Date: 5/19/2008
Launch time: 12:30
Off water: 18:10
Distance 14.2 nm
Max speed: 7.8 kt
Moving avg: 4.0 kt
Moving time: 3:32
On an overcast Monday in May Ken and I paddled Hammersley Inlet. I was going to be up in Olympia working with him for a couple days so we decided to take part of Monday and go kayaking somewhere in his neck of the woods. I'd never done the classic Hammersley Inlet trip and the tides were favorable for it on Monday: low tide was appr 1pm. Our plan was to launch and land at Walker County Park near Shelton and paddle out to Hope Island for lunch.
We set out for Walker County Park and managed to get lost along the way. Note to self: always remember to bring the guidebook. The maps we had just weren't detailed enough to figure out how to get there. So we started a bit later than we'd hoped, but the tide was still ebbing and we got some nice help from it. I really enjoyed the Hammersley Inlet neighborhood. Kindof woodsy, some areas of nice older houses. I could picture living there, having a nice garden and doing some fishing.
As we got out into Pickering Passage the tide was just starting to flood and Ken wondered if there might be a nice little tide race off Steamboat Island which was on our way to Hope Island. It turns out there was so we played on it for a few minutes til the rising tide flooded the feature.
We then paddled over to Hope Island for lunch. Took a walk around the island. I could be a settler there. Nice afternoon. After lunch we completed our circumnavigation of Hope Island and headed back.
When we back into Hammersley Inlet the flood was really going, especially near Cape Horn. I got up to 7.8 kt! It was pretty swirly too. But pretty fun. On the return trip I really enjoyed the scenery in Hammersley Inlet. I could live there.
Got back to Walker County Park just as it was starting to rain. A good day out.
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