Finally!

We have been so busy moving the last 2 months that I finally took the morning off to get the kayak wet. Unfortunately, high winds cut my morning short. From the PWC Beach I cruised past the Marina, part way up the Hemmingway Wall, then cut across to the backside of Boulder Islands. "Burger Beach" is huge now and I can't believe how much the water levels have dropped over the last 2 months. Hoping to get down to Willow beach in the next few days.

This past winter we were actually paddling over this structure.

Las Vegas Marina with Boulder City in the background.

Water Levels Are Dropping

Went out to the lake yesterday but cut my paddle short due to winds. It wasn't too bad when I arrived but the water was a bit choppy. By the time I got to the backside of Boulder Islands, the waves were running 1' to 2' with gusts. Made a quick stop at Burger Beach then high tailed it back before it got worse. I had to fight a crosswind coming back so I had to do a bit of zigzaging to keep the bigger waves out of the boat. This is the lowest I've seen the water levels in a couple years.

Burger Beach is getting bigger by the day.

Down River

This Wednesday we did a paddle 3 1/2 miles downriver from Willow Beach to locate the elusive Frogman Petroglyph. I've seen a lot of the other petroglyphs but I had never been able to locate the Frogman which is probably the most famous. As luck would have it, Bruce showed up for the paddle and the mystery was solved. Bruce probably knows where everything is located in Black Canyon. After a short downstream paddle, with beautiful weather, we arrived at the Frogman. If you didn't know where it was, it would be really tough to find since you can't see the petroglyph from the water and it's a really tough spot to land a kayak. As for wildlife, we spotted a couple Bald Eagles on the way down and on the way back we ran across a couple Great Blue Herons and a small group of Bighorn Sheep.

The Frogman

Phil & Pat, a couple brand new members to our meetup group joined us. 

Great Blue Heron

Bad Weekend At The Lake

Not me...someone else. The weather was supposed to be beautiful again so Monday I decided to get in a bit of paddle time. As I was paddling down the shoreline I came across this debacle.

I don't know if the driver was coming in at night and mistook the campgrounds for the marina or maybe they just had one too many beers to celebrate St Patricks Day. Either way it was a bad night for them...and probably expensive. The boat was about 50 or 60 feet up on the beach. Later I saw a couple vehicles with a trailer trying to load the boat. That must not have worked because shortly after that a big truck with a hoist showed up to lift the boat onto the trailer. I would have liked to have been there to see what damage was done to the hull. They must have hit the beach wide open.

On a happy note, Spring is here. The turkey vultures are coming back. I haven't seen any of them all Winter.

Herons On The Lake

Yesterday was so nice I decided to spend another morning on the lake. While passing a small island I noticed what I believed to be a Heron perched on the ledge. I edged my kayak his way, pulled out my camera and started taking some pictures. As I drifted closer I noticed a second and third heron. Then two more. It seemed to be a flock. I suddenly looked up a bit to my left and there were 2 birds sitting on nests on the edge of the cliff. Not wanting to spook them off and endanger their eggs I slowly paddled back and left them to their nesting. I'll often see herons around the lake but I've never seen this many together before.

I believe these are Blue Herons but I'm not positive

Two mothers nesting

This Cormorant was hanging out on one of the buoys near the boat ramp.

Paddle To Castle Cove

I scheduled a meetup at the PWC Beach today to paddle to Sentinel Island. The one person who did sign up didn't show but I was pleasantly surprised to find Bruce waiting. Bruce probably has more experience paddling this area than anyone else so it's always nice to have his expertise. I had only been to Sentinel Island once before so Bruce was kind enough to show me where the best landing point was. After a quick break, the water was so smooth and calm we decided to paddle another mile or so across to Castle Cove on the Arizona side of the lake. As we were heading into the cove we spotted a beaver! I didn't even know we had beavers in this area. I tried to get some photos of him but they're quick, flighty critters and the best I could do was a distant shot of his tail disappearing around the bend. After another short break we headed back. Bruce decided to stay around Boulder Islands to do some fishing and I headed back to the PWC Beach. The temps were probably in the low 70's and I think the water is warm enough that I don't need the waterproof booties any more. In fact it was so nice out today I think I'll go back out tomorrow!

The elusive Bruce. (Sorry, I have no idea what his last name is.)

Our view from the beach at Sentinel Island

If you follow the wake to the right you can just see the beavers tail disappearing.

Leaving Castle Cove for the trip back.

                                          Here's the Strava link that shows our route today.

                                               http://app.strava.com/activities/44158816

Beautiful Day At Lake Mead

Took a look at Windfinder this morning. It seemed like today was going to be the only decent day this week with high winds and possible rain moving in so I loaded up the kayak and headed out to the PWC Beach. I had no set plan. I was just going to "freestyle" to get some miles in. I managed 9 miles before calling it a day. Pretty uneventful but the weather was perfect. Winds were 2-3 mph at the most and the temperature was probably in the mid 60's. Signs of summer where obvious...a couple jet skis tearing around the lake (sigh). At least the water will be warm enough to learn rolling pretty soon. I'm looking forward to it.

A shot of the Las Vegas Marina while returning from the Hemingway Wall.

If you want to see my route, you can click on the link below. Please keep in mind that Strava is mainly a biking and running program so it lists this route as a bike ride. (That would be some trick.)

http://app.strava.com/activities/43278469

Weekend At Arizona Hot Springs

Four of us from our local meetup group decided to do an overnight paddle this weekend. We started at  Willow Beach, AZ and paddled about 8 miles upstream to the Arizona Campground and hot springs. Unfortunately, the winds were from 20-30 mph. Fortunately for us, they were blowing upstream so even though it was really choppy, the paddle up was fairly easy.

After setting up camp we made the short hike up the canyon to relax in the hot spring pools. After that we enjoyed dinner and a little wine around the campfire whilst Larry told ghost stories. (Actually, the Legend Of The Goatman.) One more dip in the hot springs and it was off to a good nights sleep except for wondering if we were going to drown during the night due to rising water levels, (long story.) The morning was a bit cold but I didn't notice it too much until we got on the water. Unfortunately, we still had 20 - 30 mph winds. Fortunately, during the night the winds shifted direction and they blew us back down the river. Even with the choppy water and lunch break we still made it back to Willow Beach in record time. Overall it was an excellent trip with a great group of people.

Larry, John & Gwen

Our campsite at the waters edge. Notice our high water berm,which I might add,  wasn't necessary. (Probably  wouldn't have worked anyways.)

Eric joined us with his Hobie for a day paddle.

Johns beautiful hand built wooden kayak.

Windfinder

I usually check with Windfinder before I take the kayak out. This morning it said 2-3 mph winds. Does this look like 2-3 mph? I don't think so.

On the bright side, since I wasn't kayaking, I did some exploring and found some cool places to put in at Government Wash.

Superbowl Sunday At Lake Mead

I met my friend Larry at the PWC Beach this morning for a paddle over to Hoover Dam. It seems there is a small cove to the left of the dam which currently has a nice little beach to stop at. With the fluctuating water levels this could change but right now it's a very nice rest spot. The weather was overcast when we left the beach but the temps were great and that water was almost glassy. On the way back we hit a bit of wind in the channel to the dam but it was minor and not a sign of another boat. In the summer it's extremely choppy in this area due to all the boat and jet ski traffic. Round trip was about 8 1/2 miles. Beautiful day with good friends....and a little wine! Here is the link to my Strava page which shows the route and mileage. http://app.strava.com/activities/39651700

"Looksha Larry"

Headed for the dam. The back side isn't nearly as impressive as the front side.

The small cove and beach to the left of Hoover Dam.

An American Coot that was hanging out in the cove.

A shot from the canyon leading to the cove.

It was such a nice day I decided to paddle some more once the sun came out.

A Day On The Colorado River

Yesterday I decided to try out the speed of my new kayak. I wanted to make a run from Willow Beach up to the hot springs at the Arizona Campground in Black Canyon. It's about 8 miles and I thought I could make it in 2 hrs or less. The dam and the river had other ideas. I left about 9am and the current was the worst I've run into down there. I paddled for about 2 hours straight with no breaks and only made it 5.6 miles. It was obvious making it to the hot springs was not doable within my time limit so I found a nice beach to take a lunch break then had a relaxing paddle back. Ran into a couple fisherman, 1 kayaker and 2 guys canoe camping. Other than that, I had the river to myself. The weather was beautiful with just a slight breeze and temperatures in the mid 60s. A few miles up from Willow Beach I though I saw a white boat coming down river. It turned out to be the biggest bird I've ever seen on the water. This bird was HUGE! After I got home I looked it up in my bird book and I believe it was a Tundra Swan. They are not really common here. I'm assuming it took a wrong turn somewhere and stopped on the river for a break. On the way back to Willow Beach it was hanging out in a cove with some other ducks and Coots. I'll have to get down there next week and try to get some better photos, if it's still in the area.

Big bird....I mean REALLY BIG bird!

Inside the Emerald Cave

These guys were hanging out on the road to Willow Beach, just off the main highway.

Rainy Day Paddle

I had never kayaked in the rain before but today was the day. Actually it was more sprinkles than rain, at least for an hour until it stopped and turned into a really nice afternoon. Sure it was still cloudy but the wind died off and the temperature wasn't too cold. Gwen, John and myself started with a loop around Boulder Islands then headed towards the Hemmingway Wall. About that time Bonnie called to let me she had arrived. We paddled back to the islands to meet up with her, took a short lunch break then did another loop around the island and back to the beach. The sun actually peeked through the clouds for the last 30 minutes of the paddle to top off a great day.

Bonnie

Gwen in her Liquid Logic and John in his home built Pygmy kit.

Great Week For Kayaking

The weather in Vegas has been great recently so I took full advantage of it. I got out to Lake Mead for a couple hours the other day even though it was a bit breezy. Saturday our Meetup group did an overnight paddle out of Willow Beach, AZ up the Colorado River towards Hoover Dam. Even though I just went out for the day it was fantastic weather. Other than a couple tour rafts, we pretty much had the river to ourselves. It still amazes me that more kayakers don't get out this time of the year. It so peaceful without all the boaters and jet skis.

My friend Larry and his faithful mascot Edwina

Headed up the Colorado River approaching the gauging station.

Saturday my friend Bonnie and I went out to Lake Mead again and paddled around the Boulder Islands for a while. I actually spent some of the time out there in short sleeves. Temperature was around 62 degrees and the sun was shining. The weather is supposed to stay nice this week so I have a couple more paddles planned.

Bonnie getting the feel of her new kayak.

The lake was smooth as glass at times.

Bonnie contemplating the tranquility of her surroundings....or she may have just been Facebooking. I'm not sure.

Breezy & Cool

Went out to Lake Mead for couple hours this morning. Winds were out of the N-NE at about 10-12 mph when I got there but the sun was shining and not a sign of a jet ski, so it was a great morning! With in about an hour the winds died down to less than 5 mph. It's nice having the lake to myself. I saw 2 fishing boats going out and 1 fisherman at the dock and that was it. Very peaceful morning.

Today's Paddle

Took the new boat out today to put some miles in. It's starting to feel like home. :) Did about 11 1/2 miles total. I had about a mile in before I realized I had forgotten to start my GPS record. (Not the first time I've done this. You can click on the Strava link below to see the map of my paddle. Beautiful day out there. I believe the temperature got up to 60. Pretty nice for January.
http://app.strava.com/activities/36804335

New Kayak! - Review

Well, Santa was about 1 1/2 weeks late but the fat guy finally delivered my present. A brand new 2012 Wilderness Systems Tempest 165!  It came around 4:00pm yesterday so, of course, I had to take it to Lake Mead today to try it out.

Wilderness Systems Tempest 165. Length 16.5' - Width 21.5"

THE REVIEW
First, let me start off by saying that I've been kayaking about 2 1/2 years and consider myself an advanced beginner so this review might be more helpful to new paddlers since I have more of a beginners perspective. I started off with a 10' $200 rec kayak then spent the last 2 years paddling a Perception Carolina 14. The Carolina was an excellent boat but I have been wanting something a bit slimmer and faster. Most of my review consists of my comparisons to the Carolina 14. Since no one within a reasonable distance from me had a Tempest, I bought it primarily on Paddling.net reviews and other reviews I found online.

LOOKS: The kayak is just plain beautiful! (I mean, who wants to paddle an ugly yak.)

HATCHES: The rubber is a bit softer and more flexible than the Carolina and you have to make sure they're latched all the way on but it's not to hard. I didn't turn the boat over in the water but I did have a few waves over the boat and lots of splash and where wasn't a sign of water in either of the 3 sealed compartments.

FIT: When I first unwrapped the boat and started to climb in, I thought "Oh oh, I'm not going to fit!" But, after a minor adjustment to the hip pads, I slid in with no problems. As far as the seat goes, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say anything bad about the WS Phase 3 seat. I probably paddled for 2 hours without any  adjustments. My only complaint with the fit is that my feet felt a bit cramped until I moved the foot pegs out. I'm 5'6", weight about 160 lbs and wear a size 10 shoe. If any of your measurements are more than mine, you might want to consider the Tempest 170 because you probably won't fit in the 165.

PADDLING: When I first looked at the bottom of this boat I thought it was going to be really "tippy" but I was very surprised how stable it was. At 21.5" it really didn't feel that much worse that the Carolina (24.5" wide.) It was a little shaky getting in the first time since the keyhole cockpit opening is quite a bit smaller than what I'm used to but after a couple ins & outs it was fine. The thigh braces felt incredible. I didn't even have to make any adjustment to them. I had about a 5mph or 6 mph breeze with a little chop but still never felt like I was going to flip over. The kayak steers very easily with a little edging and in the breeze, with the skeg down, it tracked like an arrow. It's quite a bit faster than the Carolina also.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Tempest 165. From the reviews I've read, this kayak was designed to handle big waves and winds, (not sure if I am,) so it's something I can grow with and hopefully paddle for quite some time. If you're a beginner looking for your first kayak or have some paddling experience and you're looking to move up to something a little more advanced, I give the Tempest 165 2 thumbs up!

Today's Paddle 12/28/2012

Got out to the lake about 9am. It was quite a bit more windy than Windfinder said it was going to be and there was quite a bit of chop. Pretty cold also but I cruised the shoreline and swung by the marina waiting for Walt to show up. By the time he got there the wind had died off and it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon.

Walt posing with his boat, the "Boulder Buzzard"