Thursday Backyard Play

Had a super time yesterday over at Shilshole. Launched around 2:30pm on a beautiful afternoon. I don't recall seeing a cloud in the sky. Parking @ Golden Gardens was surprisingly tight--i figured folks wouldn't play hooky on a Thurs, and certainly not that early.

There was a refreshing 10-15 knot N-NW wind that made for some fun 1-2 footers. My routine involves paddling into the wind to warm up and get a good workout and then reward myself heading downwind and surfing whatever i can get. Once i passed Carkeek, i just had to turn around and start catching these guys. Usual marine traffic at the channel entrance provided miscellaneous surfing opportunities and just neat swells on which to bounce about. I assume the combination low tide and additional fetch for the north wind factored in creating beaucoup whitecaps and some great rides towards DiscoveryPark. Caught one super sweet ride on one of them *sigh*.

6 foot freighter waves still elude me at this point though--must ask Rob how close i have to get to catch 'em without becoming paddler pate. Tugboat wakes will suffice for now. Living several hours away from ocean waves, i can't be too hoity-toity about wave selection.

Returned around 5 after going back and forth paddling and surfing. I couldn't bear to quit but i was pretty pooped from the constant paddling into the wind and then sprinting to catch rides. Plus i'd hoped to go to yoga afterwards.

So much for that--it was too nice to leave so i hung around on the beach watching fellow urbanities soak up the sun and play beach volleyball. Oh, and scoped out a beached sailboat! on the northern part of the beach where the old pilings still stand at low tide. Should've brought my cam. Not sure what exactly happened to the poor chap. Then I lost track of the time while watching other paddlers. One was teaching the other capsize recoveries: braces, hip-snaps, yaddayadda. The others were an older couple w/ Eddyline boats out to enjoy the waters. Perhaps i suffer from voyeuryakerism as I enjoy watching other kayakers as much as i like to paddle. Oh dear...what next, paddleporn? Better go cancel those Paddler mag subscriptions and save my soul while i still can.

Wasn't worth fighting rush-hour traffic to go to yoga, so i went grocery shopping and made dinner and picked mom up from her yoga sess. Good times!