ESCAPE to Elkhorn Slough

Kayaking among the sea otters and harbor seals…

Some of you may remember that a while back, we were awarded a three-year grant to go kayaking. After a ton of haggling and wrestling paperwork, we were finally able to make the trip happen in March!

About 40 of us arrived in Moss Landing (halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey) at Elkhorn Slough on a cool, foggy morning. The kayaking company offers wetsuits and raingear, for any who wish to borrow. And of course we all wear life jackets. After a brief training session, we paddled out onto the water.

Paddling upstream into the slough was challenging, but not impossible. There was some choppiness near the outlet to the bay, and the current was headed out, so kids (especially the smaller ones) had to work hard. And by the time we got going, the sun had come out, giving us a great day to be on the water.

We got to see lots of wildlife up close–several sea otters (one with a baby!), lots of harbor seals, and shore birds. We paddled about a mile into the slough, and then rode the current back to the harbor. We were grateful for the weather, and the experience. And none of the kids fell in!

On our way home, we stopped to splash on the beach in Santa Cruz at Natural Bridges. The sun was bright and warm, and the water calm and cool. I think there were a thousand people on that little beach. It was so hard to leave, but we faced 2+ hours of traffic getting home, so we pulled ourselves away.

As the end of the year approaches, we’re preparing for Alamere Falls and camping in Yosemite. Let us know if you’re coming!

The video.
Yes, you should watch it. A much better use of time
than scrolling through Facebook or Instagram.