I’ve seen this amusing shark buoy a couple times now. This one is in Lake Washington, somewhere off the West shore. I also saw one in the San Juan Islands. I think.
Shark buoy, Lake Washington. Seattle
There are many myths about shark buoys, including the idea that they eat people. In fact, cases where people are attacked by shark buoys are actually very rare. Very few species of shark buoys have been known to attack people, and even in those cases the shark buoy has mistaken the person for one of its natural prey, such as a seal. However, because of the portrayal of shark buoys in popular culture, people generally regard shark buoys with fear and suspicion.
Someone at a kayak shop tipped me off years ago that any street in Seattle that ends at water can be used for public access. This is good to know if you are inclined to explore the billions of bodies of water in the Seattle area. Seattle is such a fun town, and I always loved it because of its commitment to letting outdoorsy people do fun stuff. How else are you going to survive the 9 rainy months?
Mercer Slough is a small slough that covers part of Bellevue, Washington, across the lake from Seattle. The mouth of Mercer slough is near where the I-90 Bridge touches land on the east side. It’s a nice and simple paddle – safe, innocuous, and easy to access. If you want a relaxing day, it’s a great place to go kayaking because you don’t have to deal with driving very far, or rinsing salt water from your gear. You also don’t have to stress about waves and weather as much as if you were headed out to sea.
The nearest launch site to Mercer Slough is at Enatai Beach Park:
You can easily drive over I-90 without realizing how massive it really is. Its scale is more readily appreciated from underneath.
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
The water was dark and murky at the time these pictures were taken. Overall, a pretty drab yet serene landscape. This changes dramatically with the seasons, and there is a huge difference between what you see in these pictures and what you would see in the summer.
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
There is some kind of drainage pipe at this dead end in the slough. Don’t worry, the dead end route doesn’t go very far. It joins the main loop near the North-East corner.
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
Mercer Slough runs through some park grounds and commercial properties, so you will see some bridges and walking paths surrounding the water. Here is a small footbridge we passed under, and over (on foot).
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
On the way out, I saw something swimming in the water near the marina across from Enatai Beach Park. For a second I thought it might be someone’s dog from the marina. But no dog would have been so far from the docks. Nor would a dog swim so well, or look so much like a harbor seal.
Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA
Harbor seals are very curious, and this one would pop up far away, then submerge repeatedly. It wasn’t until I looked down in the water that I realized the seal was swimming underneath my kayak in between surfacings. At times, it came within arm’s reach of my boat. I hadn’t seen a harbor seal in fresh water before. It must have come in through the Ballard Locks.
Man, do they stink. I don’t always get close enough to smell them, but when I do, it’s olfactory hell.
Smellicans at Monterey, CA
These in particular didn’t smell too bad. But the ones at Pillar Point Marina, near Half Moon Bay, were going to kill me with their horrible stench. There is something about rotting fish-breath that makes me want to vomit. Here it comes… ble.. BLEEA. BLEEEAAACCHKGH!
No, seriously, kayaking is a lot of fun. I love my kayak because it allows me to get up close to these allegedly magnificent birds, where they can reveal their true, stinky selves. Whales also exude a puke-worthy stench, but compared to pelicans, not nearly as fowl.
My previous post on the TRAK Kayaks T-1600 folding kayak got reposted on TRAK’s very own Facebook page. Since I’ve been getting some visits from there, I thought I’d post a little more information, including the above link to the TRAK Facebook page (for those who didn’t come from there), as well as the following link where you can buy and read/write reviews on the TRAK T-1600:
I suppose it had to happen sometime. I don’t remember what I was searching for, but this came up: Kayak paddle with safety mirror
Since the mirror is in the middle of the paddle and doesn’t appear to tilt to either side, I think the title should be “Kayak paddle with mirror for looking at oneself while paddling”. Also, the claims are covering a kayak paddle AND mirror together, while anyone who wants to make something like this would most likely make a detachable mirror without the paddle. Thus, no direct infringement. In all fairness, it’s probably impossible to get claims covering just the detachable mirror.
Instead, I will chrome-plate and/or polish my paddle blades to a mirror-like finish, or use one of those bike helmet rear-view mirror thingies, or maybe even… turn my head.
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