After another leisurely breakfast, we rode back into town hoping to find a bike store where I could replace my bike mirror, which I broke on my fall yesterday. Found a great bike shop and great mirror, and then it was time for lunch: perhaps the best sandwich I have ever had in my life, at a little deli near the bike shop. Finally, we headed out for our intended day-ride to the little town of Naramata. Just as we got to the top of the steep hill out of town, I finally decided that the “funny feeling” I had been experiencing with my bike all morning deserved attention. A closer look turned up a loose headset… not a good thing to have if you’re really depending on your bike going in the direction you steer it. So, the others went on towards Naramata, but I went back down the hill to the bike shop. They spent a few minutes tightening the headset for me, and I was on my way again. About halfway up that same steep hill out of town, I decided things still did not feel at all right. Back down I go again. This time, the guy says OK, my headset bearings have probably gone bad; come back in an hour or so.
Thus, I had the opportunity to thoroughly explore downtown Penticton. I quite like this town. It seems just the right size to me. Large enough to have a cosmopolitan feel, small enough to still feel like a small town. Even though there is a Wal-Mart on the edge of town, downtown still feels vibrantly alive. At least 3 very nice coffee shops, a quilting store, a shoe store where they had Keene sandals on sale… uh-oh, it’s Nancy’s fault, since she pointed this one out to me, that I now have my favorite sandals in a third color, a lovely dusty lavender.
Just about the time the others rode back into town from Naramata, my bike was finally done. I still wanted to do the ride, so I headed out while the others headed back towards camp. Finally all back at camp, we enjoyed a great pasta dinner and then were looking longingly at the two old guys across the street from us who were eating bowls of ice cream. Some dessert sure would be good!. Off went Cheryl to buy us some nice, healthy fruit for dessert. She hadn’t been gone more than a few minutes when one of those old guys came over and offered us the remainder of his carton of ice cream! Dixon Seabrook, bless your heart! He stayed and chatted for a bit, and then came back with ANOTHER carton of ice cream. What a guy.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Trail of the Damned
Following the advice of someone who was NOT a bike tourist (note: big mistake), we attempted to ride the KVR from Okanagan Falls to Penticton. It seemed like such a good idea… right along the western shore of Skaha Lake, totally flat.
BUT…it quickly went from hard-packed dirt to loose gravel, large rocks, and in places, mini-sand-dunes. 
After struggling 
through this, walking a good bit of the way, and ¾ of us taking falls, we decided to bag it at about the halfway point. From the lake we had to push our loaded bikes about a kilometer up a very steep hill to get to the highway. 
Not a lot of fun, but once we got there it was a nice downhill coast into Penticton. 
From the shore of Skaha lake, its another 5 miles into downtown Penticton, which is actually on the shore of Lake Okanagan. Although we had originally intended to ride on to camp near Summerland, we were all too worn out from the awful trail experience, so hoped to find camping near downtown. No such luck. The only campgrounds near downtown were “No Tents” (guy said they ruin the grass). We did find a marvelous restaurant for lunch,
followed by Starbucks. Then back we went the 5 miles to Skaha Lake to find camping. The first one we tried had closed for the season at 5pm that day (it was about 5:15). The second one wanted us to pay for three separate sites at $24 each. But the third one was just right… very friendly and a little rough around the edges, with lots of senior citizens apparently living there full time. We crowded our 3 tents onto one of their 10 or so gravel tent pads, next to another group of women who were avid rock climbers; Skaha Bluffs, just down the road, is a popular rock climbing area.
This may be a new low for Rainbow Riders. It took us 7 hours to ride 21 miles today.
BUT…it quickly went from hard-packed dirt to loose gravel, large rocks, and in places, mini-sand-dunes. 
After struggling 
through this, walking a good bit of the way, and ¾ of us taking falls, we decided to bag it at about the halfway point. From the lake we had to push our loaded bikes about a kilometer up a very steep hill to get to the highway. 
Not a lot of fun, but once we got there it was a nice downhill coast into Penticton. 
From the shore of Skaha lake, its another 5 miles into downtown Penticton, which is actually on the shore of Lake Okanagan. Although we had originally intended to ride on to camp near Summerland, we were all too worn out from the awful trail experience, so hoped to find camping near downtown. No such luck. The only campgrounds near downtown were “No Tents” (guy said they ruin the grass). We did find a marvelous restaurant for lunch,
followed by Starbucks. Then back we went the 5 miles to Skaha Lake to find camping. The first one we tried had closed for the season at 5pm that day (it was about 5:15). The second one wanted us to pay for three separate sites at $24 each. But the third one was just right… very friendly and a little rough around the edges, with lots of senior citizens apparently living there full time. We crowded our 3 tents onto one of their 10 or so gravel tent pads, next to another group of women who were avid rock climbers; Skaha Bluffs, just down the road, is a popular rock climbing area.This may be a new low for Rainbow Riders. It took us 7 hours to ride 21 miles today.
Hills!
Too tired to write yesterday. We did only about 32 miles with maybe 1400 feet of elevation gain
, but Nancy said it was the hardest 30 miles she’d ever done, and I would come close to agreeing. So much for my theory that we would be riding along the bottom of the valley, so it should be relatively flat.
But it was very scenic and we all enjoyed it.
We got very late start, close to noon by the time we got out of Osoyoos, and it was 5-ish before we got to OK falls. We asked a teenage girl which way to the provincial park, and she, of course, steered us the wrong way. After a couple of miles we were smart enough to ask again and got turned back the other way. But signage for finding the part was practically non-existent, so we opted for the RV part instead. Not very scenic… stuck way back in the corner behind the office and next to th4 restrooms… but functional , and we were tired.
My friends Gail and John from Texas are up here on vacation, and I went out for dinner and a nice visit with them while the others had a meal at camp.
Then we had a bit of excitement right after bedtime. I heard loud voices and then a strange loud scrambling sound…. Kids climbing over the fence right next to our tents, after running through the park and stealing beer, pop, and, for some reason, an ear of corn, from Rver’s coolers. They got away but dropped about half of their haul climbing over the fence. We found the ear of corn the next morning.
, but Nancy said it was the hardest 30 miles she’d ever done, and I would come close to agreeing. So much for my theory that we would be riding along the bottom of the valley, so it should be relatively flat.But it was very scenic and we all enjoyed it.
We got very late start, close to noon by the time we got out of Osoyoos, and it was 5-ish before we got to OK falls. We asked a teenage girl which way to the provincial park, and she, of course, steered us the wrong way. After a couple of miles we were smart enough to ask again and got turned back the other way. But signage for finding the part was practically non-existent, so we opted for the RV part instead. Not very scenic… stuck way back in the corner behind the office and next to th4 restrooms… but functional , and we were tired.My friends Gail and John from Texas are up here on vacation, and I went out for dinner and a nice visit with them while the others had a meal at camp.
Then we had a bit of excitement right after bedtime. I heard loud voices and then a strange loud scrambling sound…. Kids climbing over the fence right next to our tents, after running through the park and stealing beer, pop, and, for some reason, an ear of corn, from Rver’s coolers. They got away but dropped about half of their haul climbing over the fence. We found the ear of corn the next morning.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Osoyoos at last!
Sept 9,2009
Here we are in Osoyoos. Nancy and I left Everett about 9:30 this morning, after somewhat amazingly fitting all of our stuff into my car: 2 bikes, a kayak, a bike trailer, camping gear and a week’s worth of supplies for two people. We drove over on the north cascades highway, not the fastest but certainly the most scenic route. Stopped for lunch in Winthrop and made it to the border by about 5, where the guard asked us the usual (where ya from? Where ya going? Why? For how long?), told us with a perfectly deadpan face that it was going to snow here next week, and then waved us through, without ever asking for our passports or even our drivers licenses!
We tried to get into Haynes Point provincial part for the night, but, as had been my experience on a previous trip, it was full. The campground host says you must get there “much earlier” in the day to secure a spot. It’s a very popular place, on a long, narrow spit jutting out into lake Osoyoos, where practically every campsite is waterfront.
Oh well, of we went to the other, very touristy side of the lake, The nice, grassy-field campground that I stayed in a few years go has been pa paved over and turned into an rv resort, like most of this side of the e lake. We found 2 or 3 little run-down looking tent campgrounds. The first on e we stopped at had no one manning the office and no information whatsoever posted, so on we went. We are now at a tiny (11 sites) place squeezed in between apple orchards and rv resorts, with no electricity, a sign warning us to boil water before drinking. And for sale signs posted out front… so I imagine it will be gone to condos or rvs on my next visit. On the plus side, its just us and one other tent here, and we have free pickings of the loaded apple trees in the camp.
We drove into town to a\the ridge brewpub for dinner )really excellent beer and good food., and then took a drive up Anarchist mountain to watch the sun set over the lake. A good day.
Sept 10, 2009
14 males biking, 750 feet elevation gain
6 miles kayaking
Sunny and 80 F, perfect biking and kayaking weather!
After lingering over our campsite breakfast of coffee, tea, and oatmeal with apples from the trees hanging over our tents, off we went on our bikes to explore the town. A stop at the visitors center scored us some good information on bike routes. We stopped at the bike store hoping for some nice Canada-themed socks, but none to be found.
We then road out to visit the Nk’mip cultural center, which, although not a casino, certainly must be dragging in big bucks for the tribe. It’s a huge and beautiful place on the hillside overlooking Lake Okanagan. Many very nice sculptures,
a huge campground on the lake, a large condo development, a very pricey restaurant. There’s a museum which we elected not to visit due to the $12 admission. I forgot to ask how to pronounce Nk’mip. “Nik Mip?” “Unk Mip?”
From Nk’mip, we took hillside roads through orchards and vineyards, back to our campsite. I was so energized I hopped right in the kayak. I paddled into a brisk breeze for about an hour, enjoying bouncing in the small waves and watching the “stink boats” zoom by. There was a hobie cat just flying around the lake, making me wish that I still had my little sunfish sailboat. Turning back with the wind behind me, I made it back to camp in 40 minutes, hardly paddling.
September 11, 2009
I got chilly during the night last night, so dug out my sleeping bag liner, carefully unfolded it, and climbed inside of t and into my sleeping bag. Awhile later, I noticed I was still cold, and felt around.. No liner! I guess I dreamed it all! So once again, I dug it out, unfolded, climbed in, ahh, that/s better. But when I woke up this morning, I my liner was still packed away in it’s little stuff sack! (This makes me think of the dream sequence in American Werewolf in London, but not quite so scary.)
After another long, leisurely camp breakfast, with more of those fresh apples in our oatmeal, we decided to take a short drive. We took the Crow’s Nest highway , up ( and I do mean UP) into the fabulously scenic Similkameen valley. This is some of the prettiest scenery I’ve seen anywhere. A narrow valley with a bucolic green bottom full of orchards, vineyards and gardens, closely surrounded by steep, rocky mountains.
We stopped in Karemeos for lunch, and then drove an very steep road full of hairpin curves up to the Apex ski resort. The resort looks like it’s fallen on some pretty hard times, lots of of stuff for sale and nothing open.
Back down the mountain to Penticton, where we found a starbucks.. I asked an other star bucks customer abut the “jazz” placard she had hanging around her neck, and it turns out there’s a big Dixieland jazz festival in town all weekend. She told us to walk “just a block or two” over to the convention center to get more information. It turned out to be more like a mile, but on the way we found a big bike store where we once again could not find cool socks, but I did buy a shirt on sale. We finally made it to the convention center, picked up schedules, and each bough last year’s festival t-shirt. A worthwhile walk!
Our short drive ended up taking all day, and we finally got back to the campsite about 5, expecting Cheryl and Gerry to be there, but no. When they still weren’t there at 6, we headed off for dinner. When they STILL weren’t there, we started to worry. Much to our relief, they finally arrived at about 9:30.
Here we are in Osoyoos. Nancy and I left Everett about 9:30 this morning, after somewhat amazingly fitting all of our stuff into my car: 2 bikes, a kayak, a bike trailer, camping gear and a week’s worth of supplies for two people. We drove over on the north cascades highway, not the fastest but certainly the most scenic route. Stopped for lunch in Winthrop and made it to the border by about 5, where the guard asked us the usual (where ya from? Where ya going? Why? For how long?), told us with a perfectly deadpan face that it was going to snow here next week, and then waved us through, without ever asking for our passports or even our drivers licenses!
We tried to get into Haynes Point provincial part for the night, but, as had been my experience on a previous trip, it was full. The campground host says you must get there “much earlier” in the day to secure a spot. It’s a very popular place, on a long, narrow spit jutting out into lake Osoyoos, where practically every campsite is waterfront.
Oh well, of we went to the other, very touristy side of the lake, The nice, grassy-field campground that I stayed in a few years go has been pa paved over and turned into an rv resort, like most of this side of the e lake. We found 2 or 3 little run-down looking tent campgrounds. The first on e we stopped at had no one manning the office and no information whatsoever posted, so on we went. We are now at a tiny (11 sites) place squeezed in between apple orchards and rv resorts, with no electricity, a sign warning us to boil water before drinking. And for sale signs posted out front… so I imagine it will be gone to condos or rvs on my next visit. On the plus side, its just us and one other tent here, and we have free pickings of the loaded apple trees in the camp.
We drove into town to a\the ridge brewpub for dinner )really excellent beer and good food., and then took a drive up Anarchist mountain to watch the sun set over the lake. A good day.
Sept 10, 2009
14 males biking, 750 feet elevation gain
6 miles kayaking
Sunny and 80 F, perfect biking and kayaking weather!
After lingering over our campsite breakfast of coffee, tea, and oatmeal with apples from the trees hanging over our tents, off we went on our bikes to explore the town. A stop at the visitors center scored us some good information on bike routes. We stopped at the bike store hoping for some nice Canada-themed socks, but none to be found.
We then road out to visit the Nk’mip cultural center, which, although not a casino, certainly must be dragging in big bucks for the tribe. It’s a huge and beautiful place on the hillside overlooking Lake Okanagan. Many very nice sculptures,
a huge campground on the lake, a large condo development, a very pricey restaurant. There’s a museum which we elected not to visit due to the $12 admission. I forgot to ask how to pronounce Nk’mip. “Nik Mip?” “Unk Mip?”From Nk’mip, we took hillside roads through orchards and vineyards, back to our campsite. I was so energized I hopped right in the kayak. I paddled into a brisk breeze for about an hour, enjoying bouncing in the small waves and watching the “stink boats” zoom by. There was a hobie cat just flying around the lake, making me wish that I still had my little sunfish sailboat. Turning back with the wind behind me, I made it back to camp in 40 minutes, hardly paddling.
September 11, 2009
I got chilly during the night last night, so dug out my sleeping bag liner, carefully unfolded it, and climbed inside of t and into my sleeping bag. Awhile later, I noticed I was still cold, and felt around.. No liner! I guess I dreamed it all! So once again, I dug it out, unfolded, climbed in, ahh, that/s better. But when I woke up this morning, I my liner was still packed away in it’s little stuff sack! (This makes me think of the dream sequence in American Werewolf in London, but not quite so scary.)
After another long, leisurely camp breakfast, with more of those fresh apples in our oatmeal, we decided to take a short drive. We took the Crow’s Nest highway , up ( and I do mean UP) into the fabulously scenic Similkameen valley. This is some of the prettiest scenery I’ve seen anywhere. A narrow valley with a bucolic green bottom full of orchards, vineyards and gardens, closely surrounded by steep, rocky mountains.
We stopped in Karemeos for lunch, and then drove an very steep road full of hairpin curves up to the Apex ski resort. The resort looks like it’s fallen on some pretty hard times, lots of of stuff for sale and nothing open.
Back down the mountain to Penticton, where we found a starbucks.. I asked an other star bucks customer abut the “jazz” placard she had hanging around her neck, and it turns out there’s a big Dixieland jazz festival in town all weekend. She told us to walk “just a block or two” over to the convention center to get more information. It turned out to be more like a mile, but on the way we found a big bike store where we once again could not find cool socks, but I did buy a shirt on sale. We finally made it to the convention center, picked up schedules, and each bough last year’s festival t-shirt. A worthwhile walk!
Our short drive ended up taking all day, and we finally got back to the campsite about 5, expecting Cheryl and Gerry to be there, but no. When they still weren’t there at 6, we headed off for dinner. When they STILL weren’t there, we started to worry. Much to our relief, they finally arrived at about 9:30.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Fall arrives
Right on time for Labor Day, it has rained all weekend. I feel sorry for the Labor Day campers, but anyone from the northwest knows to expect this, and the rain is SO welcome!
I suppose this means I've waited too long to do any serious blackberry picking this year, but here's a picture anyway. This is from the beach near my house, but basically what every vacant lot, bluff, and untended yard look like around here in late summer. It amazes me to see blackberries for sale in the grocery store when there are quite literally enough blackberries here, free for the picking, for every man, woman, and child in the greater Puget Sound area.
I intended to light my furnace (propane fireplace) this morning but for some reason it won't light. Seems like I go through this every fall. I turn it off for the summer, since propane has become so expensive, to save the money that running the pilot light all summer would cost me. Then I end up paying the service man $150 to get it re-lit for me in the fall, thus pretty much negating any cost savings. Oh well, I suppose turning it off is still the environmentally correct thing do to.
A few nights ago during my sunset paddle, a whole school of porpoises passed within 50 feet of me... there must have been around a dozen of them. There are so many salmon jumping out there now, I really though one was going to land right in my boat. I wonder if it's legal to take one home if it volunteers like that?
Sunset has now travelled well south of it's summer position behind Double Bluff, to the northern part of the Olympics.
I've just about finished packing for my bike trip in the Canadian Okanagan, for which I will be leaving on Wednesday morning. I'm taking along my new netbook so hope to do some posts while on the trip.
A week or so ago my friends Vicki and Nick were here for a visit. YOu'll have to guess which one is which:
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Preparing for Hibernation
I've had a rare case of domesticity the last few days. Cleaned and reorganized my pantry, scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees, dusted and vacuumed.... the shortening days and fallish nip in the air have got me preparing for hibernation. I do believe I'm ready. I've had that "enough with the sun already!" thought several times recently.
Still, it's certainly nice to sit on the deck for my morning coffee. This morning I enjoyed listening to that late summer sound of nuthatches nyak-nyak-nyaking, just about the only birdsong left this time of year.
I have now moved my TV from the living room to the garage, in preparation for lugging it to the thrift store. Still planning to buy a small flatscreen to put in my sewing room downstairs, but I like NOT having one in the living room. In it's place I am finally able to display a lovely art glass vase that's been hidden away in my bedroom for years.
Paddling at sunset again tonight. Tiny ripples all over the water, making it look like a vast, undulating sea of corduroy. Saw lots of salmon (pinks, so I hear) jumping, and I do believe I may have seen a grebe meet it's demise: I was coasting slowly toward it when suddenly it squawked and went rather ungracefully underwater. It didn't look like a typical grebe dive, more like something had grabbed it from below. Hmmm....? Or maybe I just panicked it?
Still, it's certainly nice to sit on the deck for my morning coffee. This morning I enjoyed listening to that late summer sound of nuthatches nyak-nyak-nyaking, just about the only birdsong left this time of year.
I have now moved my TV from the living room to the garage, in preparation for lugging it to the thrift store. Still planning to buy a small flatscreen to put in my sewing room downstairs, but I like NOT having one in the living room. In it's place I am finally able to display a lovely art glass vase that's been hidden away in my bedroom for years.
Paddling at sunset again tonight. Tiny ripples all over the water, making it look like a vast, undulating sea of corduroy. Saw lots of salmon (pinks, so I hear) jumping, and I do believe I may have seen a grebe meet it's demise: I was coasting slowly toward it when suddenly it squawked and went rather ungracefully underwater. It didn't look like a typical grebe dive, more like something had grabbed it from below. Hmmm....? Or maybe I just panicked it?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Paddling into the sunset tonight, 
the wind came up suddenly and I found myself bouncing in 2-foot waves. Not to worry, I stayed close to shore, in about 4 feet of water, and enjoyed the ride. After paddling into the wind for a half hour I turned around and didn't have to paddle at all on the way back, courtesy of the tailwind and outgoing tide. I love being on the water!
It's surprising how fast our long days are disappearing.. sunset seems to be a good 5 minutes earlier each night. And although today was plenty warm, by sunset (now 8:10) I was wearing two extra layers and it really felt like fall.
Earlier today I picked up some friends at the ferry
and the four of us went up to Ebey's Landing to do the bluff hike. I had to stop and replace the rock "eye" in the dragon log.
Yesterday I biked up to Freeland, with the intent of getting a few groceries, but when I got there I discovered I'd left my lock in my other bag.... perhaps a sign of having too many bike bags???? So I made do with a quick run into the library to pick up some books on hold, and then over to the gym where I convinced them to let me leave my bike inside "just this once, I promise" while I got in my resistance training.
On my way home I decided to take the scenic -- and hilly!--- route down Saratoga Rd and through Langley. There is one hill on this route that is just a bugger, at least 400 feet of elevation gain and it seems to go on forever, with several of those cruel "false summits". My altimeter briefly showed a 27% grade, and although I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration, it has to be 10-15%.
I stopped for a snack in Langley and ran into Joel, a guy that I've kayaked with a couple times in WISK (Whidbey Island Sea Kayakers). He told me he'd had a close call here a few months ago: He and a friend went out for a sail ("...a three hour cruise....;-0")on his friend's Hobie Cat. After they'd gotten out aways and the boat didn't seem to be handling well, they realized they'd forgotten to put the plugs back in the pontoons! The boat rode lower and lower in the water, and they of course could make no headway and soon were in water up to their waists. Joel was wearing a wetsuit but not his friend. After SEVEN HOURS out there his friend was hypothermic and Joel knew he wouldn't last the night....finally at 10:30 pm another boat passing a mile or so away decided something looked wrong and came to the rescue.
Moral of the story (and memo to self) ALWAYS take your safety equipment with you! And I don't mean just a life jacket! Gotta take paddle float, pump, a light, some sort of communication device, as a bare minimum. I am good about the first three but am going to start being more religious about the others, honest I am.
I rode on from Langley and thought I'd take the bus from Clinton to avoid the last 8 hilly miles home. Sadly, there were already 2 bikes on the bus so no room for mine. I could've waited a half hour for the next bus but jeez, I'd rather ride than sit. So on I went, getting in a total of 40 miles and just under 3000 feet of elevation gain for the day.
Tuesday after work I drove up to the Everett Marina, intending to launch my boat there, which I've never done before. After finding out that (a) They want $5 just to use the boat ramp (b) The ticket machine would not take my credit cards, does not give change, and of course I did not have the correct change, (c) There were threatening signs prominently saying your car would be not just ticketed but IMPOUNDED if you didn't pay, (d) There was no provision whatsoever that I could see for someone just wanting to put a kayak in the water.... by this time I was pissed off so I left.
Drove on down to the ferry and was able to launch at the tiny 20-foot-long park tucked in next to the hotel there. I paddled northward for 45 minutes or so, but really not very pleasant scenery here. The railroad runs right along the water so it's all just ugly bulkhead, the new Boeing pier and another huge crumbling old pier of unknown origin. I did have a couple of harbor seals pop up to check me out.
the wind came up suddenly and I found myself bouncing in 2-foot waves. Not to worry, I stayed close to shore, in about 4 feet of water, and enjoyed the ride. After paddling into the wind for a half hour I turned around and didn't have to paddle at all on the way back, courtesy of the tailwind and outgoing tide. I love being on the water!It's surprising how fast our long days are disappearing.. sunset seems to be a good 5 minutes earlier each night. And although today was plenty warm, by sunset (now 8:10) I was wearing two extra layers and it really felt like fall.
Earlier today I picked up some friends at the ferry
and the four of us went up to Ebey's Landing to do the bluff hike. I had to stop and replace the rock "eye" in the dragon log.
Yesterday I biked up to Freeland, with the intent of getting a few groceries, but when I got there I discovered I'd left my lock in my other bag.... perhaps a sign of having too many bike bags???? So I made do with a quick run into the library to pick up some books on hold, and then over to the gym where I convinced them to let me leave my bike inside "just this once, I promise" while I got in my resistance training.On my way home I decided to take the scenic -- and hilly!--- route down Saratoga Rd and through Langley. There is one hill on this route that is just a bugger, at least 400 feet of elevation gain and it seems to go on forever, with several of those cruel "false summits". My altimeter briefly showed a 27% grade, and although I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration, it has to be 10-15%.
I stopped for a snack in Langley and ran into Joel, a guy that I've kayaked with a couple times in WISK (Whidbey Island Sea Kayakers). He told me he'd had a close call here a few months ago: He and a friend went out for a sail ("...a three hour cruise....;-0")on his friend's Hobie Cat. After they'd gotten out aways and the boat didn't seem to be handling well, they realized they'd forgotten to put the plugs back in the pontoons! The boat rode lower and lower in the water, and they of course could make no headway and soon were in water up to their waists. Joel was wearing a wetsuit but not his friend. After SEVEN HOURS out there his friend was hypothermic and Joel knew he wouldn't last the night....finally at 10:30 pm another boat passing a mile or so away decided something looked wrong and came to the rescue.
Moral of the story (and memo to self) ALWAYS take your safety equipment with you! And I don't mean just a life jacket! Gotta take paddle float, pump, a light, some sort of communication device, as a bare minimum. I am good about the first three but am going to start being more religious about the others, honest I am.
I rode on from Langley and thought I'd take the bus from Clinton to avoid the last 8 hilly miles home. Sadly, there were already 2 bikes on the bus so no room for mine. I could've waited a half hour for the next bus but jeez, I'd rather ride than sit. So on I went, getting in a total of 40 miles and just under 3000 feet of elevation gain for the day.
Tuesday after work I drove up to the Everett Marina, intending to launch my boat there, which I've never done before. After finding out that (a) They want $5 just to use the boat ramp (b) The ticket machine would not take my credit cards, does not give change, and of course I did not have the correct change, (c) There were threatening signs prominently saying your car would be not just ticketed but IMPOUNDED if you didn't pay, (d) There was no provision whatsoever that I could see for someone just wanting to put a kayak in the water.... by this time I was pissed off so I left.
Drove on down to the ferry and was able to launch at the tiny 20-foot-long park tucked in next to the hotel there. I paddled northward for 45 minutes or so, but really not very pleasant scenery here. The railroad runs right along the water so it's all just ugly bulkhead, the new Boeing pier and another huge crumbling old pier of unknown origin. I did have a couple of harbor seals pop up to check me out.
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