WHERE DID YOU PADDLE? -- August 07

[Dan_Millsip]

Paddled yesterday from Blackie Spit at Crescent Beach to White Rock. I've never paddled this section before and found it quite enjoyable.

As I turned around to head back to Crescent Beach, I noticed a large black helicopter giving chase to a small boat. I assume that the boat was being persued by US officials (are there black helicopters in Canada?). At one point, the helicopter dropped down low on the water in what appeared to be an effort to stop the boat. The boat did stop but then sped off again towards Canadian waters. The black helicopter stopped at what I guess is the US/Canada border and hovered, obviously keeping watch on the boat as it sped around the point towards Crescent Beach. I didn't see anything of the boat when I arrived back in Crescent Beach an hour later so have no idea what the outcome of the chase was.

Helicopter giving chase:

Helicopter drops down and uses it's wash to apparently try to stop the boat:

Amtrack train coming around the corner:

There are a few spots along the way that are quite picturesque:

Lots of cloud and particles in the air would have made for a nice sunset, unfortunately, I couldn't stick around for the next hour to watch it:

 

[Iwannapaddle]

Crescent Beach

Hey Dan,

We saw that helicopter yesterday too - although we were heading north from Blackie Spit towards the Serpentine Inlet.

Incidentally - we saw a very large family of Seals in the Bay there.
As we approached they were really quite nervous and took to the water around us.
There were lots of young-uns in that herd.
I had the feeling they weren't TOO HAPPY with us being that close - about 50 meters.
Quite a few of the adults were in the water around us keeping an eye on us.

Has anyone ever heard of seals attacking kayakers?

 

[DarrenM]

Re: Crescent Beach

Has anyone ever heard of seals attacking kayakers?

There was one off of Galliano a couple of years ago that attacked a kayaker and a few swimmers. (I think it was Galliano...)

Thats the only incident I've heard of.

 

[DarrenM]

Texada Island....

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1200-when-seals-attack

 

[DarrenM]

Better article, horrible background.

http://members.shaw.ca/reg.brick/seals.htm

 

[Mark_Schilling]

WetElvis and I paddled from Whiffen Spit (Sooke) yesterday afternoon, just as it started spitting rain. We paddled south, then east along the shores of East Sooke Regional Park. I'd never paddled that bit before - it was almost like paddling the west coast but with much smaller swells. Kind of neat - still a few small sea caves, narrow (and very mild!) surge channels etc.

There was one section where a narrow crack in the rock, starting at around 6 feet wide, gradually narrowed and turned into a cave. We paddled in a short distance and the high walls closed in to just a few inches wider than the kayaks, so we had to stow the paddles and go in 'by hand'. There was a small seal in there, and he didn't seem too keen on swimming under the boats so I got to within a few inches of it. Very dark and damp in there but really neat - the water was very clear so I could easily see the seal swimming around near my bow.

There were a few such 'caves' and small 'inlets' where a seal or two was hanging out - perhaps they stay there to avoid whales?

Paddling east, we often paddled within a few feet of the shoreline as it zigged and zagged around. Rounding one corner, I suddenly discovered a seal sleeping on a rock a few feet beside me. I talked softly to it and while he probably wished he were in the water, he didn't 'freak out' like they often do, charging for the water. It was quite a treat to get almost within touching distance of such a cute little seal!

While they're strong, powerful swimmers (and probably have sharp teeth and strong jaws!), I can't imagine a seal could do a lot of damage to a kayak. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[waverider]

Took the g/f over to Portland Is. for the weekend, left Swartz Bay on Friday evening and crossed over on glass like conditions with a nice sunset.

We decided to try the Shell beach campsite out, reaching within 20 meters of shore we were greated by misquitoes ! Reaching shore we were attacked and eaten alive by the little bugger's (and of course good old me said ah we won't need Deet!) We had no choice but to stay as the sun was minutes from setting.

Anyways the weather was fair, saw some rain and some wind on the return trip. ( I might post something about the wind and other things in the safety section later)
We paddled around the Island bumped into some fellow kayakers, apparently Arbutus site was wall to wall tents on Friday night.

Over all it was a good trip.

 

[westcoastwill]

We went on a day paddle on Lake Wolfgang, one of the few lakes in Austria with roads on only one side!

The day was really nice, warm but quite windy, we took longs swimms in the clear lakewater!

Got home just in time before one of the worst thunderstorms in years hit us. Lightnings and thunder like crazy, superstrong rain and hail storm, they had to run the snowploughs on the highways to get the ice off the roads!

At noon, we would never guess what the weather would be like at 6. p.m.!

servus



Willi

 

[greg0rn]

Hm, Lake Wolfgang, I remember, but Willi, don't they have nude beaches there? It looks like you shied away from that side of the lake, otherwise beautiful pictures.

 

[DarrenM]

No nudies on the webcam

http://www.weissesroessl.at/en-webcam.shtml

 

[westcoastwill]

Well, these beaches are not officially nude beaches, i was thinking of taking some fotos for the forum, it would have beaten the racoon fotos form the previous portland post, but it would not have been very polite for the other kayakers!

The "Weisse Rössel" inn is more on the south west corner of the lake, we are usually on the north west corner, near the big rock faces, it also nice to watch the climbers!

However, the inn has a floating pool in the lake, makes a really nice swimm in the middle of winter! 8)

servus

Willi

 

[sushiy]

I took my Chibi-Maru to Lake Chelan, in central Washington over the Cascade Mountains.

Saturday: I drove and drove or 4hours. The drive was pleasant, view changes from farm land to ragged mountain pass, Bavarian town, miles and miles of apple orchards, rocky wenatchee river with those colorful little whitewater kayaks, wildfire scarred hillside, semi arid valley hard to think it is still Pacific Northwest, finally to the one of the deepest and cleanest water in USA "Lake Chelan"

Sunday: I drove another 9miles till the end of the road and paddled a few miles along the rocky cliff, it will be like that next 33 miles up north with some water falls and creek. No beach. Forgot to bring lunch, so went back to launch site and did some practice.

Monday: more paddling and practice on the lake. The water is so warm and clear, nice place to practice.

Tuesday : time to go back to rainier side of the mountain.
Stopped by Leavenworth the Bavarian town for lunch.
This is my lunch with real German Beer ( you don't see it in Seattle), could not stop thinking about Andreas in "........"

Stopped by another lake " Lake Wenathee" for afternoon paddling, it was hot and calm, but wind came for me to do some surfing practice. I don't know what I am doing, but I had just one really good ride.

It was fun weekend. Sorry, not enough pics on the water, was busy paddling.

 

[waverider]

Looks good Sushiy,
Your statement:
This is my lunch with real German Beer ( you don't see it in Seattle), could not stop thinking about Andreas in "........"

Do you mean these ?

Sorry Andreas I just laugh everytime I see that pic.

 

[sushiy]

NO!! I meant " in his home town"!!

 

[sushiy]

... Sorry...I am such a liar... :lol:
We love you Andreas in it or not

 

[Jurfie]

... Sorry...I am such a liar... :lol:

LOL!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Astoriadave]

Today, four of us did a 10-mile loop trip out of Aldrich Point, a favorite launch site for me on the OR side of the Columbia River, low in the estuary. This area is studded with low, marshy islands and a few larger dredge disposal-generated islands, all of it part of a wildlife refuge. We crossed the river (about 2 miles wide here) and gunkholed the steep-to WA shore, past the site of a couple defunct river communities.

This area is just about the best there is in my area for easy, relatively protected touring, yet it sees very few paddlers. I often take visitors to this area to show off what there is down here. Pretty mellow until the afternoon westerlies pick up. Then it is for experts only.

A few shots:

Craig's Mariner Express on the float at AP:

Couple views of the beach and a rustic shelter at Jim Crow Point. This is the lowest campable site in the estuary ... perhaps 12 miles of very open water from Astoria.

A fascinating beetle, maybe 4 cm long.

And, the upriver side of JC Point, locus for the old townsite of Brookfield, once a bustling village of 500, totally dependent on the river, until the land it sat on got sold to a logging company, which 'dozed all the houses and turned the area into a log dump for rafts.

 

[rider]

On sunday i paddled to the widgeon campsite and hiked to widgeon lake.It's a ~9 km hike (one way), fairly easy till soon after the 2nd bridge. last couple kms are pretty challenging,thank god i didn't bring my external frame pack because it's quite the bushwack.

 

[jurgenk]

Looks like a beautiful spot rider; nice pictures.

Brad

 

[Jill]

We spent Thurs, Fri and part of Sat up at Pitt lake. we camped at Osprey and then at Vickers creek. Paddled 25km out on Sat morning hoping to beat the wind that never came up.