January Kayaking In The river was not wide but we could see only one shore
and that was because we were hugging against it. Though there were hunter’s
boats pulled up on the shore at intervals no shots were heard. Just
a silence, broken occasionally by the sound of the railroad train whistle.
About 2 miles from our launch site the river widened out into the bay.
It was then we started to hear the call of geese. In the fog it was
hard to determine which direction they were coming from. The calling
became louder and louder. Looking straight up, we saw a ghostly flock
fly through a blue hole in the fog. What a sight! Snow white with black
wing tips, they seemed almost dream like. The sun started to break though
the fog eerily lighting the big tree stumps we passed which were anchored
in the shallow bay. The sound of a large flock of geese became rose
to a crescendo. Tom guided our double kayak to the bay's shore and we
clambered up on the dike to stretch and eat lunch. The sound of the
geese was really loud now and as we walked down the dike we viewed what
seemed to be a flowing quilt of snow geese on a bright green field.
Estimating over 10,000 geese, the view was even more beautiful with
Mt. Baker gleaming in the background. With binoculars we watched flight
after flight of 50 to 75 snow geese set their wings and join the main
flock. We saw sister flights come in over the bay for the rest of the
afternoon. After lunch we paddled north towards La Conner enjoying
the bright sunshine and easy breeze. Directly ahead we saw what appeared
to be a swarm of bees in the sky. But at the distance they were from
us we knew they had to be a flock of birds. I hoped they were Dunlin,
a small sandpiper that winters in the northwest. I
had seen a video showing flocks of dunlin flying in tight formation.
Their movements are so coordinated and simultaneous and reminded
one of a vast air ballet. The really amazing aspect of their flight
is how as the dunlin turn and twist the sunlight hits their white under
wings and the whole flock of shadowy forms flashes bright gleaming white.
I have loved flight of all kinds since childhood. Watching thousands
of these birds flying in such beautiful coordination was a pure joy.
In a coincidence which was more than I had hoped for, a swarm of dunlin
flew right over our kayak and the flashing forms filled our field of
vision. I could almost feel a spirit in me pulled up with the flock
to merge with the light and the beauty of the day. At the end of the journey we more than paid for the enchanting day by deciding to go up the North Fork of the Skagit to Al's landing near a friend's home. I told Tom that it wasn't far up from the bay, just a few miles. Well a few miles upstream with the tide going out and a rain swollen river was a long few miles, let me tell you. It was a grunt but we persevered and reached the take out area with sore shoulders but a great sense of accomplishment. Needing to get home we could only visit a short while, then we hit the road and drove back to Ellensburg. We arrived back in town in the cold fog, the temperature was in the 20's. It almost made it seem that the past day of paddling was just a midwinter's dream.
Here's a link to a WAKE kayak club trip down the Skagit http://www.wakekayak.org/Articles/SeattleTimesSkagit.htm |
