Elevation Gain: Maybe 10 feet. I was on the sea, except at night where I was sleeping on an island.
Time: Tuesday 12:30 pm - Thursday 12 pm
Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy and even a little rain. Strong winds on the water at times.
After returning from my 12 days in the Olympics, I had to turn around and pack for a 3 day 2 night kayak trip in the San Juan Islands. I was super excited for this trip since I have never kayaked before and so many of my friends do. This was a trip with a total of 9 people, 8 who have worked or currently work for my school, and the spouse of one of my colleagues. It was a fun, albeit a learning and challenging experience.
It starts really with the day before the trip Monday July 18th. I did not leave school after returning with the kids from my 12 day trip until about 6 pm. I then went home where I spent a good 20 minutes chatting with neighbors who thought I was lost in the woods for sure. I then went to a couple of grocery stores trying to get all the needed food items for the gourmet dining experience leader trips can be. Then getting home and unpacking, cleaning, doing laundry and repacking could begin. As I began the process of packing, I was extremely flustered and taken back by the difficulty of planning for something you have never done. I was constantly checking I had the essentials: head lamp, batteries, extra glasses, etc. I was also dealing with the challenge of trying to get these in waterproof stuff sags. Since I don't own these I used garbage bags and my nylon stuff sacks. By the time I really felt ready to go, it was 2 am. I had to be at school to meet a friend by 5 am, and as tired as I was I knew I would over sleep. I stayed up. I would sleep in the car.
At 5 am on Tuesday, I met my friend. We loaded his car, locked mine up, and went to pick up another friend from work. By 5:45 am, we were all together loading up the two vans with gear and food for 9 people for 3 days. So excited to be with friends, I caught a second wind. I enjoyed spending the next couple of hours catching up about our summers. We left so early to catch a ferry in Anacortes to Lopez Island. By the time we got Fisherman Bay on Lopez Island it was 11:30 am. We finally launched at 12:30 pm.
We were heading to Turn Island. This is night 1 of the 5 day 4 night trip we do with kids in the fall. I really enjoyed this leg. I was tired for sure, but the sea was a lot of fun. We saw tons of seals, birds, and other boats. The kayak felt stable and the currents and winds were not too tough for this first hour and a half.
We launched for Jones Island. This is the second day of the school trip, but we were trying to do this in 3 days, not 5. The next couple hours were tough, but I was hanging in. I was definitely not up in first, and slowly I began moving to the back consistently. The currents and winds were not in our favor, so we were staying close to the shore of Friday Harbor. When we began the cross to Jones Island, I started to feel so weak. My arms ached, I was tired, and I could not keep up with the majority of the group. I guess I wasn't the only one needing a break, and at about 5:45 pm, we go to a spit of an island to break. I joked to my friend on the shore that the rip tide we were in was my onion. Unfortunately, This would not even come close.
We got back in our kayaks and went for Jones Island. I remember falling behind early and being physically exhausted. I started closing my eyes and paddling 4 strokes then opening them and readjusting my course. I was looking at time closely in the brief moments I could keep my eyes open. I was seeing how long I could paddle without stopping. Minutes seemed like an eternity. The next thing I remember was a buddy, heading towards me, while I was a lot closer to the Island suddenly, but east of the harbor I was looking to land in. The best I can surmise is that I fell asleep. When I came to, I was not fully there. I was nauseous and feeling outside my own head, looking in and wondering why I was so confused and weak. I think in addition to exhaustion, I was dehydrated. When I finally landed, I could hardly move. I sat drank water, and got into warm clothes. I felt normal again in about 30 minutes. Amazing appetizers, dinner, and desserts sent me to bed feeling 100%.
The next morning I made scones for everyone. We got loaded up by 10 am and launched for Olga Marine State Park on Orcas Island. We crossed to Deer Harbor, and I started feeling sick and nauseous again. I was super mad, but I learned from the day before to say something before I was in a worse state again. We got into a small beach on Shaw Island, where they moved me into a tandem boat. The two colleagues with the most experience were the navigators, and at this point changed the trip to go back to Turn Island. I know I should not feel this way, but I fell like I ruined the trip. Of course, no colleague made me feel this way, and judging by the laughs we had it is not true. But, I wish the original plan could have been kept.
We shipped again, this time heading to a lunch stop on Shaw island. And on the way in the tandem, I got nauseous again and finally blew it into the ocean. My stomach decided the scones would be better for the fish of the San Juan Islands. I felt better, a lot better. But, I think I have a few new nicknames at work.
The rest of the day to Turn Island I felt great. That night was a ton of fun too. I stayed up late and heard seals playing in the water. The next morning was great. We woke up to rain ending and sun starting to break through as we began packing. We launched for Lopez Island and Fisherman Bay. I was paired with another colleague today, and we rocked it. We stayed second place all day, and I felt great. I still want to kayak more, but maybe I should just stick to short trips, like Turn Island to Lopez Island.
Orchid: Kayaking
Onion: Oh, I don't know...
Picture:
Google Map
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