Lake Berryessa, California
Words: Chris Farris
& Carlisle Landel
Photos: Carlisle Landel
Team River Runner believes that every wounded and disabled veteran deserves the opportunity to embrace new challenges, invoke leadership, and promote camaraderie. Team River Runner provides an outlet to fulfill these beliefs – inviting wounded and disabled war veterans and their families to participate in adaptive paddling programs.
First Annual Western Outtasight Clinic
Lake Berryessa, California
Picture this: A 70-foot luxury houseboat moored in a secluded cove on beautiful Lake Berryessa in California with 79-degree temperatures and crystal clear conditions. This was the base of operations for the first Western Outtasight Clinic, organized to introduce veterans with visual impairments to kayaking skills with the assistance of volunteers who were invited to learn how to guide the visually impaired and assist them in their paddling during the clinic. It was a perfect plan at a perfect place with perfect conditions.
However, no plan is perfect, of course. The first to arrive discovered that a fallen tree had blocked the road into our initial stop, Pleasure Cove Marina, where we were to camp overnight then transfer to our houseboat. It took 2.5 hours for the fire and utility crews to make the road passable.
introductions
Once camp was set up, we gathered for dinner, introductions and orientation. Then, after a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we transferred people, food and gear to our houseboat. Once aboard, we motored out to our instruction site in Haines Cove, where we moored the boat to an island and set up for three days of instruction and fun.
The clinic was initially inspired by the June 2017 TRR Adaptive Paddling Conference, where Carlisle Landel and I were both certified. We joined forces with Jennifer Eaton from Kids are Outtasight and Team River Runner National to bring it all together. Attendees included experienced white water and sea kayak instructors interested in learning techniques for teaching and guiding visually impaired paddlers.
Participants came from Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and California, and included both visually impaired paddlers and their accompanying (but as-of-yet) untrained family members.
We started with the basics, progressing to a double-circumnavigation of our island (two miles total) and culminating in a five-mile paddle back to the marina from our mooring site on the last day. When paddling with vision impaired persons the basics include paddle indexing: a visually impaired person has no way of knowing if the paddle is held correctly or not.
Paddler techniques
To remedy this, we tape wire on the right side of paddle on or near the middle finger. If the paddle is dropped, the correct hold can be restored by feeling for the wire. This insures the power face of paddle is correctly positioned. Another technique when instructing visually impaired paddlers is to use voice commands such as, “On me.” The voice commands function as place guides and are used in a triangle configuration 50 yards apart in order to build the skill of following sound. In white water, some guides use a blue tooth speaker on the back of their life jacket.
These building blocks lie the foundation for amazing feats. In 2018 Team River Runner took five blind veterans 226 miles down the Grand Canyon. All trained for a year, each had to complete 1,000 rolls to qualify.
history of the lake
But paddling and instruction were not the only things on the schedule by a long shot – not when you have a luxury houseboat complete with water slide and a hot tub. In addition, we prepared and enjoyed excellent meals, new boats were dedicated, and a raffle was held. As a special bonus, Park Ranger Jennifer Onufer came to the boat and gave a presentation on the natural history of the lake and its locale.
She brought her collection of fossils, plants, pelts and other specimens to pass around and share, which was a fantastic tactile experience. Additionally, a member of the Bureau of Reclamation public relations staff shot documentary photographs and interviewed the participants.
Saturday morning, we had a leisurely trip back in the morning sun. Everyone had advanced their skills to the point where the paddle back to the marina on the final morning was well within their capability. We unloaded the boat and returned to our camp for a huge catered meal and our final closing ceremonies.
Special thanks are due to:
- Melissa Farris for organizing the food and menu and for holding down the campsite while we were on the boat.
- The staff of Pleasure Cove Marina, who towed our string of sea kayaks to the mooring site and provided water taxi service between the marina and our mooring.
- Guy Cables, owner, and operator of Sierra Outdoor Center of Auburn, for the donation of raffle items and his continued support of TRR American River.
- TRR National, both for its support of the clinic and for its OJT program, which provided the training that made organizing this event possible.
