Sunday, October 9, 2016

Best Kayaking In Tahoe - Fannette Island

Look carefully, there's an island hiding in front of that wall of rock! And if you look very close at the top of the island, you can see the square tea house that was built in 1929.

Fannette Island, the only island in Tahoe, is in Emerald Bay. It is where Captain Dick Barter, Tahoe's first year-round resident, spent time back in the 1860s. It is also where the heiress Lora Knight - after she built the Vikingsholm Castle on the shore of Emerald Bay - built a stone tea house back in 1929. She lived in the castle during the summers. During the day, she had her butler row her and her house guests out to the island to take tea. When you see the pictures below, you'll see why.

In the middle of September, while the weather was still glorious but the tourist rush was over, we kayaked out to Emerald Bay and visited Fannette Island. (See my previous blog post.)

While you can get to Fannette Island on most any boat, a kayak or canoe allows you to paddle right up to the rocky shore and step out onto dry land.

Here are the pics:

Like us, the paddlers in the red kayak are looking for a place on the island to make landfall.

There are lots of perfect coves in which to find shelter.

We found a perfect little Kayak Garage/Boathouse.

Once on the island, you can look out toward the mainland shore. Vikingsholm Castle is hidden in the trees.

A view of the mainland, framed by an ancient tree.

Zoom your camera in on the M.S. Dixie sternwheeler as it arrives at the Vikingsholm Castle. If you look close, you can see the castle in the trees just off the bow of the boat.

Fannette Island is about 150 feet tall. If you turn around to the east, you'll see the tea house at the top of the island.

Lora Knight's workers carved steps into the natural rock, making them look timeless and like something out of an epic ancient fantasy.

As you get close, the tea house dominates the island. Although it no longer has a roof, the stone walls are just as they were 90 years ago.

This view is looking down from just outside the tea house. The rock on the north side of the island is near-vertical, and you can see far down into the water.

Step inside the tea house and look out the picture windows. Have you ever seen a more perfect view with which to enjoy your tea?!

As we leave the island on our kayak, the Dixie cruises on past us.

Visiting Fannette Island by kayak or canoe is a singular experience you will never forget. I think it belongs near the top of the list of things to do in Tahoe.

8 comments:

  1. Always looking for something new and different to do in Tahoe! This will be on the 2017 list for sure!
    Thanks Todd!

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  2. Beautiful. My maiden name is Knight, so I always thought of it as "my" island. Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures.

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    1. Glad you like it, Joann! Lora Knight would be happy that other Knights enjoy it.

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  3. Do you think the island would be accessible this time of the year?

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    1. As far as I know, Fannette Island is accessible all year long. But remember that in the winter, the island is covered with snow and ice. It would be a bad place to slip and fall on ice. And the very cold water that surrounds the island in the summer is ICE cold in winter. It is rare, but sometimes Emerald Bay freezes over. So Fannette Island is best visited during warmer months.
      The only qualifiers are that you're not supposed to pull up your motor boat. You have to anchor and paddle in. And of course, you can visit by canoe or kayak or paddle board.
      Enjoy!

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  4. Thank you for info...kayaking from boat launch 4-5 miles north OK for amateurs as long as we take our time??

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    1. The answer to your question is "Probably." Here are your concerns. The water is very cold. If you fall in and you aren't wearing a life jacket and you aren't VERY close to shore, you could be in big trouble very fast. (We lost a woman a few weeks ago. She fell in and died of hypothermia. Her husband tried to save her, hypothermia rendered him helpless, and he almost died before rescuers pulled him from the water.)
      Only go if you've kayaked that distance in the past, so you know what's involved. And only go if it is warm and sunny and calm wind. One more thing, be aware that while you can stay close to shore when you're on the main lake, once you're in Emerald Bay, you have to go across substantial open water to get to the island. If some boat should swamp your kayak, and you were halfway between the shore and the island, you would succumb to hypothermia. I'm not trying to scare you. I only want you to be aware of the risk. I consider it like standing near the edge of a cliff on a hike. You're fine if you don't slip and fall. Thousands of people do it and they mostly don't slip and fall. But everyone is aware of the risk. Kayaking across cold water has a similar risk. It's very rare that people fall in. But it happens, so be careful.
      Okay, now that I've said all the scary stuff, enjoy the trip. It is a beautiful, beautiful paddle out to Fannette Island. We love it, and we're no kayak athletes. But we are careful.

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