I was just stoked to spend some time with friends and to see people improving their paddling skills in the wind.  Next April we'll be back.

Thank you Jason, Rosebud and Mister for shuttling our asses.  Photo: Jeff Burton

Marion aka 'SUP Glider'

of course there was some hooping by Gretchen - she rocked it this weekend.  Photo: Jeff Burton

It was a pleasure to paddle with Craig.  Photo: Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton of paddlestandingup.blogspot.com

Alameda SUP Circumnavigation

I arrived in Oakland at 7am and we were to meet at 8.  I was co-leading an intro to SUP touring trip around Alameda Island for California Canoe & Kayak.  8 participants, 2 leaders and 15.5 miles of paddling in absolutely ideal conditions.  We hit the currents right, wind was next to nothing and the sun was shining warm.  Not until we passed the bottom of the island and began our return trip up the Oakland Estuary did we hit a bit of action as wind picked up some and sailboat traffic was moderate.

All the participants were well-skilled and ready for the challenge and did fantastic keeping pace and energy up until the end.  Nice paddle CCK.

Whitewater SUP Road Trip

It's 6am and I'm in the backseat of my station wagon, wrapped in a sleeping bag at a rest area in Weed, California.  I'm as happy as I've ever been in my life.  I'm on the road, traveling with paddling equipment with a very loose itinerary and it feels great.  I love traveling by car and I love roadtrips and this one will bring me to Portland for a 3-day American Canoe Association whitewater SUP course put on by Next Adventure.  I got a last minute notice for the course and quickly jumped on it, as these aren't offered too often in the West.

I was already scheduled to be in the Redding area on Nov 1st, so adding this to the trip seemed logical.  Monday morning I slowly got my act together, got a few hours of work done at the local Starbucks and drove a few hours north.  Without any rush, I stopped at just about every rest area to stretch and take in the views.  Lassen and Shasta were snow-covered and this beautiful day was coming to an end.  Wanting a sunrise view of Shasta in the morning, I opted to sleep close.  Unfortunately it didn't pan out and I woke to clouds and rain.  Shit.  May as well head north.

Without coffee or breakfast, I began driving north towards Portland with no particular destination in mind.  Again, stopping at most rest areas and taking my time, I enjoyed the drive probably more than any other time on this route.  Going slow is pretty rad and easier on the body.  After a few minutes on google I picked my stop, a state park just southwest of Portland on the Willamette River.  Arriving in the afternoon, I booked a yurt for two nights and made myself at home.  Now, as I sit here snacking on hard cider, cheese & bread I'm reflecting on my present life.  I'm happy.  A bit directionless, but happy.

At the very beginning of 2014 my twelve year relationship came to an end.  Five months ago I moved out of my apartment in the Bay Area, put everything I own in storage and have been living on the road ever since.  New Hampshire, Tomales Bay, Pebble Beach, Arizona, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Maine, Canada, Sacramento and now Portland.  Work and play have kept me busy.  I'm living out of three pieces of luggage - a duffel with paddleboard and full paddling kit, another duffel full of clothes and camping gear and a backpack that serves as my office with computer, internet, chargers, cameras and notebooks.  It's simple and I'm loving it.

Every couple weeks or months I make it back to the Bay Area to visit storage, re-pack for the next leg of my trip, check my mail, visit my cat and see some friends.  It's fun, but California isn't home anymore - it's just a place to keep my stuff.  I still find it incredibly beautiful, but I desire to live somewhere I belong and I don't belong in the bay any longer.

Fast forward to 11:30pm on Saturday.  I'm back at that same exact rest area in Weed, California. Quick stop for a stretch and a 2-hour nap in the backseat.  I wish I could've stayed in Oregon longer, but I'm committed to a course in Oakland and need to get back for it.  On the 10-hour overnight drive, I'm still buzzing from a fun weekend and a future filled with standup whitewater.  I passed the course and got certified to teach ww sup.  There is a whole new venue opening up for me and I'm excited to think about new places to go and new challenges to take on.  Standup paddling the river makes me feel like a kid and that's an awesome feeling.  I'm now thoroughly hooked and looking forward to more.  But first I need to make it to Oakland by 7am.

Sacramento River SUP Weekend - Sunday

Sunday I joined up with Jason & Just Kayak More again for another day of Sacramento River Play.  We launched as a smaller group of 5 for a downriver paddle stopping at three really fun play spots along the way.  Sun was out, sky was blue and we were pumped.  The first spot is just downriver from the California 100 startline and the Sundial Bridge.  A small chute that offered really good ferrying practice and some surfing on the front wave.  We took turns playing, making sure to conserve some energy for the rest of the day.  The second spot was a good sized hole at the first bend below the Sundial Bridge.  We spent the most time here and I tried over and over to lock into the "bronco ride" but spent more time swimming than surfing.  The third spot was another chute draining out of Kutras Pond.  On my first attempt I dropped in from above but missed the green wave and fell off into the wave train.  Bummer.  Riding the eddies back up, I struggled to get into the wave and got spent recovering from each fall.  Over all, a really really fun day of paddling and I will be back to dial-in these features.  Redding is on the map as a fun & diverse paddling destination.

ferrying the chute.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

Adrianna getting past her fears and charging.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

Fun crew.  William, Tiffney, Adrianna, Jason and myself.

Trying to stay in the hole at the bend.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

William Holley, surfing nicely.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

Playing on the Escalator, an interesting feature on the Sacramento River.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

another swimming opportunity.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

 

Sacramento River SUP Weekend - Saturday

I had to be in Red Bluff Saturday night to promote the California 100 at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.  Red Bluff is 175 miles from the Bay Area, so I felt I should take advantage of being up there and hit up the Sacramento River in Redding for some playtime.  I loaded the car with paddling gear and planned to get at least two river sessions in with Jason from Just Kayak More.  JKM is the local paddling club in the Redding area and are highly active river paddlers, preferring upriver paddles and playing on river features over traditional flatwater or downriver paddling.  Jason has been an incredible resource to Rivers for Change and a number of Cal 100 competitors.

I met up with him Saturday morning and we quickly met the rest of group at Lake Redding for an 8am launch.  Lake Redding is actually a body of water on the Sacramento river sandwiched between two dams.  It has current and we paddled up it until we got to this fun little constriction that offered a center channel and two good play spots on each side of the river.  We were with a small group of regulars and everyone showed up with great paddling skill and positive attitudes.  Nice group of people to paddle with and I had some good success surfing the uppermost wave on a 14' board.  It took me a number of tries before dialing it in, but once I got it I was able to stick in the wave and surf back and forth.  River surfing is such fun and great training and I was ear to ear smiles.  Plus, I had the treat of paddling in freshwater which is always a nice change.

To cool down after playing, we finished the upriver paddle by making our way all the way up to Keswick Dam, the furthest place we could legally paddle without a portage.  Nice day.

William Holley ferrying to the play wave.  photo by Jason Montelongo.

Riding the Red Paddle Co 14' Elite Inflatable.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

Ferrying over.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

Getting comfortable on the wave.  Photo by Jason Montelongo.

Jason Montelongo puts down the camera to have a turn.

Nice paddling spot