It’s a classically beautiful Lake Tahoe summer morning at Nevada Beach, a morning where the lake is so still that it looks like glass, the air is crisp but the sun is beginning to warm my skin and the sand, as I struggle to pull my kayak off my car’s rack.
I look around at the dozens of other people there, also unloading their kayaks. They do it with such ease, that I know it’s old hat for them and I try to mimic their confidence, as if I’m also accustomed to handling my unwieldy boat. I’m nervous to be a novice around such experienced kayakers but there is no need to feel that way. As soon I drag my boat to the water’s edge, several people come to greet me, ask about my kayak and even offer me a donut.
While I’m joining for just the day, most people gathered on the beach that morning are on day six of their seven-day trip around the lake. Since 2020, a group of kayak, science and Lake Tahoe enthusiasts get together to circumnavigate the lake by kayak. The annual event, organized and led by UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, acts as a fundraising opportunity for the organization, as well as a bonding and educational experience for participants.
HOW IT STARTED…