Out On The Harbor

I've lived in Southern California for awhile now.  I moved here from Tahoe in 1996, and since then, for the most part I've been satisfied to stay inside. The city is boring, I thought, and I wouldn't be able to find adventure here the way I did back home up in the mountains.  But, over the past year as I've become more active I've found myself getting cabin fever from time to time. I enjoy my time outside running, but there are other activities to enjoy outside as well. When I was a kid, I used to love being on the water. Canoeing was one of my favorite activities and I enjoyed hours on the water paddling at Tahoe, or camps I worked at, or wherever I could find a boat to get in, a paddle to move it with, and a pond to float on. 

So, it happed that in March of last year, I overheard one of my co-workers talking about how he had been kayaking in the harbor at Huntington Beach, and the old light bulb went off over my head. Of course there are water sports in So Cal. It's near the ocean and all. Duhhhh. So I went to the ol' Google, looked up some rental places, read some Yelp reviews, and settled on Sunset Kayaks for my first trip out. It had been so long since I'd done anything like it, at first I thought maybe it wasn't such a good idea. As the tattooed 50-something surfer guy I rented from pushed me out in my kayak with a photocopy map of the harbor and a hearty "have fun", I noticed first of all, that I seemed to be sinking. Apparently kayaks have holes in the bottom, on purpose. And being as how I had just started out my fitness program, I was still pretty heavy. The boat had several inches of water in it, and my whole back end was soaked. But I figured I should still give it a shot. It took me a few minutes to get my rhythm back, but before long it was like I'd never stopped. That first day I just paddled around the inside parts of the harbor, enjoying the scenery, enjoying the peace and quiet. Here are a couple of the views I took in on that first day: 

Who would've thought we had scenery here in the big city? Not me...

Over the last year and a half, I've gone back to Huntington Harbor many times, always renting from Tattoo Surfer Guy. If you go on a weekday he lets you keep the boat as long as you want, and only charges you for the two hour rate. Now that's a great deal for someone like me, because I like to spend a long time out enjoying the ride. I've been through the harbor so many times I know every twist and turn, and I know where all the parks and bathrooms are. I even take a picnic with me most times.  I arrive early, I'm usually the first customer, and I go whether it's fog or shine. It doesn't matter what the weather is, I dress accordingly and get out there. 

I actually like the foggy days, for one thing there is NO ONE else out there, I have the whole place to myself. And the scene is mysterious and maybe even a little haunting.

blue heron standing guard

I also like sunny days, despite the fact that I have to cover up with an ugly hat and a thick layer of SPF 4 million. It doesn't really matter what the weather is like, so long as I can be out there.

last November I found some fall colors in So Cal.

look! it's me with hair! red hair...

On occasion I am lucky enough to have a companion. Usually the trip is a bit shorter when someone is with me because unlike me, they don't want to keep going until their butts are numb and they have blisters on the inside of their thumbs.  Most recently my son has been my victim...er, companion.  As you can see here, he's having a blast.

One of the things I really enjoy during my kayak trips is seeing a lot of wildlife. It's amazing to me to see the variety of birds and other critters I encounter while paddling around. Here are some of the animals I've encountered on my trips.

pelican taking flight

Ssssshhhhh, guys. Stand still, maybe she won't see us...

this sea lion has followed me a few times.

cormorants guarding the dock.

crab hiding in his little mud house

My favorite part is actually not really in the harbor, but just outside. There is a nature sanctuary just north of the harbor, and you're not supposed to go in, but if you stay right on the edge you will still be able to see quite a bit of wildlife. There are birds nesting out there, which is why it's protected. It stinks that we can't go into the preserve, but I understand the reasoning. The birds I see out there the most are blue herons and egrets, pictured here: 

The first time I went over there, I didn't know the nature preserve was off limits, so I did go and paddle up the river there for quite some ways. I only managed to get one picture before a burly, tattooed guy in fatigues with a big gun came running out of the bushes demanding to know what I was doing there. Oooops. The US Government takes their bird nesting very seriously, it seems. At least they let me go with just a stern warning, and I got to go in there once and see what was there.

shortly before being busted by the feds.

For the past year and a half I've really been enjoying these trips. At first I did tend to sink the boat a bit lower than I liked, but as time passed and I lost weight, the boat didn't sink quite so much, I didn't get as tired, and I found I could go faster. I still get sunburned though. Darn sun. Oh, and my rental guy always gets a funny look on his face when I show up. He sort of recognizes me, but he can't quite remember who I am because every time he sees me, I've lost another 10 lbs and cut my hair shorter. 

At least he did remember one time that my name starts with an "M".

So what it really boils down to is the experience.  I love the views, as you can see. I love the sound of the paddle cutting through the water, and of water lapping against the shore, or my boat, or the other boats in the harbor. I love the sound of the birds calling, even the raucous seagulls screaming at each other over some fisherman's abandoned bait. I love the sensation of the boat floating on the water, from calm water to choppy waves caused by wind or boat wakes. And it doesn't hurt that it burns a whole lot of calories in addition to being a great deal of fun. I love the whole experience, and wish I could do it more often than once a month or so. I'd really like to explore some other areas as I could pretty much do Huntington in my sleep by now. I just have to find a rental place with a deal as good as Tattoo Surfer Guy. I want to explore the Long Beach and Naples Island area, and eventually get out in the ocean. There are some cool tours, and lots of places to go. I'd love to even have my own kayak, now that would be a dream come true. But until then, I'm happy to cure my cabin fever with a few hours out in Huntington Harbor, enjoying the views of my little corner of the ocean.  Hope you enjoyed them too.

just past the buoys is the forbidden zone...

these ice plants stay red like that all year round. 

the bridge to Trinidad Island

and now for a round of bridge-kayak limbo. how low can you go?