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
"We had a wonderful adventure to Thunderbird Lodge. The kayak trip to the lodge was beautiful and at a casual pace. Our guides Bailey and Collin were very informative and shared their knowledge of the history, nature & geology of Lake Tahoe. The tour of Thunderbird Lodge was interesting and thorough. We then had a great picnic lunch on the grounds before paddling back to Sand Harbor. We would say that if you could only do one thing at Lake Tahoe, that this trip would provide some of the best Lake Tahoe has to offer." Angie R.
"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.
"First time to Tahoe and first time on their trails, so we got a guide. John with Tahoe Adventure was awesome. It was my wife's first time mountain biking and he was very helpful and patient with her. We saw some incredible terrain, and were able to hike up to an area to get a great view of the lake. Incredible trip!" -Trip Advisor Review
"I've been there twice and attended both the North Shore tour and the Sand Harbor tour. The two guides I met are both awesome. They are professional, patient and helpful. Definitely recommend this to everyone." Jill O.
-- Jill O.
I just wanted to let you know that we had THE BEST time last week while on our Mountain Biking adventure with Kevin. It was the highlight of our visit to Tahoe and an amazing day that our whole family will fondly remember. -Diane
-- Diane
Micah was our tour guide on the kayak tour on July 3rd on the Sand Harbor Kayak Tour and he was great! He was friendly, knowledgeable of the area and had a great attitude. The lunch was delicious and fresh. We couldn't have asked for a better kayak tour. -Tara and Howard