A Windy Paddle and a Hike Up to a Turkey Vulture Nesting Area

Friday April 22, 2022 Jenner CA.

Paddle day

I checked the wind report for Jenner today and it looked like it wasn’t going to be too bad so I got my stuff together and was off in my car around noon.

It was a bit windier than I thought it would be but that’s ok as that  just means I have the river all to myself. I didn’t see anyone else on the river today.

Boat ramp

I backed my car down the boat ramp and unloaded my boat and parked the car and got going.

My plan

My plan was to go up river about a  mile and see if I can get to the turkey vulture nesting area in that spot. The water level looked like I may be able to get to shore there today.

I paddled across the river and went through this little channel on the upper end of Penny Island stopping here for a break first. I sat in my boat and watched and enjoyed things for a bit.

Noisy rock

These geese were sure making a lot of racket as I paddled on up the river. I think one of them is nesting there as I see it’s neck stuck up right on top. It’s a bad mistake as when the water level drops it connects the rock to land and predators get their nest. Maybe the two geese on the left are trying to tell the one on the nest about that.

I continued paddling on up the river along it’s edges just taking it easy working my way up to this rock which I want to hike up to if I can find a place to get out of my boat. There’s a place near the rock which the turkey vultures use for a nest sometimes so I wanted to hike up to that rock and have a look see.

The trial

I wanted to be standing in the notch on the rock but it’s not so easy to get to that spot. One has to know where the overgrown trail is and it doesn’t just go straight up to it, but a real round about way and is always overgrown with plants.

I did find a spot to put my boat to shore and get out without getting wet.

Over grown

And this is the trail at the start which is very overgrown, some nettles there and of course there’s lots of poison oak in there too. I slowly pushed my way through being as careful as I could stepping on plants I didn’t want to bite me.

I made my way up the trail but was only in back of the rock so far and still had a ways to go to get on the rock.

I worked my way through these big plants, fortunately they are friendly without any thorns or stinging things.

Views

Here’s my view as I stepped onto the rock.

Up river view.

Down river view.

Nesting site

I looked all around and couldn’t find any sign of the vultures using the nest. After a good break up there I made my way back down to my boat and headed on back down the river

I pulled into this channel on the island for a break and a look around. When I say that I mean I sat in my boat as that’s where I take most of my breaks. I rarely get out of my boat, except of hikes.

This was my last break spot before crossing over the river to Jenner to take my boat out and head on home.

Barb in comments has some questions

What happens to a clump of redwoods like next to where you parked?
   Do they die off one by one? Have they grown from an old stump?
I bet not many have ever walked through that area.
You’re very lucky to have this beautiful forest to wander.
Do you have to check for ticks? :o)

Well, yes these trees grew out of a stump after a larger tree was cut down for logging before 1900, likely about in the 1870’s. Before that time there weren’t any tools large enough for one of the big trees to be cut down and there were only native Indians living here.

Hard to kill a redwood tree

When a big tree is cut down these smaller ones pop up from the roots and eventually just all merge into one big tree. The don’t die, at least not most of them.  Their growth rate is mostly dependent on how much water they can get their roots into.These ones are slow growers as there’s not as much water up in the hills as compared to fast growers down in the valley were I live.

Ticks

I don’t check for ticks and rarely get one as there’s not many of them that seem to live under the big trees. Same with rattle snakes. For most people the poison oak that grows under them is the biggest problem but not for me as I don’t catch it.

Nice day.