Contents and photos copyright 2003-2009 K Franson, J Franson, Westernpaddling.com, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.
Click below to view:
Eastern Sierra Kayak & Canoe Club
760-920-8450 email: westernpaddling@gmail.com
Eastern Sierra Kayak & Canoe Club
Scroll Down for the 2010 Club Event List
**************************************************************************************
Photos from July 12, 2009 paddle of Yosemite Valley are here :)
Photos from the June 21, 2009 Club paddle Collins Rd to Big Pine are Here :)
New Sport - skyacking - Jumping out of a plane over Tahoe, while sitting in, and landing in, a kayak. Here is the link to the video (just copy and paste to your browser):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sportvideo/7367135/Introducing-skyaking-skydiving-with-a-kayak.html
*************************************************************************************
2010 Club Events
May 15, 2010 - (Saturday) Paddle Convict Lake, put-in at 11am. Meet at the "end of the road" midway along the lakeshore, and past the marina.
June 12, 2010 - The long paddle of the year. 5 Bridges to Big Pine (about 7-8 hours). This one is demanding on stamina, so take that into account if you are joining us. Depending on water levels, we may make this a little longer, with put-in at lower end of Pleasant Valley Campground - we will update info as we get closer to the paddle. You do need to be in reasonable shape for this, and there is one minor rapid (more of a ripple), and on drop over a weir (about a class 2). Bring food and drink, as there is nothing along the way.
Note for the following 2 dates - THEY MAY BE SWITCHED AROUND DEPENDING ON WATER LEVELS IN YOSEMITE - CHECK SITE ABOUT 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE JUNE 27 PADDLE
June 27, 2010 - 10am paddle the Merced River inside Yosemite Valley from Stoneman Bridge (Curry Village) down to Sentinel Beach. Roughly 2 miles+ or so, a tad short but oh!, what a view!!!! The valley has a great shuttle bus service, so we can all leave our cars at the put-in, and pick up our cars to drive back to the take-out. Afternoon tentative paddle at Tenaya Lake as we cross back over towards the Eastern Sierra side. Monday is by vote - if we find first come-first serve camping, we will stay near or in Yosemite - if not, campground or hotel outside park on the Hwy 395 side - be prepared to pay both park entry fees and hotel fees ie be flexible. Monday if we are close to Yosemite we will do either Saddlebag, or a combo of Ellery and Tioga Lakes - second option would be Lundy Lake if we are staying in Lee Vining area. Again, for this trip, we will need to be very flexible. If water levels are too high, alternate date for this paddle is July 11. This is being held 2 weeks before last year's run to hopefully take advantage of higher water levels. Here are some links for info regarding Yosemite:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/water.htm
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/yosevalley2008.pdf (If you enlarge this map on your monitor, you will see Stoneman Bridge just NW of Curry Village, and map also shows Sentinel Beach
July 11, 2010 - (Sunday) Day paddle of Mammoth Lakes area. We will be paddling Twin Lakes and Lake Mary. Although this is a day paddle, Sunday was chosen for those who may wish to spend Sunday night in Mammoth or at one of the campgrounds (i.e. better chance of vacancies).
July 31, 2010 - (Saturday) Paddle for a few hours along the lower Owens River at Lone Pine. Shuttle car not required. Put in at 11am. Bring hat, water, and sunscreen! This is the "newest" part of the rewatered river.
August 21, 2010 - Swansea Memorial Trophy Race, Diaz Lake. Race on Saturday with sailing kayaks (if you don't have a sail rig we will loan you one). Paddle upwind, sail to the finish on the downwind leg. Many of us will be camping at the lake Friday night, and there will be a bar b q after the race on Saturday (bbq about 3 pm or so). We have applied for a group reservation for overnight camping for both Friday and Saturday nights.
September 11, 2010 - (Saturday) Sabrina Lake (from Bishop, head west on Hwy 168 aka Line St, until you reach the end of the road) Put-in at 11am at the beach by the marina.
October22, 23,24, 2010 (tentative) - (Fri - Sun) Catalina Island. Late October brings dramatically lower hotel rates, yet weather is still usually good. Overnight Friday and Saturday. Most of us will stay at an Inn we are currently getting group rates from. Camping is an option at the inland portion of town. We will probably be taking the ferry from the Long Beach Landing (downtown) depending on winter schedule. We should have some more details and options out during March. Date might be changed to early November, but the hotel we are looking at usually starts low rates mid-October. Info regarding the ferry service and packages is at the following link:
http://www.catalinaexpress.com/
Note the packages include ferry passage, etc. We are open to changing this to a Sun/Mon/Tues trip for rates that are about $60-$80 less per person based on 2 night stay. Depends on response - call Keith if you have a preference - but right now looks like the Fri/Sat/Sun is the preferred for most.
For local Lone Pine area kayakers, note the following:
Update March 1, 2010 - County website indicates Diaz Lake will open for boating May 14 (site refers to opening for boating season). The one exception is for the March fishing season opener (which is on one Saturday ONLY). Bids for an operator for the camping and food concessions will supposedly be announced in a few weeks. For updates from the county (assuming the their web page is updated frequently), the link is:
www.inyocountycamping.com/diaz_lake_campground.html
October 2009 All watercraft are banned from the waters of Diaz Lake begining November 1, 2009. To our knowledge, this is the first time the lake has been closed to boating. Decision by LADWP in regards to Quagga/Zebra mussel threat to the Owens River (which remains open, along with all but 2 lakes that feed into the Owens from both Inyo and Mono Counties). Nothing posted about reopening - see photo below:
************************************************************************************
Photos from the annual City of Swansea Memorial Trophy held August 2009 at Diaz Lake. Windy as heck, but still an enjoyable day, since there was an overcast that kept temperatures below the 95-100 degrees that is the norm :) For 2010 we will be having sails available for each kayak, with the downwind leg finishing at the beach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*************************************************************************************
Photos from the May 2009 Diaz Lake club get-together and Kayak Relay Races - Rhoda's idea, it worked great for the beer goggled reasons she predicted :)
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
\
(ok, we started early with no advance warning. Impromptu club kayak trip, lower Lower Owens, south of Lone Pine. 4/25/09)
2009 List of Events through October 10, 2009
- May 16 & 17 (Saturday and Sunday). Camp out, Bar B Q, and party at Diaz
Lake. Kite flying races with kayaks, etc.
- June 21 (Sunday). Longest day of the year, gives us the longest run of the year. Option 1 - Owens River from HWY 6 (north of Bishop) to Hwy 168 (just north of Big Pine). This run is roughly 30 miles (about 25 nautical). River current roughly 2+ knots. Estimate is 8 hour run time. Option 2 - Collins Road (which is south of Bishop) to Hwy 168 above Big Pine. Options will be discussed closer to the paddle, and sort of depends on what the river flow is. If flow is low, we will not have the same current to help us as we head downstream. With the lower level of water/snow in the Sierra this year, we may decide to run the shorter version from Collins to Big Pine, which is just under 15 miles. At Big Pine we will have tents, etc at the campground at the corner of Hwy 396 and Hwy 168. Town has a bar (Ed's aka Hitching Post - with lowest beer prices in the county, and restaurant's for our enjoyment.
- July 12 & 13 (Sunday and Monday). Sunday morning around 11am paddle the Merced River inside Yosemite Valley from Stoneman Bridge (Curry Village) down to Sentinel Beach. Roughly 2 miles+ or so, a tad short but oh!, what a view!!!! The valley has a great shuttle bus service, so we can all leave our cars at the put-in, and pick up our cars to drive back to the take-out. Afternoon tentative paddle at Tenaya Lake as we cross back over towards the Eastern Sierra side. Monday is by vote - if we find first come-first serve camping, we will stay near or in Yosemite - if not, campground or hotel outside park on the Hwy 395 side - be prepared to pay both park entry fees and hotel fees ie be flexible. Monday if we are close to Yosemite we will do either Saddlebag, or a combo of Ellery and Tioga Lakes - second option would be Lundy Lake if we are staying in Lee Vining area. Again, for this trip, we will need to be very flexible. Here are some links for info regarding Yosemite:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/water.htm
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/yosevalley2008.pdf (If you enlarge this map on your monitor, you will see Stoneman Bridge just NW of Curry Village, and map also shows Sentinel Beach
- July 26 (Sunday). Owens River, Elna Road to Aberdeen Station Road. NOTE: We have had a few cancels for this one, with several members instead opting for the June Lake trip the following weekend...so....call us before Saturday July 25th to confirm that paddle is on.
- August 1 &2 (Saturday and Sunday). June Lake Loop, and especially Silver Lake with Rush Creek. Camp overnight at June Lake (there is room for several tents). Silver Lake, Gull Lake, and June Lake are all within minutes of our camping area and June Lake Village.
- August 15 (Saturday). Mid Day paddle of Owens River near Lone Pine. No shuttle needed. Put in 0.9 miles south of Hwy 136
- August 22 (Saturday). Diaz Lake. "City of Swansea" Memorial Relay Race, winning team to be awarded the "City of Swansea Memorial Trophy", created to honor the loss of the legendary steamship "City of Swansea" on Owens Lake late 1800's, and those who failed to return from her last sailing. For those who wish, overnight Saturday at the Diaz campground. Bar-b-q, etc after the kayak relay races. Race will be at 3pm.
- September 26 (Saturday) - South Lake paddle (southwest of Bishop via HWY 168/Line St). Meet at boat ramp at 11am.
- October 10 (Saturday) - Paddle Lower Owens at Lone Pine. Meet at shop at 9:30am, or meet us at the put-in at 10am.
More events to come!!!!!!!! Mexico/San Felipe or Rocky Point paddle in the Sea of Cortex/Gulf of California, is on hold for a bit - while the border violence is down a tad (and where we would cross is not an issue - we might as well allow the Swine Flu outbreak die down before we get dates together or formalize this. You will need either a passport or passport "card" for this trip.
CELL PHONE NUMBER - 760-920-8450
Welcome to the Eastern Sierra Kayak and Canoe Club! While we are based in Lone Pine, California - right under Mt Whitney - our club is a loose-knit group of kayakers and canoe-lovers who enjoy paddling the Eastern Sierra. We have few rules (actually, next to none), no requirements, etc - translation - the club is designed for fun and paddlers getting together. Want a kayaking country club? - we are not it! What we ARE is a club that meets frequently at various Sierra Lakes, and, when the Sierra lakes are frozen, we meet at Lake Mead, etc. Bring your RV (or tent), and join us for a day or two, relaxing, kayaking or doing nothing else except discussing boats with other paddlers.
Above is our club burgee. Light blue represents the clear air and skies of the Eastern Sierra (except for the dust storms off Owens Lake!), yellow-gold represents the Eastern Sierra, with the third peak to the right a VERY rough version of Mt Whitney, and finally the deep blue below the the mountains represents the crystal blue waters of the lakes of the High Sierra.
Currently, address for the club by mail is:
Eastern Sierra Kayak & Canoe Club, PO Box 125, Lone Pine, CA 93545. For all US mail, ONLY use the PO box, for all other contacts (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc), use our office address i.e. Eastern Sierra Kayak & Canoe Club, c/o Aibonito, 120 N. Main St, Lone Pine, CA 93545. US Post Office in Lone Pine does NOT deliver to street addresses in Lone Pine. Telephone for information is 760-920-8450 cell, or Aibonito's office at 760-876-1050 - ask for Keith. Email is westernpaddling@gmail.com
**************************************************
Photos by Andy from our August 2008 club get-together at Diaz Lake.
|
|
|
|
|
|
**************************************************
From former Lone Pine resident and club member Rick Clemens, who was transferred east, photos of paddling the Maramec River, near St. James, Missouri.
***************************************************************
A reminder to be careful out there, especially on larger lakes with greater wind and fetch, create dangers. While we don't know the details, this is one event that says if you are paddling on an isolated body of water, with no one else around, it is best to paddle with a buddy. Link to news article:
http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1261/48/
*******************************************************************************************
Twin Lakes club camping trip in August 2008, included Twin Lakes (Mammoth Lakes area) along with Lake Mary and Sotcher Lake.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
******************************************************************************************
.
**********************************************************************************************************************
November 5, 2007 update
We are in the process of figuring out our 2008 events, including a winter paddle somewhere along the Colorado River - Black Canyon has been mentioned. With winter pretty much here and lakes in the Eastern Sierra getting colder and colder, they will soon ice up and not be usable until spring. The Colorado River trip will give us a bit of warmth :)
For 2008 we are looking at club events paddling Lake Sabrina, Mammoth Lakes, and Caples. At least 2 bar-b-que's at Diaz Lake. And perhaps a trip by ferry to Catalina for a paddling around Avalon or Twin Harbors.
Another item we are checking is cost and availability of packers into some of the lakes of the High Sierra, Thousand Island and Gem Lake being two we have our eye on (these are to the west of Silver Lake in the June Lake area). If the cost of horses/mules to carry the inflatable kayaks up and down the mountain is within reason, it will make for a rather memorable summer.
Finally, if you happen to be at the north end of Lake Tahoe on Saturday, November 10, 2007, we will be spending a couple of hours paddling from Kings Beach. We will park at the Coon St Boat Ramp and Picnic Area, on the east side of the community of Kings Beach, and right before you reach the California/Nevada border. There are some boulder formations about 3/4 mile away at the state line I want to look at :) There from about 1:30pm - 3pm or so
**********************************************************************************************************************
Convict Lake paddle - October 7, 2007
We have a club paddle for Convict Lake on October 7. We were originally thinking of Lake Sabrina, but at 9,000 ft+ and the early snowfall we have had in the Sierra, we decided to go back to Convict, since elevation is very roughly 2,000 ft less, and therefore we should not have snow issues :)
We are looking for a Lake Mead or Catalina/San Diego paddle for winter - more will be posted in a week or two.
While it is not a club event, FYI we will be paddling on Lake Natoma (Folsom, CA) on October 14 & 15 2007 as part of a demo event for Aibonito (the kayak/quilt/pottery/travel store in Lone Pine). However, if you are a club member in the area, drop by and enjoy a paddle (and perhaps a brew). Plan is to use the Willow Creek launch area. Call ahead to make sure we are there if you wish to join us - the demo part is appointment, so if no one calls to confirm their demo paddle, we might decide to try a different nearby lake.
**********************************************************************************************************************
Update of photos for our club September 2007 Emerald Bay trip are at:
http://www.westernpaddling.com/emerald_bay_2007.htm
**********************************************************************************************************************
7 August 2007 Update
New photos of paddling the Owens River from HWY 6 (north of Bishop) to Warm Springs Road (south of Bishop, beyond the golf course), are now up on the Owens River page of this site. Thanks to Ron, Greg, John and Dan for a great paddle.
Remember to join the club for our South Lake paddle, on Sunday 12 August 2007. No currents, and usually light breezes :)
**********************************************************************************************************************
2 August 2007 Update
The South Lake paddle for the club will be on Sunday, 12 August 2007
Water level on this lake, unlike our most recent paddles, is reported to be lower than normal. Launch ramp for regular boat trailers may not be usable, but for kayaks being carried down, this should not be an issue.
Parking is at the area marked "End of Road" just past the ramp. There is parking and a USFS restroom. We do have carts to move boats down to the launch ramp area if needed - it will only be required if parking is tight and you do not want to lose your spot just to move the boat closer to the put-in.
Paddle departure time at 10:30 am from the launch ramp. This is a very pretty lake, easy to paddle as it is not too big. Roughly 23 miles or so southwest of Bishop, but road is very good most of the way. After the South Lake paddle, for those who wish, there is ample time to also paddle nearby Lake Sabrina.
Click here : http://www.westernpaddling.com/south_lake.htm for photos of the put-in ramp, parking area, and lake.
From Bishop, turn west towards Sierra on Line St (aka HWY 168). If driving from the south (from LA, Lone Pine, etc), Line Street will have the very first traffic light as you enter Bishop.
*********************************************************************************************************************
22 July 2007 - Quick reminder - Day trip to Silver Lake in the June Lake Loop planned for Sunday 29 July - map on newsletter reprinted further down on this page. We will be in the parking lot from 10:30 on, and on the water no later than 11am. Goal is to paddle both the lake, and head as far as we can up Rush Creek which is accessed from the southeast side of the lake.
************************************************************************************************************************
22 July 2007
Updated photos for our Owens River paddle, with 4 kayaks from Tinemaha Resv. to Aberdeen Station Road, with river mileage of just under 7 miles. From home page, click on "Lakes", then click on "Owens River".
Updated photos for the Mammoth Lakes area, for Twin Lakes, Horseshoe Lake, Lake Mamie, and an entirely new page for new photos of Lake George. From home page, click on "Lakes", then click on "Mammoth Lakes Loop" to access the various lake pages.
**********************************************************************************************************************
14 July 2007
The club now has its own website address: www.easternsierrakayak.com For now, if you go to that web address, it is pointed back to the page you are currently viewing. Eventually, down the line, it will be the club's own web address - our intent is to separate it from westernpaddling.com at a later date, so that the club is independent from westernpaddling.com, which does have a bit of advertising on it (ie Aibonito and the inflatable kayaks sold at our store, etc).
**********************************************************************************************************************
11 July 2007
We have added photos of our first paddle on the lower Owens River. Hopefully by next week we will have photos of the river around Independence...in the meantime, go to http://www.westernpaddling.com/owens_river.htm for photos taken just north of Lone Pine Narrow Gauge Road. This portion is a short stretch, but given that it was dry back in January, a remarkable come back!
***********************************************************************************************************************
8 July 2007
Today's Los Angeles Times (Sunday Edition) has a 3 page article on the restoration of the lower Owens River, well worth reading. Best of all, describes a kayak trip down a portion of the river. Starts with kayak photo on page one of the California section.
Here is the direct link:
Not sure how long they will leave it up, but was current on Sunday July 8, 2007. There is also a video roughly 3 minutes long showing an inflatable sit-on-top kayak going down the lower Owens River.
**********************************************************************************************************************
4 July 2007
Here is a map to help everyone find the Silver Lake location for the 29 July 2007 paddle. It is in the June Lake Loop, very roughly 5 miles or so west/northwest from the town of June Lake. Drive is about 1 hr 45 to 2 hours from Lone Pine, an hour less from Bishop, and a short drive from Mammoth Lakes.
**************************************************************************************
26 June 2007 - New photos of the lower Owens River posted here: http://www.westernpaddling.com/owens_river.htm
Photos were taken just north of Lone Pine where Lone Pine Narrow Gauge Road meets the Owens River.
**********************************************************************************************************************
25 June 2007 - Posted July/August club newsletter:
and yes....we know Lua'i on the newsletter is spelt incorrectly :(
Rumour has it we might even have samples of poi. Location for the party is at Lake Diaz, on the west side of the lake (ie where the campgrounds are located). Look for a black Jeep, white Wells Cargo trailer with US Flag or club burgee flying (club burgee decals are alson on the trailer sides), a bunch of kayaks, etc. We will be there all day Sunday, 3pm-ish being feed time.
26 June 2007 - The Lake Tahoe paddle mentioned in the newsletter was planned right before the June 2007 Tahoe fire - which is still ongoing as we write this. We think we will still be able to paddle to Emerald Bay, but if not, the back up will be Caples Lake, just south of Lake Tahoe, off Hwy 88. Caples is fun, with cool summer temperatures, and lots of little islands dotting the lake, great for "private" club lunch picnics. Primary concern about Tahoe will be availability of motel or hotel rooms and campsites, due to the number of Tahoe residents requiring new, temporary housing.
**********************************************************************************************************************************