A Paddler's Guide to the Salish Sea.: Port Angeles

Showing posts with label Port Angeles. Show all posts

12/7/16

Exploring Freshwater Bay on the Olympic Peninsula - Trips 40 & 41

I was first introduced to Freshwater Bay in my early kayak days via the WA Kayak Club while on day trips and a few rock gardening classes with Deb Volturno and George Gronseth. From day 1, I knew this was a place I'd be going back to often. Now I lead SUP tours there mostly in summer months.

A 3 hour drive from Seattle and just past Port Angeles, FWB as we call it for short, has good conditions 99% of the time. The boat ramp put-in is in boating terms, a good gunk hole, meaning it's very protected from most wind and swell. A sandy bottom and shallow for some time, makes it a great launch for paddlers. We generally prefer to launch adjacent to the busy boat ramp on the beach.

Routes:

If a wild weather or mellow day, you can have plenty of fun exploring the interior of the bay by the boat ramp, with it's tide pools and rock formations on the west side of the bay to the erratic boulder right of the boat ramp. You can also head east into FWB and in a few miles you'll hit the Elwha River mouth (watch for surf). In summer there's a one mile long kelp bed in the bay. Usually quiet from other paddlers and don't expect to see anyone on the beach.

For experienced paddlers, take a left at Observatory Point and Bachelor Rock (seastack below) threading yourself through the reef (SUPs-recommend kneeling). Or go round the rock. Swell does get in there and on an ebb the currents can rip strongly around the rock. Follow the coastline for one mile or the 6 miles to Salt Creek Rec Area. Explore the pocket beaches, amazing rock formations, caves, arches and abundant sea life below you. There's a stinky seal rookery about 3 miles west and Hidden Cove, another gunk hole about 2 miles from Salt Creek.

Alternatively, you can launch form Salt Creek, go over or around Tongue Point and start your journey from the west, going east.

Avoid if you can't handle waves, swell, high wind or don't have endurance for strong current. It can be glassy calm or gnarly. The water is cold most of the year do dress for immersion. SUPs, I recommend a rubber fin to avoid getting stuck in the extensive kelp beds and to better explore the rock shoreline. Also a helmet for kayakers, not much fun to capsize in shallow reefs.

The section can be cold too as the sun rarely gets over he big cliffs aside from in summer.

Read more in my book, Trips 40 & 41

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

3/5/14

Elwha River Mouth Post-Dam Removal - Jan 2014

2014 Post dam removal view of the Elwha River Mouth

On new spit looking south.

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

11/11/13

Paddling the Elwha River Mouth, 11/11/13

The Elwha's changing fast, or really morphing. in December of 2012 an expansive sandbar developed off the mouth several hundred feet. In September of 2013, another large section again developed off the mouth further extending the river delta. Sea birds have been taking advantage of the various offshore sandbars in large numbers.

I've been exploring the river mouth every few weeks during the pre, during and now post dam removal. Here's a few more pics of paddle there today. I found the small surfable standing waves in the river mouth on a no swell day in the Strait.

Looking north towards the Strait.

Looking upstream over smalls standing waves.

Dam release sediment line in Freshwater Bay.

4/13/12

60 Trips Book Presentation at the Port Angeles Kayaking Sympoisum 4/14

Join Me for a 60 Trips Presentation at the Port Angeles Kayaking Sympoisum Sat evening, 4/14.

http://www.raftandkayak.com/kayak-symposium/

I'm also teaching basic SUP classes both mornings of April 14 and 15 at the event. Private SUP instruction is available. Contact me for more info on my cel, 206.465.7167.

3/26/12

My Upcoming Talks for 60 Trips Kayaking Puget Sound & the San Juans..

The 60 Trips book launches June 1st, almost there! I'm finishing my last edit of the galleys this week looking for last minute changes, errors, etc. Then it goes off to print.

Here's my schedule of upcoming book talks...(as of 3/26)...

- April 14th, Saturday night presentation, Port Angeles Kayaking Symposium. Click Here for Info.

- May 16th, Port Townsend Wooden Boat Chandlery / Northwest Maritime Center
& Wooden Boat Foundation 12 Noon to 1:30pm.

12/16/11

Discover Paddling Freshwater Bay to the Elwha River, Trip #40

Freshwater Bay going west.

A new trip in the book, I've been paddling from Freshwater Bay (aka FWB) to the Elwha River for a few years. Located along the Strait of Juan de Fuca west of Port Angeles, this trip offers on calm days a beautiful paddle through several miles of kelp beds and undeveloped shoreline. We rated the trip Exposed, as it can also get quite rough mostly towards the Elwha end, so strong paddling experience is required to do the whole trip. The one way distance Freshwater Bay boat ramp to the Elwha River mouth is 4 miles.

Launching at the Freshwater Bay boat ramp, a Clallam County Park, there's plenty of parking for day use only. Paddle east either along the shoreline or 'Bee' line it to the Elwha straight across the bay. If you choose not to go to the Elwha, the bay provides lots of exploring and can be done so with less experience on mellow days. You'll experience different conditions there - either super mellow or huge seas requiring expert paddling skills. The bay can get rough on northerly winds, and I've actually surfed waist high waves at the FWB boat ramp. Friends who guide kayakers through there for Adventures Through Kayaking in Port Angeles, talk of a bay wide gyro or eddy formed off Observatory Point on the west end of the bay from westerly swell or westerly winds. If you feel you're 'bucking' or going against current - adjust your strategy or course direction to get out of the current.

Jory paddling the Elwha.

The Elwha River's two dams are currently being removed as part of the largest dam removal project in North America. Many hope the sediment built up behind the dams will flow to the mouth rebuilding it's now rocky beaches. Watch the dam removal process in real time from web cams, Here.

The river's mouth can like FWB be either glassy or quite rough. Surfers who love big hollow fast waves surf here. Waves break in very shallow water as little as 3'. If you wipe out, you're falling on knee high rocks. I've seen 6' faces come out of completely flat water off the mouth - scary! The surfing vibe here can be quite 'local' and rather aggressive, so make sure you know surfer's etiquette and can negotiate large surf in whatever craft you're paddling. A rip can occur off the mouth on the ebb - remember to paddle perpendicular to the current to escape the pull out to the Strait.

On small or now swell days surfers usually aren't present and you can paddle right up the mouth with ease. About an eighth of a mile up stream, you'll encounter a small class 2 rapid which be surfed at higher water levels. Stay off the shore on the east side of the river as it's Lower Klallam Tribal land and is often enforced.

In May, the Da Fuca Downwinder, a 13 mile paddling race goes from the boat ramp at FWB to Port Angeles. Click HERE for race info.

(Pre-dam removal) Mouth of the Elwha on a calm day.

Prior to launching for this trip, check the ocean swell size and direction. Also check wind direction and tides. The Strait winds goes most often East or West, and in winter North or Northwesterly. Large ocean swell can seriously affect your paddle, particularly closer to the Elwha. Summer low tides at the FWB boat ramp can mean a long haul to the water. Low tides at the Elwha are great for exploring the gravel river channels at the mouth.

Alternative Trip: #41 FWB to the Salt Creek Rec Area. Exposed.

A few sites to look at to help prepare for your trip:
Surf WA
NOAA La Perouse Buoy at the mouth of the Strait. Check for swell size.
NOAA Marine Forecast for WA State. Check for 'Central Strait' wind conditions.
Surf Etiquette - There's several sites available, here's one to get acquainted with.
Adventures Through Kayaking - This Port Angeles kayaking shop offers tours of FWB.

Getting There: Drive west from Port Angeles on Hwy 101. Take the Hwy 112 junction (at the Junction Roadhouse) right and follow for approx 10 miles. Look for FWB boat ramp signs on your right. Follow Freshwater Bay road to the shore.

(Pre-dam removal) Elwha River mouth on a stormy day, looking east.