Paddling the Salish Sea 80 Trips: Stoke Magazine

Showing posts with label Stoke Magazine. Show all posts

6/27/12

Paddling Victoria BC Harbor - Trip #55

Trip #55 - Victoria harbor is a very picturesque fun place to paddle. Winding rocking shorelines, little coves and bays, urban views of houseboats, shipyards, and the charming skyline of Victoria - the Empress, etc.

One problem - in summer it's super busy with sea planes, recreational boats, tourist shuttles, the Blackball Ferry, Victoria Clipper, and other small craft. The key is to paddle the edges, along the shore. Watch for outgoing current on the ebb at the harbor entrance into the Strait and clapotis (refracted waves) off Ogden Point's breakwater.

Best to take a peek at the Victoria harbor traffic scheme prior to going (in the book). A local guide said, "if the seaplane lights are blinking, they're about to take off."

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

6/23/12

Paddling Central & Eastern Wa - Guidebook

If you're thinking of planning a trip to paddle Central and Eastern Wa check out "Paddle Routes of the Inland Northwest." Authors Rich Landers and Dan Hansen have compiled a comprehensive guide not leaving any rock unturned. The book covers epic trips down the Palouse River, through the glacier flood carved canyons of Dry Falls, and venturing into Idaho and Montana.

Check it out here..Paddle Routes.

6/1/12

Kayaking Bremerton - Trip #13

Bremerton is a town of interesting Naval sights, old neighborhoods, and much like Seattle winding waterways and the bridges that connect the land together. The current can run fast through the Port Washington Narrows providing a free ride or uphill battle to those who aren't paying attention.

Trip #13 originates 13 miles to the west in Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge. The trip takes you through Rich Passage to Bremerton.

5/30/12

Seeking Navigation & Marine Weather Training?

If you're seeking marine navigation and weather resources, books, online courses or apps, check out the Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle. Owner David Burch is the author of Kayak Navigation and several other publications on marine weather, GPS, and other cool stuff.

Sample Topics Covered:
- Celestial Navigation
- Modern Marine Weather
- Inland and Coastal Navigation
- The Barometer Handbook

More info here..Starpath

5/29/12

The Book has Launched!

My publicist at Mountaineers Books told me today that my 60 Trips Kayaking Puget Sound book has launched! Find it online at the usual spots and it should be on bookstore shelves now or in the near future.

For more info on the book, look Here.

5/17/12

Driftwood Shelter on Puget Sound, Fay Bainbridge Park - Trip #19

Puget Sound beaches are often the home to driftwood. Creative beachcombers often build driftwood shelters and art such as the one below. Some stay up for several seasons, a great place to watch storms in winter.

Fay Bainbridge Park, Bainbridge Island, WA

Fay Bainbridge below is a four mile paddle from Seattle and easily accessible by Winslow Harbor to the south and Kingston from the north. A Cascadia Marine Trails campsite offers an overnight option in the park. Summer can be quite busy on busy weekends, best to visit weekdays or off season.

5/8/12

-3.4 Tide on Shilshole Bay in Seattle 5/7/12

4/18/12

Lummi Island Ferry - Bring Cash!

If you decide to take the Lummi Island ferry make sure you bring exactly $13 in cash. No cards are accepted or checks. We found out en route as they were collecting before we landed on the island. Luckily we had enough. A fun ride, this tiny ferry is a 10 minute ride each way.

3/26/12

Paddling Blake Island State Park - Trip #12

Here's an image of mine shot around 2004 at the southern campsite on Blake Island State Park. I discovered the view on Getty Images over the weekend, originally shot on film. We most likely paddled in from near Alki, although in later years we found it easier to paddle to Blake from our home in Ballard, approx 8 miles one way. The paddler in view is Todd Switzer. The Cascadia Marine Trail campsite is on the opposite side of the island.

Follow Todd's kayak fishing page

3/12/12

Paddling Puget Sound Trip #18 - Shilshole Bay

I consider Shilshole Bay my backyard. Only 5 minutes from my house, I can pop down there for a short paddle in the middle of the day and even use it as a launch for longer trips in Puget Sound. I surf freighter and tug wakes there, and equally enjoy the glassy waters of the protected Shilshole Marina.

In winter after several days of rain, the current below the Locks can get up to 4 knots which is a great fitness paddle in going upstream, and a fun free ride to take the current back into the Sound. A few times a year there's a touch of whitewater below the Locks - good for practicing my river skills in light current.

Here's a few images from recent Skills Clinics which I lead through my Stand Up Paddle Seattle Meet Up group. These clinics are held every Monday evening for 2 hours. More info Here.

2/20/12

Paddling Skagit River Delta - La Connor -Trip #26

Downtown La Connor

The Skagit River Delta chapter is quite extensive and includes Goat and Ika Islands, La Connor, and several river channels to the south. Here's an image of the Rainbow Bridge in La Connor. There's a new Cascadia Marine Trail campsite just below the bridge on the right (or east) side in Pioneer Park. Also below the bridge is the only easy water access via a boat ramp in La Connor. For more info on the campsite check out www.wwta.org.

La Connor is a great place to grab a bite, a beer, and/or stock up for a trip while in town.

The image below of the wire fish sculpture is in the town of La Connor. We couldn't find any info on whether it's ok to launch there. The current rips through there on big exchanges and it's most often used by commercial fishermen.

Rainbow Bridge

2/17/12

Paddling Deception Pass State Park - Trip #28

Only 1.5 hours from Seattle, Deception Pass State Park is one of my favorite destinations. It's known for it's swift tidal current and rapids which squeeze through a narrow a canyon with an large rock island in the middle. Currents can run up to 8 knots and changes directions a few times a day. River like features such as whirlpools, eddylines, standing waves, and boils draw experienced paddlers, clubs, and kayak schools to the pass to learn and enjoy the water.

DP as we call it, also has varied terrain which can appeal to paddlers of all skill levels. Not far from the fast curent areas are protected coves and bays, pocket beaches, caves, extensive kelp beds, rock formations, and sandy beaches. One can paddle in the park without ever sensing any current or difficult paddlling. I love to take my SUP there and when lucky surf up to 5' standing waves in Canoe Pass on the ebb at lower tides. The waves build when strong NW swell coming in from the Strait of Juan de Fuca collides with the ebb current in the pass.

Most common put-ins are Bowman Bay and Cornet Bay. Both are protected launches each with their own features. Those wanting to travel through the pass or play in the rapids use a Current Table to determine the best time to travel, which launch to use, etc. For example, if the current is flooding (coming in) but will taper off by noon, you'll launch at Bowman Bay, take the flood through the pass and when the current tapers off and begins to ebb (going out) you'd take the current back out towards Bowman Bay.

Terms to know:
Ebb: outgoing current
Flood: incoming current
Slack: period of little or no current in between each cycle. Lasts 5-30 minutes.
Current Tables: Find online or in print in most tide table books. Sample Here.

Tip: If launching from Bowman Bay, portage over the sandy isthmus on the south side of the bay to more easily access the current below Canoe Pass.

Here's a few images from less common perspectives in the pass.

2/16/12

Paddling Hood Canal - Quilcene & Dabob Bay - Trip #23

Located within an hour of Seattle, Hood Canal is known for its' oysters, quiet beaches, epic views of the Olympic Mountains, and tiny towns such as Lilliwaup, Brinnon, and Potlatch. Quilcene on the northwest end is tucked inside two bays - Dabob and Quilcene Bays. Most often, the water is calm. Mudflats empty at low tides requiring the paddler to plan their route prior to departure.

From Quilcene, launch from the Herb Beck Marina south of town, or from the Pt Whitney Shellfish Labs beach. The Pt Whitney beach is strewn with oysters. I once saw a guy trying to get in his newly built wood strip kayak in a few feet of water to avoid scratching the hull. Another method is to bring along those foam pool noodles to launch on if this is an issue for you. I'd recommend booties or shoes while walking on the oyster covered beach.

Beach Launch from the Herb Beck Marina.

2/13/12

Paddling the Low Tides & Mudflats of Puget Sound

In a 2/12 posting on my paddling blog Stoke Magazine titled "9 Tips for Paddling Safely wth Tides," I offered tips on how to avoid getting stuck in mudflats on low tides. Below is a list of areas in and around Puget Sound which are worth paying attention to if you're planning on paddling there.

General rule of thumb if planning of paddling in these areas - find out the minimum tide level to safely paddle there and launch on a rising tide.

South Sound -
There are quite a few inlets, bays, and coves here which completely dry out during lower tides. This is only a short list..
- Nisqually Reach / Delta, Trip #4.
- Woodward Bay (inside Henderson Inlet), Trip #3.
- Eld Inlet, Trip #2.
- Kopachuck State Park & Cutts Island, Trip #7.
- Gig Harbor, Trip #9

Mid Sound -
- Eagle Harbor / Bainbridge, Trip #13 & 14.
- Duwamish Waterway, Trip #16.
- Everett Harbor, Trip #21.
- Central Hood Canal, Trip 23 (mostly river mouths - Hamma Hamma, Dosewallips, etc).

Woodward Bay, South Sound.

North Sound -
- Skagit River Delta, Trip #26.
- Deception Pass State Park, Trip #28 (Cornet Bay, Bowman Bay).
- Chuckanut Bay, Trip #31 (Larabee St Park south.)
- Padilla Bay.
- Warm Beach (between Camano Island and the mainland).
- Lummi Island north to Sandy Point and south near Eliza Island.

Olympic Peninsula -
- Indian Island, Trip #34 (southern section).
- Discovery Bay, (south end).

Nisqually Reach, South Sound.

- Dungeness Spit, Trip #38.
- Sequim Bay, Trip 37, (by casino).

San Juan Islands -
- Lopez Island, Fishermen's Bay, Trip 44.
- Orcas Island, (Eastsound area).

Gulf Islands -
- Sooke Harbor, Trip #54, (inner shorelines).
- Saltspring Island, Ganges Harbor.
- Pender Island, Trip 60 (various coves and inlets).

Other:
- Willapa Bay and eastern and northern Long Beach Peninsula.
- Columbia River from mouth upriver approx 10 miles.
- Grays Harbor.
- mouth of the Physt River inside of Pillar Point on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
- north of Bellingham near US/CA border.

2/8/12

Find NOAA Nautical Charts Online

If you're seeking charts for trips, check out NOAA's online site for a quick peek and/or to download.

Check it out.. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html

1/30/12

Washington Water Trails Association - WWTA

Since 1990, the Washington Water Trails Association has been helping secure public access and human powered watercraft campsites throughout Puget Sound, Willapa Bay, the Columbia River, the Snake River, and the lakes bordering Seattle.

Trails include:

- Cascadia Marine Trail.
- Lakes-To-Locks Water Trail.
- Willapa Bay Trail.
- Lower Columbia River Water Trail.
- Northwest Discovery Water Trail.

The Cascadia Marine Trail, one of the more popular water trails of the WWTA includes over 140 miles of water from Olympia to the Canadian boarder. By becoming a member (starts at $35 a year), you can have access to their online maps, travel info and details regarding each site. Below is a the page for the San Juan Islands. The triangles are the WWTA campsites for the region.

San Juan Islands:
http://www.wwta.org/trails/CMT/campsites/san_juans/

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

1/29/12

Paddling Yakima River Canyon

Yakima River Canyon is one of Wa State's most scenic river paddles and is great for all skill levels. A 1.5 hour drive east of Seattle and located directly south of Ellensburg on Highway 821 (Canyon Road), the river can be easily accessed from I-90. Driving south of the interstate, you begin to drop into the canyon within a few miles. Immediately you will enjoy it's steep grassy hillsides and winding two lane route which parallels the river. The river is also known as a 'Blue Ribbon' fly fishing and catch and release only river. Drift boats are common as are fishermen along it's bushy shores. Red's Fly Shop is located in the canyon and can assist with any fishing questions.

The best guidebook for the trip is "PaddlingWashington: 100 Flatwater and Whitewater Routes in Wahsington State and the Inland Northwest," by Rich Landers and Dan Hansen and published by Mountaineers Books. Click HERE for ordering info.

The canyon route is a Class 1 section of the river, meaning it moves but has few rapids and small riffles to worry about and thus doesn't require much or any river experience. That said, always wear a life jacket and appropriate immersion clothing for the water and air temperature. The river is very popular in summer with rafters. I'm hoping to try it this year on a SUP with rubber fins.

Details from the book:

- Distance: 19 miles

- Time: 6 hours.

- Season: Year Around (note early summer flows can be swift).

- Shuttle: 20 miles, pavement.

- Class 1+.

- Hazards: Heavy wind, strainers, scattered rapids.

- Info: BLM in Spokane.

- Maps: USGS Ellensburg South, Kittitas, Wymer

- Put In: Ringer, 2.5 miles below I-90.

- Take-out: BLM Roza Recreation Area.

- Camping: Several spots along the river, mostly BLM land.

- More Info & Contact #'s: Public Lands.

- BLM Site & Map of Area: HERE.

Learn more about river paddling from local author, Jeff Bennett. His book "The Essential Whitewater Kayaker" by McGraw hill is a good one. My SUP book also has a solid chapter dedicated to river paddling.

1/24/12

Walking Your Kayak, Canoe, or SUP on the Washington and BC Ferries

In the first editions of this book, Randel Washburne wrote of walking his kayak on the ferry for a few trips. In updating the book, I found this is still possible on Washington State Ferries and BC Ferries and costs the same fee as a motorcycle. The passenger only ferries will not take kayaks unless they can be stowed away as an inflatable. Some routes such as the San Juans are free on the way back so many paddle there from the mainland, then ride free back home.

WA State ferries ask you to follow these simple rules:

- Arrive one hour early. Consider an earlier arrive during peak summer periods.

- Move to the front of the line and wait with the motorcycles and bicyclers.

- Use a cart to more efficiently carry your kayak and gear.

- Have your kayak ready to board the ferry efficiently without any issues.

- You will be the first off, so be ready when the ferry lands.

Several ferry landings have public access adjacent docks or easily accessed beaches. Others require walking your kayak a short distance to the water. Make sure to scout or confirm your launch prior to departure as things change and public access is becoming harder to come by.

Nadja Baker and her husband wheel their kayak to the shore a few blocks from their house in Anacortes. They paddle to several destinations from there but carry wheels in case poor weather changes their plans and requires a ferry ride back home.

Consider using a wheel or cart system that can be broken down and placed in a hatch or on your deck. SUPs have several innovative wheel systems, see my Stoke Magazine blog posting on this topic:

http://stokemagazine.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-wheels-for-sups.html

Also confirm overnight parking info at your ferry departure location. Some require fees and a Discovery Pass for State Parks. Downtown Seattle used to have parking in lots across from Alaskan Way. But the tunnel construction and demise of the viaduct will change this, thus we didn't list it in the book.

Here's a short list of ferry landings which have easy access launches:

- Kingston.

Launch below the short flight of stairs on the north side of the parking lot. Or wheel your boat through past the terminal restrooms to launch in the marina in the bay adjacent to the dock.

- Edmonds.

Wheel your boat down the dock and exit on the left or north side into the public beach park.

- Southworth.

Wheel your boat up the slight hill about 300 yards, then take a hard near 180 degree right to follow the single lane paved road which parallels the ferry dock to the north. There's a nice sandy beach at the end right next to the ferry.

- Vashon.

Access the beach below the Mexican restraunt on the left or east side of the dock.

- Mukilteo.

There's a small beach park on the east or right side of the dock with parking if needed.

- Keystone.

Wheel your boat to the right off the dock and into the gravel public boat ramp lot. Launch into the protected bay adjacent to the ferry.

- Port Angeles (Blackball Ferry).

Wheel your boat about a half block left or east of the dock at Hollywood Beach adjacent to the Red Lion Inn. The restaurant there has a good salmon dinner.

- Lummi Island.

From the mainland use the public lot behind the store adjacent or north of the dock. Bring cash for the ferry (no cards accepted).

- Bainbridge.

Wheel your boat up the dock past the toll booths. Aim towards the left side of the road and at the top of the hill, approx 400yds, take a left at the Eagle Harbor Condos. At the bottom of the hill before the condos take the footpath to the beach, approx 300yds.

Useful Links:
WA State Ferries: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
BC Ferries: http://www.bcferries.com/

Kayak Wheel Systems:
- NW Outdoor Center, https://www.nwoc.com/shop/category.asp?catid=22
- Kayak Academy, http://tinyurl.com/6qp7668

SUP Wheel Systems:
- See My SUP Blog - Stoke Magazine.