Sea Kayak - Deception Pass

The plan is to unload all boats and gear at our launch site then shuttle as many vehicles as we can to our end point. I'll hand out instructions for shuttle drivers at that time.

Once we have all the drivers back to the launch point we'll put in and paddle out into Bowman Bay to an area where we'll practice self and assisted rescues. When we're done with rescue practice, we’ll paddle around Reservation Head and Lighthouse Point then continue through Canoe Pass at about the Slack Before Flood event and take advantage of the building flood as we head east to Hoypus Point and the south to Ala Spit. After lunch we’ll catch the ebb at the passage there and head to Goat Island for break. For those interested, we’ll take a short hike there to see the ruins of Fort Whitman, the most hidden of the Ring of Fire forts from the Endicott Era. Finally, we’ll continue on to La Conner to end our Bridge to Bridge paddle. I expect we will be done paddling by about 3:30pm.

Note: Two knots is typically the maximum current speed for a student paddle. The maximum current speed encountered on this particular trip is expected to be a little over two knots at one point, all going in our direction of travel (as long as we keep to schedule and there are no significant deviations from the current predictions).

My plan is to arrive at Canoe Pass before the morning Slack Before Flood and take advantage of the building flood or our travel to Ala Spit. Timing can be tricky at this pass so the plan is to get there a bit early in case the current reverses sooner than predicted. Waters there tend to be a little confused at slacks but we should be fine as long as we all keep paddling. In other words, do as you aughter, keep a blade in the water!

For this activity, students are expected to demonstrate self and assisted rescues. Each participant will also be expected to bring their own basic trip plan, including a chart marked with routes, tide, current, weather notes and other planning considerations for the conditions on the day of the paddle.  Extra points for including magnetic bearings, distances, and times between waypoints.

Registration to be a participant on this student paddle requires trip leader approval. Please wait until this trip opens for registration before requesting to be added to the roster as a participant. Requests made prior to the opening of registration will not be processed.

We will meet at Bowman Bay boat ramp at 8:00am sharp. This is the park north of the Deception Pass Bridge. From Highway 20, turn on Rosario Road and then Bowman Bay Road and follow the signs to the boat ramp. We will be launching from the beach on the north side of the boat ramp. We will have a lot to do unloading boats and gear, shuttling cars, and preparing to launch. Please plan to arrive on time, or a little early.