11.27.2022
Paddled with Jon as we launched from Purdy and headed out to do a lap around Raft island. Also got to explore plently on inlets/bays near Raft Island which was pretty cool.
It was calm waters all the way until we rounded the island to come back... Wind and waves really picked up which made it for a fun trip back, luckily the wind was at our backs so got to try and surf waves (which was also exhausting).
Total Distance: 13.09 miles
Duration: 03:32.08
Average Speed: 3.7 mph
Max Speed: 6.3 mph
11.26.2022
Arlyn ran the Seattle Marathon and I busted out the Pakayak and paddled Seattle while she ran. Launched from Jerry Perry Memorial Park in between Downtown and West Seattle. Paddled a little bit of Elliot Bay before heading up the Duwamish Waterway. Did a lap around Kellogg Island and was planning on heading back on the other side of Harbor Island, but was thwarted by not being able to fit under one of the bridges.
Awesome paddle going through a heavy industrial area before seeing some nice autumn leaves around Kellogg Island.
Total Distance: 8.72 miles
Duration: 02:31.08
Average Speed: 3.5 mph
Max Speed: 8.2 mph
10.23.2022
What a difference a week makes. Last week I was out in shorts and a long sleave warmer...this week it was a bini, paddling jacket with layers, paddling pants, and winter boots!
Launched from Gig Harbor again, but this time a solo trip. It's nice going out solo sometimes as its so peaceful and allows you to clear you head. This time I paddled Northeast and explored some of the shores of Vashon Island. I was also hoping to see the humpack whale in the area, but sounds like I just missed him.
Plenty of wildlife though as I was circled by a pod of porpoises a couple of times, saw a group of sea otters, and the usual seals and sea lions.
Total Distance: 11.34 miles
Duration: 02:35.34
Average Speed: 4.40 mph
Max Speed: 8.0 mph
10.16.2022
Last summer-like weekend. Met up with Jon and Jeramy as we launched from Gig Harbor and paddled to the Narrows Bridge and back. Shot down riding the tide and had to catch eddy's on the shore to make it back. I paddled up to a group of sea lions behind the Narrows Bridge pillar...they did not want me there!
Total Distance: 10.97 miles
Duration: 02:44.15
Average Speed: 4.01 mph
Max Speed: 10.14 mph
10.09.2022
Felt like it's been a long time since I've been out for a good kayaking trip... felt great and definately what I needed this weekend. Met up with Jon and Jeramy where we launched from Port Gamble and paddled north to Foul Weather Bluff and back.
Couldn't ask for a nicer day nearing mid-October. Saw lots of fish, seals, sea lions and porpoises...and potentially some kind of whale in the distance.
Total Distance: 12.74 miles
Duration: 03:22.45
Average Speed: 3.77 mph
Max Speed: 9.31 mph
09.24.2021
Our team re-united this year for another round of the Big Hurt, this time our team name was "Get Real, Get Better". This year they shortened the kayak leg and changed the route a bit, but didn't mind in the end.
I got sick the night before and had to deal with night chills all night and feeling like shit during the race. I powered through it not wanting to let my team down...ended up with the fastest kayaking time in the team category and we ended up third overall! Podium finish was awesome, but in hindsight it may have been the rona for me during the race...
Total Distance: 2.47 miles
Duration: 00:28:45
Average Speed: 5.43 mph
Max Speed: 7.26 mph
08.13.2022
Another kayak crabbing day, and first time dropping a crab pot. Again lauched from Shine Tidelands State Park, but explored South while the crab pot sat. Super calm day in the canal. Caught 2 Dungies and 2 Red Rock, yum.
Total Distance: 10.33 miles
Duration: 03:00.31
Average Speed: 3.5 mph
Max Speed: 5.5 mph
08.06.2022
Finally made it out kayak crabbing. Launched from Shine Tidelands State Park in the Hood Canal and managed to get one massive Dungie. Paddled North and explored a bit while also visiting the Hood's Dragon.
Total Distance: 12.56 miles
Duration: 03:33.02
Average Speed: 3.5 mph
Max Speed: 5.4 mph
07.28-29.2022
First kayak camping trip with Arlyn and it was awesome. We launched from Manchester and camped on the East side of Blake Island (same spot I camped at in June). Amazing spot right on the water with a large grassy area.
Couldn't beat the weather at all. The paddle out there was a little choppy, but glassy on the way home. Also explored the trails on the island during the day before heading back home (did part of the cross island trail along with the main island trail).
Total Distance Day 1: 3.68 miles
Duration: 02:20.44
Average Speed: 1.6 mph
Max Speed: 6.1 mph
Total Distance Day 2: 4.25 miles
Duration: 01:31.31
Average Speed: 2.8 mph
Max Speed: 4.3 mph
07.27.2022
With the consistent summer weather, got Ethan out on the kayak for the first time of the year. It was a calm afternoon, so decided to try him out in the Sound on his own for the first time. We launched from Haper Park area in the thick seaweed and paddled around the shore bit. Soon Ethan wanted to try and paddle to Blake Island and off we went. I'm super suprised he made it all the way out there and back without any trouble, pretty awesome.
Total Distance: 3.75 miles
Duration: 01:50.23
Average Speed: 2.0 mph
Max Speed: 5.0 mph
07.23.2022
26th annual Elk River Challenge and also the first race I did in the US last year. Fun race as always, but less in the sloughs this year due to a lower high tide. Did fairly well as I was first of the kayaks, and behind a surf ski that destroyed me!
Total Distance: 7.17 miles
Duration: 01:35:200
Average Speed: 4.5 mph
Max Speed: 6.2 mph
06.25.2022
Raced in the 2nd Annual Bremerton 2 Bridges Tidal Race, which is awesome as always to have a local race. Met up with a couple repeat participants this year, so was nice to chat with them again.
Race was fun, the current wasn't as strong this time, but couldn't beat the weather as it was the first nice weekend of the year. I placed 4th overall and 1st of the "normal" kayaks.
Total Distance: 5.16 miles
Duration: 00:55:60
Average Speed: 5.4 mph
Max Speed: 8.2 mph
06.18.2022
Lauched from North Bay Kayak Park in Allyn to explore more of Case Inlet. I knew there was a humpback whale (Kata) in the area so I was also secretly hoping to see her.
As I was coming out of Rocky Bay, I spotted her! So amazing to see. She was nearly under my kayak at one point, which is really freaky. I followed her at a distance out for a while, then decided to head home by crossing Case Inlet and going around Reach Island. When I came out from Reach Island, she breached behind me (at a little distance)! Felt like she was teasing me a bit... I paddled around hoping to get a good video or picture, but only managed one distant picture. Amazing time out in the kayak.
Total Distance: 12.68 miles
Duration: 03:33.11
Average Speed: 3.6 mph
Max Speed: 4.6 mph
06.16.2022
Day off from work and Arlyn and I headed out for a kayak trip. Launched from Pomeroy Park during a near record low tide and it was Arlyn's first time paddling to Blake Island. Super lucky to have Blake Island just two miles away.
Total Distance: 5.50 miles
Duration: 02:35.07
Average Speed: 2.2 mph
Max Speed: 4.2 mph
06.10-11.2022
Well, I finally did it! I completed the Seventy48 race!
Absolutely awesome, and humbling experience. It dumped rain for 3 hours prior to race start, but stopped right at the start and couldn't have asked for any better weather.
First stretch was from downtown Tacoma to Blake Island. Ran into a kayaker I previously met in Colvos passage and was good company. The sun set in the middle of Colvos and started seeing amazing bio-luminescence! Definately one of the coolest things I've seen kayaking. I took it really easy during this stretch to ensure I had enough energy. When I finally landed on Blake and it was packed with racers! Since there was a nice tail-wind, and a soon approaching ebb-tide, I decided only to do a quick bathroom break and headed back out.
I quickly met up with a fellow kayaker I met while waiting for the race to start and we paddled together from here. This stretch was basically from Blake Island to Fay Park, where we both pulled out and had another pee break. Fay Park was exactly half way, 35 miles!
It was a quick stop and we both headed out again with the goal of making it to Point No Point. My company started to tire out and faded back around Kingston, but I pressed on. This was the point I realized I was still feeling really good and decided to pick up the pace. Also got to see the sunrise in this stretch. Pretty cool to see both sunset and sunrise on the same paddle.
Another bathroom break at Point No Point and the tide shifted to a flood... Only 20 miles left so I decided to press on to the finish! The water was glass on officially Day 2 which made for a great paddle. Finished at roughly 14:09 Saturday after just over 19 hours and 37th place overall.
Had a quick beer and noodles when the family showed up to take me home. The race staff also interviewed me about my trip. I brought all the camping gear and extra clothes, but didn't end up using any of it...better to be prepared though. My biggest takeaway was I was basically constantly eating for energy. My favorite ended up being peanut M&M's. Amazing event and look forward to next year! Thanks to my family for letting me do this and all the time training, and of course my kayaking buddies who helped me get ready.
Total Distance: 71.12 miles
Duration: 19:09:00
Average Speed: 3.6 mph
06.05-06.2022
First kayak camping trip and also last training trip before the Seventy48 race. It was an awesome experience checking both boxes.
Jon, Jeramy, and myself launched from Fay Park on the northeast tip of Bainbridge Island and paddled the west side of the island to Blake Island. It was a tough trip as we had a very strong headwind the entire trip... Good for training and also testing the Valkyrie fully loaded with camping gear for the first time.
Camping on Blake was really cool as we really had the island to ourselves (besides wildlife and the camp rangers). Good company for sure around the campfire before retiring for the night. I love the feeling of packing all your gear in a kayak and paddling it to camp.
The next day we paddled back up the east side of Bainbridge to end the trip. Weather was really good on day 2 as it was glassy all the way back.
Several important lessons: 1) Eat lots of food during long trips 2) Bringer warmer clothes for overnight.
Total Distance Day 1: 19.86 miles
Duration: 06:27.34
Average Speed: 3.1 mph
Max Speed: 7.0 mph
Total Distance Day 2: 11.50 miles
Duration: 03:06.55
Average Speed: 3.7 mph
Max Speed: 4.9 mph
05.28.2022
Another training trip and a combined paddle with Jon to see his badass new Eddyline Sitka XT kayak
Launched from Silverdale Waterfront park and paddled to Lions Park where I met up with Jon. We paddled through the bridges with the tide to the Illahee area and back. The tide charts said the tide would swich at 10:47 AM, but they were wrong! We battled the tides through the bridges on way back, but was a good workout and good practice trying to find the eddies.
Total Distance: 24.31 miles
Duration: 06:13.20
Average Speed: 3.9 mph
Max Speed: 7.6 mph
05.21.2022
Seventy-48 is getting closer, trying to get more training trips in. Launched from the Longbranch Ramp on the Key Penninsula and circumnavigated both McNeil and Anderson Islands in the clockwise direction.
Total Distance: 19.74 miles
Duration: 04:59.33
Average Speed: 4.0 mph
Max Speed: 5.1 mph
05.15.2022
Arlyn ran the Capital City Marathon in Olympia and I took advantage of the Pakayak again and was able to bring it along. I never trusted keeping a normal sea kayak on top of the car overnight in Hotel in the city (plus the unknown of garage clearance height), this is the reason invested in a Pakayak.
Explored Budd Inlet on a very wet, but calm day.
Total Distance: 9.53 miles
Duration: 02:41.17
Average Speed: 3.6 mph
Max Speed: 5.4 mph
05.12.2022
Last kayak trip on my Virgia work trip. Weather was pretty stormy the last couple of days, but managed to sneak out for a short trip.
Launched from Lafayette Park and paddled some of the Lafayette River. Was sheltered from the winds most of the trip and just missed the downpour (started right after I packed up and got in the car).
Total Distance: 6.82 miles
Duration: 01:52.22
Average Speed: 3.6 mph
Max Speed: 6.3 mph
05.07.2022
Launched from the Elizabeth River Boad Landing Park to paddle more of the Elizabeth River, and paddled right by Norfolk Naval Shipyard (completely un-planned). I was paddling along and thought, "that looks like a Carrier!" Sure enough, it was the CVN69 sitting at NNSY.
Good paddle overall, was pretty sheltered from the wind and very cool to see NNSY from the water.
Total Distance: 5.22 miles
Duration: 01:26.45
Average Speed: 3.6 mph
Max Speed: 4.6 mph
05.05.2022
Amazing kayaking trip as Virginia is very different from Washington. Launched from Ballahack Boat Ramp and paddled parts of the Dismal Swamp Canal to Lake Drummond.
The canal was awesome, saw turtles and a bald eagle (not sure why the bald eagle suprised me). Thankfully no poisonous snakes or aligators! Also had to portage around the dam to get to the lake. Lake Drummond was breathtaking with all the cypress trees growing out of the water. It's crazy that this large lake only has a maximum depth of 6 feet...
Total Distance: 14.87 miles
Duration: 04:15.19
Average Speed: 3.5 mph
Max Speed: 5.3 mph
05.03.2022
Inagural kayak trip in my Pakayak Bluefin 142! Had a work trip to Nofolk Virginia and brought the Pakayak with me.
First trip was a quick one after my work conference before sunset...launched from Great Bridge Lock Park and paddled in the Elizabet River and Bell Mills Park.
Total Distance: 2.26 miles
Duration: 00:34.50
Average Speed: 3.89 mph
Max Speed: 4.7 mph
04.23.2022
Participated in the 2022 Gig Harbor Paddlers Cup, 10k race. It was a different race for sure doing four laps around the harbor...
It says something when someone in a surf ski has to draft off of me for three laps, which was pretty annoying. Then he passed me on the last lap and pulled away. Karma definately hit though as boat wake near the finish line capsized him and I ended up passing him! Too funny.
Cool event though as they had lots of vendors and kayak demos
Total Distance: 6.59 miles(including warmup, waiting for the start and cooldown)
Duration: 01:28:18
Average Speed: 4.47 mph
Max Speed: 9.33 mph
04.17.2022
First training trip for Seventy-48 and got to test out my new watch (Suunto Ambit Peak3)... was meeting up with Jon and Jeramy (and his new kayak) in Port Orchard, so decided to launch from Manchester to meet them there. The "commute" added roughly 8.5 miles each way.
We paddled from Port Orchard to Gorst and back, before I headed back home....and I was tired!
Total Distance: 23.4 miles
Duration: 06:33.26
Average Speed: 3.57 mph
Max Speed: 9.33 mph
04.06-07.2022
Spring break with for the kids so we rented a house on Lake Couer d'Alene in Mica Bay. Amazing house and got really lucky with the weather, which made for some great kayaking trips. Managed to make it out three times. Trip 1 was before sunrise and I paddled south and explored the lake. Trip 2 was an short afternoon trip while the kids were entertained, and paddled up Mica Creek. Trip 3 was again before sunrise and explored North this time. Amazing kayaking on a beautiful lake.
Trip 1 Total Distance: 10.27 miles
Duration: 02:30.19
Average Speed: 4.1 mph
Max Speed: 6.85 mph
Trip 1 Total Distance: 2.1 miles
Duration: 00:34.54
Average Speed: 3.61 mph
Max Speed: 5.91 mph
Trip 3 Total Distance: 10.99 miles
Duration: 02:42.30
Average Speed: 4.06 mph
Max Speed: 5.75 mph
03.20.2022
Lauched from Union and paddled to Hoodsport and back in the Hood Canal on a breezy and choppy water day. Still fun none the less. Only got a little frustrated at first going perpendicual to the wind, but gave up and let nature win to surf the small chop for a bit.
Total Distance: 8.65 miles
Duration: 02:14.11
Average Speed: 3.87 mph
Max Speed: 6.09 mph
03.12.2022
Paddled with Jon and Jeramy on a nicer than expected morning. Launched from Lions Park and paddled to Port Orchard and back, taking advantage of only a 1 foot tidal exchange.
Got an awesome surprise as we saw the USS SEAWOLF, SSN21, pulling into the shipyard. Man subs are very hard to see, guess there is a reason for that!
Total Distance: 10.15 miles
Duration: 02:49.47
Average Speed: 3.59 mph
Max Speed: 7.58 mph
03.05.2022
Even sunny days in the PNW turn into gray days on the water. Still a much needed break for the head and soul paddling out in the silent foggy waters after a tough work week. Launched from Misery Point in Seabeck and paddled South...had to hug the shoreline for the trip down as there was really thick fog. Only was far enough out to just barely keep shore in view.
Paddled to one of my favorite quick hikes in Guillemot Cove where I've hiked many of times. Kinda cool coming up to the cove via Kayak.
Total Distance: 11.33 miles
Duration: 02:49.52
Average Speed: 4.00 mph
Max Speed: 7.17 mph
02.13.2022
Felt better about this race, mostly because the competition wasn't as fierce.
Super fun race as the race was from Ballard Elks south around 4 mile rock and back. Most of the race was into the fog which made it more interesting. Ended up beating 2ea outriggers and also a gentleman paddling an Epic 18X.
Total Distance: 7.51 miles(including warmup, waiting for the start and cooldown)
Duration: 01:36:48
Average Speed: 4.65 mph
Max Speed: 7.64 mph
02.07.2022
Will never get sick of seeing this from the kayak. Got to see the Nimitz head out back to sea again, but this time in the daylight. Waiting to the very last minute till I had to be off the water for an appointment.
Total Distance: 4.2 miles
Duration: 01:29.54
Average Speed: 2.8 mph
Max Speed: 7.71 mph
02.05.2022
It's races like these that really humble you. The competition was elite (in my eyes)... It didn't help that I was in the last wave which consisted of the fastest paddlers, so I felt like I was in last the entire race! Ended up 61st out of 78, yikes!
Makes me want to work harder, so it's a good thing. Beautiful area to paddle though, the nice things about races is it forces me to paddle new areas.
Total Distance: 7.46 miles(including warmup, waiting for the start and cooldown)
Duration: 01:47:06
Average Speed: 4.18 mph
Max Speed: 7.44 mph
01.29.2022
Cold crisp paddle as it was 28 deg at launch. Paddled a counter-clockwise lap around Anderson Island from the Key Peninsula. Pretty cool island with most of the shoreline having cliffs and remote from houses.
Total Distance: 13.46 miles
Duration: 03:18.51
Average Speed: 4.06 mph
Max Speed: 6.06 mph
01.16.2022
Participated in the Elk Crossing Benevolent Benefit race (8.2 mile long course) put on by Salmon Bay Paddle. Super calm conditions and the race consisted mostly of SUPs. I was 1st (and last) in my class and only managed to beat SUPs (and got beat by 2 fast ones)! Overall very fun race and felt good stamina-wise throughout the race.
Total Distance: 8.93 miles(including warmup, waiting for the start and cooldown)
Duration: 01:53:56
Average Speed: 4.7 mph
Max Speed: 8.59 mph
01.08.2022
First paddle of the year and it was more of a training one as there are a couple of races I'm eyeing in the next few weeks. Brought out the Valkyrie with the wing paddles as I paddled from Pomeroy Park in Manchester to Manchester State Park. Arlyn and the kids drove to the state park where I met up with them. Good paddle with decent conditions considering the weather lately.
Total Distance: 6.46 miles
Duration: 01:28.28
Average Speed: 4.38 mph
Max Speed: 7.24 mph
