Clementine a darling spot for summer kayaking

Airy pearls dot the surface of this foothills lake

State Parks alert for 2024: Due to ongoing, unsafe traffic conditions on Foresthill Road, Upper Lake Clementine now requires day use reservations on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, up to 10 days in advance but no later than 3 p.m. on the previous Friday. (Make reservations at lazparking.com) Weekdays are first come, first served.  For this post, the launch occurred from the Lower Lake, which is for boat access only.

Ask paddlers what they remember about Lake Clementine….

…and chances are good they will answer “bubbles.” Clementine blows bubbles like a Lawrence Welk rerun. These airy pearls rise through sparkling clear water from a muddy bottom.

Which has led me to speculate, on previous paddles, that the bubbles may be fish farts. Except that at no time have I ever seen a single fish at Clementine, either swimming or at the end of a line, though fishing is popular here. This had the makings of a good mystery until one of my paddle pals – a no-nonsense woman who once worked as a rocket company exec – said flatly, “It’s decaying matter.” Well, okay, but she’s never going to get an invite from QAnon with that rational attitude.

Paddling past "Robber's Roost"

Clementine, part of the Auburn State Recreation Area, is a great summer destination for kayakers, paddler boarders and canoeists. It’s usually very quiet, almost too

Holidays launch that ‘other paddling season’

A holiday toast, but non-alcoholic, the ballerina-elves were quick to say

No store lines, no anxiety, no monitor screen eye strain since...

...it’s not a Cyber Monday event (thank goodness). But I have officially declared an early start to the Other Season – aka winter paddling. Traditionally (and by that I mean just last year), the Other Season begins on December 21, the Winter Solstice. But thanks to a

There's no otter place quite like Elkhorn Slough

A relaxed resident of Elkhorn Slough studies passersby (Click on photos to enlarge)

 This might be my No. 1 choice for a paddling trip….

…during the “Other Season,” and it’s easy to make that case with generally mild winter weather, beautiful scenery and some of the best wildlife viewing anywhere in California. But on my most recent trip to Monterey County, I noticed that the entertainment worked both ways – while kayakers were watching sea otters and harbor seals in Elkhorn Slough, those critters were gawking at us too.

Winter paddler finds a bird storm on Tomales Bay

Waterfowl fill the sky over Tomales Bay (click on photos to enlarge)

A billowing black cloud of feathers rose above as I paddled on an ebb tide....

...in Tomales Bay one recent morning. Hundreds of birds – probably thousands – filled the sky in a spectacular aerial display.

Until that moment, it had been a disappointing kayak exploration of back bay marshes in search of waterfowl. Though it seemed a perfect winter morning for birdwatching, as temps quickly warmed into the low 60s under sunny skies and light breezes. The

That other, more peaceful paddling season

Holiday decorations adorn trees over a Lake Natoma bayou

If you missed Winter Solstice, it occurred here at 8:19 p.m. on Dec. 21...

...and it’s easy to overlook the shortest daylight period of the year. Yet it’s auspicious for several reasons, not the least of which is that it officially kicks off my Other Paddling Season. No big sales at Macy’s or one-hour specials on Amazon to commemorate this season, but it's special all the same. 

By December, many kayakers have packed away their paddles, but they are missing a