Stand-up paddleboard yoga has arrived in Dolores.
Wild Roots Yoga and Bodywork offers classes in a secluded, shallow cove of McPhee Reservoir on Tuesday’s at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday’s at 11 a.m. Meet at the Overlook trailhead next to the Dolores Cemetery. The class is $11 per person.
Boards are not provided but can be rented at Dolores Outfitters or the Dolores General Store.
“It’s another opportunity to enjoy yoga,” says Alana Connelly, of Wild Roots Yoga. “It helps increase balance and body awareness, plus it takes place outdoors in beautiful nature. People love it.”
Wear your swimsuit. First-timers may pitch into the water, but it is shallow enough to stand. Bring an anchor for the paddleboard.
Instructors are Sadie Lewis and Evie Eversole.
Afterward, classmates often go paddleboarding along the shores of McPhee, Connelly said.
PFD’s recommendedOn excursions, Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises paddleboard users to wear a personal flotation device, PFDs.
A man at Ridgway State Park nearly drowned on June 13. He was not wearing a PFD and fell off his board when the wind picked up and stirred the water. The man was rescued by park rangers. His wife, who was wearing a life jacket, also fell off her board but was able to swim to shore.
On rivers or reservoirs, if a paddleboarder falls off there is no guarantee that the board will remain within reach. In rivers, the board can be pulled away by the current. In lakes a board can be pushed away quickly by the wind. Colorado’s fast-moving storms can bring high winds and stir up waves on ponds and lakes.
