Topics

1

Gear Talk / new lightweight custom ULI inflatable Touring board

« on: September 17, 2016, 03:03:03 PM »

ULI is now making inflatable SUP boards using the new lightweight dropstitch material that saves about 3-4 lb. compared to conventional construction.

Just received a new custom model, 12’6” x 30” x 110mm, that I plan to use for touring.  I’d previously found that ULI 100mm (3.9”) thick boards are rigid enough for my 160 lb. and 30 lb. camping gear, so the extra 10mm and added stiffness of the new material is a bonus (I find 150mm, 6”, boards while even stiffer are too corky for my weight).

Since the new construction boards are so light (~23 lb. for 12’6” x 30”), I requested a second skin on the bottom of the board to provide added protection against rocks and other sharp objects we sometimes encounter on our river or lake trips.  Total weight for the beefed up and hopefully bulletproof board was a respectable 25.8 lb.

Had it out for the maiden voyage in Newport Harbor this morning and was very happy.  Just need to add some D-rings on the deck to tie down camping gear, and we’ll be ready to go.   

2

SUP General / So sad: caught leash led to teenage paddle-boarder's death in NZ

« on: March 02, 2016, 08:30:53 AM »

Caught leg rope led to teenage paddle-boarder's death in Whangamata   
Last updated 16:49, March 2 2016



 Waikato teen Amie Russell was pulled under a yacht and her leg rope held her under the water.

Waikato teen Amie Russell was pulled under a yacht and her leg rope held her under the water.

A paddle-boarding teenager whose leg rope trapped her underwater may have fastened it not long before the accident.

Waikato teenager Amie Louise Russell died in a stand-up paddle-boarding accident in Whangamata Harbour in January 2015.

The 15 year old's leg rope became tangled on the keel of a yacht, holding her underwater.

Coroner Gordon Matenga held an inquest into Amie's death in Hamilton on Wednesday and is considering what can be done to avoid similar accidents, given the rising popularity of the sport.

Amie's father said what the family wants most is public awareness around safety.

On the day of her death, Amie was sharing a paddle board while she and friends crossed Whangamata Harbour.

The current was strong and Amie and her friend fell off the board near two moored boats.

Amie held on to a fishing boat and put on her leg rope, a boy in the group said.

"Amie grabbed hold of my board and [the other girl] was able to float Amie's board over and get back on to it," he said.

Near the yacht Clara, Amie lost her grip and was pulled underwater, ending up on the opposite side of the boat to her board.

Another boy dived under the boat and held an unresponsive Amie up.

He first tried pulling on the leg rope, then dived off the other side and found Amie.

"At first I was able to pull her up enough to get her head out of the water," he said.

"I could not reach the ankle leash to release her, so I just held her up out of the water."

Nearby paddle-boarder David Wenham arrived to help.

"It seemed like an eternity, but the boy surfaced again and he said he had found her," Wenham said.

Wenham saw black clothing at the back right of the boat, reached down and "wrenched as hard as I could".

Amie was stuck, so he dove to undo the leg rope.

Wenham couldn't remember how the strap worked, but said such straps usually require two movements to undo.

He, Amie and the boy popped up to the surface and a boat took Amie to shore, but she could not be revived.

A waist-level, quick-release leg rope could be best for stand-up paddle-boarders on fast-flowing water, Waikato Regional Council's maritime services team leader Richard Barnett said.

This was stated in online safety advice, although his training was that the leg rope should be attached above the knee.

Amie's father, Darrell Russell, said stand-up paddle-boarding is a growing sport and he wants his daughter's death to raise awareness of what can happen.

"It's not anyone's fault. The moorings have been there for years," he said.

The family hadn't considered the risks that a leg rope could pose and there was also conflicting information on the best kind of flotation device.

Matenga reserved his decision, saying he would take time to consider the best solution - for instance, signage or more public information.

"Anyone who has surfed around rocky areas will know that you're going to have some sort of experience with your leg rope being caught on a rock," he said.

Amie's death had touched many people, he said, including people he knew well who had met her through basketball.

"This is even more of a tragedy because it was a very young life and ... she held great promise."

3

SUP General / missing paddle boarder - South Lake Tahoe

« on: August 17, 2015, 02:39:58 PM »

haven't seen this on the forum, occurred Wed., 8/12
sounds like they rented gear without ID or security deposit (?)

htytp://abcnews.go.com/US/paddle-boarder-mystery-south-lake-tahoe-cops-gopro/story?id=33081601

South Lake Tahoe police need help identifying missing paddle boarder

South Lake Tahoe police need help identifying a man who left a Go-Pro camera, selfie stick and life jacket on a paddle board in Lake Tahoe Wednesday evening. Tahoe police are treating this as a missing person case according to Lt. Brian Williams with the police department.




According to Williams, a boater found the paddle board and equipment on the lake between 4:30 - 5 p.m. The board was found adrift about a half mile from the Timber Cove Marina and had been rented from South Lake Tahoe Standup Paddle. The boater who found the items returned the equipment around 6 p.m, Williams said.

A representative from the business started to track down the renter of the board, eventually finding that the board had been rented for one hour starting at 3:30 p.m.

The man who had rented the board had identified himself "Morym." The man did not speak English very well, had a thick foreign accent and paid cash. He also did not leave a credit card, phone number or any other identifying information according to Williams.

A paddleboard and a GoPro were found in Lake Tahoe, but the man who rented the paddle board was nowhere to be found. (Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015) News10/KXTV

South Lake Tahoe police received a call from the business at 10:10 p.m, which prompted their investigation. Officers did a shoreline search in the dark on Wednesday but couldn't find anything. The U.S. Coast Guard and the El Dorado County Sheriff's office assisted with a water search Thursday morning but so far the man hasn't been found.

The photographs in the gallery above were taken from the Go-Pro's memory card found on the paddle board. While police are treating this as a missing person case, the man has yet to be identified and he's not been reported missing by anyone associated with him, Williams said.

4

SUP General / Dusi Marathon SUP

« on: February 06, 2015, 09:23:41 AM »

More SUP'ers in this year's Dusi 120km river race Feb. 19-21 in South Africa.
Corman Addison, last year's winner, is back with his custom 17' Dusi boards.
The race has a real mix of conditions including tough portages.

http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/DusiCanoeMarathon/Paddle-boarders-stand-up-to-be-counted-20150206

the 2014 race:  http://www.joomag.com/magazine/thepaddler-ezine-issue-21-christmas-and-january-2015-sup-cover/0467387001419266070/p62?short

5

Random / Bizarre SUP “Kickstarter” - Pele Boards

« on: December 18, 2014, 08:34:08 PM »

Not all evolutionary changes are for the better.  Think this species will survive, or is it just wrong in so many ways?  (the first sentence of the article is clearly wrong)

PeleBoard takes a stride toward leg-powered paddleboarding  (www.gizmag.com/peleboard-leg-powered-paddleboard/35291)
By Ben Coxworth, December 18, 2014
 
Paddlesports are a great workout for the upper body, but as far as the legs go – not so much. In the case of sit-down watercraft like kayaks, that situation can be addressed by adding pedals. For stand-up paddleboards, however ... well, it's hard to picture how pedals could be integrated. That's why the designers of the PeleBoard have taken their own approach to leg-powered paddleboarding, with a carbon fiber board that's split lengthwise down the middle.



The two halves of the board are joined together via a sliding rail with stainless steel bearings. Additionally, on the underside of both halves are scute-style flaps.  The idea is that as the user strides forward, that side of the board slides with them, the water pressure causing its flaps to fold up flat against the board. Once it's the other side's turn to move forward, however, the flaps on the first side are back down again, allowing it to stay in place by catching the water.

6

Flatwater and Touring / Stillwater Canyon on the Green River, Canyonlands Natl Park, Utah

« on: September 28, 2014, 05:16:50 PM »

Late spring and early fall are nice times in the desert Southwest, and Mrs. levity and I decided to visit the canyonlands of south and central Utah for some backpacking, biking and, of course, paddling.  Last year we SUP’d Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons on the Green River in late May and early June (see http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,20607.0.html and http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,20959.0.html).  Both canyons were spectacular and we wondered how they would look in the lower light of a September sun.  Due to time constraints we decided to just run the Stillwater section in Canyonlands Natl Park.  With water levels lower than in May/June we looked forward to more sandbars so we could pitch campsites “in the river”.

We stayed in Moab and arranged with Tag-a-long Outfitters to shuttle us to a put-in at Mineral Bottom and pick us up in a jetboat at the confluence with the Colorado River for the trip back up to Moab. Three days paddling, two nights camping, 52 miles.




Here’s a view on the drive in from near the top of Mineral Canyon (~5000 ft) looking down at the Green River about 1000 ft below.  The red Windgate sandstone cliffs above the river are about 400 ft high.



This is about 2/3 of the way down to Mineral Bottom, the road heading to the water leading to the green trees in the distance.




Here’s Jill heading out shortly after we launched.  The sky was mostly clear, but we’d seen thunderstorms in the distance (spun off from Hurricane Odile) and knew the clouds and rain would come as we headed downstream.










Shortly after taking these pics the wind rose and the skies opened up. We stopped next to shore, pulled out our umbrellas, waited things out for about 30 min, and took off again.  This happened twice over about 2 hours, but then it cleared up again.  Amazing how quickly things can change.




After ~20 miles we found our first night’s campsite on a sandbar with a nice view downriver.




During the night we would see the sky light up due to distant lightning, but good fortune smiled on us and it didn’t rain.  The next morning started out partly cloudy, but soon cleared.  After a mile or so we paddled around Bonita Bend and past a number of beautiful towers.  The river water had taken on a reddish color due to all the storm run-off.






Shortly after Bonita Bend the river cuts through and runs along White Rim sandstone, a hard layer that forms the lower plateau of Canyonlands Natl Park (and has the very fun White Rim bike/jeep trail).






Near the end of a ~5 mile section next to the White Rim the river turns around a butte (“Turks Head”) formed beneath a hard cap of White Rim sandstone.



 
Here’s a view from above in a photo from two days earlier during our bike ride in Island in the Sky in the Park.  This was taken at about 6000 ft on the road to Upheaval Dome and looking southwest toward the Orange Cliffs and Maze regions.  The White Rim sandstone cap on Turks Head can be seen at the bend in the river in the upper center of the picture.




A few miles down from Turk’s Head we found a large sandbar that formed just below Horse Canyon which comes in from the Maze area to the west of the river.  Our view downriver:




The island was about 100 yards long and was also the temporary residence of a family of Canada Geese: mom, dad and 11 goslings.  They were fun to watch as they enjoyed the water and all the new grass growing on the island.




The next morning was our last stretch out to the confluence with the Colorado, and we just enjoyed cruising in the shade provided by the towering canyon walls of Cedar Mesa sandstone.








We stopped briefly where Water Canyon joins the river.  Last June at higher water levels we were able to paddle up Water Canyon about ¼ mile.




From there it was just over 3 miles to the confluence so we just soaked up the sun and views.




The last part on the Green where it joins the Colorado. (PFDs are required on the Colorado.)




The jetboat met us a couple of miles downriver about 1pm for the return to Moab.  The nostalgia we felt deflating our boards and loading our gear on the big boat to reenter civilization was compensated to a degree by the nice views heading up Meander Canyon.  Here’s a final pic looking up at the cliffs of Deadhorse State Park.

7

Flatwater and Touring / “Pacific” / adjective - peaceful in character

« on: January 06, 2014, 07:47:16 PM »

After negotiating the straits below Tierra del Fuego in 1519 Ferdinand Magellan was glad to find “pacific” waters!

It’s been pretty pacific in So Cal the last couple of weeks – no wind, no swell – ocean flatwater.
No polar vortex either - here’s a shot of the local weather report on TV.



Wednesday & Thursday look bad, guess we can always go mountain biking.  


Here are some pics from today’s outing.  Maybe they’ll provide some much needed warmth to those in colder climes..

Outside El Moro Canyon between Newport and Laguna Beach.







The calm conditions made for nice paddling through the kelp next to rock formations along crystal Cove State Park and Corona del Mar.













Catalina Island (apx. 30 miles west) can be seen in the distance.




We need some weather and rain out west, but it sure makes for peaceful paddling.

8

Flatwater and Touring / up the creek with a paddle – Black Canyon magic

« on: October 26, 2013, 07:18:12 PM »

Below Lake Mead the Colorado River carves through Black Canyon for about 24 miles before entering Lake Mojave.  The Nevada side is wilderness, and on the Arizona side there’s just one road about half way down that accesses a marina at Willow Beach.  We usually paddle downriver, launching from Hoover Dam and taking out at Willow Beach or at El Dorado Canyon 12 miles further down near Lake Mojave (see other posts in this section). Having the current with us is fun, but it requires obtaining permits and using licensed outfitters to launch from the secured Hoover Dam site as well as arranging a shuttle.

To simplify things we decided to stay at the Willow Beach campground and paddle upriver and back, about 23 miles round trip.  Figured we’d be good since in the fall the river current is reduced as a result of lower discharge from Hoover (less water demand for irrigation and less power demand for Las Vegas air conditioning).  The weather is usually best in the fall as well, with temps in the 60-85° range and usually less wind.

There’s a well-developed campground with full hook-ups in the hills just above Willow Beach.  We usually paddle our inflatable SUPs on rivers, but we took hard boards since we would have to work more paddling upriver.  Jill took her 12’2” PSH Gun, and I took my 12’6” Hobie.  Here’s our rig:




Wednesday morning dawned beautiful, and we were at the marina just after 8am.
A view from shore looking downriver.




and a view upriver where we’d be paddling… sweet!




It was nice to head north with the sun behind us.  Conditions were perfect – there was only a slight current and little or no wind so we often had beautiful reflections of the sky and mountains on the water.  I’ll let the pictures tell it.






















A little after 11am we rounded a bend and could see the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Hwy 93) crossing the river at Hoover Dam.
We decided to paddle on as far as allowed and return to this nice beach for lunch.




Just below the Dam there’s a cable across the river and a sign restricting access:
 “HOOVER DAM – SECURED AREA – DO NOT ENTER”.




We turned around and headed back to the beach area for a lunch break.  Here’s a view down canyon,




and here are some shots paddling back, the current with us this time.













Just upriver from Willow Beach there’s an old gaging station where the canyon narrows.  Here’s a view approaching the gap and a closer shot showing the cable and and hanger used to take water readings.







From there it was a short distance downriver to the Willow Beach Marina.







Then it was back to camp, a shower, dinner and sunset.



 
Just another day on the river enjoying the magic of SUP. 

9

Flatwater and Touring / Tahoe “duathlon”: Bliss State Park ⇔ Emerald Bay (photo heavy!)

« on: September 16, 2013, 08:52:21 PM »

September is a nice time at Lake Tahoe – most of the crowds are gone after Labor Day, and the weather is usually still very nice. JillRide45 and I loaded up the mtn bikes, hiking shoes, and SUP boards and headed to the hills.  We’d previously paddled to Emerald Bay from South Shore, but wanted to check out D.L. Bliss State Park which is contiguous with and just north of Emerald Bay State Park.  We decided to take a day and paddle from Bliss to Emerald and back to get views from the lake and then hike there and back on the Rubicon Trail to take in the views from shore… sort of a “sierra duathlon” with ~10 miles paddling and ~9 miles hiking.  Conditions were perfect: temps 60-80, a clear sky, and light wind.

Here’s a map of the Tahoe area showing the Park locations:




The Paddle

We parked at the day use area of Lester Beach at the north end of Bliss.  Jill took her inflatable Uli so she could explore the rocky shoreline - I took my Bark Competitor so I could keep up.  




Tahoe is known for it’s azure color and its clarity – here’s a view looking down on a sandy section.




leaving Lester Beach and rounding Rubicon Point in the morning




shoreline shots










view into Emerald Bay from near the entrance




about half way into the bay (any guess why they named it Emerald?)




The steps in the above shot lead to a camping area that’s part of a “Boat Camp” that can only be accessed by watercraft – sweet!  There are 22 campsites and a pier for unloading boats.









beach area and historic Vikingsholm summer house at the west end of the bay




paddling back out toward Fannette Island and its “Tea House”







leaving Emerald Bay and heading back north to Bliss










shooting the rocks again at Rubicon Point just before Lester Beach





The Hike

After a lunch break it was time to leave the water for the dirt.  The Rubicon Trail is mostly well above the shoreline but provides great views of the Lake and dips down to the water as it approaches Emerald Bay.  Here’s a view starting out above Lester Beach.  A few people and boats were starting to show up by mid-day.




The trail has to cut through rocks near Rubicon Point




here’s a view toward the Heavenly Ski area and South Lake Tahoe.




another view where we could see Baldwin Beach (sandy area in background) and the inlet to Emerald Bay




Arriving at Emerald Bay we checked out the campsites at the Boat Camp.  Each site has a picnic table, a grill, a bear box for food storage, and a nice view of the Bay.  Water access only keeps it serene.




Looks like an overnight SUP tour to Emerald Bay is in order!  The Rubicon Trail continues around the Bay to Eagle Point which has more nice views of Lake Tahoe.

--------------------------------------------

Bliss/Emerald Parks brochure: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/505/files/DLBlissEBayWebBrochure2008.pdf

10

Flatwater and Touring / Canyonlands SUP Tour – 4 days, 100 miles

« on: June 19, 2013, 04:57:26 PM »

Spectacular scenery and solitude – the Green and Colorado Rivers form magnificent Utah canyonlands.  We’d made a one-night trip through Labyrinth Canyon as a SUP camp-touring intro in May.
Now we were eager to return and continue through Stillwater Canyon in Canyonlands National Park to the confluence of the Green with the Colorado River.  Back to Utah June 5-9!
The map below shows our route and campsite locations.  We scheduled a jetboat from Tag-a-Long Expeditions to pick us up below the confluence for the return to Moab.




Day 1 – Upper Labyrinth Canyon

Fewer pics the first two days because we previously posted several from our May trip (http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=20607.0). 

As before we launched from Ruby Ranch.  After about a mile or so you leave the open valleys, and the river begins to carve the canyon while meandering back and forth.










After about 25 miles (near the end of the first loop of Bowknot Bend) we spotted a nice place to camp on a sandy shelf with a good view of the river.
 






Day 2 –Lower Laby & Upper Stillwater

Morning paddling is sublime!  The air is cooler (60-70s), the river is usually glassy in the still air, and the low light adds contrast to the majestic canyon walls.










We reached Mineral Bottom just before noon and were greeted by a Park Ranger.  They check with the river outfitters to keep track of things and were curious as to how (and whether)
we had met Utah’s river regulations for an unsupported standup paddle trip.  We’d checked with them before our Labyrinth trip so we had our ducks in a row:
permit, spare PFD, spare paddle/propulsion device, first aid kit, a toilet system (we took “wag bags”) and a “fire pan”.
For the latter we were allowed to take an aluminum basting pan for emergency use since we did not plan on building fires.
Ranger Jake was super friendly and even offered advice on places to camp.


A few miles below Mineral Bottom Stillwater Canyon opens up in places offering great views of cliffs and distant mesas.







Started heating up on day 2, probably 90-100°.  Soaking our shorts and shirts helped as did dragging our arms or legs in the water (which was about 70°).
Jill even prone paddled her board to cool off.




Mid-afternoon we spied a nice sandbar that looked like a great place to camp, “chill” in the river, and enjoy the sunset.













One daily chore was water purification. The fine silt in the river will clog filters, so we used Alum (potassium-aluminum-sulfate) to aggregate and precipitate it: add ½ teaspoon of Alum to 3 gal,
stir 1-2 min, allow to settle 20-60 min, then filter.  Simple and effective.  We pumped about 4 gal a day for four days and our filter was still working fine at the end.




Bocce Ball provided some of the evening entertainment.  (Ummm, if the games were “non-competitive”, why is she measuring distances so carefully?)





Day 3 – lower Stillwater Canyon

Perhaps the most spectacular day.  There were fabulous views of mesas and spires with Canyonlands Natl Park to the east and The Maze to the west.
 

 


 


 


The hard layer of White Rim sandstone gave interesting rock formations.


 


 


Still hot day 3, so we looked for a campsite with sun protection and picked a small slot canyon that provided afternoon shade.  Bats came out in force in the evening so we called it “Bat Canyon”.




Here’s our “kitchen”.  Two PFDs strapped together provide a stool, and we used the “fire pan” as an organizer.
The Platypus water containers hold 4 and 6 L, and the four plastic bottles hold 1 L each for a total capacity of 14 L (3+ gal) – we went through almost 2 gal a day each.





Day 4 – Stillwater to the Colorado Confluence

The geology changed as we headed further down river with the exposed walls towering ~1000 ft above us.




… just another day of blissful paddling.  Here Jill sings and strums along to Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” on her iPod.




At the confluence with the Colorado we found the large beach and campsite recommended by Ranger Jake – sweet!




Since we arrived before noon, Jill thought she’d see if anyone heading back up river might give is a lift.  No one came by that day – we had it to ourselves.
(note PFD requirement on the lower Colorado)

 


Turned out to be a wonderful place to camp...  at the confluence of two of the main rivers of the southwest.  Water is life in the desert, and we were visited by deer in the evening.
(We’d seen antelope, beaver, and lots of migratory birds – geese, ducks, heron - along the way.)






Colorado River Take-out

The next morning was almost bittersweet because it was just a few miles down river to our pick up area.
We savored morning coffee and the last paddle strokes before pulling in to the river register.








 


A final view down river to the start of Cataract Canyon – the rapids there are way above our pay grade!




The jetboat met us for the ride back to Moab.  Turns out that Meander Canyon on the Colorado is also beautiful… maybe this fall?

11

Flatwater and Touring / SUP Touring Labyrinth Canyon, Green River, Utah (photo-intense!)

« on: May 24, 2013, 02:30:02 PM »

Wanting to escape the gray-May fog in coastal So. Calif., Mrs. levity and I threw a dart at the map and packed our boards for a trip to Utah.
We wanted to try an overnighter on a river to see how “SUP camping” would be.  We love Utah’s canyons, and touring/camping on our SUP boards
would allow us to explore and experience some of the larger canyons from the water.
Weather is generally nice in late spring and river flow usually peaks late May to early June, so we headed out May 20.

Labyrinth Canyon is formed by the Green River as it winds as its way thru Utah’s high desert and then Canyonlands Natl Park before joining the Colorado River.
Here’s a map showing the route.  We would put in at Ruby Ranch and take out at Mineral Bottom, 45 miles downriver.
We arranged a shuttle to take our car from Ruby’s to Mineral Bottom so we could start early and didn’t have to follow a schedule.



Here’s the launch site at Ruby’s and our Uli inflatable boards.  We lashed on a fair bit of gear and food, enough for 2-3 days, along with 3 gal of water.
(The Green is actually brown due to all the fine silt carried along, and filtering is difficult - Alum is probably the best way to clarify it.)
River regulations also require carrying a PFD, pump and patch kit, spare paddle, fire pan, and poop bags so we were loaded.




Ruby Ranch is the last stretch of farmable riverside land, and after that the river carves thru layers of sedimentary rock and the canyon begins to form.
Jill is just visible as a small spec in the next two photos.






The river meanders along and the canyon slowly gets deeper.
Sandbars provide nice break points but were infrequent at this water level.










We had lunch at one of the few small islands that wasn’t submerged.




The canyon gradually grew deeper, and we were often tempted to just sit or lie back and enjoy the scenery.










After about 35 miles we decided to camp at Oak Bottom just below Bowknot Bend.
We found a nice site on a sandy shelf with good views of the canyon and river.










We set out early the next morning as sun hit camp.  The river was beautiful as we paddled from shade to sun and back around each bend.










Mineral Bottom appeared much too soon, and we floated in the current to make it last as long as we could.










A fun paddle – now we’re hooked on the river SUP camping experience!
We’re already planning the next trip in Stillwater, Meander, San Juan, etc., etc.

12

Flatwater and Touring / Black Canyon: Hoover Dam to El Dorado on the Colorado River

« on: April 22, 2013, 09:21:51 AM »

Upper Black Canyon from Hoover Dam to Willow Beach is only 12 miles, but exploring side canyons and hot springs along the way can occupy the better part of a day.  Mrs. levity and I decided to paddle straight thru the upper section so we could continue thru Lower Black Canyon and the next take-out at El Dorado Canyon (another 12 miles).  Conditions on April 18 looked perfect: irrigation water release from the dam for a good current and north winds for some added push.  (There are more pics of the upper canyon here www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=18028.0)


Here’s a view from Hoover Dam showing the launch site below, just beyond the boom that extends across the river.   For scale the bridge is ~850’ above the river.




The new arch bridge (2010) spanning the canyon allows Hwy 93 to bypass the dam.




Entering the upper canyon -




A nice beach along the way -




After a lunch stop at the Willow Beach Marina we headed off into the lower secion.  A couple views of the start -







Proceeding down canyon -







Checking out “Monkey Rock” -




Then the canyon narrows up again…







before opening up into the reaches of upper Lake Mojave and the El Dorado Canyon take-out.

13

Flatwater and Touring / Sunset – Moonlight paddle thru Topock Gorge, Colorado River

« on: April 21, 2013, 08:46:06 PM »

Mrs. Levity and I have enjoyed morning paddles through Topock Gorge on the lower Colorado river, but we thought it would be cool to see it with the sun setting and in the moonlight.  It would be our maiden night-time paddle, and since it’s 16 miles to the first possible take-out we decided to leave a little after 5PM to get a combination of low sun, sunset, dusk and darkness.  The moon would be only half full but would be directly overhead (April 19).


The toughest part was waiting for it to get late enough while lounging about at the Park Moabi launch site.




Conditions were great with temps in the low 70s and a slight tail wind out of the north.  Heading toward the “Needles” rock formation.




Jill approaching the Needles




and at the start of Topock Gorge.






Heading into the Gorge proper.




Reeds along the shoreline.  (These provide shelter for lots of migratory birds but will make finding the take-out in the dark a bit tricky later on).







Exiting the Gorge.




Enjoyed “dinner” at sunset.  A beaver swam by and greeted us with some tail slaps.




We used waterproof Black Diamond headlamps having spot or broad beams or 2 small red LEDs together with small marker lights on the boards and in our fanny packs







Once fully dark it was spectacular, but difficult to photograph.  The wind died and in the moonlight the river became like a mirror.  The dark shoreline, the moon and even stars could be seen as reflections on the water.  So serene, it was nice to just quietly drift without paddling.


Here’s a final shot of me finding a path thru the reeds into Castle Rock Bay (illuminated by Jill’s headlamp). 




It was so beautiful on the river at night that we wished the take-out still lay farther ahead.

14

Flatwater and Touring / last paddle of the year, 2012

« on: December 31, 2012, 07:06:27 PM »

Newport Harbor, glassy in the morning



snow on Mt. Baldy just visible in the background between the palms



even a trace of snow on Saddleback peaks



a Happy New Year to all!

15

Flatwater and Touring / Black Canyon – more Colorado River flatwater

« on: October 20, 2012, 08:23:58 PM »

Mrs. levity and I left the coast for the river earlier this week to paddle Topock Gorge below Davis Dam and Black Canyon below Hoover Dam.  For Black Cyn we camped at Willow Beach, 12 miles downstream, and got a shuttle to the Hoover Dam 8AM launch from desertiriveroutfitters.com.  They provided a map showing interesting points along the way.

Here’s the reason there’s flat water on the Colorado below Lake Mead:



the Dam thing in the background is 726 ft high and took 6.6B tons of concrete!

Given that the pressure at the base of the dam is 45,000lb/sq.ft., a short prayer is recommended before leaving.




The river was low, but there was still a nice current much of the way making paddling easy (gps speeds 5-7 mph).




At times I got to paddling so fast that it boiled the water




The canyon was beautiful, with steep walls and neat rock formations.






Partway downriver a short hike up a side canyon leads to some hot springs and a series of nice pools






Further down the canyon opens up and the river widens before the Willow Beach takeout.






Conditions on a fall weekday were perfect – temps around 80°, cloudless skies, little or no wind, and we only saw a couple of boats and a handful of kayaks.  Expect more SUP’ers in the future!