Vision and results can come out of frustration. That’s the case with the 35-mile Paddle Kitsap, to be held Aug. 6 and 7 along the North Kitsap Peninsula.
The founder is John Kuntz, also director of North Kitsap Water Trails and owner of Olympic Outdoor Center in Port Gamble.
“I was so frustrated with people not believing in themselves. We’d talk about paddling and they’d say, ‘I can’t go that far!’ We needed to create a challenge for paddlers and open it up to beginner paddlers,” Kuntz said.
“It’s like a bike tour. You can get off and on it; there are power boats for rescue, rest stops and lunch stops. It’s a social event wrapped around paddling, with live music and beer gardens. Paddle at your own pace and socialize with other people of your skill level, and encourage each other.”
The route takes advantage of prevailing winds and tides from Port Gamble to Poulsbo.
“I’m biased (but) I think it’s one of the premiere areas in the U.S., the world for that matter. We have a huge inland sea that’s protected by mountains and other land areas, and an incredible array of mammals and sea life. It’s an incredible opportunity to see wildlife up close in a nonthreatening way,” Kuntz said.
The first day is a 19½-mile paddle, which takes about four hours plus stops. A 15½-mile paddle takes advantage of a tidal surge that reaches 6 knots and makes for an easier second day.
Another paddling event is the Olympic Kayak Club’s Puget Sound Challenge, a 150-nautical-mile paddle from Port Townsend to Olympia. It’s broken into 13 segments that can be done at any time in 2010 or with club-led segments.
Segment Nine coincides with Paddle Kitsap.
“The Puget Sound area is one of finest kayaking places in the entire world,” said director David Fisher. “It has scenery, protected salt water (and) a chance to experience the tides and areas of scenic beauty,” he said.
“We’re establishing places that you can launch and take out human-powered craft. Establishing water trails means trailheads and signage, and things necessary for folks when paddling to take a break on this particular site or take out a boat,” Fisher said.
The experienced kayaker has a favorite section, the well-named Foulweather Bluff.
“It’s fun to go out there and enjoy a calm day paddling, or get up there and paddle in a washing machine. That’s kind of fun, but it’s certainly not for everybody.
“The point is that all skill levels can be rewarded according to your ability, and it can be as safe as you want or you can make it exciting as you want, and I like that,” Fisher said.
The paddle helps support the Washington Water Trails Association and the North Kitsap Trails Association’s String of Pearls project.
The vision for it came from Olympic Property Group, the largest property owner in Kitsap County. The concept is to connect communities along the extensive shoreline, with land and water trails for paddlers, hikers, runners, bikers and horseback riders.
“We think we’ll be able to create a trail system that is one of the best in the country. And we have the resources for it,” Kuntz said.
On the bookshelf: The idea, author William Powers says, is to find the elusive contours of enough. He writes about that search and closer-to-nature experiences in “Twelve-by-Twelve: A One-Room Cabin off the Grid &Beyond the American Dream.” Powers goes back to the basics to find his future.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
If you go
North Kitsap String of Pearls, www.nkstringofpearls.com.
Paddle Kitsap, Aug. 6 and 7, www.paddlekitsap.com.
Puget Sound Challenge, 2010, www.olympickayakclub.com.
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