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Trip Report    

Maury Island

  • Tue, Dec 1, 2015
  • Maury Island
  • Sea Kayaking

Maury Island Circumnavigation, Saturday 11-28-2015
What a day!
We had two goals: One was to Circumnavigate Maury Island, and the other was to get as far away from the shopping centers as possible. We went to Vashon Island to work on both.
We launched just as the fog was lifting at 10AM from Jenson Point at Burton Acres Park. It was just a few degrees above freezing, but all were dressed plenty warm.
Our first stop was at Portage, and we learned how Portage got its name! We wheeled our kayaks about 500 feet to the north shore of Portage, and launched into Tramp Harbor.
We headed southeast to Point Robinson in calm water and full sun. We stopped at the lighthouse for lunch and a quick look around.
Our next stop after lunch was a visit to Maury Island Marine Park. We found a new shelter in the park and many of the native plants the Mountaineer Sea Kayakers planted years ago in good shape. This site would make a great Water Trails campsite. Perhaps that would be a good project for the Mountaineers kayaking community.
The next leg of the trip was the long paddle south into the sun and a gentle headwind on the way to Piner Point. The afternoon sun was lower in the sky and gave us a lot of glare, which limited our sightseeing. But we soon rounded Piner Point, and after a short stop, we headed north to the launch with the late afternoon sun at our backs.
Quartermaster Harbor is a winter habitat for many seabirds. Many of the birds there are colorful and fun to watch at a distance. We arrived at the finish near sunset and froze our hands getting the boats on the cars.
Our final stop was for Susi and a debrief at the Red Bicycle in downtown Vashon. It was a great trip with a great group.