Last Thursday was the beginning of an extreme heat wave and we took full advantage of the cooler morning to begin our adventure. Launching from the Antioch Marina at 9 am we caught what was left of the ebbing tide and made our way towards Winter Island. Our goal was to reach Van Sickle Island but by noon the temperature climbed to a point that it was no longer bearable, so we cut our trip short and headed back to land to submerse ourselves in AC.
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| San Joaquin River |
For this trip you want to allow yourself a minimum of 4 hours to complete including a short stretch break. After launching from the marina we headed west on the San Joaquin River which turns into New York Slough when you reach Winter Island. The water was calm and glassy and we passed by a couple of sea lions sleeping on a buoy. After passing Winter Island, we reached Middle Slough which is another optional route you can choose. The current can be fairly strong in Middle Slough but you're generally protected from wind. We decided to continue to Browns Island and enter the slough that cuts through the Island to paddle north to reach the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.
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| New York Slough |
It had been nearly 2 hours since launching so we began to look for a place to land and refuel. Beaches can be scarce depending on tide height but we finally found a spot but not without some hazards. We spotted a gravelly beach surrounded by broken concrete and re-bar but with a big tree trunk that made the perfect bench to enjoy lunch on. We were less than a mile from our intended destination but the heat was on so we decided to relax and ride the flood tide home. The breeze never came and we glided over glassy water all the way home.
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