Day 3 - Thursday, August 13, 2009

DAY 3 – Keep on Truckin’!

(Anyone remember that cartoon from the 1970s of the guy with the big feet?)

Thursday, the third day of Paddlin’ for Paws, began at 7:00 a.m., roughly 30 minutes later than planned. Natasha and Celia saw the group off from Tahoe City and Zola Ferguson paddled with them for the first three miles of the day before returning on her own to Tahoe City after joining the group for breakfast.

The paddlers’ first stop was the Fire Sign Café in Tahoe City, yet another fantastic breakfast spot. April was feeling slightly unwell, so she skipped breakfast and hung out on the beach. Fortunately she recovered in time to continue the trip.

In a departure from their usual itinerary, in addition to stopping for breakfast the paddlers also made time for lunch at Chambers Landing Restaurant. Chambers is very convenient for kayakers, since the restaurant is smack dab on the lake and has a pier where the paddlers can tie up their kayaks without having to remove all their gear and haul it into the restaurant. Lynda and Mo had made definite plans to stop for lunch, but the other paddlers hesitated because they were concerned about the possibility of afternoon winds and worried about taking extra time away from paddling. However, eventually everyone decided to stop and a good time was had by all.

One of the great parts about kayaking around Lake Tahoe is that you can get a good look at the opulent homes that surround the lake. From the road, many of them are invisible or are only seen as a gate or a garage, but from the water they are spectacular. There are many private beaches and restrictions about where kayakers can land, so Lynda relies heavily on her Lake Tahoe Water Trail map to find good spots to beach. However, that didn’t stop Trish from pulling out on a private beach and having a great chat with a homeowner, ultimately leaving him with information about Paddlin’ for Paws. Nice PR work, Trish!

The homestretch of Thursday’s paddle was a tough one, especially coming at the end of the longest mileage day yet (12 miles), and gave the paddlers a taste of the power of the lake. As the paddlers approached the mouth of Meeks Bay, the wind pushed them back out and they had to paddle furiously to gain any headway. Two paddlers even pulled over to the shore and walked their kayaks briefly along the shore before returning to the lake. The first kayakers to make it to the take-out point cheered each remaining kayaker into shore. When Jennie arrived, it was with only one lens in her polarized glasses—the wind had blown the other one out! All of the kayakers then sprawled on the beach in exhaustion.

At camp, they were greeted by the support crew with their camping equipment and that staple of American life—pizza!

The paddlers’ camping neighbors turned out to be a group of teens and young adults who kindly offered to help set up tents. In an ironic twist, that kindness gave the paddlers extra time later to sit at the picnic table and entertain the campground by singing songs! Somehow I doubt their repertoire was anything a group of 20-somethings would request. What’s that phrase about “no good deed goes unpunished”?!

In camp, the group hung out, napped, read, played Frisbee and Skip-Bo, and generally relaxed and recharged in preparation for Friday. Mary gave everyone quick shoulder rubs, then the Icy Hot and ibuprofen made the rounds as everyone nurtured fatigued shoulders and knees.

Friday could potentially be the most “interesting” day of the trip and the mileage will be the longest yet (13.2 miles). The wind is expected to blow even more strongly than on Thursday, and the paddling will likely be demanding. The group will aim for their earliest launch yet, planning to be on the water by 6:00 a.m. and off the lake before the winds get too strong. It’s unfortunate that Friday is expected to be so challenging because Lynda says that stretch is actually one of the most beautiful of what has already been an extraordinarily scenic trip.

Guest paddlers on Friday will include Jan Groff and Suzy Shaffer in a tandem kayak, as well as Michelle Parker. Michelle saw the Paddlin’ for Paws announcement and really wanted to sign up for the entire trip, but unfortunately it was too late to add another person to the event. Michelle will be paddling with the group on Thursday and Friday, staying with them overnight at Camp Richardson.

Since this is my final post, I’ll wish the paddlers good luck and fair winds and will be checking in on their progress throughout the rest of the week.

Blogger Gorden, over and out.

--Tamela Gorden