Team River Runner Palo Alto

Watch some great paddling videos and support American Whitewater! Check out the National Paddling Film Festival.

TRR PALO ALTO TRIP REPORT ALVISO SLOUGH FIRST DAY OF SPRING PADDLE March 20, 2021 Participants: Carlisle, Maggie, Stephen, Kent, Bill, Sandy R, Rudy, Mike O, Artie, Doug, Mike M, Eric... The Vernal Equinox, First Day of Springa perfect time to launch 2021 on-the-water activities for Team River Runner Palo Alto. A quick email to the troops (Who wants to go paddling this weekend?) was all it took to organize a noon meetup at Alviso Marina County Park to paddle Alviso Slough. I suspect that almost everyone was like me after a long paddling layoff: Where did I leave my sunscreen? and Oh Snap! The cam straps are still at Maggie’s placeI guess I’m gonna hafta use a throw rope to tie the three boats to the car mumble grumble curse. Still, everyone showed up more-or-less on time and with all their gear, masked and raring to go. We welcomed new members Mike Malone, a transfer from TRR Walter Reed, and Eric Larkin, a local Navy vet sea kayaker. After the requisite temperature screen was complete and quick review of the float plan, we launched and started our on-the-water day under a blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds. Taking advantage of the low tide, we paddled upstream to The Slot, the tidal race outflow from one of the former salt evaporation ponds that now fill and empty with the tide. There we worked on moving water skills: ferries, peel-outs, eddy turns. The Slot provides a great learning environment, with current speed increasing the farther you go upstream. Doug got his first moving water experience while paddling our new IK, and was quickly ferrying and peeling out like a pro (demonstrating once again the utility of the IK as a learning tool). Mike M quickly began knocking off the rust and showing off the skills he got at Walter Reed. Rudy and Maggie and Artie dialed their skills back in and got their groove back. Stephen demonstrated his astounding ability to hold his beath while signaling for a successful T-rescue. Eric got some nice moving-water practice in his sea kayak. Kent and Sandy and Mike O did some skills polishing, and Bill and Carlisle even got to do a little surfing as the tide came in and raised a small surfing wave. After over an hour of solid practice, we paddled back to the marina and packed up our gear, the first paddle of 2021 a resounding success. Team River Runner USA

The latest addition to the TRR Palo Alto fleet! Meet our brand new Shredder, a 2-person cataraft. Big thanks to Team River Runner USA and Airtight Inflatables!

TRR PALO ALTO/TRR AMERICAN RIVER TRIP REPORT SAN FRANCISCO BAY PADDLE October 11, 2020 Participants: ... Palo Alto: Carlisle, Maggie, Stephen, Kent, Laura, Bill, Sandy R, Rudy, Raja, Mike, Artie, Doug, Hans American River: Chris, Lester This was to be our Third Annual San Francisco Fleet Week Paddle, timed to coincide with the airshow over the San Francisco waterfront, which we would watch from Sea Glass Beach across the Bay in Marin County. Of course, with the pandemic, Fleet Week and the air show were cancelled. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful paddle along the Sausalito waterfront from Schoonmaker Point to Sea Glass Beach and back. As usual, we were partnered with Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC), who provided gear and guides. We gathered at 9:30, and after the mandatory paperwork, orientation, instruction (redundant for our group) and safety talk, we were on the water at 11:00. It was a gorgeous day: a cloudless sky, glassy calm, temperatures on arrival in the mid-60s and climbing to 80 through the afternoon. We set off in our fleet of double sea kayaks (plus one triple for the Stephen, Laura and Kent), accompanied by 5 guides in singles, and paddled off towards the Golden Gate. We made our way along the Sausalito waterfront, checking out the famous Taj Mahal Houseboat, observing the harbor seals hauled out on a dock, and waving to the diners on the deck of the iconic ‘60s-era rock-n-roll hangout The Trident, to our lunch stop on the beach. After lunch, we added extra mileage to the planned paddling itinerary by virtue of the fact that we were well ahead of schedule. Highlights of the day: Artie’s first sea kayak trip, harbor seals and harbor porpoises, cheers from onlookers on the shore (especially the little kid jumping up and down in the window of a restaurant as we paddled under and through the pier on which the place was perched), martial arts lessons on the beach, describing the day for Lester, leaving the beach cleaner than when we arrived (we collected a large bag full of micro- and macro-trash), and getting the TRR family together again. It was a day of joyous energy and companionship. We look forward to next year’s outing, when with any luck things will be somewhat normal again and the Fleet Week Airshow will be back on the agenda. Special kudos to ETC (as always) for their expertise, equipment, and fantastic guides. Thanks to Team River Runner USA for support.

TRR PALO ALTO/TRR AMERICAN RIVER TRIP REPORT SAN FRANCISCO BAY PADDLE October 11, 2010 Participants: ... Palo Alto: Carlisle, Maggie, Stephen, Kent, Laura, Bill, Sandy R, Rudy, Raja, Mike, Artie, Doug, Hans American River: Chris, Lester This was to be our Third Annual San Francisco Fleet Week Paddle, timed to coincide with the airshow over the San Francisco waterfront, which we would watch from Sea Glass Beach across the Bay in Marin County. Of course, with the pandemic, Fleet Week and the air show were cancelled. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful paddle along the Sausalito waterfront from Schoonmaker Point to Sea Glass Beach and back. As usual, we were partnered with Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC), who provided gear and guides. We gathered at 9:30, and after the mandatory paperwork, orientation, instruction (redundant for our group) and safety talk, we were on the water at 11:00. It was a gorgeous day: a cloudless sky, glassy calm, temperatures on arrival in the mid-60s and climbing to 80 through the afternoon. We set off in our fleet of double sea kayaks (plus one triple for the Stephen, Laura and Kent), accompanied by 5 guides in singles, and paddled off towards the Golden Gate. We made our way along the Sausalito waterfront, checking out the famous Taj Mahal Houseboat, observing the harbor seals hauled out on a dock, and waving to the diners on the deck of the iconic ‘60s-era rock-n-roll hangout The Trident, to our lunch stop on the beach. After lunch, we added extra mileage to the planned paddling itinerary by virtue of the fact that we were well ahead of schedule. Highlights of the day: Artie’s first sea kayak trip, harbor seals and harbor porpoises, cheers from onlookers on the shore (especially the little kid jumping up and down in the window of a restaurant as we paddled under and through the pier on which the place was perched), martial arts lessons on the beach, describing the day for Lester, leaving the beach cleaner than when we arrived (we collected a large bag full of micro- and macro-trash), and getting the TRR family together again. It was a day of joyous energy and companionship. We look forward to next year’s outing, when with any luck things will be somewhat normal again and the Fleet Week Airshow will be back on the agenda. Special kudos to ETC (as always) for their expertise, equipment, and fantastic guides. Thanks to Team River Runner USA for support.

Paddle Chickens! Because we all need a little fun paddling news: https://bangordailynews.com//a-maine-guide-spent-the-sum/

As of right now, Team TRR Palo Alto is number 1 on the leader board for the TRR National Virtual Biathlon.

Yes! TRR is one big family that stretches all across the country. We connect over our love of water, outdoors, paddling and helping veterans. We are so gratefu...l for our TRR Family especially in the craziness of this year. We may not be together as much as we'd like but we can be together virtually ! We hope you'll join us in the biathlon! https://www.charityfootprints.com/TRRBiathlon/ Please also remember to refer anyone who is having trouble to our Kayakers for good team: https://www.teamriverrunner.org/kayakers-for-good/

Carlisle is sharing a short but effective workout today, join him and get your reps in! You can save this video or always find it on our video tab if you want ...to come back to it later! Here is some additional information about the workout Carlisle is sharing! Links about this workout in the press: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com//the-scientific-7-minute-w/ https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exerci//seven-minute-workout Link to the scientific paper on which the workout is based: https://journals.lww.com//HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_

Yes, folks, it's me doing today's TRR workout.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/

TRR PALO ALTO TRIP REPORT SF AMERICAN RIVER August 17 18 TRR Palo Alto...Continue reading

TRR PALO ALTO ELKHORN SLOUGH TRIP REPORT August 15, 2020 Participants Palo Alto: Mike, Rudy, Doug, Antone, Bill S, Mike, Stephen, Laura, Kent, Maggie, Carlisle...Continue reading

TRR PALO ALTO AMERICAN RIVER TRIP August 6-7 Participants: Sandy S, Artie, Maggie and Carlisle Originally, five of us planned to go, but Sandy R texted his regretshe was having car trouble. So it was that 4 of us rendezvoused at Marshal Gold Discovery Park on a gorgeous Thursday morning in early August. After introductions to Artie’s wife and son and dog, we got our gear ready and then Sandy and I brought our cars to the takeout and Joanna (sp?), Artie’s wife, learned t...he term shuttle-bunny as she brought us back to the put-in. The C to G (Coloma to Greenwood Creek) run is the classic beginner’s run, a 5.4 mile stretch with lots of Class I and II rapids (including a couple that are 2 plus), with plenty of flat water and places to practice skills. We slowly made our way down river, working on skills like boat control, ferries, eddy turns, peel-outs and even a little bit of surfing. Artie’s four swims notwithstanding, everybody was having a great time. However, after his fourth swim, Artie was pretty tired, so we decided that Artie would walk out to the road, even though there was less than a mile of river left. Carlisle and Artie hauled his boat to the highway, and then Carlisle returned to the river where he and Mags and Sandy paddled the 15 minutes to the take-out. Friday morning we reconvened at Marshall, everyone having benefitted from good meals and a good night’s sleep, and we set off again. This lap we spent less time specifically working on skills, and we just paddled down the river putting the previous day’s lessons to work. Artie styled it. (OK, there was one swim when an unexpected rock lurking just beneath the surface knocked him over, but no worries.) The final rapid, Swimmer’s, is a roller coaster ride of standing waves, a joyous hootin’ and hollerin’ bit of fun for everyone and a great finale for a great day. River-wide grins were exhibited by all. After packing up, we took a field trip to the River Store in Lotus, where Artie ordered some booties and the rest of us drooled over river gear we all lust for. It was a fantastic trip. Congrats to Artie and Sandy for their PFDs (Personal First Descents) of C-to-G!! Special thanks to Joanna for shuttle service. Team River Runner USA

On Saturday, July 25, TRR Palo Alto had a successful outing on Alviso Slough in San Jose, where we were able to do some moving water practice using tidal currents. No pictures, unfortunately, what with social distancing and the trip organizer (modesty prevents me from naming any names) forgetting to take on-water photos, but there is this video from a bystander who shot it as we entertained his young daughter with rolls(turn up the volume!). Thanks to South Bay Yacht Club and, as always, Team River Runner USA.

Yesterday, October 13, Team River Runner Palo Alto did its Second Annual San Francisco Bay Fleet Week Paddle trip with Environmental Traveling Companions. Pictures coming soon!

The First Western Regional TRR OuttaSight Clinic was a great success. Four paddlers with visual impairments and 8 guide-trainees met for an instructional clinic at Lake Berryessa, CA, September 19-22. Based on a houseboat for 3 days and 2 nights, the clinic provided a luxurious (Hot tub! Water Slide! Showers! Staterooms! Satellite TV!) base of operations. Kudos to Chris Farris of Team River Runner - American River for organizing the event and Jennifer Eaton of Kids Are OuttaSight for instructional oversight. Thanks also to Pleasure Cove Marina - Lake Berryessa and Team River Runner USA. Photos are available here: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.eaton.921/media_set

We are just back from the Payette River Clinic, put on by #teamriverrunnerboise and sponsored by #TRRUSA. It included 2 days of boating on the beautiful Payette River in Idaho plus one day of swift water rescue training by the inimitable Les Bechdel.

The Team River Runner Western Regional Gathering was a great success! Held over the weekend of May 31 - June 2 on the South Fork of the American River with participants from Team River Runner Palo Alto, Team River Runner - American River and Team River Runner - Boise and with support from Environmental Traveling Companions and El Dorado Search and Rescue, a good time was had by all! Team River Runner USA!

TRR Palo Alto took part in the California River Quest over Memorial Day weekend as part of the TRR Relay Team. S/O to Team River Runner - American River

Once again, Team River Runner will be teaming up with Environmental Traveling Companions for our Western Regional Gathering, May 31 - June 2 on the South Fork of the American River. With participants from Team River Runner - American River, Team River Runner - Boise and Team River Runner Reno, we are looking forward to a weekend of rafting, kayaking, paddle instruction, camping, eating, and camaraderie. Thanks to Team River Runner USA for supporting this regional event.

Come visit our booth this weekend at Santa Cruz Paddlefest!

The fourth meeting of our pool training meets Wednesday in the pool at the Palo Alto VA Center. Come check us out!

Pool sessions for 2019 begin Wednesday, February 27, 6 - 8 PM, Palo Alto VA Medical Center Campus, Building 530. All are welcome, including volunteers and potential new students.

On October 6, 2018, the TRR Palo Alto and American River Chapters teamed up with Environmental Traveling Companions (https://www.etctrips.org) for a sea kayak trip on San Francisco Bay. Beautiful weather, a fun time, plus a great seat for the Fleet Week Air Show.

Rafting and camping with Environmental Travel Companions. Palo Alto and American River Chapters.

Team River Runner Palo Alto, Reno, and American River had yet another great outing March 4th to beautiful Lake Solano and Putah Creek. Thanks to everyone for another amazing event and potluck! It was great to see old friends and new faces participating. Team River Runner USA Team River Runner Reno

Here are some more great opportunities for Veterans. https://www.outwardbound.org/ve/outward-bound-for-veterans/

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Team River Runner Palo Alto and American River had yet another great outing this past weekend! A number of participants paddled the beautiful waters of Lake Solano and Putah Creek. We saw river otters, swans, herring, ducks, and more. We surfed a standing wave, practiced eddy turns, and BBQ'd. The group was also treated to a presentation by a Lake Solano docent that included the history of the area in addition to current wildlife status and more. Most of us were not aware ...that the area was represented in CCR's song Green River, or of certain dragonfly physiology. Group picture below, with many more at http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//Lake-Solano-October-2/ Team River Runner USA

We will be starting our next 7-week course tomorrow, Wednesday, September 6th from 6-8pm. New and returning Vets and Volunteers are welcome. Please spread the word. The Palo Alto chapter of Team River Runner is based at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration located at 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Also, the next Team River Runner outing will be a trip to Lake Solano/Putah Creek in Winters, CA. Mark your calendars for October 21st for a great day paddling on the w...ater. More details to come. See you soon :)

Full photo gallery from TRR Palo Alto's American River weekend July 28-30, 2017. Enjoy! http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//American-River-July-2/

Team River Runner Palo Alto had it's third annual South Fork American outing with Environmental Traveling Companions, River Camp this weekend. A good time was had by all, both on and off the river. More pictures to come soon, and thank you so much to everyone who participated and made this another great event. Team River Runner USA

Today Team River Runner Palo Alto presented to the Burlingame Rotary Club. It was a great event that generated new interest and support for our organization. A big Thank You to Emily Burch Matthews for spearheading the event organization and to Reese Levasseur, Chris Farris and Fernando Cruz for getting up in front of the club and sharing their stories. We're looking forward to deepening the relationship moving forward. Team River Runner USA

Thanks to everyone for coming out last Sunday and participating in the TRR Palo Alto Elkhorn Slough kayak outing. We had great weather, great support from Kayak Connection, great wildlife experiences, and great food afterwords at Phils Fish Market. It was an exciting way to spend the day and one that we're looking forward to doing again. Pictures are located at the below link, and if you have any more to share then let us know and we'll get them added. http://www.bluesurfph...otography.net//Elkhorn-Slough-May-7t/ Team River Runner USA

We will be starting our next 7-week course this Wednesday, April 5th from 6-8pm. New and returning Vets and Volunteers are welcome. Please spread the word. Also, the next Team River Runner outing will be a day trip to Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, CA. Mark you calendars for Sunday, May 7th to paddle with us at one of the top ten wildlife viewing destinations in the country. You are guaranteed to see harbor seals, sea lions and sea otters! More details to come. See you Wednesday:)

Team River Runner Palo Alto at the Berkeley Paddling and Rowing Club March 4th, 2017 Team River Runner Palo Alto Team River Runner USA

Team River Runner Palo Alto held another great event on Saturday, March 4th. This one was held at Berkeley Paddling & Rowing Club and hosted by gracious hosts John Dye and Ellen Braithwaite. We're lucky to have been able to be there as it's a great location with a dock and a mile-long stretch of open water with few other craft on it. The TRR PA crew of Veterans and Volunteers arrived, unloaded all of the gear, suited up and had a safety talk & stretch that was led by Reese L...evasseur. After that, everyone made their way in to the water, rafted up for the obligatory group shot, then began to make their way to the other end of the water, practicing and reinforcing various skills along the way. At the far end we were fortunate to spend a few minutes with Greg, who helps run Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP), another great program that enables people who require adaptive equipment to bicycle on the path that's nearby. The TRR crew paddled back to the BPRC facility, exited their craft, and made their way to the common area. Some began cooking lunch while others focused on cleaning off all of the boats and beginning to stow gear. Teamwork at its finest. Soon enough, it was time to eat, and eat we all did. There was a great range of food, more than enough to go around, with an incredible chocolate cake for dessert. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Saturday than the way we spent that one. A few pictures are in the next post up, and more are located at http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//Berkeley-Paddling-Row/ Team River Runner Palo AltoTeam River Runner USA

Time flies! This Wednesday will already be week 7 for the first course of 2017! Thanks again to all the new Veterans that joined the program and all the volunteers that keep coming back to support it. We will resume pool classes Wednesday, April 5th at the VA Palo Alto pool. Our next outing will take place Saturday, March 4, 2017 from 9:30AM to 1:00PM ish at Berkley Aquatic Park in Berkley, CA. We will launch from Berkley Paddling and Rowing Club located at 2851 West Bolivar... Driver in Berkley. http://berkeleyrowingclub.org/location_directionsNorth.html This will be great opportunity to improve your kayaking skills in a nice relaxing flat water environment and enjoy a nice morning with everyone. We will share a BBQ/potluck after the paddle. Please include what you would like to bring with your RSVP to us. We'll publish a spreadsheet early next week and go from there. Please bring kayak gear if you have it, multiple clothing layers, shorts & pants, hat, windbreaker, sunglasses with keeper strap, sunscreen, water bottles, snacks, chairs, something to share for our BBQ potluck lunch and anything else that you would like to have. Please RSVP ASAP to: James and Rachael Ward Palo Alto Chapter Coordinators [email protected] Team River Runner USA

Team River Runner is back for 2017 with a great group of new and returning Veterans and volunteers! Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks in class. SAVE THE DATE:... Our next outing will be on Saturday, March 4th, 2017. We will spend the morning practicing our paddling skills and then share a BBQ potluck lunch afterward. We will have more information and details to come. Team River Runner USA

Support TRR by voting for us here! Ninkasi Brewing will donate 50% of sales to our organization if we win. This funding would help us with gear, trips and training for our participants.

As we approach the winter months, in addition to the numerous paddling opportunities available, we wanted to let everyone know of another great organization that facilitates outdoor activity participation. Achieve Tahoe, formerly called Disabled Sports USA Far West, provides the opportunity to learn snow sports in the beautiful mountains around Lake Tahoe, CA. They have adaptive programs for blind/low vision, bi-ski, mono-ski, snowboard, three track, four track and "slider", ...and skiing with intellectual disabilities. They operate primarily out of Alpine Meadows, with events also at Squaw Valley and Northstar. Our favorite program is the Military Winter Sports Camp. It includes 4 days of skiing at 3 resorts and will take place January 24-29, 2017. Achieve Tahoe usually provides these opportunities free of charge, including transportation, lodging, adaptive equipment and individualized instruction. Family members and care providers are encouraged to participate as well. We encourage you to get involved! There are also opportunities to assist as a volunteer. If you are a disabled veteran and are interested in participating in one of their events, please immediately contact Marina Gardiner at 530-581-4161 ext 206; [email protected]. Achieve Tahoe

Happy Friday ! Tell us about the friendships you've made through TRR! #12YearsOfTRR #TeamRiverRunner #ButtsInBoats

Team River Runner Palo Alto provides 4 7-week courses at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration facility each year, with each course being followed by an external outing. Some times the outing is whitewater-oriented, sometimes it's on flatwater. This past weekend's outing, the last of the 2016 calendar year, was a flatwater-oriented one that took place at Parkside Aquatic Park in San Mateo, CA. The event was attended by 16 of TRR Palo Alto's team, including Veterans, Voluntee...rs, Palo Alto VA staff, Veteran Volunteers, and Veteran family members. The event began with a paddle through the local area, spotting wildlife, practicing bow rescues, sharing experiences, discussing future chapter considerations, and overall simply enjoying another great day on the water with each other. After returning to dry land then team members begin putting together an incredible assortment of food to sate the hunger built from paddling. There were two BBQ's, with fresh tri-tip, cheeseburgers, chicken wings, salmon, and bratwurst. There was also broccoli salad, coleslaw, 7-layer dip, fresh fruit, macaroni salad and more. Suffice to say that no one went away hungry, or thirsty for that matter as there was plenty of water, home-made lemonade, and more. It's difficult to completely describe what great experiences these are, and we would simply like to again say thank you to everyone who gives of yourselves to make all of this happen. It couldn't be done without you. Oh, and pictures.... http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//Parkside-Aquatic-Park/ Team River Runner Palo Alto Team River

The Team River Runner Donation page has been updated, and with tomorrow being Veterans Day there is no more appropriate time to show your support for our wounded Veterans. Our new fundraising page is live! Please consider donating to help TRR Palo Alto reach our $5,000 annual goal and keep the chapter program moving forward. All donations directly support getting and keeping our Veterans on the water. At the Donate URL below select a Donation Amount, Frequency, Type, and Tar...get (Pro Tip: CA - Palo Alto). Then fill in the rest of the fields, including any additional comments, and select the Submit button. Walk away feeling great about helping an incredible group of people that our country has been built upon, and don't forget that Team River Runner is a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to whom donations are fully tax-deductible. If you do have gear that could be used by the organization please email us at [email protected]. Thank you very much in advance for all you do! http://www.teamriverrunner.org/Donate Team River Runner Palo Alto Team River Runner USA

Here are some pictures from the last few pool sessions. Thanks Laura for taking these! This Wednesday will be our last pool class of 2016. We hope to see everyone there or Saturday at Parkside Aquatic Park for a flat water paddle and BBQ/Potluck. Team River Runner USA

Hello Team River Runner Palo Alto, Our next outing will take place Saturday, November 12, 2016 from 9:30AM to 1:00PM ish at Parkside Aquatic Park in San Mateo. The park is located at 1595 Seal Street, San Mateo, CA 94403. T... The location map is here: https://www.google.com//data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808f9eeb There is plenty of parking and no fees. This will be great opportunity to improve your kayaking skills in a nice relaxing flat water environment and enjoy a fall morning with everyone. We will share a BBQ/potluck after the paddle. Please include what you would like to bring with your RSVP to us. We'll publish a spreadsheet early next week and go from there. Please bring kayak gear if you have it, multiple clothing layers, shorts & pants, hat, windbreaker, sunglasses with keeper strap, sunscreen, water bottles, snacks, chairs, something to share for our BBQ potluck lunch and anything else that you would like to have. Please RSVP ASAP to: James and Rachael Ward

Thanks so much for everyone involved with this event. David and Cort from 101 Surf Sports, Chris for spreading the word, KIND Snacks for the energy bars, and everyone else that showed up and supported the day. It was a great day on the water, with a lot of smiles and awareness. We're all looking forward to future events from the new location. #TRRPALOALTO #TRRUSA

Last weekend was our Tomales Bay sea kayak outing. We had a beautiful morning paddling from Hearts Desire Beach to Marshall Beach. After setting up camp, a few of us kayaked across Tomales Bay and brought back oysters to BBQ while some relaxed on the beach and brushed up on how to tie knots. The food everyone shared was delicious as usual! The next day we paddled toward the mouth of Tomales Bay and then back to Hearts Desire Beach. Thanks to everyone's contributions. You can ...check out some pictures at http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//Tomales-Bay-September- We wanted to remind everyone that we will be starting our next 7-week course Wednesday, September 28th, from 6-8pm. New and returning Veterans and Volunteers are welcome. Please spread the word and invite people to join the program! The Palo Alto chapter of Team River Runner is based at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration located at 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304.

Help a Veteran however you can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_l4Ab5FRwM Team River Runner USA

Team River Runner Palo Alto’s next post-course outing is quickly approaching on September 17th & 18th,2016. We are once again teaming up with ETC (Environmental Traveling Companions), this time for a great weekend of sea kayaking on Tomales Bay. With pristine water, beautiful scenery, and plentiful wildlife, we will experience first hand this remarkable jewel of west Marin County. The trip will begin and end at Heart’s Desire Beach in Tomales Bay State Park near Inverness, ...CA. The paddle to our beach camp lasts about a relaxed hour and a half and allows us to intimately explore the Tomales Bay shoreline. We’ll eat lunch along the way and then set up our camp upon arriving. The remainder of the afternoon is open for further exploring Tomales Bay, either by foot or kayak. After a communal dinner, we can either play games by the campfire, go for a short hike to watch the sun set over the Pacific, or go out for a night bio-luminescence paddle if conditions allow. The second day we’ll wake up and have breakfast before packing up our belongings and breaking camp. Next, it’s time for a quick safety refresher and then a beautiful morning paddle back to Heart’s Desire, the beach where we started. We’ll have lunch and then together as a team (if ability and timing allows) we’ll put the kayaks and equipment away before finishing our trip with a closing circle that recounts the shared experience. This trip will be a great one for novice to advanced paddlers of varying abilities and backgrounds. There will be plenty of well-trained safety paddlers on the trip, so our team will be well-supported. There are a limited number of spots available for this trip due to National Park Service rules and regulations. To reserve your spot RSVP ASAP to James & Rachael and include any questions you may have. We look forward to another incredible time paddling with an incredible group of people, Team River Runner Palo Alto Veterans, Volunteers, and the ETC team.

This years Rivers for Change Cal100 event was amazing. Team River Runner participated, with Reese Levasseur and Chris Farris paddling 50 miles in tandem kayaks with Rachael Krugman Ward and James Ward, respectively. Rachael went on to paddle the remaining 50 miles, besting her 2015 time by 30 minutes. Full results located at http://www.riversforchange.org/california-100/results/ There was great support from the Cal100 and kayak community for TRR, and we're looking forward to even greater participation in 2017. Team River Runner USA 2016 California 100 Awards Banquet Headwaters Adventure Company California Canoe & Kayak

Our fundraising page is live! Please consider donating to help us reach our $5,000 annual goal. Click "Donate Toward a Team or Individual's Goal" and specify "Team River Runner Palo Alto" in the box below. All donations will support getting Veterans in boats. Thank you in advance :) ... https://teamriverrunner.myetap.org/f/ButtsInBoats/donate.do

Team River Runner Palo Alto now has much-needed float bags and helmets thanks to Team River Runner USA. Thank you so much for the support! #trrpaloalto

A note from the Santa Cruz Paddle Fest Volunteer Coordinator: Dear SCPF Volunteer Heroes, WOW, what a fantastic weekend at Steamers Lane for PaddleFest!! I had such a wonderful time meeting all of you beautiful folks who came through and came out this weekend! ... I wanted to really send out another HUGE THANK YOU for all the hard work and time you all provided to the event this year! A big shout out to Team River Runner for pulling though with so many helping hands! Every single one of you were so kind and willing to help in any way possible! Having you all join us, really made my weekend! Thanks! I truly hope to see you all next year at PaddleFest, as it would be such a pleasure to work with you all again!! Be safe, stay healthy, and have fun out there on the water! Sincerely, Your friendly PaddelFest Volunteer Coordinator, Hallie PS. We had several folks who came out last minute and I do not have their emails. Please forward my gratitude to them for their valuable time this weekend, thanks! -- Hallie Heath "Live in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, Drink the Wild Air" - Emerson Kayak Connection

Rachael, Reese, Chris, and I were just interviewed by KSBW Channel 8's AJ for Team River Runner at the Santa Cruz Paddlefest. The segment will air this evening (Friday) at 5, 6, and 11 PM. #trrpaloalto Team River Runner USA

Last Saturday's event at Foster City Lagoon was a resounding success! Approximately 16 people attended, in a variety of different types of watercraft. The team geared up and paddled through the lagoon while practicing the skills learned during the pool sessions, then returned to land and had a great BBQ lunch. The rain that was expected held off and everyone had a great time. Pictures from the event are at http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//Foster-City-Lagoon-Mar

We wanted to let everyone know that the Team River Runner hats have arrived, and will be available during this Saturday’s Foster City event. If you haven’t already committed to purchasing one then please consider bringing $20 on Saturday and wearing one of these great hats home. Everyone will look great in one of these! Please remember that all fund raising proceeds from the limited edition TRR hat sales go directly back in to our Palo Alto chapter to support much-needed equipment and related maintenance in order to keep the program moving forward for all of us. These hats also make great gifts for family and friends, and for exact charges then shipping can be arranged.

A few pictures from session 7 of 2016's first course. We had a special guest who is a member of the USA Kayak Polo Team and she led the group's evening game. http://www.bluesurfphotography.net//Team-River-Runner-022/