I was out in Clementine a few weeks back when I met a fellow SUP’er that was talking about hitting 4 lakes in one day and how much fun/challenging that was. I spent a few days thinking about it, talking with friends & pulled out the California Map looking at how I could do the same. However after much investigation I figured out a way to make 7 lakes happen in one day. It would require me to be at the first lake @ sunrise to ensure I could achieve my schedule, so I started to put together a schedule with travel time between each lake, including my assumptions to make a lake “completed” on the list. Here are my raw notes I took @ Moonraker on my way up to Kings beach the day prior. Also I just finished my SUP gear blog – http://hillyreport.com/sup-gear-list/ Check it out.
Assumptions:
- 10 mins to pack up/down – get in water / out
- lunch need 1 hour to R&R
- new water bottle at each lake (stay hydrated period)
- 30 min minimum per lake
- 3-5 pics per each place (Proof of Paddle – POP)
- Minimum gear on the board
- quick release straps to keep the in/out time fast
Now here’s the schedule I put together.
| # | Location | Time | Distance to next stop |
| 1 | King Beach | @6:00AM | 27 mins |
| 2 | Donner Cove/Lake | @7:00AM | 12 mins |
| 3 | Lake Van Norden | @8:00AM | 35 mins |
| 4 | Lake Valley Reservoir | @9:10AM | 25 mins |
| 5 | Lake Spaulding | @10:10AM | 59 mins |
| 6 | Scotts Flat | @11:30AM | 27 mins |
| 7 | Rollins Lake – Green Horn Campground | @1:00PM | 60 mins |
| 8 | Clementine – Lowers | @3:00PM | 43 mins |
| 9 | Folsom Lake – Rattle Snake Bar | @4:30PM | 20 mins |
| 10 | Lake Natoma | @5:30PM | DONE>>>>>>> |
I took a goal to crush 7 lakes in one day and that obviously didn’t happen, I did 10!!! I did have one lake that was only “7 mins”, but that was because I was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, so on my next challenge i’m packing off spray as well in my kit.
Here’s my POP of the lakes & some great scenery. I met a few folks throughout the day and that made it even better than the crushing goal. At each lake I took some video with me talking about the experience, how it went, etc.. NOTE: there are a few bad words in this video.
So.. what’s next.. 2 things..
- 50 corridor SUP challenge – # TBD
- 11 Lake challenge in Tahoe area w/ the fellow SUP’er that I met.
Make big goals, achieve them and then make the next goal.
HILLY