October 28th and it was 18°C or 65°F in Victoria, BC. I can't remember when I last got a sun burn this late into the year but it happened.
After a busy couple of months volunteering our time with Santa's Anonymous and the Rocky Point Bird Observatory we managed to finally get back out in our kayaks on such a stunning fall day. Our original plan was to launch out of the Oak Bay Marina and paddle south long the shoreline but as we approached Trail Island the conditions were perfect for us to cross Enterprise Channel and paddle to the lighthouse.
After a busy couple of months volunteering our time with Santa's Anonymous and the Rocky Point Bird Observatory we managed to finally get back out in our kayaks on such a stunning fall day. Our original plan was to launch out of the Oak Bay Marina and paddle south long the shoreline but as we approached Trail Island the conditions were perfect for us to cross Enterprise Channel and paddle to the lighthouse.
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| Paddling past the Victoria Golf Club at Gonzales Point |
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| Trial Island 1 nm in the distance. Inviting to cross over so we did. |
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| The Trial Island Lighthouse. We didn't see Meredith or her two dogs today. |
Once we reached Staines Point where the lighthouse is located we checked the conditions on the west side of the island as the ebb was beginning to flow. There were no rips developing so we continued our way down the chain looking for a beach to land on below the high water mark but noticed a number of seals sunning themselves on rocks around one of our favorites places to stop.
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| Robyn paddling along the rock wall below the lighthouse. In all the years that we have been paddling it's hard to believe that Robyn has never circumnavigated Trial Island |
Keeping our distance we decided to continue on back across Enterprise Channel and find a beach around the Victoria Golf Club but due to the high water levels there wasn't much to choose from.
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| Paddling back towards Gonzales Point. The golf course was very busy on such an amazing day. |
So we continued on to Mary Tod Island otherwise know as Jimmy Chickens Island and found a wonderful gravel beach that looked out towards Chatham and Discovery Islands with Mt. Baker in the background.
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| Our lunchtime view. Ahhhh .... Summer in late October! |
After making note of the birds that we saw (Bald Eagles, Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, Double Crested Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, lots of Mew Gulls but still no Buffleheads) we paddled back to the marina put in location and we both completed several rolls which capped off a perfect day on the water.
Distance: 5.15 nm (9.53 km)
