Family

Once I had my fascination overcome my common sense and I hiked down to the bottom to see it first hand. It was spectacular!!! The architecture of Vikingsholm, the view across the bay to the island, you name it, I drank it up! And then came the hard part, 1-½ miles of trail back up to the car, 50-year-old legs and 6,000 feet of altitude on sea level lungs. Must have stopped to rest 100 or more times on the way up, but it still did not diminish my fascination. 2 years ago I won a 9-½ foot Perception “Swifty” and was bitten. I've since added to my fleet with a used 17-foot Wilderness Systems Sealoution II. So when my wife asked, “Want to go spend a week at Tahoe this summer?” my mind centered on:

EMERALD BAY!!!

I started to scheme on how I was going to pull this off. Our daughter was coming up with us so I started to plant the seed in her head of us rowing over to the Bay, spending time on the shore and going out to the island. Mind you, her abilities to accomplish this were the last thing I would be in question about. Her being 19 and having 14 years of soccer, swimming and diving team had more than kept her in shape and sharpened her competitive edge.

Now me being there at Tahoe, and having to wait the required time while my ladies did the required shopping, sight seeing, etc., for my turn to happen was agonizing, but today was it! We launched at Baldwin Beach, just South of the Bay and struck out in a straight line for Eagle Point, the projection of land that forms the South entrance to the Bay. The weather was perfect, low 80's, clear skies, light breeze, and no chop, what could be better? My GPS program said it was a little more than 3 miles each way so we were taking our time, enjoying the scenery and just being out on the water. But I was excited and kept pushing for my goal, only to hear her yell at me to slow down. About the second time I heard this I realized that I better pay attention to her or this was not going to be any fun for either of us. Rounding Eagle Point there it was!! Emerald Bay,

Fannette Island, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of boats, coming and going. We rafted up and decided that since most of the traffic was on the South side, we would cut across the opening to Emerald Point on the North, and follow that side into the bay. What we did not realize, although we could see the warning buoys, is that jutting out from Emerald Point, on the North side of the entrance, across that 1/3 to ½ of opening, was a shallow ridge containing hundreds of rocks that were just below the surface! Lucky we were both in plastic boats. It was not that bad, but if you are in a nice boat that you care for, avoid this area!!

Almost all of the motor-boaters were considerate of you, but we had to have the token jerk in the crowd. “Hey the speed limit is 15 knots in here and I'm not doing more than that, more or less!” Storming past us with a clearance of 5 yards, my red headed daughter let him have a taste of her take on that. Shy she's not, pity her boyfriends.

We landed on the beach just to the right of Vikingsholm and were shortly joined by my wife, who had come down the trail with lunch for us. I was surprised that it had only taken us a little over an hour to paddle from our launch site to where we now were. We surveyed the Castle and surrounding area. Cheryl kept the kids entertained by doing back and front flips off of the pier into the water, now refueled and refreshed we struck out towards Fannette Island and the return to our launch site.

We arrived on the west side of the Island and perched our kayaks up on the rocks. There is a cove around on the South side but it was occupied by two jet skies and a motor boat. We discovered that there is a path, with stones set down for steps that winds its way up and around till you come out at the one room teahouse on the top of the Island. From there you enter a 16-foot square room that has windows facing all four sides. I had arrived!!! Years of waiting for this moment had been fulfilled!! And I was fulfilled with satisfaction. The room is empty and roofless, once there was a table in the center but that disappeared decades ago. Every stone inside the room has had someone's, or several someone's names written on them. Cheryl and I took pictures and left with memories. Setting our boats back into the water we left the Island behind us.

Once we got East of the Island we encountered a lot of chop. The wind was blowing at our backs and white caps were beginning to form. We left Emerald Bay behind us and made the right turn at Eagle Point heading south. Now the wind was blowing in our faces but we discovered that we had a current pushing us along! (Didn't know that currents even existed in lakes or that they could be that strong.)

This time instead of cutting straight across we followed the shoreline and it was a far easier trip than we had going over earlier. Seemed to take a bit more than an hour each way, simple and easy paddling. If you get the opportunity to go to Lake Tahoe, bring your boat, and repeat my adventure. I know that the next time I return there, I'm bringing the boat with me to do it again!

	366th Security Police
	K-9
	Da Nang Air Base
	Republic of Vietnam

	The Shinning Jewel of the Sierra's By Greg Dunlap “Dad, wait up!!!” For over 35 years I've been going to Lake Tahoe. Not a lot, just every 3 or so years we manage to fit in a trip up there. And as spectacular as it is just by itself, I'm still absolutely awestruck every time I see, “EMERALD BAY.” Every chance I could get, I would go over to the lookout point on the South end of the bay, binoculars in hand, and scan every square inch of the offered vista. People going into Vikingsholm, wondering the shoreline or winding their way up Fannette Island to the ruins of the teahouse on top, standing in boats entering and leaving the bay, and I've envied them!!











Once I had my fascination overcome my common sense and I hiked down to the bottom to see it first hand. It was spectacular!!! The architecture of Vikingsholm, the view across the bay to the island, you name it, I drank it up! And then came the hard part, 1-½ miles of trail back up to the car, 50-year-old legs and 6,000 feet of altitude on sea level lungs. Must have stopped to rest 100 or more times on the way up, but it still did not diminish my fascination. 2 years ago I won a 9-½ foot Perception “Swifty” and was bitten. I've since added to my fleet with a used 17-foot Wilderness Systems Sealoution II. So when my wife asked, “Want to go spend a week at Tahoe this summer?” my mind centered on: EMERALD BAY!!! I started to scheme on how I was going to pull this off. Our daughter was coming up with us so I started to plant the seed in her head of us rowing over to the Bay, spending time on the shore and going out to the island. Mind you, her abilities to accomplish this were the last thing I would be in question about. Her being 19 and having 14 years of soccer, swimming and diving team had more than kept her in shape and sharpened her competitive edge. Now me being there at Tahoe, and having to wait the required time while my ladies did the required shopping, sight seeing, etc., for my turn to happen was agonizing, but today was it! We launched at Baldwin Beach, just South of the Bay and struck out in a straight line for Eagle Point, the projection of land that forms the South entrance to the Bay. The weather was perfect, low 80's, clear skies, light breeze, and no chop, what could be better? My GPS program said it was a little more than 3 miles each way so we were taking our time, enjoying the scenery and just being out on the water. But I was excited and kept pushing for my goal, only to hear her yell at me to slow down. About the second time I heard this I realized that I better pay attention to her or this was not going to be any fun for either of us. Rounding Eagle Point there it was!! Emerald Bay, Fannette Island, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of boats, coming and going. We rafted up and decided that since most of the traffic was on the South side, we would cut across the opening to Emerald Point on the North, and follow that side into the bay. What we did not realize, although we could see the warning buoys, is that jutting out from Emerald Point, on the North side of the entrance, across that 1/3 to ½ of opening, was a shallow ridge containing hundreds of rocks that were just below the surface! Lucky we were both in plastic boats. It was not that bad, but if you are in a nice boat that you care for, avoid this area!! Almost all of the motor-boaters were considerate of you, but we had to have the token jerk in the crowd. “Hey the speed limit is 15 knots in here and I'm not doing more than that, more or less!” Storming past us with a clearance of 5 yards, my red headed daughter let him have a taste of her take on that. Shy she's not, pity her boyfriends. We landed on the beach just to the right of Vikingsholm and were shortly joined by my wife, who had come down the trail with lunch for us. I was surprised that it had only taken us a little over an hour to paddle from our launch site to where we now were. We surveyed the Castle and surrounding area. Cheryl kept the kids entertained by doing back and front flips off of the pier into the water, now refueled and refreshed we struck out towards Fannette Island and the return to our launch site. We arrived on the west side of the Island and perched our kayaks up on the rocks. There is a cove around on the South side but it was occupied by two jet skies and a motor boat. We discovered that there is a path, with stones set down for steps that winds its way up and around till you come out at the one room teahouse on the top of the Island. From there you enter a 16-foot square room that has windows facing all four sides. I had arrived!!! Years of waiting for this moment had been fulfilled!! And I was fulfilled with satisfaction. The room is empty and roofless, once there was a table in the center but that disappeared decades ago. Every stone inside the room has had someone's, or several someone's names written on them. Cheryl and I took pictures and left with memories. Setting our boats back into the water we left the Island behind us. Once we got East of the Island we encountered a lot of chop. The wind was blowing at our backs and white caps were beginning to form. We left Emerald Bay behind us and made the right turn at Eagle Point heading south. Now the wind was blowing in our faces but we discovered that we had a current pushing us along! (Didn't know that currents even existed in lakes or that they could be that strong.) This time instead of cutting straight across we followed the shoreline and it was a far easier trip than we had going over earlier. Seemed to take a bit more than an hour each way, simple and easy paddling. If you get the opportunity to go to Lake Tahoe, bring your boat, and repeat my adventure. I know that the next time I return there, I'm bringing the boat with me to do it again!

Cheryl with Fannette Island behind her	Me in the Tea House	Cheryl in the open on Tahoe

Me at Eagle Point	Cheryl in the tea house

Cheryl in the middle of Lake Tahoe	Looking towards the South shore	looking up at the Tea House

Outside the tea house	looking South	Laurie inside the tea house


On the West Bank of the Island	The Teahouse	Looking East towards the entrance to the Bay

The Teahouse from the West	Cheryl approaching Fannette Island	On the beach in front of Vikingsholm
	In case anyone is wondering, just the Bay is a little over 1 2/3 miles long, and the paddle from the tip of the Bay back to the beach is just a little more than that. My GPS said that it was a 7.59 mile total distance traveled.
Cheryl getting ready to dive off the dock		Our Route