Paddlin' For Paws Day 5

As I told you the other night I composed and wrote the blog for Day 5 and lost it. What I did not tell you is that I am sick, so that is probably part of the reason I lost my night's work and also the reason I have fallen behind on this blog. However, I am feeling a little better today and took the day off from work, so what else should I be doing but catching up on Lynda and Mo's great adventure.

Day 5 - Sunday.

We left off with Lynda and Mo in Emerald Bay having been joined by a group of their friends.
Unfortunately, with so many people to deal with in the morning, Lynda and Mo got a pretty late start. They were supposed to leave by 8 am and did not get out on the water until 9:40 am. Jessica and Terri were going to go with them again but were still not ready when Lynda and Mo decided they had to get on the water as they were meeting some people at their lunch destination.

Fortunately, Lynda had scheduled in extra time that day thinking she and Mo would be able to stop at a beach and have a little more leisurely kayaking day. However, because of their late start, they had to move along and only stopped once to stretch their legs before they made it to their 11 am lunch destination at the Beacon at Camp Richardson.

They did make it on time and met Liz and Dawn for brunch. Liz and Dawn (Executive Director) from the SPCA and Humane Society of South Lake Tahoe wanted to meet them, as their group is one of the groups that will benefit from this trip. Jessica and Terri caught up with them at the break stop, and Helen who was left to finish breaking down the camp site and also meet them for lunch. Also Jonah from the Lake Tahoe Tribune showed up and wanted to interview Lynda and Mo. He asked them to go back on the lake to get some pictures of them in their kayaks, and he stayed and interviewed them. They ended up staying much longer than they should have (2 hours).

The reason I say they stayed much longer than they should have is because shortly after they departed, Lynda noticed the skies getting dark with what appeared to be storm clouds. The gods of the lake clearly did not like their tardiness as Lynda and Mo got underway and the rain came, cold and unwelcoming.

They were not dressed for this and they were paddling hard when the gods voiced their displeasure with LOUD claps of thunder rolling across the lake. Lynda and Mo kept a vigilant watch for lightning as they feared should lightning strike they would have to get off the lake. They paddled hard and more furious with each clap of thunder.

If you have never seen a storm roll in over Lake Tahoe, it is a magnificent sight to see. It builds at one end of the lake with dark menacing clouds, with the thunder booms ricocheting off the mountain peaks and lightning striking the lake, as the rain comes down in sheets and sometimes turns into hail, moving across the lake in waves.... A magnificent sight to see when you are standing in your home with a warm fire roaring and a hot toddy in your hand.

Not so magnificent when you are in a single person kayak feeling small and vulnerable, looking at the menacing storm bearing down upon you like the devil himself is chasing you with a three pronged pitchfork plugged into an electric socket; with the thunder pounding out Inna Gadda da Vida (Iron Butterfly) as it tries to catch you. No, the lake gods were not happy, but all they did was nip at their heels, and Lynda and Mo did make it to Lakeside Beach cold and wet but unscathed.

Lynda and Mo spent the night at Royal Valhalla Lodge, where they asked for and got an upgraded room. They showered and went out, finding a little wine tasting bar where they took off the rest of the chill of the trip. They went to dinner at an Irish Pub and went back to the hotel, where they jumped in the hot tub to try and melt away some of their aches and pains. They got to sleep in a warm and comfortable bed that night, falling to sleep with promises that they would not anger the lake gods again.

-Myra-