KAYAK SUCCOR

Gulf Islands Day 5

kayaksuccor — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:14:47 +0000

(Click for full view)

Day five would lead us to the highlight of our trip. We left Ganges with Sucia Island as our destination. Returning to the San Juans and Sucia in particular was something I pushed for. I have never been to Sucia and have heard so many wonderful things about it that I really wanted to explore there. We made a casual trip back into U.S. waters to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. This would be our first opportunity to check into customs. The Customs Inspector came to our boat and asked us what we had bought in Canada. I found out later that he had already asked my dad the same question. I was stumped because we really hadn’t bought anything in Canada. This after all wasn’t a shopping trip. I remembered that M had bought some soap while in Ganges, so that is what I told him. Well my dad didn’t know about the soap, but did know about the bottle of wine we bought on our first day in Canada that I totally forgot about. Despite our answers not matching up we were cleared through Customs anyway. So off to the fuel dock we went.

We were greeted by Sarge the fuel dog, a friendly yellow lab that roams the fuel dock. While my dad fueled up we went into the small store on the dock. This small little store has a little of everything. I was particularly amused by the headline in the local paper that announced that Seattle was colder than Siberia. What a wonderful start to our summer.

Hotel De Haro 1886

Hotel De Haro 2008

Roche Harbor also has Hotel De Haro. A charming hotel built in 1886. The hotel today is a mixture of modern amendities with a spa and suites as well as historical lodging where there is one bathroom on each floor.

And to show that we are completely imature M and I couldn’t help but laugh at the M/V Phecal Phreak.

We departed for Sucia Island where we would spend the night. We passed by Speiden Island again and this time I got a real quick glimpse of some wildlife. I just saw it very briefly and from a pretty good distance so I can’t be sure, but I think it was a Sitka Deer. One of the exotic animals that was brought into the island years ago for big game hunting. Speiden is now owned by one of the major shareholders of Oakley Sunglasses. Think about that next time you wonder why those Oakleys cost so much. We also spotted a few porpoises swimming near us as we motored by Pt. Doughty on Orcas Island.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

We pulled into Fossil Bay on Sucia Island where we were fortunate enough to find dock space still available. There are two docks for boats on a first come bases otherwise there are mooring bouyes or anchorage. We walked throughout several of the trails and explored this wonderful island. Sucia Island was truly the highlight of the trip. So peaceful and beautiful. After a nice walk M and I enjoyed a nice sunset overlooking Fox Cove. We were entertained with numerous Bald Eagles, young Canadian Geese and a very outgoing river otter.

The next day we would explore more by kayak….. In the meantime here are a few more photos from day 5.

One of the the crazy shaped Madronas

Sunset at Fox Cove

Gulf Islands Teaser

kayaksuccor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:24:48 +0000

I’ve been away from home for the past two weeks teaching a motorcycle school. Updating about the last few days of my Gulf Islands trip hasn’t been possible. This little guy entertained us on day 5. I hope to give an update soon on Sucia Island, which was the highlight of the trip.

Running Blanchard Mountain

kayaksuccor — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:58:44 +0000

Blanchard Mountain - The only place where the Cascades connect to the salt water.

photo courtesy of www.blanchardmountain.org

As I have talked about I am training for some marathons. The list keeps growing as I have added a few more to my schedule. Well since two of them are mountain trail marathons I knew that I needed to do some mountain training. So off to Blanchard Mountain I went. A friend who is even more running crazy than I showed me the way. Blanchard Mountain is a popular hiking spot, but not a spot most would think of to go running. We had over 2400 feet of ascent and were running for over three hours. Not a spot to work on a fast pace. Footing was not always sure and at times we were climbing reaching up with our hands. A truly great run. Very few people, but those that we did see were happy and kind. Being in the great outdoors seems to create happiness. We ran past Lilly Lake and Lizard Lake doing what we estimated to be a 12 mile loop. Remember how I said it took over three hours. Under my normal running pace a 12 mile run would take less than 2 hours. Click on this elevation graph of my run and you will see why it took so much longer.

We ran past a view point that is used regularly to launch hang gliders. The view was incredible. I could see Samish Island, Guemes, Cypress, Lummi, Orcas, Vendovi, Sinclair, and other islands. Absolutely stunning.

Here is some of the scenery. I can’t wait to go back for another run!

Lily Lake

Notice the hydration pack. We each drank about 2 liters of water on this run

Hopefully I labeled it properly.

Check out the tanker ship for some idea of scale.

I’ve probably mislabeled some of this, but hopefully not.

There is a bit of controversy over Blanchard Mountain as there is some proposed logging that is set to be done there in the future. It would be sad to lose this recreational gem to logging. However logging this mountain is part of it’s history. As we ran we could see evidence left behind of past logging. Stumps with springboard holes and various cables left behind from years past. I hope they don’t log it, but I am not very educated on all the facts.

photo courtesy of www.blanchardmountain.org

Gulf Islands Trip Report Day 4**

kayaksuccor — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:13:22 +0000

Click for larger view

Day 4 weather started off a bit wet. Just one of those gloomy rainy days where it is nice to just hang out and drink something warm. Our first destination was Conover Cove on Wallace Island. This tiny little cove would require us to tie a stern line to the shore to prevent the boat from swinging into other anchored boats. It was pretty and all, but not so alluring that I just had to paddle here. I suggested that we motor right on by and continue on to Ganges. We had been told by some folks at West Marine that Ganges was a great place to go. “An artsy little town.” Although we were warned that there were hippies there. Like hippies are some sort of dangerous creature. (Maybe they are with the deadly Patchouli smell, I hate that smell!!!!!) We had a nice lunch and walked around the town and although it was nice enough I definitely didn’t understand what the fuss was about. Nothing special here as far as I could see. Just another town.

M was able to find a knitting shop and we were greeted by a friendly humming bird just outside. Again she loves the creatures.

We got our fix of espresso and returned for an evening paddle in Ganges Harbour. Our destination was the First Sister Island that was supposed to have the remains of an old castle built by an eccentric Scottsman that used to live there. As we paddled out of the marina we took a closer look at a yacht that we had seen first at Friday Harbor. The Paraffin was a beast of a pleasure craft. Following it everywhere it went was another power boat that acted as a tender. I would be happy with it’s little tender. On both sides were two more power boats sitting on the deck. This yacht is hugemongous! 197 feet long with every amenity imaginable. Check out this link for more to find out how those without money concerns live.

Next we came across Powder Island. Just barely big enough for a small home this private island is for sale $645,000 and it can be yours. If you feel yourself with that kind of money floating around with no idea what to spend it on check it out at Salt Spring Island Real Estate.

Powder Island

We paddled past Goat Island and the Dead Mans Islands until we got to the First Sister Island. We circled the island looking for the castle, but didn’t find much. So we continued on to the Third Sister Island. This shouldn’t be missed. The white shell beach is amazing. There are no homes on this island and there is a trail that goes from one end to the other with some really great views.

Scottish Castle on First Sister Island maybe?

Shell beach on Third Sister Island

The paddle back to the marina was very casual. A little bit of incoming tide to help us along. One caution though if you ever paddle Ganges Harbour. Watch out for float planes. I was amazed at the number of float planes coming and going as we paddled along. We were sure to stay close to shore as we didn’t want to become a part of their landing or take off. I would hate to be like these guys…

Stay tuned. Day 5 and six were the highlight of the whole trip as we explored the waters closer to home.

Gulf Islands Trip Report - Day 3

kayaksuccor — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:52:58 +0000

(Click for larger view)

Day 3 was the only day where we had any real plans. We were off to see the petroglyphs at the Degnen Bay on Gabriola Island. These petroglyphs predate the local natives and nobody really knows who left them or why. I find it interesting how different they look from native art. A bit sad that more isn’t being done to protect this site. People are free to roam about right on top of them, which I am sure overtime will erode them away. I appreciated the opportunity to be so close and attempted to use great care not to walk or stand on any of the petroglyphs, but I’m sure not everybody is so cautious. I even saw recently carved graffiti next to some of the petroglyphs. Pretty sad!

Here are some thumbs of some of the Petroglyphs we saw. You’ll need to click on them to get a better view.

The trip of to Degnen Bay was pretty spectacular by itself. The sheer cliffs along the shore of Valdes Island are beautiful. I would have loved to take a day to paddle just along this shore, but that wasn’t in the works.

Shoreline along Valdes Island

We finished the day by mooring in Telegraph Harbor at Thetis Island. Not much here to see, but there were showers. Oh my God how I needed a shower. A shower is just one of those things that you really take for granted. The rest of the night we stayed holed up on the boat as it was absolutely pouring down rain. That’s okay we had several movies to watch and great company.

More critters for M

Lighthouse at Porlier Pass

Next day off to Ganges.

Gulf Islands Trip Report Day 2

kayaksuccor — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:13:30 +0000

Click for larger view

So after we got done admiring the Popeye the friendly seal and eating breakfast we were off again. As we left the harbor I saw a familiar sight. T he sailing ship Zodiac. This vessel is often moored in Fairhaven. I love the beauty of this ship. Originally launched in 1924 it is available for a variety of trips tours and classes now.

We continued north passing by Shaw Island, Yellow Island, then Jones Island. This was a bonus for me because I was able to see some of the places I’ll be paddling in August when I circumnavigate Orcas Island. M and I also hope to camp at Jones Island in August as well. We passed by Speiden Island. There was a pretty powerful tide rip off the southern tip. I keep meaning to look at the current tables to see what the current was doing at that time for future reference. I had hoped to see some wildlife as we passed by Speiden, but no luck. We were too far out to really see much of anything. Speiden has some pretty cool history as it was once used for big game hunting with exotic animals brought in. There are still some different animals living on the island.

We landed on South Pender at Bewell Harbor Harbor where we cleared customs (by phone). Not that I’m complaining, but I think it is pretty odd that you can clear customs via phone. We enjoyed a couple of espressos and bought a bottle of local wine and we were off again. We headed north through a canal that separates North and South Pender. This is a seriously narrow channel. So narrow that we gave a Securite call to warn other vessels that we were coming through.

We continued north to Montague Harbor at Galiano Island. There is a gorgeous white shell beach at this BC Marine park. This was the first time we set the kayaks in the water. Very peaceful! Seals, Starfish, Great Blue Herons, huge Butter Clams, Eagles and really cool sandstone formations. It was a nice day on the water.

Day 3 we were off to see some ancient history. More later…..

Gulf Islands Trip Report Day 1

kayaksuccor — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:30:36 +0000

Day one (click for better view)

All aboard the Ragunda

In 1899 my great grandfather came to Canada from Ragunda Sweeden. Soon after that he crossed Lake Superior into the United States and that is how my family arrived in America. In honor of my great grandfather my father named his boat Ragunda. There is another boat in our family named the Lady Superior to pay tribute to how our family came into the U.S.

My dad rigged up a makeshift kayak rack so that M and I could bring along our kayaks to get some paddling in while we toured the Canadian Gulf Islands with him. The rack worked really slick. Not at all hard to get the boats on and off and tall enough that we could walk below.

We got a little bit of a late start last Saturday June 7th. We originally planned on leaving this day, but the weather forecast wasn’t so great so we decided to leave Sunday instead. Well the weather for a change improved and so we quickly changed back to a Saturday departure, but not as early as originally planned. We left La Conner at low tide. This made things a little challenging as to get out of La Conner one has to travel through Swinomish Channel. This narrow little channel empties out into Padilla Bay which on a low tide is a mud flat with just a small channel that has been dredged out. After putting out watching the depth sounder the entire time we were off. A little nerve racking when the channel marker buoys are high and dry on the side of the channel.

A very pleasant travel past some of my favorite places to paddle. I saw several paddlers on their way back from Saddlebag Island and several more on their way to Cypress Head. Knowing that some friends were camping at Cypress Head Saturday I was wondering if it was them. On a side note what a great lesson this was on how visible kayakers are to power boats. We were running the boat from the top fly bridge where visibility is the best. The kayakers were barely visible. I thought when I first saw them how they could help by wearing brighter colors. Then I looked through my monocular and saw that most were wearing bright colors. Didn’t help much.

We made it to Friday Harbor where we spent the first night. What a lovely town. My dad grew up here, but I have never been there. Everybody is so friendly with a very small town feel. I couldn’t help but laugh at all the cars where the owners just left the keys in the ignition. The next morning we walked up to have some breakfast, but first we met Popeye the seal. Popeye shows up at the fuel dock every morning to be fed her fish. This has been going on every day for over 15 years.

What a treat. Especially for M since she absolutely loves the creatures. This trip would not disappoint as there were more creatures to be seen.

Lake Lice

kayaksuccor — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:08:26 +0000

The scenery has definitely changed. I enjoyed another afternoon at Deception Pass, but found myself having to keep my head on a swivel. The power boats were out in force. I find it so funny that when the weather isn’t as nice the only boaters you really see are the kayakers. Those in their power boats with their heaters and enclosed cabins stay in hibernation. That isn’t a bad thing though, as you can see from the photo above as a jet ski came barreling down upon us. There were two that came full speed through Canoe Pass a few times while were there. Fortunately they are loud enough that I can hear them coming with enough notice to get out of the way. Canoe Pass is narrow so it is best to stay well to the side when these jet ski’s or Lake Lice come through. (Thanks Ed for the Lake Lice name, I’m still laughing.)

I find that I would really like to go through Deception Pass with someone that truly understands the dynamics of the ocean. Every time I’m there I’m amazed at how much the conditions change. We had confused waves coming at us every which way that were about 3 feet high. Then within about ten minutes we had nice smooth 3 foot waves that we were able to surf. Another ten minutes and it was flat glassy calm. The wind changed ever so slightly so it must have to do with a combination of the building ebb current, wind, and see floor. Pretty cool to be able to change things up without having to go far. When the waves were at their most confused state I repeatedly went straight in trying to find the most unfavorable path to create the greatest challenge. Great bracing practice. Although there were a couple of times that my bow would be on one wave, my stern on another and when I went to brace I couldn’t reach the water. That’s okay it just makes me practice my balancing.

I took this photo to show the huge gel coat killing barnacles but M pointed out the the rock looks like a turtle head.

Pigeon Guillemot

These little guys are everywhere in Deception Pass. Their bright orange feet and mouths really stand out. They really scream at you if you get too close though. They’re a good current gauge as they repeatedly drift down stream then fly back to do it all over again.

Oystercatcher

Saw a few of these as well. Their eyes are so vividly bright.

Several scuba divers also enjoying the pass on this beautiful day.

Does the flowers on top of the radar replace a diver flag?

So Much For Barkley Sound

kayaksuccor — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:35:15 +0000

My planned trip to Barkley Sound has fallen through. Somehow my dad and I got the dates mixed up and we took different weeks off and neither of us can adjust. So plan B is now in effect. We will be going to the Canadian Gulf Islands instead. I’ve heard great things about them as well so not a big deal. Just looking forward to a week on the water. In a way it is actually kind of nice because now I don’t have to deal with the border crossing or the ferry. The ferry was going to be expensive because of an over height charge.

Map of Canadian Gulf Islands

In other news I am planning a trip around Orcas Island this summer. A friend and I will take a few days and circumnavigate Orcas camping out along the way. Should be fun. The plan so far is to leave from the north end at North Beach or Terrill Beach and go around counter clockwise. I’m hoping to spend one night at Doe Bay Resort. However they have a two night minimum that time of the year that I am hoping to get around.

I’ve Added a New Page

kayaksuccor — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:24:09 +0000

I have created a new page on the side bar titled Charts and Other Tools. I am keeping all my trip planning links here. So if you need weather, tides, currents or to look at a chart this is the place to go.

CHARTS AND OTHER TOOLS

If anybody has any other suggested links let me know and I’ll add them.