Mendocino County is a paddler paradise – more than 75 miles of coastline along Highway 1, plus five large tidal rivers over almost 3,900 square miles. You could easily spend a week kayaking on just the most accessible waters. But let’s get a flavor of Mendocino paddling in just a few hours. No way? Noyo way!
Just minutes from downtown Fort Bragg, the forest semi-primeval |
Inside the working harbor with smell, rust, salty sweat |
They may be funky, but they're on the waterfront |
In 2012, we arrived at the harbor late on a Friday, then paddled off tired from the drive and low on the tide. Didn’t get too far upstream, didn’t see that much, and after kayaking later that weekend on the Albion, aka the "River of Dreams," the Noyo barely got into a NorCal Yak post. Fast-forward to this season, a sunny morning and a high tide. This time, the Noyo showed its best, if quirky, side.
Greeting fishing boats, and keeping a safe distance, at the harbor mouth |
Jeff with "old growth" sea kayak |
Noyo is a working harbor. Which means if you’re kayaking, get the heck outta the way as fishing boats power in from the sea. We followed them – and flocks of hungry seagulls – to the docks. It’s a raw-knuckle place, equal parts smell, rust, rot and salty sweat. And the rugged survivor of many storms, thanks to deep-set cliffs and a beefy breakwater.
We watched a fishing
boat crew swab the decks as a couple of seals eyed us. Meanwhile, seagulls swirled and darted like mosquitoes around a sea
lion as it gulped down a fish nearby. Going with the upstream flow, we passed more a
dozen well-worn RVs and trailers perched at river's edge. Most seemed to
be losing the battle with salt air and rust, but what a great spot for fishermen on
a skimpy budget.
Further
upstream, we encountered the first of two spans over the river, part of an old logging road. When I asked Jeff of Liquid Fusion about it,
he said it was the old A&W Haul Road. Like the root beer? Oh
yeah, said Jeff, noting it once connected to a street with a guess-what drive-in.
Above, Bridge No. 1 to nowhere on the Skunk Line; below, the "debarking" water pipe |
By the time we
reached the next bridge, the water was mere inches deep. This is the No. 1
Bridge, said Jeff, a train trestle for the Skunk Line leading into the
ill-fated tunnel. An old pipeline runs over the trestle and was
once used by a “debarking" operation. Loggers literally
knocked the bark off trees with water pressure, part of the North Coast’s
fallen timber industry. Today, the pipes carry Noyo water to replenish a nearby creek.
Sure as shootin', Mendocino preserves the Wild West |
The riverbed
deepened just past the bridge, and we paddled on to encounter a deck
jutting out over the water and a residence largely obscured by foliage. A
sign on the deck left some paddling pals befuddled. Their jaws dropped when I
explained the reference to firearms. No tall weeds in sight here, but sure as shootin', the spirit of the Wild West still lives on with some Mendocino "farmers" and other folk who just like their privacy.
It seemed like a good place to turn around and head back to the harbor. The Noyo wins a spot on my "A List" because it showcases the offbeat, rugged beauty of the North Coast in a way that even novice kayakers can enjoy.
It seemed like a good place to turn around and head back to the harbor. The Noyo wins a spot on my "A List" because it showcases the offbeat, rugged beauty of the North Coast in a way that even novice kayakers can enjoy.
LAUNCH LINES
Liquid Fusion Kayaking,
located in the farthest back corner of Noyo Harbor, offers kayak classes and
tours from “dry and mild” to “wet and wild” with Jeff and his partner Cate
Hawthorne. They are North Coast veterans and well-regarded in paddling circles.
Tip: If you’re planning a Mendo trip this summer, check their schedule and book
early. Cate also writes an excellent blog, Woman on Water.
Outside Noyo Harbor, just after dawn |
The Skunk Train,
rumbling the rails since the 1800s, is running a limited route this year while working
to raise $300,000 to repair its collapsed tunnel. Find the train schedule and learn
how to make a contribution on the
homepage.
© 2013 Glenn
Brank