Aerial Photography Sites for Planning Paddling Trips

Whenever I get an idea for a paddling trip, race or finding a new surf spot, I immediately think of the general location, then open Google Earth to start scouting routes, beaches, access points or in the case of racing, figuring out mileage for the race course.

Dept of Ecology - WA Coast

Before Google Earth, I used a Dept of Ecology site called Washington State Coastal Atlas. The site covers all shorelines, saltwater or fresh in the state. With this site, you bring up state image then click on the red dot of the area of interest, then zoom in.  You scroll left to right or vice versa to explore the shoreline. There's four choices of which years of footage you want to view which is great for comparing shoreline change. The years are 1970's, 1990's, 2001 and 2006.  Click here to check it out.

In recent years, I've mostly switched to Google Earth which breaks out of the left right scrolling to pulling or scrolling anywhere you want to go. Google has 'street views' which is seeing the image 1-1 vs from the air.  The only downside is when you zoom all the way in, a forest begins to look fake or photoshopped. Same issue with some street views. Perhaps that's the result of the current technology with pixels being re-created to allow us to scroll any direction up or down, etc. Military locations are shadowed out and some areas which are not sensitive may look cloudy.

Google Earth 5 mile race course (Seattle)

Google Earth does allow you to save a jpg of a place and save that to your page as well. I use the Ruler a lot to determine distance in miles, nautical miles, km, etc. That's all I use it for, I'm sure you can take advantage of more of it's features if needed. When I have a race, I'll save the race course (ruler path showing course route) then open it in Photoshop to lighten it and/or add arrows, text and other directional items.

Sometimes I use both Google Earth and the Dept of Ecology sites. Then checking web cams and local weather stations (NOAA) to get a history of weather in a specific area

Here's a few examples of how I use Google Earth and the Ecology site...

Google Earth with Photoshop directions

Dept of Ecology - WA Coast

Rob Casey is author of Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, 60 Trips and Stand Up Paddling Flat Water to Surf and Rivers, both by Mountaineers Books.  He owns Salmon Bay Paddle a SUP school in Seattle.  Get in touch: rob@salmonbaypaddle.com

Kayaking / Paddling Squaxin Island and South Puget Sound Trip #5

Craig Haelson paddling around the south side of Squaxin

When I first paddled South Puget Sound we came across an island that had to development and a seemingly virgin forest. Immediately, I wondered what Puget Sound looked like to the first explorers to the  region in the late 1700's - or to the natives prior to white contact. Squaxin Island, which is Trip #5 in the book was that island. A Squaxin indian reservation, landing isn't allowed but exploring by water is ok and worth the trip. 

Camp at nearby Hope Island (south) which can be accessed via Boston Harbor, Harstein Island and points west such as Shelton. Watch out for rips on the south side of the island and boat traffic in summer. 

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

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

60 Trips Book Launch Party, 6/27/12 Noble Fir / Ballard

60 Trips Book Launch Party! June 27th (2012)
& WWTA Pub Night at The Noble Fir / Ballard / Seattle

WWTA friends and supporters at The Noble Fir in a benefit for Washington Water Trails Association on Wednesday, June 27, when $1 from each tap pour (pint of beer or cider) goes to WWTA throughout the night!

When: Wednesday, June 27, from 6:30pm until midnight
Where: The Noble Fir, 5316 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98119 http://thenoblefir.com/events.html

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