The Captain's Log

Tour of California

2009-02-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

I just got back from the Tour of California and I have to say, "This is how you do it!" Rock Racing has everybody beat in the looking cool department. The team chase cars are just a small example of how they look.

The best job in the world!

2009-02-03T15:35:00.001-08:00

Well, I can't believe I did it! Did what, you ask? After talking with my lovely wife, we decided it would be fun to apply for that famous job that millions around the world are applying for, which is called "The Best Job in the World."

It is a stunt that the Queensland Board of Tourism is doing to raise awareness of the Great Barrier Reef and the tourism opportunities. Applicants from around the world are applying for a six month job as an island caretaker at the tune of $150,000.00 Aussie dollars.

I figured it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am very qualified, so what the heck!

Check out the site and more importantly my application video. Please vote for me and rate me with 5 stars if you can!

Thanks,
Captain Penguin

Educational Sea Kayaking videos

2009-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to start a series of educational Sea Kayaking videos for quite some time now... so I will start with an easy project that I actually have time for, quick shorts of bullet information posted on You Tube. I will follow these up with videos on our website and future DVD for sale.

Here are a couple of examples:

Enjoy,
Captain Penguin

Been a while!

2009-01-25T07:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought it was fitting to start off the new year with a fresh photo and a fresh start. I took this pic of Carrie and I, on Santa Catalina Island, from a vantage point that many tourist never get to see. It used to be accessible by taking a horseback tour but the stables have been closed for some time now. Let's just say that rented mountain bikes are not the best way... but they do make it possible.

I have started planning a Penguin Paddlers Expedition for 2009 and would like to paddle from Long Beach Harbor, cross the San Pedro Channel, circumnavigate Santa Catalina Island and then make the crossing back to the mainland. The crossing is under 30 miles, depending on currents and course. This expedition will be accomplished in seven days.

The basis for this expedition will be to raise funds for the Catalina Island Conservancy, explore the beauty, history, ecology, wildlife and sea-life of Santa Catalina Island. This expedition will be educational as well as physically demanding and will require the paddler to stretch, expand and apply their skills in an intense week on the open sea!

Look for more info to follow as I complete the details of this exciting expedition!

Captain Penguin

Back to the Old Blog!

2008-02-13T17:17:00.001-08:00

Well it has been over a year since I used this blog, but the time has come to go back to the old blog! I have been blogging over at the P&H Pro Paddlers site but there are just times when you can't share certain things on a sponsors site.... so here I am... I'm back! If you want to catch-up for the last year, you will have to check out my posts at the PH Paddlers site.

If you don't care about the past and only care about the future like me, then stay tuned for more fun filled posts!

See you on the water,
Captain Penguin

Elvis the King

2007-01-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

Elvis is the name of my favorite kayak. He is a P&H Quest LV Team Boat. Not another kayak like Elvis in the world and he absolutely has the "Bling" factor. With an orange metalflake deck and the clear P&H logo showing through in Carbon Kevlar, you can't help but notice him. The clear Carbon Kevlar hull doesn't hurt either. I had a super tough keel strip installed by the Arma-Coating shop that does spray-in bedliners for trucks and now I can grind on or over anything.

Paddling Elvis is a supreme joy and I haven't found any kind of water where he feels out of place. Up-river paddles, rock gardens, twenty foot swell, surf zone play, tripping and anything else I have thrown at him just make him smile... if kayaks could smile.

Put a Quest LV on it's edge and paddle your guts out and then you will know what pro-performance is all about!

Captain Penguin

Kick back and relax.

2007-01-28T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well this photo of a "dried out" sleeping Harbor Seal I took says it all... winter time paddling on the northern California coast. This is the best time of year to paddle here. The air is crisp and clear. The animals are relaxed and subdued. There is no fog and you can see for miles. A couple of weeks ago, I went over to Trinidad and did some paddling with the club and I got to play in the rock gardens and surf for hours. I feel just like this seal when I'm doing that. Relaxed and happy, this is just what I needed to help fight the winter blues.

The other morning I was paddling on the Sacramento River all by myself at 7:AM and I came across a Bobcat chowing down on a dead Salmon. I didn't have my camera and that bummed me out, but I just floated right up to him eating away. He didn't run or even care that I was there, I think he must have been real hungry. I sat there, about 4 feet away, for over 10 minutes watching him pig-out. It was really great and I had a big smile on my face while I talked to him in a soft voice. I thought the morning couldn't get any better so I just paddled off heading up stream. Then it happened, I saw something I have never seen before, a baby Beaver. He was real tiny and very cute. I followed him real slowly and when he finally saw me he just dove under and disappeared. Again no camera!

I wonder if the ancient Eskimos and Greenlanders ever had it this good? I bet they were like many of us men these days and used "Hunting" as an excuse to go kayaking and see the sights. I was laughing with the guys on the river the other morning about how we justify kayaking by saying, "We need our exercise" or "We have to go out there because so and so needs us out there." Well, anyway you slice it, I think the ancient paddlers made excuses to go out paddling. They probably said, "We need to go out and test this new design for hunting" or "In the village they said there is a big herd of seals coming this way." You know they got to see tons of wonderful things along the way.

Well I think it's that time of year to come up with some new excuses to get out of the house, out of work and delay the Honey-Do list. Yes, we need to kick back and relax, hit the water and let that kayak do what it does best... float and cruise the beautiful sights and sounds of our local waterways. Only next time I will remember my stupid camera!

Happy paddling,
Captain Penguin

It's 2007 already?

2007-01-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

Well here it is, 2007. Wow, that kinda snuck-up on me. Happy New Year!

I am really happy about the new year but it started off with it's difficulties. First my family got real sick, some kind of flu bug, then I got it. I'm still recovering but it has sent me into a winter depression. So the logical thing to do is pray and go out paddling! I need a clear head to plan for the year. There is so much to do and not enough time and money to do it, so I really need some good planning to get a hold of the reigns of 2007. This year brings some scary and exciting things my way so a clear head and health will be real important.

This year I plan on pushing the local paddlers to excel and learn more than ever. I'm really looking forward to teaching more. There is only so much retail a guy can handle. I would also really like to hone the Up-River paddling crowd. There are a lot of paddlers that just don't know what they're missing and the river is the perfect place to get better and gain confidence.

I like the photo above, it was taken during one of our long Up-River paddles and we had to dodge rocks, rapids and fishermen. It's funny to see the looks we get "Going the wrong way".

Well, may we all go the way we want this year and may the obstacles be dodged with the greatest of ease. Here we go 2007, let's see what you can do!

Captain

What the outdoors means to me.

2006-12-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

It’s 6:00 AM on Friday morning and it’s incredibly difficult to pry my body from the warm bed and put on cold paddling clothes. I ask myself, “Why do I do this?” I grab a Clif bar, bottle of water and head out the door.

After a short drive to the river, I unload my kayak and then try to wake-up. Thank God the other guys start to show up, because BED sounds pretty good right now. It’s all the usual suspects, the “Friday Morning Up-River Paddle” crowd. We launch our kayaks and start to paddle like tired, stiff middle-aged guys. “Wait a second, we are!”

After a few paddle strokes I start to notice the mist on the water and smell the river, very distinctively fresh and fishy at the same time. Finally, I’m waking up and the old body is starting to feel good! Just a few strokes more and “slap,” a large beaver gives us the warning sign. We all point and try to find him when he surfaces. Now I’m feeling observant, like a hungry trapper in the 1800s. I notice the Heron to my right, the flock of Geese, Ducks and Mergansers to my left. The Cormorants drying their wings in the branches above deserve a careful look, because they usually poop as we paddle by. “Look at that!” one of the guys yells. A huge Salmon gives us a wonderful show as he leaps and splashes next to the boats. Every time I’m on the river the animals put on a show, this is the kind of stuff you just can’t see anywhere else.

As a small boy, I wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau the ocean explorer. My favorite TV show was National Geographic, I also loved any zoo and marine show, but all of my dreams and interests seemed so unattainable, far away and make-believe. Now here I am, a married adult raising three children in Redding, CA and the dreams of being a world explorer seem very far away. Or are they? Perhaps God wanted me to explore this part of the world first and get some practice. After all, would I notice everything in the outdoors somewhere else if I didn’t notice things here? I think most people have lost the true meaning of the outdoors. It means: OUTSIDE YOUR DOORS.

The guys and I continue paddling up the river, challenging the current and rocks, and then we make it to the dam. I feel miles away from civilization, although houses are close enough to hit with rocks. Here on the river, I am an explorer, after all, who has seen exactly what I have today? We paddle back to our cars feeling different than two hours earlier. I have a clear mind and my thoughts are silent. My eyes are sharp and muscles worked-out. I am hungry, alert and happy. We load our boats, B.S. briefly about the mornings adventure and then head off our different ways.

I remember why I do this; adventure, wildlife, discovery, destiny, health, life and God’s creation, that’s what the outdoors means to me!

Garth Schmeck (Captain Penguin)

Red Skies in Morning - Take Warning

2006-12-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

I had to share these photos. I took them at last weeks "Friday Morning River Paddle."
We put-in at the Lake Redding Boat ramp at 7:AM and started paddling upstream then as soon as I looked back to see if the guys were coming, "WOW" there it was, a beautiful display of light. The paddle was perfect and a severe storm did follow the next two days.

It's really cool when I remember my camera on regular paddles, That's when the neat stuff happens.

Captain Penguin

Winter on the River

2006-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

I just love this time of year on the Sacramento River. There are many times when I hate to pull myself out of my warm bed at 6:AM, but the second my boat hits the water, my heart starts to warm my whole body up.

It is very hard to explain to anyone but the guys who meet me on the "early" Friday Morning Paddles. We usually catch sight of a beaver or two and there are always multiple geese, ducks, mergansers, heron, small birds and other animals. We stare at the animals and they stare back, as if to say; "what are these crazy people doing out here".

Winter flows on the Sac are usually around 5,000 CFS, which makes for a perfect up-river paddling flow. Paddling up rivers in sea kayaks is something that most paddlers have not yet discovered but I feel that it will become a very popular segment of our sport in the future. I can even see special kayaks being designed and built for just this activity. I might even be the one that brings it to the market. We'll have to see. For now we will trudge along with what we have and enjoy every second of it.

I can't help but think of the future when the current youth is paddling up river in special kayaks, with special names for every move and thing they do, and some old guy like me comes along and says, "in the old days we used to paddle up these rivers in Sea Kayaks". I can just hear them laugh and say, "yea, sure dude, like you guys used to be nuts".

Well here's to all of those pioneers of sports that we do today who didn't have specialty equipment! Thanks to you old Eskimo guys, we love you for this cool thing called a kayak that you invented!

Captain Penguin

Giving Thanks(giving)

2006-11-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

This is a confession, because as they say "confession is good for the soul". I went to the Bay Area last weekend with some of our club members and other local area paddlers. We paddled around Angel Island on Sunday and out the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday. The Bay was foggy so we couldn't see much, but the conditions were perfect for paddling.

My bud Sean Morley and I had fun guiding our group around. (except when we got kicked off a beach by some jerk off-duty ranger and had someone get sea-sick and puke and then I had to run 3 miles across Angel Island in water shoes and then tow two kayaks across the bay and then...) Oh well, what's a paddle without a little drama. Only the drama didn't end there, after the paddle came a frantic search thru busy downtown Sausalito to find a restaurant and when we finally found one it was packed and they only accepted cash. I felt completely overwhelmed and thought I might lose it in front of everyone. Next I did a terrible thing, I slipped out the door and hid in my truck. After a while I realized that it would be best for me to leave and go back to the hotel.

I realized something, I need some time to myself. Time to get some perspective. I really love to paddle. I love to teach people how to paddle, I love to take people where they could never go on their own, but there are times when I wonder if any one cares or understands how hard I work at helping them get better and go places they would never be able to on their own.

What is it, with us Americans, that when we get a little instruction in something, we think we are so good and we don't need to listen to anyone else. (even if they have 20 years more experience than us) I think it is pure American arrogance, that's what makes us Americans. Americans think they are better than the world! This leads us to pride and pride leads us to a fall. I can't help but make the connection to the American auto industry right now. They think they build the best cars but all other countries are kicking their butt in every area you can measure! I also think about every single story of kayaking mishaps that Sea Kayaker Magazine has published and there is a root of pride that starts with them all.

Today is Thanksgiving and not a time to complain, but to truly give thanks we must first confess, then ask for forgiveness, then give thanks. So with that said, I have confessed and now I ask for forgiveness; Lord, please forgive me for getting upset at people for acting human and the same as I have acted to others. Forgive my pride and allow me to learn more day by day and never assume I know it all. Most of all I thank you for my family, friends, business, kayaking and all of the penguin paddlers.

What a huge blessing it is to be a healthy American with the ability to kayak for a living, may I never take that for granted!

Captain Penguin

To the Dam & back!

2006-11-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

Holy moly, today was a marathon paddling day. We held our Annual Penguins Spawning River Paddle. This is an epic paddle that starts at the Cypress Bridge in Redding and goes up-stream on the Sacramento River all the way to the Keswick Dam, in the town of Keswick, and then back to Cypress.

We started with eight enthusiastic paddlers and ended up with three at the Dam... whew! Everyone had a great time with the challenging eddylines and rapids. We even had a Fan Club following our progress along the river and taking pictures at several locations.

There were many funny moments along the way, but I will let everyone tell their own stories... no doubt these stories will circulate for quite some time.

Get out there and make your own "Epic Tales".

See you on the water, Garth

Kuhl Product Review

2006-11-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Well after all these years I return to a product that has always been on my "Favorite" list, Kuhl Alfpaca Fleece.

With winter decending on us in the north, I turn to my closet each year to see what's left. Spring cleaning usually gets rid of most of the warm stuff to make room for new T-shirts. The one piece that I can never get rid of is my Kuhl Stovepipe Alfpaca Fleece top. Then it hit me, I really like this top, why don't I get another, or several. As fate would have it, one of my Sales Reps just secured Kuhl! I almost couldn't belive it. But it was fate.

With a cautious first order, I gladly brought Kuhl Alfpaca into the store. Of course, I had to take a few items home just to "check them out" and make sure that their quality is the same as my older stuff. Yep, it is just as good and very "KUHL" literally.

Every now and then you come across a company that does an awesome job and then they usually get bought out or get too big and lose their focus, but I can tell you that Kuhl is doing a superb job and I hope they stay the same. I am very proud of business owners that keep their specialty the one thing that never changes.

Rock on Kuhl! Garth

Penguins are taking over the world!

2006-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

What a strange phenomenon that's going on... first is was "The March of the Penguins", then "The Penguins of Madagascar" and the other day I saw previews for two new penguin movies coming out.

Happy Feet

Surf's Up

Yes, this is our master plan to have penguins take over the world.

Penguins Rule!

Wonderful Day!

2006-11-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

Ok today is fabulous and sunny. I just had to post a little something about a great morning I had.

I went for a road bike ride with my wife and really enjoyed it. She just got a new road bike a few weeks ago and said she would ride with me. That's huge considering that I have been riding my whole life and now, poof, twenty years of marriage later, she wants to ride!

Riding for me has always been a time of silence and cleansing but now it is taking on a new meaning. It felt different when people were looking at me ride by, they were looking at us now. That's different because I could always tell what lookers were thinking before, like, "I wish I were riding" or "Look at that idiot getting tired". Now they might be saying, "Look at that cute couple riding together" or "There goes Mr. & Mrs. Fittness" or perhaps, "They must be newlyweds, just give 'em a few years and they won't ride together anymore".

I'm proud to say, after twenty years, we seem to be heading in the right direction and that's together.

Have a great day yourself, Garth

The hints of Winter.

2006-11-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well, the first rains of the season have begun to fall. I think the firefighters in Nor-Cal will be very happy to get a break and go home.

This is a wonderful time of year to paddle. All the boats are off the water, the air is fresh, things are quiet... very quiet. I enjoy a good rain paddle here and there and as I always say, "there is no such thing as bad paddling weather... just bad paddling clothes".

I found a new paddling top this year that I love, the "Aleutian" by Palm. It is very comfy, dry and really good looking! After all, you need to look good while paddling. OK, I'll admit it, I'm a gear junkie! I guess that's why I own a paddling store.

I'm looking forward to paddling in the SF Bay area this month with my buddy Sean Morley. The taste of salt water is somehow different this time of year. I don't know how to explain it, but it tastes a little sweeter in the Fall.

I hope you all get out there and enjoy yourselves, if you do, you might see me out there!

See you on the water, Garth