Section #13 with Betsey Curran
August 27th, 2020 at 6:15am
Rolling Bay Walk to Yaquina shore access, 1.25 hours
After my last sunrise paddle, I couldn't think of a better way to spend the next section with my sister-in-law Betsey, also my husband's twin, and another one of my amazing Bosom Buddies. Betsey has a positive outlook on overcoming breast cancer and does not take anything for granted in life, which is such an inspiration for me!
Who can blame me for picking another glorious summer morning to be on top of the smooth and glassy Puget Sound Salish Sea water?! Brendan snapped this photo of us launching just before sunrise.
I couldn't resist encouraging Betsey to try doing this 'downward dog' yoga pose on her SUP, as I snapped a photo of her with the sun rising over the Cascade Mountains.
Wow, right?!! Our majestic Mt Rainer or also known as Tahoma, is often covered in clouds or a marine layer of moisture. So, when it is in full view or 'Out' as us Northwesterners say, there is nothing more spectacular! This photo from the surface of the water makes the mountain appear to float just above in the distance.
We reluctantly turned our backs toward these sunrise views and pointed our boards in the direction of Murden Cove/Manitou Beach where a large collection of sea birds had gathered along an expanse of tidal flats, pecking at the mud and sand for their breakfast of shellfish and sand fleas.
I must admit, once again I was not paying attention to the tides when I picked the day and time to launch for this section, since I was only focused on the time of the sunrise! As we paddled toward Manitou Beach, the tide was at its lowest level of -.2, and hardly any water was left in this large, wide and shallow bay. The sun had risen, and I was now beginning to warm up from the chill of the morning air, as we paddled along the water's edge being careful not to hit bottom with our boards. Looking across the emptied out bay of water, we realized that our paddle would be much shorter than anticipated, due to not being able to follow the shoreline at a higher tide. Seagrass swayed under our boards as we neared our destination, catching up on family news before being picked up by my son Dylan at the Yaquina shore access. Off in the distance, the marine air had begun to roll into the Sound over the water, covering the base of the Mountain in a blanket of moisture. It was 7:30 in the morning, and our day was just beginning with a sunrise paddle I will never forget!
Section #14 with Sylvie Ludwig, Julie Meyers, Sue Constan and Lisa Rose
September 4th, 2020 at 4:15pm
Yaquina shore access to Hawley Cove, 1.5 hours
Here I am with four friends, getting closer to the end of my circumnavigation with only two sections to go! Recognize the two gals on the right? Lisa was with me on section #9, and Sue has been with me on two other paddle sections, #5 and 11! It does help that these two have their own inflatable SUPs, and sometimes happen to be in the right place at the right time. A week prior, I was scouting out this shore access, since I had never been here before. I wanted to make sure I knew what the location looked like from the water, so that my sister-in-law and I wouldn't miss our landing for SUP section #13. As fate would have it, Sue and her dog happened to be on a walk in this neighborhood, and once again we ran into each other! I told her what I was doing, and asked her to join me on this next section #14, and of course she said yes!
The downside of the east side of Bainbridge Island is that the homes facing this direction lose the sun about mid-day. I guess this great view of Seattle, like the background of this photo makes up for it. Im sure Julie Meyers (left side of this photo) would agree too while selling a home to a prospective buyer, as a realtor and the owner of Bainbridge Homes! The pilings out behind us in the water are left over from a dock that accommodated a fleet of ferries called the Mosquito Fleet. These ferries moved Islanders around the Sound during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Each shoreline community on Bainbridge Island had a store and a ferry dock, and many of these dock pilings still exist around the shorelines of the island. In fact, during these times, water travel was much easier than overland travel on slippery, muddy island roads. Personally, I too prefer water travel on my SUP over walking the island roads, especially as a form of exercise and socializing during these Covid times!
There are a few ways to 'hang out' on SUP boards. Sylvie in the foreground is demonstrating the kneeling position while paddling, Julie is demonstrating the 'down dog' yoga position, which is not a paddle position, but pretty impressive! Ahead of these two are Lisa and Sue who are standing up on their stand up paddle boards, hence the name SUP. Btw, don't let Sylvie's casual paddling position fool you... Soon after this photo was taken, she stood up and took off paddling with determination at an increased distance in front of us ~ more on that later!
Here is Lisa, looking like a seasoned SUPer, with a backdrop of the 'Emerald City', appearing more blue than green from a distance!
Sue was looking forward to this section of the paddle, because much of her childhood summers were spent on Yeomalt Point with an enclave of close knit families who summered in cabins along this stretch of waterfront. She and I shared similar stories of waterskiing 'on glass' behind a Boston Whaler, beach escapades with a pack of kids, and jumping off of high piers into the frigid Puget Sound water.
For Sylvie this paddle was also a trip down memory lane. Here she is stopping to take a look at the first home she lived in when she moved to the Island. Notice how she is kneeling again and perhaps a little wet? This is after paddling in a stand up position ahead of us around Wing Point. As we rounded the point behind Sylvie, I saw the tail end of what looked like her taking the 'Nestea Plunge' off the back of her board! Later, she told me that this was not unusual for her to fall in just before getting to the end of a paddle, while being distracted by something shiny under the surface of the water below.
The incoming tide this day was doing what it commonly does when it flows into a bay around a headland, known as embayment circulation. I knew that there would be some squirrelly water action as we went around the point, which was probably what contributed to Sylvia's plunge! I told her that we would have to call this an 'intentional plunge' and not an 'accidental fall'. Otherwise we would have to start back at where we began at Yaquina shore access, all because of my SUP rule #2, referenced in Section #7. When asked what 'lesson' we could learn from this, Sylvie confidently said something to this effect, "If you fall because 'shiny distractions' might get in your way, then getting up is what you have to do to keep going in order to get to the end". I told her I would accept this as a lesson in life over my silly SUP rule on any day, and especially this day! Thank you Sylvie for demonstrating this life lesson so gracefully and bravely both on and off the SUP!
Section #15, The Final Paddle!
Water Crew:
Brendan Curran, Dylan Curran, Emily Burks, Keelin Curran, Mary Curran, Dean Ericksen, Betsey Curran, Sue Constan, Julie Meyers, Sylvie Ludwig, Marie Sinclair, Jennifer Cunningham, Ann Ellis, Peter Perry
Land Crew:
Dea Perry, Mary Rain, Kevin Curran, Walt and Bonnie Johnsen, Rachel Hofer and kids, John Ellis, Megan, Eric, Ottis and Olivia -Curran-Sanchez, August Ericksen.
Supply and Gear, Transportation Support and Camera Crew:
Steve and Julie Matthews, The Niehaus', Walt and Bonnie Johnsen, Brendan Curran, Dylan Curran and Emily Burks
European Crew:
Melanie Curran and Duskin Drum
September 6th, 2020 at 3:15pm
Hawley Cove Park to Strawberry Plant Park, 1 hour
Im not sure how this happened, but the final day of paddling around Bainbridge Island which began on June 6th, culminated exactly three months to the day, on September 6th. Also, it just so happened that there were 15 of us on the water for this final paddle, which coincides with the number of sections, 15 of which it took to circumnavigate the island. There really is no such thing as coincidence, rather what I like to call 'meaningful connections' which I am constantly seeking in life!
Some of the 'water crew' launched from Hawley Cove and were using both SUPs and sea kayaks that were generously loaned to us by the Matthews, Niehaus' and Johnsens. The timing of our crossing around the Washington State ferry schedule between the departure of one ferry and landing of the next one at the Bainbridge dock was of utmost concern on this particular section of the paddle. You can see why from the photo below, as these ferry's are called 'Jumbo' ferries for a reason! They hold up to 2,500 passengers, and 200 vehicles and are considered a part of our highway system, crossing the Puget Sound in 35 minutes from Seattle to Bainbridge approximately every hour of the day. I'm not sure they would have been able to stop for us, had we been in their way!
I have no photos (probably a good thing!) that do justice to the events that transpired after our safe ferry lane crossing into Eagle Harbor. But I will say that paddling with 15 people through a busy harbor of boaters enjoying an 80 degree Labor Day weekend was a little hair raising from my perspective, as I pulled up the rear of this 'semi-seaworthy' yet brave group! Im just glad that my husband was nearby when one of the two that 'fell into the drink', needed some assistance. I later wondered if 'another kind of drink' had something to do with the falling in part! Im also glad that this incident happened in front of the Waterfront Park, where Ann Ellis was able to launch her SUP and catch up with us... No coincidence here either!
Phew, here we are at the finish line! Well, actually a bit further past the landing at Strawberry Plant Park. This is our flotilla which we enjoyed, along with more water time together as the incoming tide floated us down toward the head of Eagle Harbor.
This is Dea Perry on the right, heading up team land crew, and is also another Bosom Buddy and New Moon Sistah. I call her 'Dea Warrior' for too many reasons to list here! I will say that she makes a mean Sun Tea!
Dea began her day sunning the tea in these jars behind her house, that she would later put into bottles I had fashioned as souvenirs for the paddlers at our Strawberry Plant Park landing.
This is my daughter Melanie and her boyfriend Duskin who were my support team from the far away shores of Pont-Aven in the Finistere region of Brittany in NW France, where it rains as much as Neah Bay, WA ~ although you can not tell by this photo! I miss you a lot and can't wait to do my victory SUP lap with you upon your return!
This time my 'warrior' yoga pose on my SUP was a piece of cake, thanks to the support of those around me! What I would like to say now is thank to family and friends for the support I have felt throughout this entire journey. For this I am as grateful as I am for the lessons my SUP has taught me these past three months!
Amazing Amy 🎆
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