jarrell cove february weekend
Date: February 10, 2018
Time Start: 12:45 p.m.
Time Finish: 2:55 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Jarrell Cove, Harstine Island
Engine Hours Start: 743
Engine Hours Finish: 745
Weather/sea conditions: Light clouds, blue skies, chilly and calm. Low 40's, freezing at night.
FINALLY! The first cruise of 2018! The day is beautiful but cold, the wintry mountains looking spectacular and the calm water beckoning to us. The captain is tending to all of the tasks on this cruise while I continue to recover from carpal tunnel surgery on my left wrist. We are loaded with enough food for the next two days and have brought along layers of warm clothing. We are ready to free NORTH STAR from her slip, rolling up the temporary protective winter cover that encloses her cockpit. And we are off!
Time Start: 12:45 p.m.
Time Finish: 2:55 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Jarrell Cove, Harstine Island
Engine Hours Start: 743
Engine Hours Finish: 745
Weather/sea conditions: Light clouds, blue skies, chilly and calm. Low 40's, freezing at night.
FINALLY! The first cruise of 2018! The day is beautiful but cold, the wintry mountains looking spectacular and the calm water beckoning to us. The captain is tending to all of the tasks on this cruise while I continue to recover from carpal tunnel surgery on my left wrist. We are loaded with enough food for the next two days and have brought along layers of warm clothing. We are ready to free NORTH STAR from her slip, rolling up the temporary protective winter cover that encloses her cockpit. And we are off!
It's so great to be back on the water, passing familiar sights - the Olympics, Mt. Rainier, Hope Island, the bridge to Harstine Island. No matter how often we have plied these waters, they never fail to take our breath away.
Along the shore, the red alder trees stand out against the backdrop of evergreens, their bare branches catching the sunlight.
We arrive at Jarrell Cove, passing the first park dock, and making our way to the longer inner dock. Some friendly boaters await us, ready to assist with our lines and chat. Several shoreside visitors to the park stop to chat as well. People are out enjoying this February day. And what a lovely place to be!
We stretch our legs with a walk along one of the park trails and then visit the smaller dock where park vessels are moored. This dock has a pumpout, but no power.
And then, a magical spectacle that we are witnessing for the third time, and it doesn't get old. We have a glorious sunset combined with the arrival of at least a few hundred cormorants. They fly in from every direction, filling the sky with their silhouettes and sounds, landing in the nearby evergreen trees where they will perch for the night.
As soon as the sunset colors fade to gray, all is quiet and no more birds arrive. They are tucked in for the night and will be gone by sunrise. We ask ourselves "where do they come from? where do they go? do they tell each other about hot fishing grounds? do they have fishing buddies?" These are definitely social birds and they must somehow communicate with each other. Why is it that we see them gather here every winter, but not in the summer? How do they know to arrive at exactly sunset? So many mysteries!
It's time to heat up a pot of soup to warm us on this chilly night. Freezing temperatures are in the forecast, and we have plugged into the dock power. Our portable heater is working hard.
Card games - we are equal winners, especially winners to be here in our Ranger Tug!
Date: February 11, 2018
Time Start: 12:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 3:40 p.m.
Cruise From: Jarrell Cove
Cruise To: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 745
Engine Hours Finish: 748
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny, chilly morning, clouds building in afternoon.
After a cold night, we awaken to temps in the low 30's but clear blue skies and sun. The water is flat calm, reflecting the beauty of Jarrell Cove in its surface. The cormorants are gone, off to who knows where for the day.
It's time to heat up a pot of soup to warm us on this chilly night. Freezing temperatures are in the forecast, and we have plugged into the dock power. Our portable heater is working hard.
Card games - we are equal winners, especially winners to be here in our Ranger Tug!
Date: February 11, 2018
Time Start: 12:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 3:40 p.m.
Cruise From: Jarrell Cove
Cruise To: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 745
Engine Hours Finish: 748
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny, chilly morning, clouds building in afternoon.
After a cold night, we awaken to temps in the low 30's but clear blue skies and sun. The water is flat calm, reflecting the beauty of Jarrell Cove in its surface. The cormorants are gone, off to who knows where for the day.
Oatmeal is on the menu to get us going. Then, it is time for a walk through the campground of the park, along the island road, and back through the forest on a hiking trail. Tall evergreens with an understory of ferns, salal, and evergreen huckleberry surround us as we walk.
In the campground:
In the campground:
Harstine Island road and hiking trail:
Back in the sunshine of the cove, billowing clouds are making their way across the sky from the N.E. An eagle soars high above, a heron sqwaks as it takes flight, a few mergansers and mallards make ripples the water.
The clouds build up, the sun disappears, it is time to leave. For the cruise home we head along the east side of Harstine Island, but first cross to nearby Heron Island to explore its shore and some of the Key Peninsula. A detour! Then it is back to our usual route south to Olympia and home. What a wonderful two days!
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