San Juan Visited

We threw off the bowlines and made for the ocean. Well, our kayaks didn't have bowlines, but we made it into the water just in time to see a pod of Orcas swim by in the nearby channel. If we'd been on land, we would have missed it. At least one of us got a got a shot of fins in the distance. Martine, our group leader, theorized that it could have been a sleep cycle as they were passing by slowly, just barely breaking water. We went on along the shore and ate our lunch near the lighthouse. The water was a cool 51 degrees, breezes were light, and temperatures just about perfect for an afternoons paddle. Kayaking in the ocean we found, involves a lot more water! -the currents mean business and require constant attention, and sea kelp is "the kayakers friend" as Martine explained that it is anchored to the ocean floor and provides a place to rest if needed. The entire experience lasted only the afternoon, but was just enough to leave a taste for more. We all agreed the kayaks were amazing. Bouyant, light in the water and stable, easy to handle, except for the short legged, (like me) who couldn't quite reach the peddles to steer.
I hope you will read the journal to the right and that guests and paddlers will comment about their kayaking experience and perspective. I thought the Paddlin'Chix made quite a nice Pod out there on the water!
Next week: San Juan and ...What Else?

Summer in the Middle

"20 years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." --Mark Twain
The Paddlin'Chix are going to San Juan! From our various walks of life, we will gather to share an experience that I for one truly hope would represent the time of the year-in the middle. So much more to come. So much to learn, so many friends to share this wonderful time of life with. Ok. Back to the trip. The sticky notes are reducing as the list is checked off; the call to reserve the moped...pending this morning; final clothing and packing calendared...yes..I said "on the calendar" -you know what I mean. It's easy for me to think of what I want to 'be prepared'-one of the mottos of Girl Scouts that stuck, and experiencing outdoor activities when something vital went missing. That thinking is being tempered now in a 'backflow' where I tutor myself by saying, some things you can leave. 'Reduction' and 'non-duplication' are words to guide the baggage train. I'm too much into "being prepared" to go minimalist...yet.
Bottom Line: Time to throw off the bowlines! Let's Go Discover!

McCloud-part 2

A group of us went back to check out the Hearst Wyntoon-Bend castle site off the McCloud Lake and found the amazing structure 'just around the bend'. We had a new challenge (at least for me) to paddle upstream against a nice 'bumpy' swift current. To negotiate it we had to cut cross water into an area that was less swift right towards the shore of the estate. After enjoying this exercise, and drifting back with the flow, we paused to enjoy our lunch and gain an additional view from the opposite side. A nearby creek joined the river and washed out tan colored sediment we named for various coffee drinks, and coloring the water for a ways downstream. On the way back out, we heard the sound of trickling water and found it under the overhanging branches of a tree growing over a rock that dripped with water from the hill. Many of us wished we could take it home, but took only pictures instead. Later, I thought of a name for it- water being pressed through a rock shot through with roots, dripping into a large lake of water, making such a lovely sound--I would call it "Plumber's Nightmare". For this lovely picture and other descriptions of what and where we went, please view the photo album named "Wyntoon". Thanks to Mary for the photos and the details that make this and other outings more interesting and enjoyable.