Paddlin' for Paws Day 4 Continued

So, here is the rest of the story….

Shortly after I entered the first installment of Day 4 having not heard from Lynda and Mo, Lynda called me. She was full of enthusiasm and glad to catch me as she wanted to relay the great adventures she and Mo had on that particular day. Her lack of contact the night before had to do with the bad telephone reception and the late hour when she finally finished her day.

I know you are all wondering and on pins and needles to find out it Lynda and Mo got off on schedule and what I have to tell you is…no. Their scheduled departure time was to be 7:00 a.m. and they got off around 7:40 a.m. But this time it was not Lynda and Mo, but the other people who had camped with them and wanted to go with them on this leg of the journey that caused them to get off late. At least that is their story and they are sticking to it.

Lynda and Mo launched off with Terri and Jessica, who were in a tandem kayak, from Meeks Bay to embark on this part of their great adventure. Their destination from Meeks Bay to Emerald Bay was a 9.4 mile trip kayaking along the beautiful Rubicon Point shoreline.

This part of their trip was the most undeveloped part of the shoreline they had kayaked; and they got to share this part of the trip with their friends. Lynda said the shoreline was breath-taking. Crystal clear waters with smooth granite boulders sticking out of the water like giant stepping stones. Secret and secluded coves that were calling to them to explore but they did not have the time. They didn’t have the time to go off their schedule because they needed to make sure they would be on schedule as Channel 4 wanted to meet them at Emerald Bay to interview them for a news spot.

They did, however, stop at a secluded cove where the granite boulders shot up from the clarity of the depths of the aquamarine waters creating a mystical place that they claimed as their spot for Paddlin' for Paws. Terri, their friend who was paddling with Jessica, took off her bright yellow Paddlin' for Paws t-shirt and Lynda and Mo hoisted it up on a stick flying it high (ok not so high) over their little spot of Lake Tahoe. They then pulled their kayaks together and shared a snack knowing that this was forever to be claimed as their spot for Paddlin’ for Paws.

The group then moved on, wanting to make the mouth of Emerald Bay before afternoon as they were told this could be one of the most difficult parts of their trip. Lynda was told that kayakers and boaters were often not able to get into the Bay if the wind kicked up because the water would get too rough to enter. Well, as luck has been on their side, it was an easy entrance to Emerald Bay where the aquamarine waters turned to emerald. If you have never been to Lake Tahoe or seen the water along its shoreline, it is true that this breathtaking Lake dazzles you with colors of blues that are unbelievable, from robin's egg to indigo; and then you enter Emerald Bay, and the green is so deep and vibrant you can not believe this cove is connected to the body of water beyond with its many hues of blue.

By the time they reached Emerald Bay, Terri and Jessica were done and shot straight across to where they would dock for the night at Eagle Point Campground. Lynda and Mo, of course, did not short cut and entered Emerald Bay from the north side, kayaking the north shore to the south shore where the camp ground was located. This caused them to go a good 2 to 3 miles further by hugging the shoreline. Although they knew Channel 4 might not wait for them, they were determined to let their 10 seconds of fame escape them if that was to be. Because their trip was not about taking short cuts or seeing themselves on television, it was about a personal challenge and a promise to those supporting them that they would kayak every inch of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.

When they did make it to their destination, Channel 4 was still there and did do an interview on the beach with them. There also was an advantage to Terri and Jessica cutting across Emerald Bay as they met Helen and Dana who had arrived via ground transportation and the campground was being set up. After the television interview, another associate of Lynda’s from the University of Nevada at Reno, Chantal and her family and friends (about 8 of them), showed up at the campground and they all had lunch and then some went swimming.

After lunch Lynda and Mo hiked along the Rubicon trail to go to Vikingsholm Castle. Lynda had always wanted to tour this castle at Lake Tahoe and the two times she tried before, she had missed the tour. As Mo and Lynda started to hike to Vikingsholm, Stephanie (Lynda’s web master and cat sitter) and her boyfriend Dante, stopped by to cheer them on and walked the 2 miles to Vikingsholm Castle and toured it with them.

When they returned, Jessica and the others had finished setting up camp and had dinner ready for them. Three people from the Lake Tahoe Water Trail came by after dinner, and Lynda, Mo, Terri, and Helen, embarked on a full moon kayak trip to Fannette Island which sits in the middle of Emerald Bay. They started the trip at 7:30 p.m. before it was fully dark and climbed up to the top where the tea house sits on this tiny island and they watched the full moon rise. I must pause here and give you some information about Vikingsholm Castle and Fannette Island:

Vikingsholm Castle:

In 1928, Mrs. Lora J. Knight of Santa Barbara and Chicago purchased an isolated site at the head of Emerald Bay. She instructed Lennart Palme, a Swedish-born architect who had married into her family, to design a home without disturbing a single one of the site's magnificent trees.

After a trip to Scandinavia, they decided to reproduce a Norse fortress of about 800 A.D. in full detail. The methods and materials used in the construction, including the boulders of the foundations and walls, are those used in ancient Scandinavia. Turrets, towers, intricate carvings, even hand-hewn timbers were used to recreate the fortress. The sod roof with its living grass is like those sometimes used in Scandinavia to feed livestock during the winter.

The castle was completed in 1929. Mrs. Knight also had guest houses and the tea house on Fannette Island built. Mrs. Knight spent her summers in the 48-room castle until her death in 1945.

Fannette Island:

The only island in Lake Tahoe, Fannette Island is a sparsely wooded, brush-covered up thrust of granite that rises 150 feet above the water. The stone structure on top of the island that looks like a miniature castle is the "Tea House" built in 1929 by Mrs. Knight, who built Vikingsholm Castle. She and her guests would travel by motorboat to be served tea in a 250 square foot room with a fireplace and a large oak table and four oak chairs. Today, only the stone shell remains.

So, the group of 7 climbed up to the old tea house on Fannette Island and watched the full moon rise, as a soft warm breeze skipped across the Bay and caressed their faces. When they departed from the Island, after getting their fill of moonlight and feeling fulfilled by a day well spent, they silently kayaked back to shore gliding through the deep dark waters of Emerald Bay. Water so still that it was as smooth as glass. The only ripples in the water were what they were creating by their strong smooth strokes. This night was bright by the moon but pitch black on shore. They had to use their flashlights cutting through the dark of the shoreline to try to find their way back to where they were docking for the night.

Lynda said in one day she fulfilled three goals she had: (1) tour Vikingsholm Castle, (2) go out to Fannette Island, (3) do a full moon kayak trip….What a day..What an adventure...and the only thing that could have been better, if you ask Lynda and Mo, is if you all could have been there with them.

Tomorrow they will set out to leave Emerald Bay to journey to Lakeside Marina. If you are around South Lake Tahoe Monday evening, they will be at the Sunset Bar, Zephyr Cove at around 7:00 p.m. (or there abouts) and they would love it if you go join them.

Lynda is calling later to leave me her day's report, so unfortunately I will continue to be one day behind them in blogging their progress. However, stay tuned because there is more to come.

-Myra-