Wednesday, February 07, 2007
February Sea Kayaking
Finally! Finally the stars aligned, the winds abated, and.....well the clouds stuck around, but it wasn't raining. Most importantly, we finally were able to get Christine and her friends out on the water. We have been thwarted for months, either by the wind or by our schedules, but we finally made it.
The trip was excellent. Although we experienced a bit of rain throughout the trip, it was a calm afternoon. Harbor seals were the life of the party on this trip. We had one or two of them with us pretty much the whole way around both Burrows and Allan Islands. As we rounded the south end of Allan Island we could feel a gentle swell pushing in from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A harbinger of a more violent condition further out toward the ocean. It is still winter here, and a stormy one at that. The low swell made for some sweet harmonics in the rocks though. As the water pushes into the caves it forces air out. Sometimes under great pressure. The deep resonant boom reminds me of breathing, but not the kind of breathing you'd want to experience wandering in a dark place.
Towards the end of the trip we glimpsed a porpoise with her calf foraging in Burrows Pass. The two turned into a group of seven. We sat, transfixed in our kayaks, silently listening to their sharp exhalations.
Thanks Christine, for getting me out of the office on a misty afternoon and into a kayak. That was a few hours I sorely needed.
The days are growing longer every day! We can almost hear the trees and plants beginning to set out their leaves. It won't be long now. Can you feel it too?
The trip was excellent. Although we experienced a bit of rain throughout the trip, it was a calm afternoon. Harbor seals were the life of the party on this trip. We had one or two of them with us pretty much the whole way around both Burrows and Allan Islands. As we rounded the south end of Allan Island we could feel a gentle swell pushing in from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A harbinger of a more violent condition further out toward the ocean. It is still winter here, and a stormy one at that. The low swell made for some sweet harmonics in the rocks though. As the water pushes into the caves it forces air out. Sometimes under great pressure. The deep resonant boom reminds me of breathing, but not the kind of breathing you'd want to experience wandering in a dark place.
Towards the end of the trip we glimpsed a porpoise with her calf foraging in Burrows Pass. The two turned into a group of seven. We sat, transfixed in our kayaks, silently listening to their sharp exhalations.
Thanks Christine, for getting me out of the office on a misty afternoon and into a kayak. That was a few hours I sorely needed.
The days are growing longer every day! We can almost hear the trees and plants beginning to set out their leaves. It won't be long now. Can you feel it too?
# posted by Anacortes Kayaks @ 8:01 PM 
