Hammersley Inlet

11/22/14 -SAT –III—HAMMERSLEY INLET-WALKER PARK TO HOPE ISLAND AND RETURN. APPROX 16 NM.
LEADER: LISA A JOHNSON
PADDLERS: TIM BURKE, PAT CARNEY, TIM CARNEY, KIM FRASHER, ROSEANNE LORENZANA, DAVE STOLIER
TIDES/CURRENTS: SHELTON: 5.91E @ 1239, 13.90F @ 1702. ARCADIA: 7.04E @ 1139, 14.18F@ 1631. WEST END CURRENT: -1.4 @1000, +1.2 @ 1345. LIBBY PT CURRENT: -2.1 @ 1030, s @ 1315, +1.7 @ 1500.
CONDITIONS: SEA CALM TO CHOPPY 0-1+’ WW, SW 10-12 KT, GUST 14 KT AROUND HOPE ISLAND, OVERCAST CLEARING TO MOSTLY SUNNY IN AFTERNOON, TEMPS 40-50, VISABILITY EXCELLENT.
SIGHTED: SEALS, SEA LION, CORMORANTS, SCOTERS, COOTS, BUFFLEHEADS, KINGFISHERS, MALLARDS, RACOON

Dave and Tim met me at 0830 to set up a bail out shuttle at the Arcadia boat launch before heading to Walker Park where everybody else had already arrived at 0930. I had neglected to mention in advance to park in the removable chained all day parking area on the east side of the park. The others moved their vehicles once Tim and I arrived. We started our huddle slightly late and launched approx 1030. We rode the increasing current east and made a detour into Mill Creek with some of us getting almost to the bridge before returning to the inlet where the others were having a break onshore or close to it at the creek mouth. We headed across the channel but there wasn’t much to play in at the hook so we rounded the corner to find a bit of wind at the mouth of the channel. We joined up and a group decision was made to go directly to the mid west side of Hope and follow the shoreline to the park on the southern tip. The sun had come out by this time and the preferred picnic table was in the lee of the wind when we arrived at 1230. We agreed that it probably would have been better to approach the north side of the island and come down in the lee on the eastern side but we still had made good time crossing the channel. We re-launched at 1330 with beautiful peeks at the snow covered Olympics. No action on the Steamboat Island shoal so we continued diagonally across the channel directly to the Arcadia boat launch and around the corner back into the inlet. Nobody opted to use the shuttle and we mostly hugged the southern shore to avoid any wind. I did spend about 10 minutes solo in the wind/waves in mid current before returning to the rest of the group. We made fast time on the building current, arriving back at Walker Park at 1530. Most of us had brought wheels which made the carry back to the vehicles much easier. It was getting dark fast as Pat and Tim C. followed Tim B. and I back to Arcadia to pick up my car. The others had opted out so we then proceeded to have an excellent dinner at the Fish Tail Brew Pub in Olympia. Even though this trip had a very wide skill set level all paddlers performed well with excellent group dynamics. A special thank you to Tim B and Dave for their assistance with the shuttle!