Kinetic art in a Kondos scene near Sherman Island in the Delta |
“This is just
like a Kondos painting!” said one of my kayak buds. Sure ‘nuff, the vista unfolding
before us looked like an iconic California Delta scene by artist Gregory
Kondos. Blue and bluer hues of sky and expansive flatwater. Low hills dotted
with trees. Gleaming white, 30-story-tall wind turbines – say what?
We were paddling
in the Sherman Island Waterfowl Management Area, near the town of Rio Vista. NorCal
Yak pal Frank found this place and picked the perfect late fall day, with
neutral tides, virtually no wind, and temps in the 70s. Calm conditions being significant,
because there’s a reason why 800 giant wind turbines fan out across the
hillsides. You want to be off-water when
these big boys start humming, unless you're a windsurfer.
Windless days perfect for late-season paddling |
This is an A-grade
paddle trip during non-summer months when winds are light. Let’s run down the
rest of the checklist that makes this my fave Delta paddle to date. Start
with spectacular views – in one direction, those humungous, electricity-generating fans. Then turn
west and scan across the marshlands toward awesome Mount Diablo. And all around
the edges of this Kondos-like scene are reedy bogs, gnarly trees and
mysterious, twisting channels.
Clear views of Mount Diablo to the west |
Plus there are
critters, on the wing and in the water. Soon after we launched, something popped
out of the murky depths ahead. Must be a stray seal, we first thought, but no,
this was one hecka big river otter. He had a family, too. Later in
the day, we played hide-and-seek as they swam through thickets of bulrush and
cattail.
Meanwhile, a
large and well-fed hawk lolled in the top of a dead tree, watching over dozens
of fishing boats. It’s a popular spot for striped bass, salmon, sturgeon and
catfish. Though we saw nary a fish netted during our paddle.
Hawks, herons, otters -- but the most curious critter was yet to come |
The most
interesting critter we ran across turned out to be a duckbill platypus – but
that’s another part of the story.
We spent more
than three hours on the water, taking a round-trip of more than eight miles, and
yet barely saw a corner of the Sherman Island area. It's that big. With plenty of secluded
sandy beaches inviting a stop for lunch, we did so.
It’s a wild
place, but hardly pristine. A large, rusty outdoor stove and a trash burn pile decorated
the area near our beach. Rotting timbers and pilings from dilapidated docks share
the shoreline with a high wall of reeds, broken by the occasional channel
opening. A 20-minute exploration of one channel culminated in a dead-end
garden of water hyacinth, an invasive species. We turned back
before the green monster could ensnare us.
The final thing
that confirmed this as an “A” trip was a post-paddle drive over to Rio Vista and
one swell joint – Foster’s Bighorn bar and restaurant. About 300 pair of eyes
settled on us as we strolled into the dim room. “Don’t try to stare them down,”
I whispered to my pals.
Foster's Bighorn, a different kind of big game preserve |
The joint was
founded in the 1930s by a big game hunter, William “Bill” Foster, who needed a place to hold his trophy collection.
Yes, there is an elephant in the room. And a giraffe. And a hippopotamus. The
stuff PETA nightmares are made of.
Then someone
spotted a furry lump with a strange snout...oh no – not a duckbill
platypus. Yep, said the bartender, adding that this natural oddball can be as dangerous
as its fanged associates on the walls. Incredulous, I looked it up. No
lie, the male platypus sports venomous spurs on its hind legs, and the
toxin can be devastating.
So there you
have it – a great day on a great waterway, an unforgettable joint to visit afterward,
and a weird but true bit of critter trivia. Even Kondos couldn’t dream up such a scene.
LAUNCH LINES
First, this is the Delta, where some of those Web maps don’t always get names
and places right. We launched from Sherman Island County Park (southern Sacramento
County). Use road directions in this
link. (It’s about 1:20 from Sacramento via I-5.) There’s a concrete launch
ramp, picnic tables, pit toilets and paved parking.
For a local wind-icator, who better to consult than the Rio Vista Windsurfing and ShermanIsland Kiteboarding guys? Said club newsletter
editor Gil Gaus: “Mornings are often windiest. It is midday that is more
consistently less windy. Another factor to consider is the tides. If it is
windy and an ebb tide, there are big waves. The windy season is June through
September. Other months are maybe windy twice a month or so. We all use www.iwindsurf.com
for real time wind info." In summer, Gaus noted, a cooling trend in Sacramento and the
valley is usually a good indicator that Delta winds have kicked up.
Exploring the back channels -- prepare for dead-ends |
Wind
farmer SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) also confirmed that winter
months may be the best bet for kayakers, if a bit slower biz for turbines. Here's more info on SMUD wind power.
Even if you’re
not into the hunting thing, Foster’s Bighorn on Main Street in Rio Vista must
be seen to be believed. Check out the link for the history and a lunch and dinner menu, but don’t
try to order tofu.
© Glenn Brank
2012