Muddy Boat Ramps Kayaking on the Russian River

Wednesday December 31, 2014 Jenner CA.

Today I was planning to go down to Monte Rio again to kayak for the day if I thought I could get through all the mud on the boat ramp.

I headed on down that way to take a look with my flat shovel. When I got to the Monte Rio boat ramp I got out and took a look. I can shovel a whole lot of mud, but it looked like too much for even me. And the boat trailers have stirred it up a bit. It’s over six inches deep down near the water.

Headed on down to Jenner

I headed on down to Jenner’s boat ramp and put my boat in the water. No one else was on the water. I paddled across to Penny Island and sat for a bit, then started heading up the river. As I was going, I saw Ray’s truck go by, so I stopped and started back a  bit, so he knew where I was.

Ray and his wife Elaine showed up, just to the left of this picture.

We headed up river at our leisurely pace to Muskrat beach where we sat around for awhile in the sun. Then we crossed the river to the other side to see what birds might be along the shoreline. There weren’t very many birds today, but there were a few cormorants on Paddy’s rock.

Headed down to the open river’s mouth

We continued on down the river to the river’s mouth area.

These ducks were sneaking by us as we went.

We pulled over just inside the mouth and spent some time watching.

The mouth is open wide and the ocean was fairly calm today. There were some harbor seals on the sand on the left and some seagulls on the sand to the right.

Here’s the harbor seals on the sand.

Sea lions

We saw the sea lions hunting in the estuary earlier and this one passed by us rather fast as that’s how the sea lions move, fast. They seemed to be hunting for the big fish, but we didn’t see them catch any.

Eventually we headed on back towards the boat ramp. We passed by this robin sitting on a rock on the shore. They’ve been eating all the ripe red berries in the yards down here.

Just past the robin we ran into the turkey vulture eating some kind of bird.

Now this boat ramp is muddy

The tide had gone out while we were out, so now there was a bit of mud on the ramp, about two or three inches of it and we were going to have to wade through it to get our boats out.

We did get a bit muddy. Ray and Elaine took off for home and I got my flat shovel out and shoveled the mud off the ramp. I’m never sure if it’s ok to do this with all the environmental stuff these days, but no one arrested me or even commented.

The next guys to use the ramp should appreciate it though, especially me as I’m the one that uses the ramp the most. We were the only ones on the water today

The muddy boat ramp before I shoveled off the mud.

I went on home for the day. It was a nice day out on the water, especially since it is winter and real cold most other places. Don’t tell anyone. :O)