Sea Kayak - Fox Island Circumnavigation

We launched ½ hour late at 1000, threading our way through the tall pilings under the watchful eye of a bald eagle sitting on top of the highest one on a depressingly low tide.  After a radio check and Molly kindly retrieving my escaped foam noodle we headed almost due west where we found only some little chop in the shoal located about mid channel off the NE corner of Fox Island. Nobody opted to get out and we moved along briskly in the current which soon has us whipped around the opposite corner where it predictably slowed down. We continued non-stop up the pretty shoreline, saying hello to a couple working in their yard and stared at a feeding eagle in a tree which stared back at us. We hauled out on the east side of the spit approx 1220, sitting on a log on the west side enjoying the beautiful Olympics in the distance and for a while watched a fisherman with an anxiously attentive dog (“she brings it in when I hook one”).  The sun began disappearing behind some high clouds as we ate that eventually mostly cleared after we launched again about 1340 with a reminder about radio use.  It wasn't needed as we stayed together on  a 1+ knot current flowing under the bridge.  We easily covered the 4 nm up the mid channel to pause again at the NE corner of the passage across from Titlow at 1430.  Again nobody opted for a break and after a brief check of the conditions we headed dead east across the quiet channel to once again thread our way through the now many underwater pilings on a gratifyingly high tide to our takeout. We had a very short carry this time and had all the boats hauled up on the grass at 1500.  After a brief post huddle only Terry came to dinner at my house afterwards.  A really nice paddle on a beautiful day with lovely fall colors.  All paddlers performed well with excellent group dynamics.