For a change this post is not about a hike but about a canoe trip that
we did on the Russian river. We got up early in the morning to arrive
at Burke's Canoe Trips around 11am. After a short safety message and
shelving over 60$ per canoe (one canoe fits two to three persons) we can
head off to grab our canoes. What follows is a mellow journey down river
that lasts for about 5-6 hours and features paddeling, swimming, some
adrenaline rushes, and lots of beautiful scenery.
Trail navigation
Burke's canoe trips is easy to find and is the start and end of this
trip. Burke provides a shuttle service from the final landing spot back
to the start of the trip. The Russian river is a slow flowing easy river
without many surprises. Actually you have to paddle quite a lot when the
river gets wide and the stream velocity slows down to almost 0.
View Map
Trip description
This is a very easy trip that almost anyone can do. Burke's canoe trips
ensures that you can swim and you must wear a swim vest at all times. It
is important that you bring a cooler (or backpack) with enough food and
drink for the day (consumption of alcohol is not allowed). A pro tip:
use trash bags to seal your backpack and leave all valuables (and
electronic gadgets) in your car as the canoe might tip and you get a
nice refreshment! Although we were careful canoers, we tipped once when
we got stuck on top of tree stump that reached halfway out of the water
(and some girls in a canoe crashed into us when we were struggling to
get free of said stump). In addition, the stream velocity can be high in
some spots.
Overall we were paddling for around 3-4 hours with roughly two hours of
drying up or just relaxing on the beaches alongside the river.
The way back was a lot quicker than the journey down stream.
Picture time
Starting our journey.
Some detour through the bushes.
Wildlife alongside the river.
The ducks were inspecting our canoes.
Summary
It was a very fun day trip that I would do again. We underestimated the
thrill factor and the current once when we tipped but it was never
dangerous as we were wearing our vests. Just watch out for your
valuables and gadgets - they might not like to get wet!