Paddle to the Sea returns for seventh run

The seventh annual Paddle to the Sea, a fundraiser for the Tuolumne River Trust, will take place in May and June.

People in kayaks, canoes and other craft will cover one or more of the segments, starting with whitewater in the Sierra Nevada and passing calmly by Modesto on the way to San Francisco Bay.

Participants must raise at least $100 in donations and pay daily fees of $20 if registered by April 15 or $30 afterward. The two-day whitewater trip is substantially more. The event will take place on 17 days between May 9 and June 13.

This year’s version has a new category, Prinicipal Paddlers, for people who want to do all 241 miles. They must raise at least $1,000, and only they will do the weekday segments. The weekend legs are open to everyone, including easy stretches for beginners, event coordinator Rebecca Stievater said Tuesday.

The trust has rafts, kayaks and canoes for use on some of the segments. Supporters also can bring their own boats, including sailboats for the portion in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The event will end with sea kayaks pulling up under the Golden Gate Bridge.

The trust, an environmental group devoted to the health of the Tuolumne, has its headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Modesto and Sonora. Paddle to the Sea will raise money for efforts such as watershed restoration, including the vast area burned by the Rim fire of 2013, and water conservation.

This story was originally published March 3, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Paddle to the Sea returns for seventh run."