One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
POV Videos: Paddling Down The Los Angeles River (Legally) For The First Time
We've been pretty excited about the new 2.5-mile stretchof the Los Angeles River that opened up last weekend. We shared photos of Angelenos enjoying this stretch of the river for the first time since the river was channelized in the 1930s. But a few intrepid readers shared some videos of what it's actually like to paddle downstream in a canoe or a kayak.
Christopher Lockett strapped a GoPro to the bow of the canoe and sent us a 5-minute video of his ride that features a very placid river. He writes, "This is a deeper water section. Very rocky trip otherwise. A lot of portaging, a lot of walking, a lot of getting stuck on rocks. But still worth doing now that it's legal."
We also have another LAist reader Malcolm MacDonald who said he was inspired to kayak down the river with his son after being inspired by our photos. This section of river they paddled down look a little bit choppier (it starts out with photos and there's music, too):
Related:
Photos: Angelenos Enjoying Themselves Down By The Riverside (For The First Time In Decades!)
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
