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

Paddle in to Coffee or a Pizza in Port Townsend

I love places where you can paddle to a beer or a snack.  There's a few spots like this on Puget Sound - the Tides Inn in Gig Harbor and the Boat Shed below Manette Bridge.

In Port Townsend there's several places you can paddle to..

- Paddle to the Pourhouse for a pint of local craft beer. I heard you could get a $1 off for paddling in. This is my kinda of town.

- Paddle to downtown 'PT' for Waterfront Pizza or coffee at Better Living Through Coffee.  Both are adjacent to a great little beach with drift logs to set your gear on.

Wetsuits welcome at Waterfront Pizza

Beach and picnic table below coffee and pizza spots

Beach below Better Living Through Coffee (on left)

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

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.

Ghost Forest, Sucia Island, Trip #50

Ghost Forest in Shallow Bay

Sucia Island is one of several of the outer San Juan Islands, just one mile north of Orcas Island.  Known for it's interesting geological features, protected coves, and in summer - very busy.  Shallow Bay is on the west side of Sucia providing a very protected gunkhole (protected anchorage) for boats.  The pic below is of the Ghost Forest on the southern part of the bay. There's a portage on the left side of the pic giving walkers and paddlers easy access to Echo Bay.

Take the Sucia Island Ferry from Outer Island Expeditions on Orcas to access the island via foot or kayak/sup.  The channel separating Sucia from Orcas can be idyllic and calm or very rough with strong tidal current and rips.  Check with Outer Island or Shearwater in Eastsound for local travel info before setting out.

Sucia with detail of Shallow Bay

The island is open all year and is uncrowded fall through winter but quite crowded with kayakers and boaters in summer.  This blog has some great historical and geological info on the island.  Boater blogs provide good info even if you're travelling via kayak, canoe, or sup.  http://windborneinpugetsound.blogspot.com/2009/10/destination-sucia-island.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

Campsite Update Cypress Head, San Juan Islands - 2/13 for Trip #42

Here's a mid winter campsite update for Cypress Head on Cypress Island.

"My crew and I were out there from the January 10th- 17th, reconstructing the 7 campsites located on the tide island above the tombolo.  So far, we have constructed several hundred feet of split-rail fence along the eroding bluff on the site's north and northeast sides, and constructed 7 brand new tent pads at most of the former "unofficial" camping spaces.  The tent pads are 10'x10', and will fit any large family tent, and possibly two 2 person tents.  Obviously, our hopes are that campers will use only these camping spaces when on the upper campground.  The two sites on the tombolo's west side remain unchanged, besides being slated for new fire rings.  All sites will be receiving new fire rings, and improvements to the picnic tables will also occur before the May opening.  A new access trail to the tide island's south side will also be constructed before then, as the old trail takes hikers along parts of the eroding bluff.  Several of the social trails around the campground were also decommissioned upon our visit, and a number of hazard trees were removed in the process.  As to our code of ethics and general awareness, several bags of trash (mostly plastics) were removed from the beach."  

Submitted 2/13 to the WWTA by:
Kristian Tollefson
WCC Crew Supervisor; Skagit DNR

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

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.

Stand Up Paddler between Fox Island and the Kitsap Pensinsula Trip #7

There's several ways to get to Kopachuck State Park and it's wonderful Cascadia Marine Trail campsite.  In this image, a stand up paddler is headed east towards the Tacoma Narrows on Hale Passage (Hale's Beer named after that?).  The bridge connects Kitsap Peninsula to Towhead Island and Fox Island.  There's a great launch on Towhead just before you reach Fox Island, also a boat ramp.

Currents can get going on Hale Passage, learn to use them to your advantage.  In this case you'd want a flood to push ya a bit west towards Green Point and north Kopachuck State Park.  If you know the paddler in the photo give me a holler, I'd like to send her a print. 

View from Fox Island

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

Trip #26 - La Connor & the Skagit River

Known for it's rich agricultural heritage and busy maritime scene, the Skagit Valley has several picturesque paddling trips.  In Trip #26 you have several options to choose from.  On the ebb, launch from Blake's Resort and float down downstream past Fish Town and thread your way through the swamp like tide flats below the Skagit River.  Visit the interesting geological rock formations of Ika Island (no landing permitted) or the World War 1 era coastal fortifications on Goat Island.

Using a flood current paddle up the Swinhomish Channel to La Connor and enjoy the town's various shops, enjoy a beer at the La Connor Brewery or a gigantic cinammon roll at the Calico Cupboard.  Camp at the Cascadia Marine Trail site in Pioeneer Park below the Rainbow Bridge.

Take the tail end of the ebb back down the Swinhomish Channel to the mouth of the Skagit, then paddle up the river on the flood tide back to Blake's.

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

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

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

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