Rush is not plush!!

[Grant McAllister]

Got a late start today and decided to head to Rush. Arrrived at 2:00 with Grant Jr. and Duane Karren. We saw no caps as we passed over the tracks at Stockton and saw a lot of dark spots on the lake that turned out to be seaweed,moss etc. Since it was my idea to go, I rigged my 8.5 and caught the next wind line coming south down the lake. After 50 yards of planning, my board speed dropped to near O and I jump off into chest deep water with moss, seaweed and other crap up to my waist. Trying to water start after clearing my fin was a real treat with moss and seaweed hanging off my booms, legs and feet. Another 50 yards and down I went...same story!! Kept trying to find clear water in the middle as I worked my way south from the launch below the corral. The wind picked up around 3:00pm and a weed fin might have saved the day but none of us had one. Unless its blowing 4.5 and your fin has a real rack to it, the lake is not sailable for bigger gear. Not to mention the hassel factor wading thru that crap to launch. I sailed there exactly a month ago on a 6.5 and it was great. Can`t believe how much growth can occur below the surface in such a short period of time.

[DimitriMilovich]

Just a little footnote -

Grant told me about this and also mentioned that the water was clear. Wow. I don't think any of us have memories of Rush being clear before. Perhaps one of the biologists in the community can explain all this.

What was interesting to me is that probably 20 years ago I read some old accounts of Rush while in the Tooele Historical section of the Tooele city library that described the lake being deep and clear. This was sometime in the late 1800's, I think. Couldn't believe those accounts were talking about our favorite mud milkshake windsurfing paradise. Now we know they were true.

[jason morton]

No Carp, clear water. Except on hi-wind days.