Spring Kayaking

It's springtime in the Pacific Northwest, when sunshine and longer days dry out the moss between our toes and the cobwebs in our brains. I finally got a chance to test out my new sea kayaking skills on a nice, sunny, calm weekend in late April. I have been taking classes at a local pool, learning to roll the kayak, escape from it, and rescue others. Oh, and paddle. Very important to know how to paddle.



We set out to circumnavigate Coal and Portland Islands off of Sidney, including one night of kayak camping. Here I am fooling with the GPS... yes, even in nature I am a nerdy gear-head.


Me... having a nature moment despite the fuel dock.


Right outside of Sidney Harbor are a bunch of shallow rock reefs that the harbor seals love! This one burped.


Harlequin ducks out on a date... they know it's spring too...


Saw 4 eagles nests on Portland Island, which is entirely a marine park


Sharing the waterways with fowl and ferry


Ducks and boats


Heron, goose, and Fucus (say that 10 times fast)


Tidal currents and bull kelp


Free parking on Portland Island


Ah, the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where the sky is vast and full of... big, dark, ominous clouds. I did not take this picture, but I vaguely remember the view...

Unfortunately this is where the storm hits and the story gets sloppy. It was actually great fun to paddle through wind and small waves (ferry swell is great!). But we were eventually beaten by the weather and had to set up camp in the wind and rain. I would have taken photos of my tent but I couldn't see it. After a wet night we spent 4 hours getting back to Sidney (against the wind but not the tide, thankfully!), and within minutes of landing.... the sun came out...