Monte Rio Up or Down Depends On the River’s Water Level

Tuesday December 19, 2017 Monte Rio CA.

Plans change as usual

Today I planned to go down to Monte Rio and go up stream if the water level hasn’t dropped yet.

When I got to Monte Rio,  I found the water level had dropped so I changed my plans and decided to go down stream. This is because of a shallow spot just below the Monte Rio bridge that is hard to paddle through. When the river is backed up because of the mouth at Jenner, I can easily paddle through it.

I put the boat in the water. Bill was fishing from the ramp and today he decided to shovel some of the sandy mud off the ramp, on the left. I shot the bull with him for a  bit then preceded down the river.

I went by this sleeping merganser duck.

I saw something move over in the weeds which turned out to be this little grebe.

Nice day, eh

The river was nice and flat today with no wind which is always nice.

I stopped here for a bit at the Villa Grande hole where I sat in my boat.

Turn around point

I paddled down river just a bit further, half way to the Sheridan beach. I sat around here looking and resting, before  turning back up the river.

Eventually I started back up the river and stopped at the Villa Grande hole for a while here.

Heading back to Monte Rio

After a good while I started up the river heading back to Monte Rio.

There’s a swift spot just above what is called the slot just below Monte Rio that I had to paddle a bit to get through. I stopped behind this board to take a rest from all the paddling. Things that break the water’s surface create eddies behind them. The eddie water pushes the boat right up against the object so it’s easy to take breaks in these kinds of spots, even in strong currents.

Once I got going again I was in Monte Rio, just below the bridge.

Checking out the shallow spot

I paddled up to just below the bridge to the shallow spot that’s hard to get through when the waters low, here.

I stopped and  talked with these two fishermen, David and Robert. Seems fishing is still slow around here.

This mallard duck swim over to me and started to feed right by me off the bottom.

Bill was still shoveling as I hit the boat ramp to take my boat out.

Overcast and cool

I got the boat on the car and went on home for the day. At home it was overcast and not warm so I went in the house and spent the rest of the day inside.

That was my day for a good one.