Elkhorn or Eden? - Views of the World

Elkhorn or Eden?
The tidal Elkhorn Slough
is as perfect for kayakers
as it is for wildlife.
By Chris E Ryan
Seen from an airplane, it seems to feed the entire Pacific Ocean.
It perfectly bisects moon-shaped Monterey Bay, which in turn
opens maternally to the expanse beyond. Only a hundred yards
wide at its mouth, this narrow waterway breathes the cold Pacific
waters like oxygen, flooding and ebbing repeatedly, nurturing
hundreds of species of birds and sea creatures, as well as paddlers
looking for a great day-trip.
Elkhorn Slough is a major estuary and tidal salt marsh just 50
miles from San Jose and one sand dune from the Pacific. Paddlers
can rent kayaks and gear from outfitters located right at the mouth
of the slough, or bring their own and drop in to the calm harbor
nearby. Whether you wield a paddle to explore, exercise, or get
48 I CANOE & KAYAKBEGINNER'S
GUIDE 2005
closer to nature, you can do it at Elkhorn Slough.
Once waterborne and under way, you'll soon see California's
scenic Highway I pass overhead. Then the road noise will fade,
replaced by the sounds of harbor seals writhing in the mud
between naps and sea otters cracking open shells for a snack.
The urge to explore might draw' you out of the main channel
and into Rubis Creek, one of several narrow waterways that wind
leisurely through tidal flats lined with salty pickleweed. These serpentine paths take you close to Idyllic hills of scattered oak trees
and golden grasses, and then redeposit you in the main channelif you've chosen the right exit.
.
But ~atch the tide; if you get caught in the flats on the near side
oflow tide, you might find your kayak resting on a bed6fdeep,
shoe-swallowing mud. Paddling against the tide can give you a
satisfYingupper-body workout, but if you try to return against the
wind and the tide, you'll be in for a hard slog. Youcould avoid that
by borrowing a tactic from river-runners: shuttle it. Launch from
the harbor on a flood tide and ride it up the slough for about five
miles to the take-out point at Kirby Park. Of course, arrange for
someoneto pick up you and your boat at the other end. (Kayak
::0
Connection offers this tour; see the sidebar.)
3
You can see more of Elkhorn by sticking to the main channel, ~!
which stretches inland for seven miles or so. If the tide is going ~
your way, you'll breeze past wildlife lining the muddy banks and ~
fishermen reeling in rays and leopard sharks that feed in the [
shallow waters. Riding the tide
allows you to paddle at your
leisure-or quietly drift-past thousands of acres of prime wildlife real
estate. This is what most visitors to
Elkhorn come to see: the countless birds that depend on the
slough as a hospitable stepping-stone on long migrations, and
the other assorted marine and mud creatures that call it home.
Indeed, their very presence helped to prevent Elkhorn ITom
being "improved"-as various plans ITomthe 1960s proposedinto an industrial park or a site for waterITont condominiums.
The public realized E1khorn's true value just in time, and conservationists now consider it a "globally important" habitat for
birds. Great egrets and great blue herons stalk the mudflats.
Brown pelicans swoop overhead in formation and catch a meal by
dive-bombing schools of fish ITomabove. But for wildlife watchers there is more to the slough than birds. The harbor seals are an
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50 I CANOE & KAYAKBEGINNER'S GUIDE 2005
amusing sight, haphazardly lining the banks or basking on the
mudflats, half-submerged, holding their tails up out of the cold
Pacific water. Sometimes they swim up behind you, betraying
their presence with a loud snort of air before diving away coyly.
Less numerous and even more endearing are the otters; you'll
often hear them before you spot them, tearing apart crabs or
cracking open shellfish on their bellies.
Photographing such spectacles IToma kayak can be a gamble.
You're exposing pricey optics to the whims of currents and waves.
But at Elkhorn Slough, ~o breakers will sneak up behind you and
no submerged boulders will tip you into the salty water.Your camera will be safe, and you'll return satisfied and exhilarated. And ~
for paddlerslivingamongthe officeparksof SiliconValley,it's a
day-trip you'll think about long into the workweek.
~
~
>-
"'
Chris F. Ryan lives in Santa Cruz, California. His online home g
0
is at www.VzewsoflheJIVOrld
com.
i!'
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. GettingThere:The
slough is off
Route1 at MossLanding,midway
betweenSantaCruzandMonterey.Put
in andtakeout at MossLandingBoat;
Ramp,just north of the mouthof the
slough.An alternativeput-in/take-outis
KirbyPark,off ElkhornRoadon the
easternsideof the slough.
www.elkhornsiough.org.
Thebeach(on
. Logistics:Check
tidetablesin advance
MontereyBay)is rightonthewestern
andtry to headin onthe sideof MossLanding,a shortwalkfrom
floodtideandout onthe the boatramp.ThefamousMontereyBay
ebb.Currentscanbe
Aquariumis a 25-minutedriveaway
strongduringtidal
(opendaily,exceptChristmas,10-6;
www.mbayaq.org).
changesoverthreefeet. (831-648-4888;
Steerclearof sub. Camping/Lodging:
Camping
is
availableat SunsetStateBeach,fivemiles
mergedpilingsonthe northsideof the
north.Call(800)444-7275to book.The
sloughjustwestofthe Route1 bridge.
NationalWeatherServicesynopsisfor the MossLandingChamberof Commerce
area:www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr.
Birdingis
(www.mossiandingchamber.com)
lists
optionsfor inns,B&Bs,andRVparks.
goodyear-roundbut bestduringthefall
. Outfitters/Resources:
Two outfitandspringmigrations.
. WhileYou'reThere:The town of
tersat MossLandingprovideequipment
MossLanding,a formerwhalingstation, andinstruction:KayakConnection(831hasseafoodrestaurants
onthewater724-5692;www.kayakconnection.com)
andMontereyBayKayaks(800-649front,antiqueshops,anda harbor
bustlingwithfishingvesselsandpleasure 5357;www.montereybaykayaks.com).
Youcanfindgood,logisticalinformationat
boats.TheElkhornSloughNational
www.elkhornsiough.org/paddling.htm.
EstuarineResearch
Reserve(oneof 26
ThebookEIkhornSlough,by M.
suchreservesnationwide)straddlesthe
easternsideof thesloughandis afield
SilbersteinandE.Campbell(Monterey
laboratoryfor scientificresearchandedu- BayAquarium,1989),discusseswildlife
cation.ItsVisitorCenterhouseseducaandnaturalhistory.Formoreguidesand
outfitters,seeourAdventurePaddling
tionalexhibits;guidesleadnaturewalks
andofferbinocularsandbirdbookson
Directoryon page72 or logon to
www.CanoeKayak.com.
loan.Call(831)728-2822or logonto
'I! !,
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www.canoekayakcom
...
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