Is there a full moon? Then it's time to hit the kayaks! By Judy Green -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, August 18, 2005
Lapping water and dipping paddles may be the only sounds kayakers hear if they take a full-moon tour this weekend on a lake or along the coast. Away from city lights, they can expect to see the bright lights of Venus, Jupiter, Scorpio and Sagittarius - even by the light of the moon.
Paddlers of all abilities can enjoy nature's monthly bright light on Lake Tahoe through a tour planned by Kevin Hickey of Tahoe Adventure Co. in Tahoe City. The cost is $60 per person.
Company owner Hickey said first-timers often are amazed at how easy the sit-on-top boats are to maneuver after a short lesson. "Ninety-nine percent of people fear it's too hard, and most are surprised and wonder afterward what they were worried about."
Tahoe participants will meet on the beach for outfitting and a short paddling lesson before slipping a single or double kayak into the water and following the guide to make basic turns. Depending on the group, Hickey will guide participants out about a half-mile or farther, paddling a total of about two miles.
"We start out at just before sunset," Hickey said from Truckee. He expects the air will be cool and the sand warm from the day. The water will be calm and quiet as the wind dies down and other boats button up for the night. Kayakers can anticipate watching the sunset's colors glowing and changing as the sky fades to dark.
Although visibility will be fair in the moonlight, Hickey attaches green glow sticks to the bow and stern of guests' boats, and red ones on the guide boats and paddles, for safety.
After about two hours on the water, paddlers go back to shore and warm up with hot drinks and snacks.
Visitors Love To Adventure With Us
"This was my first time in Lake Tahoe in the winter, and I was excited to do every kind of activity to enjoy what the area has to offer. Snowshoeing came highly recommended, particularly with the option to do a sunset tour, where you could see the sunset from a ridge on the Castle Peak mountain. The whole experience was great. Eric was a terrific guide who got everybody set up in their snowshoes, and with the poles. Took us up the mountain giving us tidbits of information all along the way, and providing emotional support when it got exhausting due to the elevation." -Trip Advisor Review
Hi, I just wanted to follow-up with you after our family trip to Lake Tahoe and the Sand Harbor Kayak Tour we did through your company July 31. It was fantastic! Our guide gets a thumbs up and we'd ask for him again. It was my favorite part of the trip. It was very cool too that a photographer from the Times was there to document all the fun...Again, thanks for a great experience. -Kristen Runke
"Our tour guide Jill was amazing! We had the best time on this kayak adventure with lots of laughs, lots of cool information about Tahoe and a delicious lunch at Gar Woods. The views were amazing and the water was like glass. Highly recommend Tahoe Adventure Company and highly recommend Jill." -Colleen F.
"We did the Sand Harbor Kayak tour with Tahoe Adventure Company. Emma Hoffman was our tour guide. This tour was worth the money. Emma guided the tour well, was informative about the history of the place, friendly and kept us engaged. But what I am happy about is something bigger than that...Myself and my husband are beginners in kayaking. We were struggling with balancing the Kayak and suddenly our kayak toppled down. Emma took charge of this unexpected situation and immediately helped us! She stayed calm and guided us step by step as to how to get back on the kayak and got us back on kayak. Without her, I don't know how we would have managed! Because we are very new to this. Thanks, Emma! A guide's or Company's worth is known especially based on how they handle unexpected situations! Also, Emma helped our group Cliff jump by jumping along with us. Without her lead none of us had the guts to jump by ourselves. I am glad I chose Tahoe Adventure Company for this tour and glad that Emma was our tour guide. I’d come back to Tahoe adventure company again for both summer and winter activities. They ensure safety along with providing adventure." -Viv N.
-- Viv N.
I am Jeff's fiancé (I love saying that!!). We used your company Jan 9th on a Guided Snowshoe Tour. I wanted to personally thank you for doing the preparation & to Regan for adding the final touches to the proposal that Jeff had planned. Without both of your assistance, I possibly could have missed out on the BEST day of my life!! I will forever remember that day & everyone that helped it become reality. Simply said, it was PERFECT. Again thank you both!! -Robin
-- Robin
"Brian was an excellent guide for our recent sunset kayak tour! He was funny, kept a great pace, and provided lots of interesting info about the area and lake. We highly recommend!" -Christy J.
