While much of the country was digging its way out of the snow for the New Year's festivities, some of us were paddling Morro Bay on a postcard perfect day.
I paddled from the pier in Baywood at 9:30 AM on a 5.8 ft. high tide and headed toward Shark Inlet. The sky was blue and windless as I paddled in shirt sleeves and shorts. The water was smooth and reminded me of old glass; just a bit wavy. I was able to paddle as far back in Shark Inlet as I can ever recall, and vowed to head back if I can get out on a tide over 6 feet, just to see if I could paddle into the far rushes near the trail that goes to the beach at Montana de Oro. There were plenty of water birds again today, but I didn't see any signs of the feeder fish that the birds normally follow.
I paddled north along the sand spit to King Dune and climbed up to the top, which was easier than usual because the recent rains compacted the sand on the surface and it is much easier to walk on the sand than in it, especially up the hill sides. The view from the top reminded me again of just how beautiful the coast is. The lack of wind made the surf look like you just want to be in it!
With the tide so high, it was a good day for trash picking, and I filled my boat with all manner of bottles, cans, shoes, etc. and managed to get two long pieces of washed up foam strapped to the deck fore and aft. On the return to Baywood, I met some fine paddlers who were visiting from Reno, so here's a shout out and Happy New Year to Woody and crew!
1 comment:
Sounds like a great paddle. I paddle in Morro Bay frequently and just never tire of it. I am not sure of what you refer to as Shark Inlet. Don't think I have been there. I do like to paddle up the creek under South Bay Blvd and along Turri Rd when the tide is high. And sometimes, just for something different, I launch from Coleman Beach and paddle out the harbor entrance into the open ocean just a bit.
Post a Comment