In April, we took our maiden voyage on our shop-constructed double Hawaiian outrigger canoe to Tomales Bay. We loaded her up with camping gear, food, water, and a sense of adventure.
As we paddled across the bay into the Point Reyes National Seashore, students helped navigate our voyage and chose our camping location. Later, one of our students remarked, “there was a strong sense of teamwork. All of us were paddling, if a couple people stopped paddling, we wouldn’t go anywhere, we kinda needed each other.”
We made landfall as the sun was setting, set up camp quickly, bundled up, and watched the stars come out as we ate dinner.
The next day, we were greeted with a sun-filled windless morning as small waves lapped on the beach from early bay paddlers. With the tide dropping quickly, we had to hurry back to the boat launch. The surrounding green, undeveloped oak tree-filled hills, the serene crisp waters, and a curious sea lion that followed us on our return journey reminded us of the wildness of this area. Everyone wished we had stayed longer; next time we will.
With most of the day remaining, we headed to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. We walked down the 313 steps and were rewarded with spectacular coastal views and migrating Gray Whales approaching the cliffs. The whales were en route to their summer ancestral feeding grounds in Alaska after having given birth to calves and wintering in Mexico. They bobbed their heads and showed their flukes in rhythmic fashion as they got within 200 feet of the lighthouse. We were able to see the silhouette of their bodies beneath the surface of the water. Every 20-30 minutes, a new group of whales would pass by. One student said, “This place is magical.”
After walking back to the van, we nestled into the hillside, set up a sandwich bar, and ate lunch overlooking Point Reyes Beach North. It was warm, with a light breeze, as we could hear miles of waves crashing in the distance. With our hunger satiated and our minds calmed, we packed up, and most of the students fell asleep on the car ride home.
Early May, we hosted another camping trip at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. SLC staff guided participants by bike from Waterside to camp! It was a sunny and gorgeous day for riding along the Bay Trail. Most of the ride is along the coast until you get to Point Richmond. This was the perfect place to get lunch and enjoy the quaint town center. After refueling with sandwiches and Gatorade, we pedaled the rest of the way through Richmond’s Iron Triangle, which is surprisingly easy by bike. We made our way to Fred Jackson Way, and it was a straight ride from there to the lower park entrance.
The last half mile or so of the ride is through the shoreline itself, which offered stunning views of the Marin Shoreline on this very clear day. After making it to camp, we set up our tents and fired up the grill for some delicious burgers. All participants were really tired after the bike ride, so it was the perfect way to refuel.
The next morning, we walked along the pier and went on a bike ride in the park. In the afternoon, we packed up and made our way back to Berkeley.
These camping trips were made possible by the generous Explore the Coast grant from the California Coastal Conservancy. Thank you for supporting Waterside Adventures!