Well, crap

Things were going well with my core kayaking class at Pure. Until some cretins stole four of our boats last night. Here's a description of the boats:

• Ocean Kayak Yak Board, lime green, marked as #2
• Ocean Kayak Frenzy sit-on-top, yellow, marked as #3
• Wilderness Systems Riot sit-on-top, dark green, marked as #4
• Dagger Blackwater 10.5, dark green, marked as #6

Each of these boats were marked with a number and "Pure Austin" on the deck and on the hull. They were chained and padlocked. The thieves cut the chains.

If you see any of these boats on the Austin-area lakes or rivers, please contact Beto at 512-773-9696 or Carla at 512-751-3283.

Thanks.

Kayaking to the core

My core kayaking classes at Pure Austin are off to a good start. I've had 2 folks over the last few weeks who have shown up consistently. The word's getting out about how much fun you can have and what a workout you can get by paddling in the quarry.

What do we do in the class? Well, we do different drills, using basic kayaking strokes. What if you don't know a particular stroke? No problem! I review the strokes, as well as the basics of holding the paddle correctly, each class and we practice a bit before we begin the drills.

The drills are designed to really work the primary muscles that you use in kayaking. No, not your arms. We really work the abdominal, oblique, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi muscles - you know, those stronger, bigger, core muscles. The power behind the stroke! We also discover ways of getting the quadriceps and hamstrings in the action, too.

Actual paddling is just one element of a conditioning program. Flexibility, endurance, and strength are key elements, too. A guide that I've found to be really helpful is Rocky Snyder's Fit to Paddle. This guide shows you stretches, exercises, and techniques, and provides sample workout programs.

Let's get it going!

Too pooped to paddle

I woke up this morning feeling too pooped to paddle. So I went for a bike ride, instead.

I tried out some trails that were new to me at Brushy Creek Lake Park. It's a nice little community park that offers a lake for paddling and fishing, open areas for kite flying, covered spaces for picnicking, and trails for biking and walking.

Since I'm still going easy on the feet, I thought that it'd be better to bike on a smooth trail. The Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail in Austin is great, but it gets really crowded and can be frustrating to ride on. The Brushy Creek Park trail was fine - not crowded and scenic. I wasn't sure where the trail would take me - so I rode until I reached a sign. The trail actually took me through 2 additional neighborhood and community parks. It wound around part of Brushy Creek Lake, and followed Brushy Creek.

Some parts of the trail reminded me of the Barton Creek Greenbelt - not that the trail was technical (because it wasn't at all!), but that at points the trees formed a nice canopy over the trail.

With all the rain that we've had, the bluebonnets were out. Made me want to pose for a picture. I thought I saw the Easter bunny hopping down the bunny trail, too.

So, it was a good thing that I picked Brushy Creek Lake Park to bike in today - while biking by the lake, I noticed several people bringing kayaks down to the water. Cool! It looked like an entire family was putting in. Then I noticed a new concession - Row Paddle Brushy Creek. They have a small fleet of sit-on-top kayaks, and what appeared to be a 4-6 person raft (unless that was a private craft).

And speaking of lessons, I start my 2007 teaching schedule this week, at Pure Austin Quarry Lake. I'll be teaching Core Kayaking on Tuesday nights, and a QuickStart class on the third Saturday of teach month. Whether you're a member or not, head on over to Pure Austin Gym. It's the best gym in the city!

Springs Fest 2007

Yesterday I spent the day at Rio Vista Park in San Marcos. The folks from the Power Olympic Outdoor Center, Ben and Michelle Kvanli, put on an exciting and successful first-time multi-day event - boat demos, kayak polo tournaments, slalom racing, and instruction.


The Rio Vista water park is an exciting place to visit. Prior to May 2006, a single chute existed in Rio Vista Dam. Through a fortunate series of events, the City of San Marcos created a whitewater park. Now, you can paddle three different waves at Rio Vista. I affectionately call them Papa Bear (pictured), Mama Bear, and Baby Bear.

From Rio Vista, you can paddle upstream through Sewell Park on the Texas State University campus, or head downstream to paddle the rapids on the river. The San Marcos offers lush vegetation and a constant water flow, even in the hot, dry summer months. Along the way, watch for strainers, sweepers, and dams. The river has three major rapids below Pecan Park: Old Mill, Broken Bone, and Cottonseed. Popular runs on the river are from City Park (above Rio Vista) to Pecan Park, or Pecan Park to Sculls Crossing.

Stop the madness!

I'm still recovering from yet another round of foot surgeries, so I haven't been on the trails since October. But I'm using this online game to help me improve my mountain biking skills.

Does 3 hours in front of the computer, working this game, equate to 3 hours on the trails?

Visiting the lighthouse

I returned to Lake Austin last Sunday, with a new paddling friend. While driving over the 360 bridge to go to my bike shop (360 Cycleworks), I looked out at the water and saw a lighthouse. A what? A lighthouse? On Lake Austin? I convinced my friend that we needed to visit.

I recently purchased a new boat - a very sweet Impex Mystic. I say sweet, because even at 14 ft., it paddles like a 16 or a 16.5. Perhaps it's because it's made of carbon kevlar. It's the first boat, aside from those little itty bitty playboats, that I can easily pick up and put on my shoulder. I can even load it and unload it on top of my truck in my Malone J cradles! The colors are pretty cool - yellow on white, with a baby blue trim. Funny, but the boat matches my Paul Frank Clancy cruiser.

Sorry, I digress. I haven't had a boat that would be suitable for Lake Austin in a while. I'd sold my 15 ft. Mango Express (a Wilderness Systems Freedom), and just hadn't replaced it with another long boat. So, on these pretty weekends, I've been out to Town Lake and to Lake Austin.

So, we put in at the 360 bridge. It's now a Travis County Park. I say "now" - I asked the attendant when the boat parking lot became a park, and she replied, "about three years ago." Yikes! Has it really been that long? OK, maybe it has been that long since I put in at the 360 bridge. The folks there are nice, and will let you unload your boat and park outside the park for free.

Once we put in at the little sandy "beach," we headed west. The lighthouse is on the north shore, just a short distance away. We tried to figure out the purpose of the lighthouse. It certainly wasn't put there to warn mariners of the impending coastline. It looked to me like a little community of bed-and-breakfast cottages. For the guests' entertainment, the site sported a fort, a rope galleon, tree cottages that were connected by a rope bridge, and other fun things.

We turned and paddled east, under the bridge. My paddling buddy hadn't been on Bull Creek before, so we went north into the creek. I love paddling the creek in the winter - no motor boats, no noise. And if you look carefully, you'll see the remains of two vehicles. They both are set a little ways from the shore, stopped by rocks and trees. I always wonder what the story is behind those cars. Did they just fall off the cliff, or, like Humpty Dumpty, were they pushed?


As we paddled on up the creek, we noticed a couple of folks who were doing their part to keep Austin weird. Nuff said.

As we approached RR 2222, we were greeted with the wonderful smells of the County Line Barbeque restaurant. Man, that smelled good. (It smelled so good that I went to dinner there that night.)


It was nice to be back on Lake Austin. I wonder where my adventures this week will take me?

Oh, my, it's been a while

Well, seems as if I started my blog with a flurry of activity, and then just pooped out.

Changes in life caused me to lose focus on the blog and on writing and nurturing the artist. It felt like I taught kayaking quite a bit last year... and yet didn't get to paddle much.

I spent a great deal of time on my new passion, mountain biking.

This year promises to be filled with kayaking and mountain biking. So stay tuned...

Winter Paddling on Lake Austin

There's nothing like paddling a long boat on Lake Austin in December. The rowdies have docked their motorboats, and the birds have come to enjoy the quiet. You won't find too many other kayakers or canoeists on the lake, either.

Lake Austin is a relatively calm and narrow lake that is one of six reservoirs in the Highland Lakes chain. At the west end of the lake, you'll find Mansfield Dam, scenic views, and wildlife. At the east end of the lake, you'll find luxurious homes, on-the-water restaurants, and Tom Miller Dam. In between, you'll pass underneath the 360 bridge.

The lake is home to several species of fish, including sterile carp, hydrilla, and numerous birds. (Speaking of birds, check out a website by local sea kayaker, Steve Baranoff - http://www.baranoff.org - to view some of the birds that you can spot on the lake.)

During the summer, as you approach City Park from the west and continue further east, you'll encounter a great deal of motor boat traffic, wakes, and waves. But in December, it's paradise. The air is crisp and cool, the water is cold, and the scenery is beautiful. You'll see some of the same colors that you do on Town Lake.

If you have the skills, you can paddle the approximately 20-mile distance from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam in one day. But why rush it? Break your trip up into three segments: Mansfield to Mary Quinlan (about 3 miles, easy start), Mary Quinlan to City Park (Emma Long) (about 6-7 miles, now you're getting into it), and City Park to Tom Miller (about 10 or so, the long haul).

On the Mary Quinlan to City Park run, you can stop by Commons Ford Metropolitan Park and have lunch and pick pecans. If you have a chance on the City Park to Tom Miller run, paddle up Bull Creek from where it enters the lake just east of 360. You'll go through some nice quiet water all the way to 2222 by the County Line restaurant. Further down the lake, across from Hula Hut by Tom Miller, is Bee Creek, which goes back all the way to Westlake Drive. There's a cove off of Bee Creek that's absolutely beautiful -- you'll feel like you're paddling in the Amazon.

Here's where you can put in and take out:

* Low Water Crossing Road (right by the bottom of Mansfield Dam off 620)
* Mary Quinlan Park (by Steiner Ranch off 620)
* Commons Ford Metropolitan Park (on the other side of the lake, off Bee Cave Road)
* City Park (also known as Emma Long Park, off 620)
* N. Capital of Texas Highway (underneath Loop 360 bridge)
* Walsh Boat Landing (off Enfield and Lake Austin Blvd.)

See you on the lake! (I'll be wearing my santa's hat.)

Paddling on Town Lake

Have you been on Town Lake lately? Like many places in Austin, the lake is alive with the colors of the fall -- bright yellows, flaming reds, and lush greens. Leaves gently fall from the sky, twirl, and land in the clear, blue waters, creating small ripples. The trees reflect off the water, like the sun off a mirror.

Town Lake is a calm and placid lake that divides the northern and southern parts of the city of Austin. At the west end of the lake is Red Bud Isle and Tom Miller Dam. At the east end of the lake is "Bird Island" and Longhorn Dam. Between the two dams lies an approximately 10-mile stretch of the Colorado River. The lake is home to several species of fish, as well as numerous birds.

Town Lake is one of the premier places to paddle flatwater in the city. The lake is perfect for canoeing and kayaking. You can leisurely paddle your canoe or kayak, race your sprint boat, play kayak polo underneath the Mopac bridge, fish from your boat, or practice your freestyle canoe maneuvers. The temperature of the water around this time of year is about 70 degrees or so. Located in the heart of downtown, it's easily accessible from several put-in spots:

• Festival Beach boat ramp (East)
• IH-35 boat ramp (East)
• Austin High boat ramp (West)
• Red Bud Isle (West)

I like to teach at the IH-35 boat ramp, but paddle for fun around Red Bud Isle. Each spot has its own unique features. At the IH-35 boat ramp, you're in the heart of the city, surrounded by buildings and bridges. (And you're near a great outfitter, Salamander Adventures (www.salamanderadventures.com).) At Red Bud, you're in the wilderness of the city, surrounded by tall cliffs and lush vegetation.

Want to figure out where you are on the lake? Here's a good map that shows the lake and the hike and bike trail that winds around the lake: http://www.alienscooters.com/pdfs/maps/townlake.pdf. You can find out about lake conditions by visiting the Lower Colorado River Authority site (http://www.lcra.org/water/river_report.html).

Happy paddling this fall!