April Speaker

The speaker at the April meeting (April 12th), will be Olympia paddler and kayak guide Jason "Kiwi" Goldstein. He'll be presenting some stories and images from his adventures in Baja, including a circumnavigation of Isla Carmen in the Sea of Cortez. Come listen to stories of scorpions and dolphins, remote desert beaches and crystal waters...

A Perfect winter paddle

The Anderson Island trip went off without a hitch. The paddling conditions were perfect, the temperatures were pleasant. There were five of us that made the trip, leaving from Steilacoom at noon on Saturday. We stopped at Eagle Island on the way out, just to stretch our legs, then made our way down Balch Passage to Anderson Park.

The tide was still on the way in and it got high enough that the spit where we would normally have camped was almost submerged. The tide height for the following morning was going to be even higher, so we made the decision to camp up the hill to the east. We set up the tarp down at the base of the spit for a kitchen area and collected wood for a fire.

A brief word about the food. Rich Hahn did the cooking, dutch oven heaven for the rest of us. The evening meal was a spicy tri-tip roast and the breakfast was a scramble with hash browns, egg, sausage and mushrooms. Waaay better than what I would have made for myself... thanks Rich!

The conditions on day 2 were even better than they had been the day before. Not a drop of rain, warm breezes and calm water. We didn't get on the water until just after 10am, but the current gave us a boost and we got to the beach on Ketron Island by about 11:45. From there back to the launch ramp went quickly... done at 12:20pm.

A great trip... hard to believe it was January. I hope everybody who couldn't make it on this trip got out on the water somewhere. See you next time.

Last call for Anderson Island

The trip is on... we're expecting between 6 and 10 participants for this weekend's overnight to Anderson Island. Look for photos when we get back and stories at next month's meeting.

And get out on the water!

Video premiere at February meeting

Mark your calendars and don't miss the February meeting…

February 8, 2010, 7:00 PM

University of Puget Sound, Memorial Fieldhouse, Room 117

Northwest premiere screening of Paddle California, a video project by kayaker Bryant Burkhardt, that documents the beauty and power of paddling in the Golden State. From the rivers to the ocean, on solo trips and group expeditions, this film works to capture all that paddling in California has to offer. This free presentation is hosted by Matelót, Tacoma’s sea kayak club. For more information, please call (253)691-7941.

See you there!

2010 Puget Sound Challenge

The Olympic Kayak Club is hosting the PSC again this year. The route is different (Port Townsend to Allyn). It's a great way to get out on the water and a chance to meet up with lots of other kayakers in the area that you might not get to meet otherwise. Check out the club web site for more details.

Anderson Island trip soon

The Anderson Island overnight trip is coming up in a couple weeks. If you're planning on joining us for January 30th and 31st, please RSVP at 253.691.7941. We're trying to get an idea of how many are going to be coming out... time to put those cold-weather paddling skills and that ultra-cool clothing and equipment to use.

It's going to be a great trip.

An excellent start

To those of you who made it out today to the Polar Bear Paddle, what a great day! A good start to what is sure to be a very good year.

For the record, we had 25 total paddlers (24 kayakers/1 SUP). There was a strong breeze on the way out from Owen Beach to Ruston Way, but calm at the halfway point. The ride back was straight down wind, fast and bumpy. A great time was had by all.