Saturday January 24, 2015 Monte Rio CA.
Or Monte Rio to Vacation Beach Dam and Back
Today seemed like it would be a nice day to go to Monte Rio and paddle up the river a bit as I haven’t done it in awhile and it’s always a real nice paddle.
I put my boat in the water at the boat ramp around eleven AM. There were some steelhead fishermen in the water as I put in and headed up the river. This is looking down the river from the boat ramp area. Three boats in the slot and a guy in the water fishing.
Just below the Monte Rio bridge is a shallow spot with quite a bit of current I had to maneuver through it and then it was mostly easy going on up the river.
This is where I just am breaking out of that current and getting to the easy stuff the rest of the way, up and under the Monte Rio Bridge.
It was a scenic day as I made my way up the river. The guys in the boat are the only fishing boat I ran into coming down the river from Guerneville. It seems fishing has slowed a bit. Click the picture to get a better quality photo.
This spot, up by the North Wood golf course is always real scenic.
The sun was out nicely as I paddled up the river.
There were a lot of reflections in the river too. This view is just a ways below the Vacation beach summer dam and crossing which is up the river as far as you can see in this photo.
I was surprised by quite a few turtles along the way. I was especially surprised as they didn’t bolt into the water as they usually do.
A little closer look at the upper two turtles. There’s something on the side of the one closest, but I couldn’t make out what it was.
I passed by a half dozen turtles or so sunning on logs.
My view as I continued on up the river to the Vacation Beach dam.
I made it up to the summer dam. Those piers out there are what they build it on in the summer. I turned back at this point.
I turned my boat around and headed it into the current and started my drift back down the river not having to paddle much at all. That’s the advantage of paddling up the river. Once the turning point is reached it’s easy going on the way back.
On the way back I ran into even more turtles getting some sun.
Here’s four of them on a redwood log.
I got pretty close to this one expecting it to dive into the water, but it didn’t.
A couple more turtles sunning. Lots of turtles today.
Just above Monte Rio, a half dozen mallard ducks joined me for a bit. Here’s one of the male mallards.
The mallards followed me for a bit, then left and continued up the river.
The water was real calm as I passed back under the Monte Rio bridge.
As I passed under the bridge, I noticed this. A Fish and Game warden talking with some fishing people. I heard her telling them about no barbs are allowed on hooks and this would be a warning,……… but next time.
The boat ramp wasn’t far. There was an older geezer taking his boat out as I approached the boat ramp and then the lady warden pulled her truck up. She got out and checked the guy out for his license punch cards and asked me if I was fishing. I gave her my standard reply. I said, I quit fishing when the fishing regulation book got more than a quarter inch thick. She said something like touché. :O) The fisher guy had all his stuff together and eventually, I was able to get to the boat ramp and pull my boat out.
I went on home thinking I’d do a few chores in the yard, but the couch won again and that was my day.