Day 2 to Day 5: From Vashon Island to Oak Harbour
12th May 2023
11th May: DAY 5
Camano Island To Oak Harbour
Distance 29.7 km
I can’t wrap my head around all this beauty; why haven’t I embraced this sooner?? Waking up with a smile, hearing the gas cookers fire up and coffee being made. Sitting around on a picnic bench laughing and sharing jokes. Then the day starts: breaking down camp, packing bags, taking them down to the water’s edge, back up – more bags – sweep the camp site making sure we leave nothing behind and leave it as we found it. It’s the kayaks’ turn: 6 guys on straps carrying the kayaks down over logs and boulders. Then the mad minute starts: playing the daily game of tetris with your dry bags!
We have found our cadence on the water: kayaks slip into their positions, we have a double setting, a steady pace, navigation and check navigation, sweepers in place safely making sure we aren’t drifting too far apart.
Our Skipper has become ill and it plays heavy on all our hearts, the mood is a bit sombre – our doctor kicks into action and we are monitoring his every paddle stroke. We stop for a leg stretch, quick snack and check up on our skipper. As I look down I see crabs scuttling between rocks, flashes of silver as little fish dart between mussels and clams. I stood there, mesmerized, just taking it all in
Back on the water, back into the rhythm in our silence we all nearly missed it! This flash of black and white, yellow talons piercing the water. It was an eagle trying to catch its meal! We all stared in amazement and as the eagle left empty-handed we started to laugh and shout out encouragement for next time!
Some big crossing into the start of Oak Harbour – quick water break and stretch. We had a herd of seals give us a guard of honour popping up every 15 to 20 meters!
Into Oak Harbour our camp site due to the tide was 400 meters away!! Once again I got blown away by human kindness! The custodians of the camp site provided us with pizza!! Now I can tell you those pizzas got snaffled so fast!!! Then another surprise – we met Steve Adams who runs Whidbey Islands Boats and he provided us with a propane fire pit, chairs, snacks! Human kindness in today’s age is so rare and it made us feel at home!!
On the funny side having a shower under a garden hose is very chilly and a site to behold!
10th May: DAY 4
Possession Point To Camano Island
Distance 29.7 km
That first hour I can’t describe the feeling of calm and peace you get, it’s a meditation session! The sound your paddle makes, the swish of your drysuit as you rotate, the silence you experience, the getting so in tune with your partner that I can close my eyes and paddle and still be in sync when I open my eyes. Just living in that moment, the backdrop we’re seeing is like out of a fairy tale! Snowcapped mountains; glass like water!
Then mother nature throws a little curveball at you! Most of the day we fought for every kilometre – I can only describe it as trying to push a pea through custard with a tooth pick! The wind and the flow in your face the sun beating down and reflecting back into your face! All you can do is laugh and start paddling harder!! Then the last couple of hours when you have shoved the last handful of nuts and pumpkin seeds in your mouth, washed it down with cold coffee, you see this massive spout of water 100 meters away! This massive hulk of flesh coming to the surface and the dorsal fin breaking the surface!! We shouted in elation, seeing our first whale lifted our spirits and our tired bodies!!
We made camp, unloaded the kayaks and started our routine. Today was a special day!!
9th May: DAY 3
From Bainbridge To Richmond Beach To Browns Bay To Possession Point
Distance 31.2 km
When your day starts with a pod of porpoise next to all of your kayaks, that hour of silence when all you can hear is the calls of eagles, osprey and the birds on the water – it’s pure bliss! It’s a strange thing to be part of a team where in the silence and serenity you can express so much emotion and joy just with a nod of your head and a wave! We did some big crossing of open water today, the mind plays tricks on you distance wise! That looks close then you start and it feels like you are on a treadmill just burning through time!
Mother Nature is a gift! We observed it in all of its glory when an osprey caught a fish then an eagle dive bombed it so it could drop the fish – you see this shimmering silver fish drop and the eagle goes into a dive and snatches it out of the air! We met a new friend today: a massive sea lion who followed us and hung around for an hour popping up and barking at us! We even got a wave from its flipper as we made our crossing. We caught some serious wash from a massive container ship: bows pointed into the waves and the unbridled joy and laughter you heard over the din of diesel engines was pure and childlike!
We have settled into the routine of waking up early getting on our damp drysuits and paddling clothes, breakfast, break down camp, pack the kayaks, safety brief and comms check then on the water!
The further we are travelling on the water the more you appreciate this journey we are on! It’s reconnecting not only with nature but rebuilding parts of us that were lost, damaged or too scared to share.
8th May: DAY 2
From Vashon Island to Blake Island to Bay Bainbridge
Distance 37.25 km
What a day! It was filled with wonder and amazement!! We kayaked next to a pod of Porpoise!!! It brought a smile to all of us!! On Blake island we saw deer and a gaze of raccoons!
Finding the solace and serenity in kayaking spending a day on the water with salt on your skin, water getting splashed onto your face, the sound of your paddle skimming over the surface! Today was a good day! The different hues of green along the coastline amazes me, the turquoise, blue and crystal clear water is an absolute pleasure to experience – nature in all of her glory!
This was one of our longest paddle days for a long while! Mother nature has a habit of humbling you very fast – some kilometres felt like paddling in treacle!! A lot of output for not much water covered!!
