Rob Casey's Blog, page 9

Mike Darbyshire's Gulf Island SUP Trip

Mike Darbyshire of Deep Cove SUP in Vancouver BC has been exploring the Gulf Islands via SUP.  Here's a posting from his trip blog:  Click HERE.

Baynes Channel - Trip #57

Tucked between the Chatham Islands and Ten Mile Point northeast of Victoria BC lies Baynes Channel.  The Channel can get up to 6 knots of tidal current making for a fast moving tidal race.  Here Victoria based paddler Rowan Gloag is seen paddling the Channel in mid November, 2012.

Blake Island, Trip #12

Located in the heart of middle Puget Sound, Blake Island State Park is easily accessible from several put-ins.  Paddlers can choose between super easy short paddling distances to much longer trips depending on their skill level or time available for a trip.  



During the first weekend in September (2012), my partner Christy and I had little time to escape work thus chose the shortest paddle to the island from the Southworth ferry terminal.   While it did require taking the Vashon-Southworth ferry from Seattle, the paddle to the island from Southworth was about a mile.  




Other access points to Blake:

- Southworth Ferry Terminal, 1 mile.  

- Vashon Island ferry terminal, 1.5 miles.

- Manchester, about 2 miles. 

- Fort Ward Park on Bainbridge, approx 2-3 miles.

- Fauntelroy (West Seattle) ferry dock, approx 4 miles.

- Ballard (neighborhood in Seattle), 8 miles.  




Blake can feel like it's isolated and far away from the city on one trip, while on the other you may feel like you're camping in a city park.  During the trip above, it was a hot weekend so we had a regular stream of island hikers walking through or by our site and canoeists and boaters drifting by.  One guy even tried to buy a cup of coffee from me for $10. I thought he was kidding but later found out he was serious!  The best way to avoid crowds is to go on weekdays in summer or 'off seasons'. 




Raccoons can be problematic but the State Park recently installed metal raccoon boxes to store your food which we found quite useful.  




There's three campsites for paddlers on the island.  The WWTA Cascadia Marine Trail site is on the NW side, the 'primitive' site on the south side (our favorite), and in Tilikum Village on the northeast side. There's a great surf break there south of the marina for freighter and wind waves.  I surfed it one day for 1 hour scoring on waist high peelers. 





'Primitive' Site on the south side.





Shot with an Oregon Scientific ATC9K.

Become a Lighthouse Keeper On Puget Sound

You can pay a weekly fee and stay in a few lighthouses on Puget Sound - Pt Robinson on Vashon, the NewDungeness Lighthouse in Sequim, Pt Brown near Tacoma, and Point No Point north of Kingston. All locations have amazing views and great water access for paddling.



More Info..



New Dungeness Lighthouse Keeper - 

http://www.newdungenesslighthouse.com/lighthouse-keepers.html



Pt Robinson Lighthouse Keeper - 

Click HERE.



Point No Point Lighthouse, Hansville, WA - 

www.uslhs.org/vacation_rental.php



Browns Point Lighthouse, Tacoma - 

www.pnehs.dreamhosters.com/lighthouse/?page_id=91



Other Lighthouse Keeper Opportunities in WA State:

- Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, Ilwaco, WA.



Lighthouse Keepers in the USA - 

http://www.uslhs.org/index.php

Trip #22 - Paddling Dewatto Bay, Hood Canal

Dewatto Bay isn't really in the book, but is just outside of the map on Pg 135.  About six miles north of Union and across from Hoodsport, it's a protected cove tucked into the eastern shore of the Canal south of Seabeck.  Crystal clear water allows for great sealife viewing (see Lions Mane Jellyfish on previous post), and warm water in summer makes it a great spot to gunkhole and swim without a wetsuit.



A winding creek with multiple channels empties into the bay and is a great spot to explore. Several homes on stilts and some only accessed by the water or walking in align the shorelines north and south of the bay.



Recommended Access:  

Rent a SUP or kayak for Union Paddle & Row (Hood Canal Marina) or hire Captain Lee Geist take you there with your paddle gear.  His boat is moored at Alderbrook in Summer and is available for private trips on the Canal.  He also offers SUP tours of the bay.

The Lion's Mane Jellyfish

In summer on Pacific NW saltwater waterways, you'll begin to see jellyfish appearing in large numbers.  The two most common jellyfish are Moon Jellies, and the largest of the two is the Lion's Mane, (cyanea capillata). 



More Info from National Geographic online..

"The world’s largest creatures reside in the ocean, and its depths are home to unusual species whose surprising proportions are unknown on land.


Here, an underwater view captures the billowing tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish. The most potent species of jellyfish, the lion’s mane can reach a diameter of 6.6 feet (2 meters) with tentacles topping 49 feet (15 meters)."

Here's one shot just below the surface in Dewatto Bay on Hood Canal in July.  Camera: Oregon Scientific ATC9K.

Trip #55 - Victoria BC Harbor

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."

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.

The Ikkatsu Project - Tracking Japanese Tsunami Debris in WA

The Ikkatsu Project is a group of Pacific NW scientists, paddling guides, and others who are tracking the Japanese tsunami debris along the Wasington coast. Read More HERE.



Follow Tacoma resident and paddle guide Ken Campbell's blog, the Last Wilderness, for photo and video updates of the project.

Trip #7 - Stand Up Paddler off Fox Island

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.