Fatboy
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A Kayaking Adventure, The End
Playing it safe we head upstream towards the Antioch bridge and cross the San Joaquin river to the south bank where we will head downstream until we
reach our dock. Looking at the massive bridge I remember what I had read about 3 circus lions that somehow had escaped on the bridge and while two
were captured, one fell to its death into the river.
It has been a long tiring day and as the sun set we pull up to the dock exhausted and glad to be there. A couple of boaters are loading their boat as
we tie up to the dock. We decide to both walk over to the Red Caboose across the street to get the motorcycle.
Other than a low rear tire the bike is fine and after airing it up we return to the dock to find only one kayak. Did we not tie it securely? We look
around and ask the boaters but in the twilight there is no sign of it and boaters did not have anything to say.
We did tie it off at both the front and rear so it did not drift away. Samantha does mention she did see another person on the dock. It seems that we
just had a kayak stolen from us and it had our sleeping bags, the camp stove and the motorcycle helmet in it that I would need to ride back to the
Jeep and trailer we left up near Glenn. Lucky for use was that all the keys and my wallet were in Samantha's boat.
It is dark now and we really do not know what to do, the park is deserted and we decide to spend the night on the dock and deal with everything in the
morning. It is getting cold and all we have is a couple of thin, emergency plastic ponchos and some mosquito netting to wrap up in and try to stay
warm.
We can not get out of the wind blowing down the delta and are only able to catch short blocks of sleep before we are suddenly awakened to bright
lights and shouted orders. Tired and confused it takes a few minutes for us to realize what is going on. It seems the Coast Guard had rescued some
stranded boaters from out in the delta and was bringing them into dock. It is a little after 2am as we watch the Coast Guard bring the disabled boat
in and get it secured to the dock.
Shivering, we spend the rest of the night watching for the sky to lighten as dawn approaches. We are worn down from the long day yesterday and the
lack of sleep and the stress of the missing boat and gear as the sun finally arrives.
Figuring if they stole the boat by paddling it away maybe it is tied up nearby and perhaps I can find it.
I try to squeeze into Samantha's kayak, but being much narrower I am unable to get in all the way and as I pass the end of the dock I capsize. I am
able to get back on top of the boat and I end up paddling around by straddling the boat.
Finding nothing I head back and we carry Samantha's boat over to the Red Caboose hoping it will be a little bit safer there. We go in and talk to the
owner. He explains there is a homeless camp around the corner and he has had nothing but trouble with them.
After explaining our predicament he offers solutions that solve two of my most pressing problems, how am I to ride the motorcycle without a helmet and
where can Samantha stay that is safe while I am gone?
He offers the use of the bar's loaner helmet that is used for people that ride there and end up meeting someone that they want to go on a ride with
and he says that Samantha can stay in the restaurant and the kayak can stay on the front porch.
Last thing I do before I ride out is to go walking through the homeless camp seeing if I can find anything. Talking to the residents and looking
around I come up empty, except for one conversation that doesn't strike me as odd until a few days later.
One person said something like, 'Oh, they stole all your camping gear like sleeping bags and your gas camp stove?" I said "No, not the stove" because
at the time I thought it was in Samantha's boat but unpacking a few days later I found out that it was in the stolen boat.
As you may have noticed, there are no pictures and no GPS tracks. Simple reason being that the camera and GPS were both in the stolen boat and the
pictures we do have from earlier on the trip were on a full memory card we had removed from the camera a few days prior.
Leaving Samantha I ride out, hoping I can find the jeep without too much hassle without a GPS. It actually goes pretty well and I make it to the jeep
to find a whole new set of problems. First thing I notice is that someone stole a gas can out of the trailer, OK, not to surprising.
What was more surprising was the CHP tag to have the vehicle towed, I was parked off a dirt road well away from the pavement so it was a little
shocking. Then I see were the passenger door was pried on by someone trying to break in. Finally I find out I have a dead battery.
I try to use the bike to charge up the battery enough to start the jeep but with it's tiny charging system all I accomplish is having the bike
overheat and die on me. I am unable to start the bike now, so I start walking to the nearest farm house.
Lucky for me someone is home and is willing to drive over to give me a jump-start. The Jeep is now running, the bike is loaded up in the trailer, so I
head back to Antioch and Samantha. Arriving there to find Samantha fine, we load up the remaining kayak and return the helmet and say "Thank You and
Goodbye".
So that about wraps up our little adventure kayaking down the lower Sacramento River, we drive to Coalinga to drop off Samantha and pick up the kayak
I left there before I head off to Phoenix and back to work on the following day.
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wilderone
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Wow - not just one problem - bunches of them. Glad it all worked out, and thanks for the interesting report. effing thieves
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Fatboy
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I have other things stolen before but I think this one hurt the most.
When a hobby type item is stolen it goes right to the heart of it.
Three main hobbies ... backpacking, kayaking and motorcycles and they got something from each.
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AKgringo
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Thanks for posting! That is an interesting choice of adventures, one I have never thought of, but probably would have been up for a few years back.
What a disappointing finish, but the problem with the homeless camps is even worse around the junction of the Sacramento, and American rivers.
Here is a recent story; https://www.kcra.com/article/trash-continues-to-pile-up-alon...
Recent high water levels forced most of the 'campers' to evacuate, but tons of trash, some tents, lots of fecal matter and other debris is now in the
river!
There is a lot more to say about the camps, but I hope this doesn't hijack your post. I will delete this if it heads that way.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Fatboy
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Lets hope not, it was only one incident and it may not have been anyone camped there and most homeless people are just as honest as homepositive
people.
It was quite the trip and not one that comes to most folks mind as far as must do trip.
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Desert Rat
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Dang, Fatboy! What a frustrating way to end a great trip! Glad that you and your daughter were able to work your way safely home. May your next
adventure end on a happier note.
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BajaBlanca
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Boy oh boy, what a disastrous ending...so very disappointing.
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Fatboy
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Thanks everyone.
It really was a good trip until that last day yet that was enough to spoil it for me.
Somethings just are not conducive to being locked up, such as kayaks on a trip like this. While we take precautions we also take risk.
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Skipjack Joe
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That's a bummer of an ending for your trip. Too bad. You drive all the way over from Arizona for a special trip and this happens to you. I'm a bit
surprised that it happened there. The audacity of those thieves. How were they planning to hide an entire kayak. Break ins are more common on the
nearby Feather River below Lake Oroville.
But these things happen. I've had all my and my son's fly rods and reels stolen at night at campgrounds in Alaska on 2 separate vacations. You get
real mad and then just buy new ones and continue your vacation.
On the positive side, the kayak was stolen upon the completion of your journey. Just imagine how it would have been if you were robbed midway through
your trip. So that's something to be thankful for.
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Bubba
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Excellent read, thank you!
Making America Great Again
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Fatboy
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Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe  | That's a bummer ... How were they planning to hide an entire kayak. Break ins are more common on the nearby Feather River below Lake Oroville.
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That is what I thought too...how can they hide this thing? It was dark though, dusk when we docked. In the gloom I could not see very far and it was
the next morning when I went looking for it so they had the night to hide it or travel further along up or down the river..
I wanted to look in tents and under tarps in the camp but I figured that was pushing it a little too far.
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