Kayaking Labor Day Weekend
The Russian River
August 5, 2020, my friend, Jay Ashcraft, and I kayaked a seven mile stretch of the Russian River. It was the Saturday of the Labor Day weekend and the weather was hot – over 100°, so tons of people were out, mostly in rafts, tubes and floaties. I should add, it was a week after Guerneville had been evacuated because of wildfires nearby and we’re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a good thing we went out when we did; the next day, the county closed the river parks.
We both drove. Jay parked his car near Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville and joined me in my van, with kayaks, to our chosen starting point, Steelhead Beach Regional Park. It took about 3.5 hours to leisurely paddle from Steelhead Beach to Johnson’s Beach (across from Guerneville River Park, shown below). We left our kayaks on the beach there, crossed our fingers, and drove Jay’s car back to Steelhead Beach, where I picked up my van. We then picked up our kayaks at Johnson’s Beach.
The first half of the journey involved navigating around flotillas of it’s-not-the-destination-it’s-the-journey rafts and floaties. This was challenging at times, because the river was winding and narrow. The second half of the journey was far different. The river widened and deepened. There was less traffic and less current. They whole way, it was beautiful. We saw lots of ducks and a few pelicans. The water was warm and swim-able. It was a great day, from start to finish.
Back in Petaluma, we dined at Pete’s Henny Penny, in their makeshift outdoor dining area/parking lot.
August 7, 2020. The temperature was over 100°, so getting on the water seemed like a good idea. I went for a quick dip into the Petaluma River, launching from Papa’s Taverna. The restaurant is long gone, but the boat launch remains. A $2 donation is all they ask. I don’t know who “they” is. But I am grateful to them.
