{"id":21323,"date":"2019-10-07T11:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T18:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=21323"},"modified":"2019-10-02T07:41:03","modified_gmt":"2019-10-02T14:41:03","slug":"paddling-the-truckee-river-to-reno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2019\/10\/07\/paddling-the-truckee-river-to-reno\/","title":{"rendered":"Paddling (and Dragging and Hiking) the Truckee River to Reno"},"content":{"rendered":"

High noon on a hot summer afternoon in the Reno suburbs and I\u2019m getting a lot of looks.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably my odd appearance. Chaco sandals. Sunburned calves. Sky blue board shorts. Bright green paddling shirt with the hoodie pulled over a visor. When combined with a few days of boater stubble and reflective sunglasses, I\u2019ve been told I resemble an aquatic version of the 1980s FBI Unabomber sketch. I\u2019m even clutching a bright orange Watershed drybag like there\u2019s something suspicious inside and not just a camera.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My buddy Cole and I have been receiving a lot of attention for the past two days now, with most gawks coming from passing motorists and bored truckers, bewildered fishermen and surprised riverside residents as we paddled (and increasingly portaged) down the Truckee River. But at this moment, the latest looks seem due to the fact that a paddling mannequin from a local outdoor shop has seemingly come to life and is sauntering through the neighborhood during a heatwave without the river in sight.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already come a couple of miles from the Interstate 80 bridge near Verdi, and I have a couple more miles to walk before reaching my truck. Meanwhile, Cole is carrying our equipment in batches from the nearly-dry riverbed to a gate we can reach by vehicle.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to say this development is entirely unexpected. But hiking in my boating clothes across radiating pavement within sight of a 30,000-vehicles-per-day freeway seems pretty much par for the course when it comes to a Cole and Bez adventure. In the three decades since we\u2019d become best pals in grade school, not much had changed.<\/p>\n