Being Seen - Nightlights Redux

Back when the days were much longer, I wrote a post about the benefits of the Knog Frog Strobe silicon lights, and though they were created for cyclists, they are also ideal for paddling. Well now that we are closing in on the shortest days of the year I thought I'd mention them again. Recently out paddling early one morning in the fog, I decided that being seen isn't just an option, it's a necessity. These lights are affordable, water resistent, easy to affix to the shaft of your paddle, and eye catching.

Surf Scoters have Returned

While out yesterday I saw the first large flocks of surf scoters on the water this year. This is the time of year when they start to appear, lingering until spring when they return to reaches farther north. I can remember paddling with a naturalist last year and seeing more than 500 scoters just off of Squaxin Island. I've been told by some long time birders that many years ago there used to be numbers of scoters that would dwarf that account.

Surf Scoters are large ducks that breed in Canada and Alaska but over-winter on our coastlines, among other places. They'll often form large flocks and tend to take off together when spooked. Males are all black, females brownish, except forwhite patches on the their nape and forehead. They also have an oversized orange bill. They dive for food, typically crustaceans and mollusks.Adult scoters of this species dive for crustaceans and mollusks.

According to Wikipedia, "In November, 2007, an oil spill in San Francisco harbour oiled and killed thousands of birds including many Surf Scoters. About 40 per cent of the birds affected were from this species. Scientists said that while the species is not endangered it has declined 50 to 70 per cent over the past 40 years and this spill could decrease populations since most of the affected birds are healthy adults."  

For me, accidents like this are just one more of many reasons to rethink the Enbridge Gateway oil pipelines from Alberta to western British Columbia. In case you haven't heard about plans to pipe oil to either northern B.C. (and shipped through some very precarious passages) or to Vancouver, check out these links...because in the end, we're all connected: Living Seas, Pipe Up Against Enbridge, OilSandTruth

South Sound Paddles: Big Fishtrap

A really pleasant paddle from Boston Harbor is a round trip to Big Fishtrap. Along the way you'll pass by Zangle Cove, as well as Squaxin and Harstine Islands to the west. This is a relatively easy and enjoyable paddle, so long as you note both the tidal and weather conditions before you go. A lot of water moves through Dana Passage and its currents can be some of the most intense in the South Sound. And tidal currents contrary to the wind can really steepen those wind waves, creating a really exciting situation. One can witness tidal rapids, whirlpools, and upwellings even on days with only moderate tidal swings. Fortunately, there are a lot of little back eddies along the shoreline that will allow you to sneak past swifter currents, should you find yourself in such a situation. Following the shoreline will reveal plenty of oyster and geoduck aquaculture, and within Big Fishtrap itself, there is an abundant heron rookery.

Round trip to Big Fishtrap with a return via Zangle Cove =
4.5 nm

Looking North to Dana Passage from Jeal Point

Zangle Cove from Dover Point

You'll see oyster and geoduck aquaculture along the way

Along the way - Little Fishtrap 

Brisco Point on Harstine Island

From Big Fishtrap, looking to Harstine Island

Big Fishtrap

Aerial View of Big Fishtrap

Ear Buds

 One of the joys of paddling are the sounds you hear while on the water. The sound of tidal currents, your paddle in the water, seals, and waterfowl are all sensory experiences worthy of one's attention. Listening to your paddle stroke can help you improve it. Listening for boats can potentially save your life. And I know for some purists (this was even a topic of discussion by the editor in a recent issue of Sea Kayaker magazine) that even the idea of listening to anything other that the natural world is blasphemy. 

But sometimes, my interest in paddling is more aligned with a 'work out'. For me, paddling is 'water therapy'. Sometimes, I want to drift, explore, and expand my experience. Other times, I want something more disciplined and energetically-focused. It's times like these when I'm more likely to plug in the earbuds and listen to music. And I'm very particular about what I like to listen to. Arcade Fire, the Flaming Lips, and Sigur Ros are some bands that come to mind. I love their ethereal sound, their tempo changes and find my cadence matching their rhythms. I feel I can paddle a little harder for a little longer. I never have the volume up so high I wouldn't hear the splash of a seal or the roar of a boat. But sometimes it's enjoyable to have a soundtrack to my paddling life. I'm already thinking about tomorrow,  sunshine, Dana Passage, and Sigur Ros.

Downwinding Time

I'd offer a screen grab of the Swantown weather station,
but the wind  knocked it out!

With the wind blowing so strongly from the south, this would be a great time to throw on a wetsuit and fly from Olympia to Boston Harbor on fast moving downwinder. But sadly, I've had a cold hanging on since I got back from my trip to the East Coast and need to conserve my Chi. Kindly, I was reminded that there will be other storms and other opportunities.

South Sound Paddles: the Olympia Shoal

About halfway between the northern entrance to Budd Inlet and its southern terminus lies the Olympia Shoal. If you've ever referenced a tide guide for Budd Inlet, you've undoubtedly seen a reference point for the Olympia Shoal. The shoal is a shallow area that pushes the channel towards the western shore near Butler and Little Tyee Coves near channel marker number 4. Hilariously, the South Sound Sailing Society recognizes "those intrepid sailors who have located this feature without, or despite of, navigational aids and local knowledge" with membership into the Order of the Olympia Shoal. For paddlers, it's a beautiful destination in a round trip that covers the westside log boom, Butler Cove, and Priest Point Park on the return. In all, it's just under 5 nm - not too bad for covering most of the southern half of Budd Inlet.

The Award for the Order of the Olympia Shoal

The Hazard at the Olympia Shoal

A circuitous route around the lower half of Budd Inlet

Homework; Pt. 2 - One Arm Rows

Keeping with the theme of off-season conditioning, here is another exercise I include in my repetoire - one-armed resistance rows while standing on the bosu ball. Forcing yourself to balance on the bosu mimics standing on a board. Reaching with your arms, shoulders, lats, and hips allows you to extend your reach and at the same time develop power in the positive phase of the movement. If you don't have a bosu available, you can use an Indo board, perform the exercise standing on one leg, or just row with both feet on the ground. I like to use the resistance band because I can set it up anywhere and perform a high number of repetitions per side.

Back Home

Well I'm back after a short but busy trip to the East Coast. And now that I'm back, refreshed with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the Northwest, I'm looking forward to my return to the sea. And fortunately, though it may get chilly and darkness comes an hour earlier, the weather for at least the remainder of this week agrees with me. I'll be out there...

What's Your 'Next?'

It doesn't matter if it's a 5K run, a half marathon, a century (100 mile) bike ride, or a 20 mile paddle. It's good to set goals. And it's good to dream big. Big goals push us to do more, they encourage us to accomplish that which we may have once thought impossible. Because your last 'next' is a building block for your 'next, next.' Having goals and dreams drives us to become more than we thought we could be. It doesn't matter what that first goal was, maybe it was stepping foot in a gym or going for a run, because it's a start. The start of something more. I remember the first time I crossed the 'wide' channel of Budd Inlet standing up. My second time paddleboarding in the Sound, on a borrowed windsurfing board, I didn't know if it'd even be possible. But it was. And now I sprint across that channel on a regular basis, each time trying to break my previous personal record. We all have personal goals, we just need to make sure they're realistic and attainable, or at the least, create actionable steps to get us closer to those goals. Me, I still hold a light for a paddle along the length of the Puget Sound. And I want to introduce as many people as I can to the wonder and beauty that is the Salish Sea. What's your "Next?"