Saturday: The first winter storms hit Northern California on Nov. 6th, with lots of rain and high winds. So, a planned POST canoe outing for the Nov. 9/10 weekend, with 32 expected participants, looked questionable. Only about 20 hardy souls decided to go, regardless of the weather. And the weather god looked with pleasure upon them, and surprised everybody with a glorious, warm and sunny day. Two new members, Christina Bertea and Jean Doak joined us, when we met at the Turlock State park campground at 9:00 am. Charlie Beazell brought his grandson Cliff, and Jane and Eric brought their son Steve and his friend Scott along. We pitched our tents, set up the kitchen, and at about 10:00 am proceeded to the put-in at La Grange on the Tuolumne River.
        This is the time when the salmon are spawning in the gravel bars of the river, and they are particularly abundant at the put-in. Eleven boats - eight tandem and one solo canoe and Steve and Scott in kopapas - were boating the Tuolumne from La Grange to our campground. The fall coloring was vivid, the air warm and clear and we were grateful that we did not have a strong head wind on the long, flat stretches of the river.
        Joan Bennett had organized the trip and Bob Bakewell helped her with the food preparation, and as always treated us to very tasty meals. Dinner started with appetizers, to which Herman added barbecued fresh oysters.The great hit was broccoli cheese soup. It warmed us up, since it had cooled down after sunset, clouded over and we had to put up the tarp as protection against light drizzle. The main course was cheeseburgers with all the trimmings, Bob's famous beans and delicious sweet corn. And to top it off, we had ice cream and hot strawberry sauce. And while dinner got prepared, the young and some not so young folks collected yummy tasting large wild grapes, that grow abundantly by the campsite. By a warm fire, under a starry sky, we lasted until about 7:30.
        Sunday: After a scrumptious breakfast, we broke camp and at 9:00 AM headed for the Stanislaus river. It rained lightly, when we put our boats in at Knights Ferry . The Hamiltons,Wrights , Bruce and Alex and his son Sacery joined us there.The Stanislaus river is a bit more lively than the Tuolomne. Soon after the put-in, Russian Rapid provides some excitement and a few of the group ran it twice. Again the river was teaming with spawning salmon, wildly chasing each other in the fight over females. It was an interesting experience to have these excited fish squirming around the boats. And in the trees , large numbers of turkey vultures waited for their upcoming meal of dead salmon. We saw two river otters, but very few other birds and water fowl. It was still drizzling , when we took the boats out at Orange Blossom State Park. But when all cars were packed up and ready to go home after a fun day on the river, the sun shone again.

Thank you Joan for organizing the trip and Bob for preparing such tasty meals.