surprise at dodd narrows
Sep. 2nd, 2006 20:33![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
piranhatoday the paramour dragged me out to go for a wike. well, "dragged". i wasn't actually opposed, but knew that if i thought about it, i'd whine about how it was too hot, so i just got up, held my head under running water to clean my hair, and off we went.
the last two times we tried to walk the cable bay / dodd narrows trail, we started too late and had to turn around half way. it's only a 6 km round trip -- about an hour and a half each way, the way i walk (stopping not infrequently to take photographs). half of the trail goes downhill, the rest is small up-and-down right along the coast. the first half is very easy to walk (aside from coming back uphill!) because it's covered with bark mulch, which makes it really springy; the second half is a narrow, rocky path, but not bad. it's almost entirely shaded and has the type of ecosystem common to our coast: douglas-fir, western redcedar, ferns, salal, oregon grape. good eating right now, because the salal berries are ripe, which i love and nobody else seems to care to munch on. the oregon grapes are ripe too, but are really too tart to eat raw. also, native blackberries (which don't compare well with the very sweet himalayan ones side by side, but if one forgets about the latter, the native ones come into their own; a much more subtle taste). it's a veritable feast.
so we walked and walked, and i took pictures because for once it wasn't too dark! i'll upload them tomorrow. nothing much happening at the cable bay bridge; in winter there are usually stellar's sea lions on the log booms, and bald eagles hang out here as well. in summer the best you can do is observe the rotting cables from old log booms -- since i have a thing for gigantic toolage, that's always fun. contemplated swimming just a bit past the bridge where there's a large shelf of sandstone easing into the water, but wanted to walk to the narrows first. got there and watched the tidal currents -- it was close to high tide, and probably a 5-6 knot current. the narrows really are narrow; just 55m wide. and the currents can get really fast; up to 9 knots. not the thing to try and go against in a sailboat, or a canoe or kayak; it's a maelstrom there.
so we get there and watch a couple of boats go through, one of which decided to ignore the "no wake zone" exhortation. once through, the dipshits stopped, and were looking for something. we turned and looked too, and then we saw it:
that was totally cool; the first time we've seen orcas right here at home. well worth the trip, even if my left foot hurts now.
on the way back we stopped at the cedar brook restaurant in cedar, where i had their most excellent chicken souvlaki. great day!
the last two times we tried to walk the cable bay / dodd narrows trail, we started too late and had to turn around half way. it's only a 6 km round trip -- about an hour and a half each way, the way i walk (stopping not infrequently to take photographs). half of the trail goes downhill, the rest is small up-and-down right along the coast. the first half is very easy to walk (aside from coming back uphill!) because it's covered with bark mulch, which makes it really springy; the second half is a narrow, rocky path, but not bad. it's almost entirely shaded and has the type of ecosystem common to our coast: douglas-fir, western redcedar, ferns, salal, oregon grape. good eating right now, because the salal berries are ripe, which i love and nobody else seems to care to munch on. the oregon grapes are ripe too, but are really too tart to eat raw. also, native blackberries (which don't compare well with the very sweet himalayan ones side by side, but if one forgets about the latter, the native ones come into their own; a much more subtle taste). it's a veritable feast.
so we walked and walked, and i took pictures because for once it wasn't too dark! i'll upload them tomorrow. nothing much happening at the cable bay bridge; in winter there are usually stellar's sea lions on the log booms, and bald eagles hang out here as well. in summer the best you can do is observe the rotting cables from old log booms -- since i have a thing for gigantic toolage, that's always fun. contemplated swimming just a bit past the bridge where there's a large shelf of sandstone easing into the water, but wanted to walk to the narrows first. got there and watched the tidal currents -- it was close to high tide, and probably a 5-6 knot current. the narrows really are narrow; just 55m wide. and the currents can get really fast; up to 9 knots. not the thing to try and go against in a sailboat, or a canoe or kayak; it's a maelstrom there.
so we get there and watch a couple of boats go through, one of which decided to ignore the "no wake zone" exhortation. once through, the dipshits stopped, and were looking for something. we turned and looked too, and then we saw it:
 |
orca in dodd narrows saw a small pod (3 different orcas surfaced). they were travelling through the narrows and then up the coast towards harmac. so exciting! |
that was totally cool; the first time we've seen orcas right here at home. well worth the trip, even if my left foot hurts now.
on the way back we stopped at the cedar brook restaurant in cedar, where i had their most excellent chicken souvlaki. great day!
no subject
on 2006-09-03 06:06 (UTC)I will eat Oregon-grapes straight, but one at a time. They have a great flavor if you can get past the immediate sourness. I am a competitor for your salal berries, too.