Sirens of the Sea

During our conversations through the week it became apparent that both Jason and I where anxious to get out to the coast to feel the surf. Although the surf reports where looking good, family and work considerations cast a doubt on whether I’d be able to join him. Someone was looking over my shoulder, or maybe Theresa could just feel my restlessness, but on Friday I got the green light to go “play with the boys”. That was all I needed to make a quick call and start organizing gear.

We got an early start on Saturday morning and while the weather report was somewhat neutral with a lot of “possibilities of…”, the sky looked more promising with big patches of blue sky. A quick stop in Aberdeen for groceries, and we were soon sitting on the dunes eyeing the surf. All was looking good, so we quickly setup camp, changed into our drysuits and got our boats ready. As I was checking all my zippers to make sure that they were indeed closed, I couldn’t remember the last time I had been in the surf. Obviously too long.

Like the mystical Sirens of Greek mythology, the sky and surf conspired to get us in their grasp. As soon as we were committed with boat and gear the sky clouded over, the wind increased significantly, and the temperature dropped. We had to put on our hoods to fight off the biting cold. Jason looked like some kind of Hollywood Ninja with this full faced balaclava. Still a bit of cold couldn’t dampen our excitement to get on the waves.

We spent the afternoon getting reacquainted with the rhythm of surf, and as I suspected I was rusty. My braces and hip snaps where robotic and lacked the effortlessness of when I’m in the zone. Jason seemed to be doing better, regardless of the fact that he was paddling his Sterling Ice Kap for the first time in surf conditions. Slowly the timing started to come back but not before we each had to roll a couple of times. Still no one swam, and as we tied our boats with aching fingers in a sudden hail storm, we where quite pleased with our session.

Back at camp in dry clothes we enjoyed our grilled steaks and stuffed potatoes as we rehashed our stories of the afternoon’s successful rides and humbling capsizes. Jason treated us to a new apple tort that he baked in his Dutch oven. That night as I pulled the hood of my sleeping bag over my head, I was reminded of the old beer commercial; “It doesn’t get any better then this.”

Review – Exped Downmat 9 DLX

Continuing the series on outstanding gear I’ve found over the years, the next item that I’d have to list is the Exped Downmat 9 . The first phase that comes to mind when thinking of this is sleeping mat is along the lines of that old clique, “…pry my cold dead hands off it!”

I know I’m not the only one who has taken note of the phenomenon that the ground is getting harder, and let’s face it, without a decent nights sleep, you’re just not having as much fun as you could. Like most, I originally used self-inflating mattress, but after a few nights would develop some soreness. It was while planning my trip to the Queen Charlottes, that I decided to take along a inflatable mattress. It’s much smaller pack size would allow me more room for food. It was serendipity that I found it much more comfortable. This was a wedge shaped backpacker’s design and evidently developed a leak I just couldn’t find nor repair, so began my hunt for my next air mattress.

At 6’ 2” and broad through the shoulders, I was hoping to find something a bit wider and longer then my previous wedge shape bedding which was comfortable but my arms had a tendency to wind up on the cold ground. The Downmat 9 with its dimensions of 76 x 26 inches was more then enough to keep me off the ground. Despite the fact that it’s down-filled, which allows for an incredibly warm nights sleep, it packs down in it’s own ingeniously clever dry bag to around 7 x 5 inches.

How can a dry bag be clever? Well, in attention to keeping the mat dry, it also functions as a bellow for pumping up the mattress. I’ve found about 10 pumps to give the right firmness. The one-way valve also purges air out once the mat is re-packed back in the bag. Want more? How about an exceedingly comfortable pillow which attaches to the mattress!

You can easily find and read the specifications about this mattress, but let me just testify to the comfort; I honestly sleep as well on this mattress as at home, first night and every night there after.

Since I purchased mine, Exped has come out with different versions and styles with a synthetic fill model as well. Give them a try if you can. I’m sure you’ll be well pleased.

Return to Lake Ozette

This weekend Jason “Kiwi” Goldstein, Brad Miller, and I traveled to Lake Ozette to explore the southern half of the lake. As I had mentioned in previous posts from last summer, the lake is the third largest lake in Washington. While leading trips for REI Adventures, we had taken the clients on the lake but had only been able to explore the northern half. With this trip we wanted to see what was available at the southern end as well as explore the Ericson's Bay campground located on the west portion of the lake for possible future trips with clients.

We arrived a little later in the day then we had hoped, but where rewarded by a herd of Roosevelt Elk (Cervus canadensis) crossing the road. The bull was massive and his rack would have touched the bow of the boats on top of the Montero. Although this is a popular destination during the summer season, there was no one to be seen as we packed all our kit and food into the hatches. Paddling across the lake, it didn’t take long for one of us to remark on the total lack of noise, the only sound to be heard was the occasional bird, and ever constant hum of the coastal surf a few miles to the west of us. It was dark by the time we our bows scrapped the shore of where we thought the campsite should be located. I could hardly believe our luck as I approached the tree line to find that we had landed dead on the trail leading back to the sites. I started our dinner, as Brad and Kiwi unpacked the boats and setup camp.

Morning found us in Erickson’s Bay with the sun making cameo appearances between the clouds despite the downpour we suffered through the night. We had decided to head down toward Allen’s Bay and if possible hike the trail out towards the Norwegian Memorial. It was unbelievably serene to have such a large undeveloped lake to ourselves, and although the weather was unsettled with one minute finding us basking in the sunshine the next hunched over against the hail, it just added to the drama and beauty of the lake. Along the way we kept our eyes open for one of the many homesteads marked on the topo map of the area. it seems that the predominately Scandinavian settlement also had a church, school and cemetery, but despite our best efforts we couldn’t find any remnants of these structures. Apparently the rain forest had made quick work of reclaiming its property.

It didn’t take long to find the trail head at the base of Allen’s Bay, however, it’s been some time since this trail had seen any maintenance and it quickly turned into a full fledge bushwhack through the dense foliage. After a full hour of crawling, climbing and pushing our way through the obstacles, we had made only a half mile towards the coast, and released we’d never make the memorial and back before dark, and the thought of scrambling in the dark was something none of us had any illusion of wanting to take on. On the fight back to the boats we realized that we couldn’t wait to get back on the water so we could dry off! Pushing through the trail was like going through a car wash.

Our second night found us on the beach marveling at the stars, none of us could remember when we had seen so many. It was quite a treat, and it was late before we headed off to our sleeping bags. The next morning we had our coffee and oatmeal in warm sunshine, and it was with great reluctance that we finally forced ourselves to break camp and start the long trip home.

Although we had answered some of our questions concerning this lake and its history, we also realized that we’ll have more trips in the future to fully appreciate the beauty of this area. I’ll post a gallery as soon as I get all the photos together.

Paddles for Peddles

I consider myself extremely lucky in that not only does my wife support my passion for getting outdoors in a kayak, but actually participates with me on most occasions. So when Theresa suggested that for this year’s anniversary we try something different, like trading our paddles for bike peddles, I felt I needed to be as equally supportive regardless of my hesitation. It’s been years since I spent any appreciable time on a bike, and she wanted to rent a tandem? I was reminded of the line in Something Wicked This Way Comes, “You could smell trouble in the air”.

Every year I instruct at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, and whenever we have guests from out of town we always make a point to take them to Port Townsend. It somehow has retained much of its charm when it was a thriving port-of-call for the old sailing vessels. I’m sure much of that has to do with the high concentration of Victorian homes on the bluff as well as the historic waterfront, but it also has an intangible romance that’s hard to put one’s finger on. Despite our frequent visits, we never really seem to have the time to explore all the back neighborhoods, or off-the-beaten trails and as there is a cycle shop in town with tandems for rent, we decided to return to PT for a longer visit.

Bob of PT Cyclery, greeted us the morning of our arrival and spent a considerable time going over the “do’s” and “don’ts” of riding a tandem which I greatly appreciated as I hadn’t stopped to consider the implications. Properly outfitted, and educated he then gave us some suggestion on where to ride, one of which was the portion of the Olympic Discovery Trail which runs along the waterfront on the east side of town. To reach the trailhead you have to cut through the marina.

Riding through the marina I was like a kid in a candy store; every boat of every size and style was represented here, all in various stages of repair or restoration. While we were exploring the marina, we came across the biggest boat sling I’ve ever seen. Its massive tires taller then myself.

I’m happy to say that we managed the weekend on the bike with no mishaps; obviously Bob did his job well in couching us. Although I doubt we’ll be buying a tandem bike any time soon, I was, besides being fun, a great practical lesson in communication and teamwork, and we’ll be back for more. Did I mention that I'm lucky because I have a wife with such good ideas?

Review – Jetboil Stove

While at the WWTA presenting Sound 2 Sea, I was asked more then a few times on what type of gear I'd recommend for kayak/camping trips. So, I've decided to start a series of reviews on gear that I’ve field tested and found exceptional. Note, these are strictly my experiences with this gear; if you’ve had something somewhat different I’d love to hear your comments.

On a multi-day trip a stove is an indispensable piece of gear. The type of stove to use, whether canister or gas, will depend on the type of menu one brings along. While leading trips as a commercial guide I depend heavily on the gas type as it’s a bit easier to use for larger groups and the elaborate meals we plan and cook for them. However, a couple of years ago, while planning a self supported trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands, where I’d be relying heavily on freeze dried meals, I decided to try a Jetboil which intrigued me.

Reading the literature, the concept seems simple and elegant; funnel the heat with baffles into a vertical tube of liquid to provide maximum heat. I’m sure the science is a bit more involved but that’s the principle in a nutshell. My only hesitation was the small canisters which are just about half of a standard sized bottle. So, wanting to error on the side of caution, I purchased an arm full of the pint sized bottles, and set out on the trip.

My first surprise came with just how long the bottles actually lasted. The water heats up so quickly that the little bottles seem to last forever. For my trip to the Queen Charlottes, I was heating water in the morning for a couple cups of coffee and oatmeal, afternoon soup, and in the evening a couple cups of tea as well as a freeze dried dinner. One bottle typically lasted five days!

Ever since then, it’s been with me on every trip; private or commercial. When I’m on a private trip, I’m usually sitting near the water enjoying my coffee and breakfast while my partners are still waiting for their water to boil. On commercial trips I find it a great way to sneak in a cup-of-joe before I have to attend to the clients. Then I use it to keep the java-hounds at bay while brewing coffee in the larger press.

When I purchased mine there weren’t any accessories available, but that’s change with a whole bag of tricks now on the market. I did purchase and try the coffee press attachment, and although it works flawlessly, I really don’t like ‘tying’ my Jetboil up as a press; I want to keep the water boiling as needed. Still it’s worth considering.

I have had mine a couple of years now with no issues, jets are still clear, and the igniter is sparking away. In really cold weather I found that warming the canister before igniting helps to keep the performance up, but you’d find that with any canister stove. Until just recently there wasn’t anything on the market to compare with the Jetboil but that’s changed with the MSR Reactor. I looked at the Reactor in the store and it looks like it might give the Jetboil a run for the money, but the Reactor is missing the neoprene cozy which I think might make a difference. It also has a wire lock mechanism that I’m just a bit leery of in a salt water marine environment.

If I can get my on a Reactor I’ll do a side-by-side test and post a follow up report.

Sea Kayak and Canoe Winter Seminar

This weekend both Jason and I will be presenting at the WWTA (Washington Water Trail Association) Sea Kayak & Canoe Winter Seminar. Jason will be sharing his experience as a commercial guide with A Kayak Guides Tips, Tricks & Tours, while I present my Sound 2 Sea.

The event will be held this weekend at the Community Center at Mercer View. Weekend passes are $60, day passes $35, for admission to classes. A Paddler's Market will be open to the public, free of charge. Advance registration ends Friday at 2pm, you may register at the event for both day or weekend passes.

A compete listing of course, instructors bio’s, and the schedule are all online. Certainly look forward to meeting everyone at this event.

Washington Water Trails Association (WWTA) is a non-profit membership organization whose members who love to travel and enjoy the world by small boats. The Association incorporated in 1990, after realizing that urbanization and privatization of Washington's shorelines are limiting access to and rapidly changing the pristine nature of Washington's waterways. WWTA provides a clear voice for small boater's rights and a helping hand to preserve access to Washington's waters for future generations.

Coyote Cold

For the last week we’ve enjoyed a high pressure system sitting over the Pacific Northwest generating day after day of beautiful sunny weather. I’ve been able to get out for some day paddles, but decided that what was needed was an overnighter. Not only was I looking for a little solitude but I also was anxious to try out some new gear and ideas I had written down from my last trip.

The south sound has some great getaways for short trips like this and they’re often overlooked by paddlers. Andy’s Marine Park on Anderson Island is just such a spot and that’s where I decided to head.

It was a sunny but cold morning as I loaded my boat at the put in near the Steilacoom ferry dock, and I had to answer more then one incredulous question from the ferry’s morning commuters. I didn’t mind the interruptions; after all I was the one heading for a couple of days on the water. Everything packed and ship-shape, I turned my bow SW toward the south end of Anderson Island.

It was a peaceful and uneventful paddle across Cormorant Passage into Nisqually Reach. It was just as I was approaching the shoreline and only 20 yards distant that I noticed an unusual object on shore that I at first thought must be a piece of driftwood. Something didn’t look quite right, and finally I decided to dig out my camera and take a photo. Of course, that broke the spell and the coyote (Canis latrans) turned to started loping down the shore. I still managed a fair shot but kicked myself for hesitating. Years ago we lived on Anderson Island and we often heard the coyotes outside our bedroom window, but that was only the second time I’ve gotten a view of them on shore.

A peaceful day of paddling and exploring the tide line melted into a glorious sunset, which quickly developed into a cold evening. Much colder then what we usually have to content with here at sea level. I kept burrowing deeper into my bag when the nights stillness was shattered by the coughing, snarling and howling of a coyote which must have been on the hill just behind my tent. He was soon answered by others and I was tempted to try and get the calls on tape, but it was far too cold to start digging for camcorder gear!

The next morning as I crawled from my tent, which with all the frost looked more igloo then synthetic tent, the thermometer read 23° degrees. I went scrambling to brew some coffee only to find my water dromedary frozen into a solid block of ice. Bad way to start the day. Crawling into frozen stiff gear wasn’t much fun either, but I kept reminding myself that sunrise was only a short time away.

However, as soon as I was on the water paddling, life came back to my extremities and the morning unpleasantness was forgotten as I greeted the sunrise.

Winter days paddle in Puget Sound

I woke up antsy to get on the water this morning. Too much staring at a computer screen while high pressure has dominated the area lately. I had no great plans or destination in mind, just wanted to feel my blade in the water and smell salt water.

When all else fails a trip to Ketron Island always seems to get the cobwebs dusted out of the attic, and today’s trip did just that. There were high cirrus clouds filtering the sun as the next frontal system started to make it’s way into the area. It should have felt gloomy, but winter in Puget Sound is one of my favorite times to be on the water; no, or at least very little, boat traffic. Hit the beach and the only tracks you’ll see are raccoon and deer. This is as close as I’ll ever get to experiencing the sound as Lt. Peter Puget did when he put ashore on Ketron Island for a noon shot during his explorations of the south sound.

As I took a break on the beach and had a thermos of soup for lunch, my only company was a curious Harbor Seal that kept cruising just off shore. Hard to tell who was having more fun watching the other!

The water this time of year is incredibly clear, and it has a tropical appearance to it. However, as soon as I capsized for my first roll, it was shockingly clear that it was anything but warm tropical water. Half a dozen practice rolls and I had not only an ice-cream headache but was feeling a sense of vertigo. I’ve tried a handful of different skull caps but have yet to find one that does a good job during winter. I’d love to hear from anyone with some suggestions!

Still it was a small price to have the entire sound to myself for the day.

30 Minutes of Surf

It’s been sometime since I last got to play in the surf and I was chaffing in getting back out. Everything came together this weekend for a great time among the waves. Everything but the weather that is, here’s a snippet of our coastal forecast from Friday:

...HIGH SURF WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM PST SATURDAY...

A STRONG SYSTEM OFF THE WASHINGTON COAST WILL PRODUCE SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS UP TO 50 TO 60 MPH THAT WILL GENERATE VERY LARGE SWELLS. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 25 TO 30 FT ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING AS THIS SYSTEM PASSES NE INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA. SEAS WILL SLOWLY DECAY TO NEAR 20 FEET LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

Certainly didn’t sound encouraging, but as the reservation for the yurt was paid, and the family would be joining me later in the weekend, I decided to head down and at least check out the area; I could always leave the boat on the racks if need be.

Turns out that the inner break was only 5-6’, this was due in part to a SE wind blowing offshore which suppressed some of the wave energy. The offshore wind was something to keep an eye on, but it wasn’t quite pulling the tops of the waves off so it wasn’t long before I was suited up and in the cockpit. However, it was a quick 30 minutes later that I was struggling to get my boat back on the rack and tied down. In that short time span the winds had increased to BFT 6 and I noticed that it was getting much more difficult to hold my position. As the beach was deserted I decided it was to risky to be out in those conditions without a partner.

Turns out I spent the weekend as a beachcomber, as the weather was crazy. Saturday the wind intensified, I lost count of the hail storms that came through, and we had lightening both nights of the weekend. Then to top it off Sunday morning we awoke to snow.

Still it was a good weekend to walk the beach and watch the drama offshore from the safety of the dunes.

Color for Christmas

It started by accident some years ago while living on Anderson Island. Santa had brought me some rescue gear that I was anxious to try out, so while Theresa and the kids sorted through manuals and installed batteries, I slipped away for a few hours on the water. It was such a peaceful and tranquil way to balance the chaos and confusion of the morning that I’ve continued to go for a Christmas Day paddle ever since.

You can just about find any type of weather here in the Pacific NW during the winter, but this Christmas Day brought our typical overcast with threat of rain as I drove to my local put-in at Chambers Creek. As I readied boat and gear, a passerby wished me a Merry Christmas, then asked if I had any idea what the partial skeleton down the beach might be. Curiosity peeked; I set down my paddle and walked where the lady had pointed. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a fairly intact skeleton of….something. By the width of the hip bones, I’d guess it was a Harbor Seal, but it could have easily been any mammal on the beach. The grey dark sky suddenly grew a bit more grey and it seemed just that much colder.

Paddling under the train trestle, I turned north toward some of my favorite ‘beach combing’ beaches. It was absolutely still on the water, not a breath of wind, noise or traffic. All I was aware of was the rhythmic pulse of my paddle.

I decided to do a few rolls just to stay in practice, but with the ambient temperature in the mid 30’s, I quickly got an ice cream headache and headed to the beach for some hot coffee from my thermos. I sat huddled amongst the logs on the beach savory the warmth of my coffee when I noticed the first touch of a breeze on my cheek. As the breeze started to build I started to chill so I decided to walk the high water line to see if anything interesting had washed up since my last visited.

While walking I noticed how everything, from the beach, to the trees, to the horizon looked bleach out…devoid of all color but some tone of grey. Finding nothing of interested I reversed direction to head toward my boat when I was struck just how colorful it was; much like the tree ornaments hanging back home. Just seeing the bright orange and yellow of my boat reminded me just how fortunate I was on this Christmas day bringing a smile to my face.
And as if that wasn’t enough, as I slipped in my cockpit and turned the bow towards home it started to snow. A colorful and white Christmas on the water…how magic.

Kiteboarding – It’s not sea kayaking

While I was visiting friends and family in Panama City, FL recently, I was invited to try my hand at kiteboarding. I had taken Radek Varcop, sailing on the Hobie 16’ and he wanted to give me a taste of his sport. Winds where strong that day, around BFT 6 and out of the NE so we headed to the back bays and Shell Island, part of the St. Andrew’s State Park, to have a lee shore to sail on. We were taking a partner of Radek’s, Beau Smith, whom we met at the Treasure Island Marina where we also collected our powerboat for getting us and gear out to the island.

Radek and his friend, Beau, made it look simple, but there are a multitude of items to be managed, and after some practice I realized that I’m better off l sticking to sea-kayaking.



Still, it was a great trying my hand at something new, and the worse day on the water is far better then the best day on land!

Deception Pass Dash

This weekend Jason and I attended the 2nd Annual Deception Pass Dash race sponsored by Seattle Raft & Kayak . Jason to race, and myself in support and to Film. Judging from the look on Jason’s face as he pulled up to the beach I think I pulled the preferred duty!

Nevertheless, it was a great event, with a great deal of talent from the local area. The attendance more then double from last year, which says a great deal about the venue and reflects well on Tim Leary. The weather was a bit unsettle with snow flurries, moderate winds etc. but luckily the huge weather front that is currently pounding the NW held off until after the event.

2nd annual deception pass dash

I’ll let Jason comment on the actual race, but filming presented some challenges in the snow, sleet, rain and wind. However, as I watched those who missed the slack struggle to reach Strawberry Island against the ebb tide, I realized I had the cushy job.

The real joy of an event like this is the camaraderie, and just participating should bring a huge sense of accomplishment, but for who are curious the race results are here.

Jason is insisting that we switch roles next year, yikes!