Thursday, July 19, 2007
Kayaking in the Rain?
Oddly enough, it's been rather soggy over the last few days. July is usually one of the driest months of the year, but a typhoon in Japan seems to be affecting us all the way over here.
We've been fielding a lot of questions about whether we still go sea kayaking in the rain. The answer is an emphatic "Yes!"
We would never think of canceling a kayak tour under such beautiful conditions. The still air, the calm waters, misty fog in the trees, not to mention the great feeling of satisfaction that everyone gets for "braving" the elements.
Our longtime guide Mira Lutz emailed us her thoughts on yesterday's trip:
Sufficiently clad against the damp and tucked into our cozy cockpits, we set the bows of our kayaks toward Burrows Island. Pausing at the mouth of the marina, we take in our surroundings. We sit suspended between silver sky and emerald sea, cradled amidst forested islands on all sides. Mist clings to the tree tops, bathing the slopes of Fidalgo Island to the south, and obscuring Fidalgo Head from sight. Clouds condense, empty their burdens, and move over the water in their ancient, cyclic dance. There is silence but for the soft sprinkle and occasional splash of rhinocerous auklets diving to fill their beaks with fish. Reverence: the only word to describe the mixture of awe and gratitude for this wonderland in our backyard, and the secret of sea kayaking on a day when most outdoor enthusiasts are hiding indoors. My guests today are from Phoenix and marvel at the climate contrast, and especially the quiet. The eagles, porpoises, seals, and coyote we are to meet along the way pay no heed to the gentle rain, why should we? Together, we have the eastern San Juan Islands to ourselves. A harbor seal rises to wonder at these guests in her domain as we cut the glassy surface on our way toward the island with mist on our eyelashes and excitement in our hearts.
Ear-to-ear smiles after the kayak trip let me know that these visitors now understand the secret of taking full advantage of a quintessential Pacific Northwest day!
We've been fielding a lot of questions about whether we still go sea kayaking in the rain. The answer is an emphatic "Yes!"
We would never think of canceling a kayak tour under such beautiful conditions. The still air, the calm waters, misty fog in the trees, not to mention the great feeling of satisfaction that everyone gets for "braving" the elements.
Our longtime guide Mira Lutz emailed us her thoughts on yesterday's trip:
Sufficiently clad against the damp and tucked into our cozy cockpits, we set the bows of our kayaks toward Burrows Island. Pausing at the mouth of the marina, we take in our surroundings. We sit suspended between silver sky and emerald sea, cradled amidst forested islands on all sides. Mist clings to the tree tops, bathing the slopes of Fidalgo Island to the south, and obscuring Fidalgo Head from sight. Clouds condense, empty their burdens, and move over the water in their ancient, cyclic dance. There is silence but for the soft sprinkle and occasional splash of rhinocerous auklets diving to fill their beaks with fish. Reverence: the only word to describe the mixture of awe and gratitude for this wonderland in our backyard, and the secret of sea kayaking on a day when most outdoor enthusiasts are hiding indoors. My guests today are from Phoenix and marvel at the climate contrast, and especially the quiet. The eagles, porpoises, seals, and coyote we are to meet along the way pay no heed to the gentle rain, why should we? Together, we have the eastern San Juan Islands to ourselves. A harbor seal rises to wonder at these guests in her domain as we cut the glassy surface on our way toward the island with mist on our eyelashes and excitement in our hearts.
Ear-to-ear smiles after the kayak trip let me know that these visitors now understand the secret of taking full advantage of a quintessential Pacific Northwest day!
# posted by Anacortes Kayaks @ 9:33 AM 
