May 29-31, Sidney to Portland Island

After my first week of paddling, I was in pretty rough shape; I had started to get pretty serious chafing from my wetsuit on my shoulders and the crook of my right arm, and had skinned several knuckles pretty badly in the storm on the 23rd.  None of these issues would normally be a big deal, but the knuckles in particular were making me nervous; because my hands were spending so much time wet, they weren't healing at all, and I was worried that they might get infected.  I was also pretty sore and worn down--the kind of mileage I was covering on a daily basis would be no problem later on in the trip, but at this stage, it was wearing on me.

On top of it all, Carl and I had a number of errands we needed to run.  Carl had bought a second hand kayak from an older paddler on Saltspring Island and paddled it back to the Saanich Peninsula, but needed a better and newer PFD, a paddle float and pump, and a few other odds and ends.  He had also done most of the grocery shopping for the next several weeks of the trip, but we needed a few remaining food items and also needed to pick up a package of food (difficult-to-find items like powdered eggs) that I had mailed to myself, care of Jon and Teva.  And we needed to repackage food and send resupply boxes to Port Hardy, Shearwater, and Prince Rupert.

Carl sorting food in Jon and Teva's basement

Because of all these things, I decided that it would be best to take two days to recuperate and organize.  In the end, that was probably a good decision, because it took us most of two days to get everything done, driven by the fact that outdoor gear and other things were a little difficult to find in relatively small Sidney.  I later wondered if it would have been more efficient to make a trip to Victoria, where we might have more quickly found what we needed.

We were ready to re-launch on the 31st, though, putting our boats in the water at Downey Bay, on the West side of the Saanich Peninsula.  In order to make the trip continuous, though, we paddled around, the peninsula clockwise, through Satellite Channel and back to Tsehum Harbor, crossing my earlier path at Canoe Cove, before heading East and North around Coal Island.  From there, a short crossing led us to Portland Island, where we planned to stay for the night.  The island is a Provincial Marine Park with a very attractive campground that included a food cache and tent platforms as well as a privy.  From our tent site, we had great views of the Gulf Islands to the North, and company from a few eagles and ravens.

May 27-28, Odlin County Park to Sidney, BC

In an attempt to catch a late flood tide up San Juan Channel, I got a very late start on the 27th.  Struggled greatly against a strong flood around Flat Point on the West side of Lopez Island before getting a good push from the wind and tide for several hours up San Juan Channel.  I'm not certain if it might have been wiser to backtrack up Upright Channel to the Northern side of Shaw Island, then paddle West through Harney Channel to San Juan; perhaps the tidal currents would have been easier to deal with?  

Made a short stop at Yellow Island, a Nature Conservancy preserve, which is maintained in something like its pre-contact state, when indigenous folks would burn these islands to improve their access to food.  Apparently most of the San Juan were once regularly burned, but Yellow Island is the only one remaining in this state.  

By late afternoon, I had made it to the Eastern end of Spieden Channel, where I took a short break, before struggling against still-strong currents across the channel, from Davidson Head to Sentinel Island; my crossing was essentially a long ferry glide.  Not sure if I would have had better luck elsewhere (again!), perhaps up New Channel, on the North side of Spieden Island, though currents also appear to be strong there.  Probably a better approach would have been to eat dinner on the beach, waiting for the tide to weaken before doing the crossing to Spieden.  

From the West end of Spieden, it was a short and relatively easy hop over to Reid Harbor, but I was beat from fighting currents and from the very hot weather.  I staked out a campsite at the back of the harbor in a kayaker campsite in Stuart Island State Park after paddling past dozens of yachts between the East and West ends of the harbor.  The 27th was the first night of the trip when I couldn't get a cell signal, and I instead used my inReach for the first time to send a message home and let Emily know I was okay.  A successful day, but I was tired!

The following day, I got an earlier start, and rode the ebb out of Reid Harbor and around to the West side of Stuart Island, before heading out for the crossing of Haro Strait and the US/Canada border.  This is another crossing best done at slack, but I was impatient or lazy or both, and crossed mid-ebb.  I struggled to hold my ground against the current, which pushed me several miles south of my target at Gooch Island to Mandarte Island, which wound up being my first landfall in Canada (don't tell Canadian Customs, but I had to pee!)

I was a little unclear about the protocol for clearing customs by kayak--the Canadian customs web site was a little ambiguous about processes--so I called on my cell phone from Mandarte.  The very polite customs agent told me to paddle to my port of entry--Sidney Harbor--and call from there, either on my own phone or on the phone provided in the harbor.  I was then able to work my way up the coast of Mandarte, riding eddies against the current, then to ferry across to Sidney Spit, where I caught a strong eddy which carried me most of the way to Sidney Channel.  By this time, the current was weakening, and I had little trouble paddling across to the Saanich Peninsula and Sidney Harbor.  

Once in the harbor, I made my phone call, and they cleared me by phone, giving me an ID number, as well as a number for my bear protection, a side-by-side 12 gauge.  My call reached the same agent I had reached from Mandarte.  She said, "I recognize your voice, are you in a kayak?" and I replied, "What, are you the only customs agent for the whole country?!"  Apparently, she is one of three in--as she noted--the country with the longest coastline in the world.  

After customs, anxious not to tie up the customs float, I quickly paddled out of the harbor and, now enjoying a favorable tide, rode the current North, to Canoe Cove, where I was able to reach sometime hiking buddy and my first paddling partner of the trip, Dr. Carl Salk.  Carl's Uncle Jon and Aunt Teva live in Sidney and Carl and Jon graciously picked me up in Jon's Lexus at the marina.  Talk about culture shock!  Less than two hours later, I was showered, in (more or less) clean clothes, and enjoying a lovely dinner at a restaurant overlooking Sidney Harbor, of customs clearance fame.  

May 24-26, Skunk Bay to Odlin County Park

Another beautiful sunset, this one at
Odlin County Park, San Juan Islands

Made it to Odlin County Park on Lopez Island this evening, after crossing Rosario strait from Flounder Bay--needed to stop in town to stock up on snacks after a crow got into an enormous bag of GORP on Day 1. Crossing went smoothly--made good enough time that I was able to beat a sailboat across after he passed me just out of Flounder Bay. Until the wind completely died and he turned on his outboard.

Lots of vessel traffic today--Memorial Day weekend.

My ride into Flounder Bay this AM was greatly helped by a tidal current from my stay last night, at Deception Pass State Park. I think it was about seven miles, and I did it in about an hour and a half. Left my boat on the beach there for a quick snack run, after a short conversation with a fisherman/whitewater raftsman/homeless guy. Nice guy who said he had been sleeping there on the beach and leaving his raft/tender tied up for several days with no trouble; figured I could leave my boat for 20 minutes! Then had a nice phone call with my folks while I ate Hostess Cupcakes and drank soda.

Last night (Thursday Night) at Deception Pass, had trouble finding the marine trails campsite. Wound up camping in the wrong spot by mistake--confusion over directions maybe coupled with a little bit of wishful thinking on my part, looking longingly at the immaculate day use area, where I thought the site was. Was approached by the campground hosts--a lovely older couple--who weren't sure where the site was either, but promised to check with a ranger. In the end, they let me stay were I was, and I got several very nice conversations out of the deal, including an interesting discussion about the CCC history of the park. A beautiful spot, which is being lovingly restored to its original trim by Washington State and volunteers.

Marrowstone Light, Puget Sound

Thursday was an adventure!

Crossed over to Whidbey Island from Port Townsend (Fort Worden State Park) with no trouble; just a long haul. Timed the crossing to start at slack so I wouldn't have to deal with potential tide rips on the Port Townsend side. My paddle up the outer coast of Whidbey was mostly uneventful, except for two white knuckle moments landing in minor surf when it was time for breaks. The crossing across the mouth of the famed Deception Pass was also a little lumpy from the tidal current, but at this stage of the game, I may be starting to feel more comfortable in random tidal waves.

Soon-to-be barely dry campsite at Skunk Bay

Wednesday, paddled from Skunk Bay, near Foulweather Bluff on the North end of the Kitsap Peninsula. Was caught there the night before by bad weather, in a less-than-ideal and possibly illegal campsite on a heavily developed shoreline. Had a few nervous moments crossing converging channels in the flood tide East of Foulweather Bluff, but then was able to stop for water (coming out of the most appealing drainage culvert I've ever seen) and paddle, without incident, to Fort Worden/Port Townsend down the East Coast of Marrowstone island, which was notable for its interesting geology, tremendous numbers of schooling smolt, interesting residential architecture, and an enormous and creative variety of constructions built to access the beach from the bluffs above; everything from ladders to stairs of poured concrete. Many systems are literally falling off the cliff sides as the bluffs erode. Prize for best system goes to the funicular-like cable car bolted to rocks at the top and bottom of the bluff.

May 23, Faye Bainbridge to Skunk Bay

For good or for ill, today did not go as planned.

Got a great start! Up at 4AM (which is unbelievably early for me) in order to catch a good chunk of the early morning ebb and avoid the afternoon winds that were predicted to come through with a cold front traveling East from the Pacific. Launched with the sunrise (literally true--was actually pushing off just as the sun came up over Seattle). The early morning paddle was beautiful, with views of Rainier and Mt. Baker, and close encounters with porpoises and seals.

Caught a wild ride by the poetically named Point No Point--a tide rip there caused big and confusing seas that really kept me on my toes for a mile or two. After that, smooth sailing for about a half hour until I got about half way across Skunk Bay, which is a small, Northeasterly-facing bay on the far Northern end of the Kitsap Peninsula (hope I'm getting the geography right). Very quickly, though, glassy seas turned to very strong (35 mph?) winds that kicked up big, steep waves. Had me fighting to hang on. Very slowly worked my way across the bay, bracing with almost every stroke, before pulling out just shy of the appropriately-named Foulweather Bluff. By that time, it was clear that I was not going to make it much farther today--the high winds were predicted to increase and a gale warning was issued for tonight, until 2AM--but ready camping spots were not in great supply. I might camp near the bluff, but the narrow beach there, at the foot of eroding cliffs, might disappear during the 3AM high tide, especially if the winds continued, and most of the waterfront land here is privately owned and developed.

Skunk Bay, looking a little better than earlier

Long story short, I found a passable campsite at the top of the beach on an undeveloped stretch of land in between some houses. It probably will survive the high tide tonight and hopefully I'll make it through the night without a visit from a neighbor or local police officer!

Discouraging to not make my objective today, but under other circumstances, this might be a near-ideal campsite.

Weather is predicted to clear up for tomorrow (in fact, the front that created all that wind has visibly moved through now), so my hope is that I'll be able to make it to Port Townsend or further, and get back on schedule.

May 22, First Day Out

With Emily's help, plus a big hand from Zane, Aimee, Mira and especially Bing Kelly, launched from Alki Beach, in West Seattle, some time before 11 this morning. Made a slightly choppy crossing to Restoration Point on Bainbridge island, then followed the shoreline North. Predictably, fought the wind all morning, only to see it die in the afternoon. Nice not to have to push so hard after it settled down, but the weather was so clear and warm, I actually missed it a bit, as it was helping me stay cool all morning.

Staying tonight at Fay Bainbridge State Park, which has a Washington Water Trails kayaker campsite, right on the water. The beach has great views of Rainier and the coastal range to the North, as well as the Seattle docks. Not the best view of the day, though! Further South, could see Rainier etc., as well as the Seattle skyline.

Excited to be finally paddling after so much preparation, but a little sad to be leaving Emily behind.

The Seattle skyline and Mt. Rainier from Bainbridge Island (I think!).
Mount Baker was also visible from this location.

In Seattle

Not a bad ferry trip, overall. Arrived right on schedule this morning into Bellingham, retrieved all my gear, and shortly met up with Aimee and Mira Kelly! Will be spending the weekend with the Kelly family and Emily, who arrives tomorrow (Saturday, May 20) at around 5 PM, then, if all goes well, launching Monday morning (the 22nd).

South of Ketchikan

Woke up this morning several hours South of Petersburg, which we stopped at, along with Wrangell, in the night. I remember hearing the announcements that we were approaching each port, but slept right through. Slept quite well, actually, after watching a beautiful sunset over the striking coast of Baranof, then Admiralty Islands.

Another clear day, though we passed through some fog in the morning and then again after leaving Ketchikan. Only some cirrus clouds at the moment, with cumulus on the Eastern horizon, over the coastal range.

Big water here, but quite calm; not more than one foot waves. Hard to tell much about the coast because we're passing quite a ways off shore; probably two or three miles. But the upland looks quite gradual, so likely there are many good campsites on the beach in this area, though I will be paddling among spring tides when I pass through here next, and will have to find sites well above the high tide line.

Also good beaches for camping North of Ketchikan, between Behm Canal and Meyers Chuck, though much of that area is a little ugly because of heavy logging.

I had hoped to get some cell reception from Metlakatla before passing into Canada in an hour or so, but any reception is very spotty, and it's seeming unlikely that it's going to get better before we get a lot closer to Prince Rupert. That will give me an excuse to try out my Canadian cell phone, though.

Off on the Ferry

Writing this while riding the Ferry up Neva Strait, after a stop in Sitka, on my way to Bellingham from Juneau.  After some last minute preparations—including refinishing the bottom of my kayak with Epoxy impregnated with graphite in order to make it tougher—managed to test pack my kayak yesterday (everything fits, as long as I squint hard enough), mail some boxes of food and charts to Sidney, BC (hopefully they arrive!) and get on the ferry at about 1AM, with Emily's help.  Laid out my sleeping bag in the solarium on the Malaspina and hit the hay.  

Woke up to fog this AM in Salisbury Sound, shortly after the ferry passed through Kakul narrows.  Made it to breakfast late, as the fog cleared, and watched Neva and Olga straits glide by as the ferry worked its way into Sitka Sound.  Sitka is always beautiful, not least on a bluebird day like this!  

Paddling here today would be a lot more pleasant than the last time I was here, with Jason Amundson, in a borrowed kayak, fighting a brutal headwind and pruning up in often-horizontal Sitka precipitation.   That was in July (?) 2015.  After that trip,  confused by the nature of tidal currents in Sergius narrows, Jason carried out a web search for papers on currents between Baranof and Chichagoff islands.  He never turned up what he was looking for, but he did find a military proposal from the 1950s to use nuclear weapons to clear Sergius and Whitestone Narrows for easier navigation.  This would have been associated with "Project Ploughshare" and "Project Chariot," well-documented in the book The Firecracker Boys and movie of the same name.  

Shakedown Cruise, April 30-May 1, 2017

First off, I got tenure today, so that's exciting!

Went on a shakedown cruise around the back side of Douglas Island yesterday (April 30) and today (May 1).   Originally planned to do the full Douglas circumnavigation, but work intervened.  However, we were able to paddle from Thane, South of downtown Juneau, to Fritz Cove, paddling the portion of Douglas not accessible by road.  Overall, a successful trip that gave me a good handle on a few things that I need to do over the next two weeks in order to be prepared for my long paddle this summer.

My paddling partner was Jason Amundson, then Assistant and now Associate Professor of Geophysics at the University of Alaska Southeast.  Jason is a strong paddler and a frequent trip partner.  His boat is a little slower than mine, but he packs lighter and is a fair bit faster than me getting on the water in the morning.   

Our weather for the trip was pretty good for early May. We got a bit of rain both days (more today than yesterday), and it was a bit windy at times, with temperatures in the low to mid 40s.  So overall, a little nippy, but probably about as good as we could reasonably hope for.  And indeed, based on earlier weather reports, I was pretty worried that we were going to be absolutely poured on last night and today, potentially with near gale force winds to boot. And we basically has favorable winds and tidal currents the whole time.  

Spent the night at Middle Point, about 3/5 up the Southwest (back) side of the island.  There is a nice campsite there, located right on the point, though we found that the location required a long carry in the morning, when the tide was out.  At the point, beach sites and clearings with soft ground and shelter from the wind above the point, in the trees.  There are numerous beaches up and down th the whole side of the island--other beaches immediately to the Southeast and Northwest also looked promising and featured shorter carries at low.  On the other hand, the creek we were camped next to showed signs of good Dolly Varden fishing, though I neglected to bring my fly rod.  Had a startling wakeup call when we felt a substantial earthquake (later turned out to be a 6.3) at about 4:30, and several aftershocks, but our stay was otherwise quite comfortable and uneventful.  

The paddle yesterday was around 22 (statute/imperial) miles, not bad for the first full day on the water in months.  Today was much shorter, probably less than eight miles.  Took out at the boat ramp on the N. Douglas Hwy.  

Lots of waterfowl sitings.  Huge rafts of thousands of scoters, plus many loons, mergansers, guillemots and harlequin ducks.  Also weirdly paddled past a floating deer carcass about three miles from Tantallon Pt.  Some hunters out, and heard some shots, probably grouse hunting, but the deer appeared to be a natural kill—not quartered and the fur still on.  Many sea stars and anemones as well as other intertidal life.  

Tested out a couple of pieces of gear.  A new wetsuit (actually a thick farmer john and neoprene jacket and rash guard) proved to be a little chilly in the breeze and rain, though it seemed to work relatively well in the water during a rolling session last week.  I'm pretty confident, though, that it will be well suited to the warmer air and water temperatures of Puget Sound in May and Sitka Sound in August.  Also installed a compass on the deck of my kayak.  Works well and looks nice.  And tried out a new Greenland style paddle that I just put the finishing touches on this week.  Have not yet tried rolling with it, but was worded that it would be slower than my euro-blade paddle.  Definitely a bit heavier (to be expected in a cedar paddle, compared to a carbon paddle of any variety), but even if it was slower, I was still able to stay well ahead of Jason most of the trip.  Finally, tested out a DeLorme/Garmin inReach which I plan to use on my long paddle this summer—worked just fine.  A little bit of a load off my mind that I can check in with Emily back at home from time to time.  

It's probably no shocker that I will need to think about packing gear into the boat over the next couple of days--my homebuilt stitch and glue kayak, though beautiful, fast, and seaworthy, has some idiosyncrasies that make packing a little complicated, including prominent deck beams and a large skeg compartment.  Had no problem loading enough gear for a single night out, but packing food and fuel for 2+ weeks, in addition to some other gear (water bag, tent, fishing gear, and some additional small pieces of equipment) may be interesting.  Probably need to figure out how to use the little spaces in the bow and stern (especially around the skeg) and the "hold"—the often-unused area fore the foot pegs in the cockpit.  Normally I store my bear can there (it can't get out with the foot pegs slid into place and doesn't present an entrapment hazard) but that leaves a lot of unused space around it.  Adding the tent in a dry bag in that space might be a good solution, provided I can secure it appropriately.  Worst case scenario is that I may need to reassess some of the extras I was planning to bring (nice folding saw, bear protection, etc.)  The boat is definitely not high volume; speedy, but without a lot of room for luxuries.

More to come, but feeling pretty good about my plans.

Got word that my application for tenure has been accepted mid-afternoon, after getting home, showering and getting something to eat.  Really the culmination of about twelve years of work, and a real load off my mind.  Though the horizon is a little cloudy for UAS and the University of Alaska in general, I'm feeling pretty good about my place in the world in general at the moment, and thrilled to be here, working my dream job, and getting out in beautiful Southeast Alaska.  Had a nice dinner with Emily, and received many kind congratulations.  

Inside Passage Trip: Background, Kayak and Paddles

I've been planning a trip up the inside passage this coming summer, from May to August 2017. I plan to keep a trip log on my personal blog, which I haven't regularly used since I was in Uganda in 2012. Not that I haven't had a lot to say!

Before I begin, it seems like a good idea to provide a little bit of background on the trip and to detail some of my preparations. I'm writing this in January, 2017, but probably won't post until much closer to my departure date, probably in May. There may be a fair bit of editing that goes on here over the next couple of months as well, and potentially as the trip progresses.

Some personal background here with regard to my interest and ability in kayaking (if you want information about other personal matters, you can read my non-kayaking blog posts, of which there are many!)

I've been kayaking on and off since 2001, when I picked up self-rescue techniques in a class I took in Sitka, Alaska, with my then-girlfriend Emily and other local people. Emily and I both spent a substantial amount of time paddling when we lived on Vinalhaven Island in coastal Maine in 2002-2005 (after we got married), then paddled very little for several years, when we lived in Colorado. In 2011, we moved back to Alaska and I was able to start kayaking again with some regularity. 2012 was really the first time I ever camped out of my kayak (at that time, a boat I had borrowed from the University of Alaska Southeast, where I teach Political Science), and I've now taken some moderately ambitious kayak trips in places like Taku Arm and Berners Bay, near Juneau; Glacier Bay; and the Chichagoff/Baranof Island region in Southeast Alaska. I have a pretty reliable roll and good skills in other self-rescue techniques

Way back in 2003, I started to build my own kayak, using the stitch and glue construction technique. My boatbuilding endeavor took a long hiatus while I was in grad school in Colorado, but I was able to finish the project almost a year ago (long after Chesapeake Light Craft stopped manufacturing the kit I used) and it has gotten a fair bit of use now around Juneau and in Glacier Bay. The completion of the boat project was the thing that catalyzed my plans to paddle the inside passage. More on that below.

In general, my plan is a South to North transit of the inside passage, with a route that diverges only a bit from what appears to be the standard Seattle to Skagway or Seattle to Glacier Bay approach.

After some consideration, I have decided to start the trip in Seattle (initially I proposed to begin in Skagway, a change mostly driven by the work schedules of potential paddling partners and their paddling preferences and other alliterative factors) and to finish in Juneau, Skagway, or possibly Sitka, depending on schedules and pace, among other factors.  I intend to paddle from Pelican to Sitka in August, and would like to incorporate that stretch into the longer trip from Seattle, if time permits.  The last section I plan to do with at least one, and potentially as many as four paddling partners. I also hope to have companions for the segment between Sidney, B.C., and Prince Rupert and the section between Ketchikan and Petersburg.

The boat is a model named the "North Bay," billed as a fast cruiser with strong tracking and a moderate amount of cargo space. This particular design has actually received some unfavorable reviews, which suggest that it has a problem weathercocking and that the bow tends to plunge in surf. Certainly weathercocking can be a problem with any sea kayak, and is a well-known issue with Greenland-style kayaks such as this one, but my own experience is that the boat has less of a tendency to weathercock than almost any other kayak I've paddled over the years, a list that is respectable, though not endless, and includes many classic touring hulls such as the Nordkapp and Current Designs Gulfstream. I have never had problems with the bow plunging either, though to be fair, we spend relatively little time in surf here in Juneau, so this may emerge as a greater issue at some point down the line.

Although my inside passage trip will be my first time paddling the boat on an extended trip, the construction technique and hull design appears to leave more room for gear than the Nordkapp I've been paddling for the last several years, and which I've taken on a number of week-long trips. So despite the fact that the North Bay is a relatively narrow, low volume boat, I'm not especially concerned about cargo capacity on this upcoming trip. Of course, it helps that the longest stretch between resupplies will probably be no longer than 10 or 12 days. The long, low-volume hull will probably be faster than average, though a full load of gear will slow it down a bit.

In anticipation of the trip, and for fun, I've also built a pair of Greenland paddles out of red cedar. One of the paddles, a shorty "storm paddle" for strong winds, I've already paddled with a fair bit and am relatively happy with. A standard-size paddle is in the work as well; it's been constructed, but needs to be paddled a bit before I can be reasonably certain that its dimensions are correct. Once I've gotten to test it out a fair bit, I'll finish it. I plan to bring both paddles with me on the trip, as well as a typical euro-blade paddle (a high-angle Werner touring model), which is what I've been paddling with for the last several years. I'm agnostic about the Greenland paddles at this point, but curious to see how they perform, and interested in learning more about using them efficiently.

More on gear and plans to come.