New waters

After spending the weekend editing video for Helen in Arcata (more on this shortly) I finally got the chance to get out for a paddle on the beautiful Humboldt coast. With Helen having to work she set me up with her friend Michael who had the day off. We met at Trinidad Head for a short but sweet mid morning paddle. The weather was on again/off again showers (which seems to be the perpetual state of things on the northern California coast) but very light winds. And with relatively small swells Michael said it was the best conditions they have had for many months. I was happy I caught things right since this allowed us to stay in close and explore.

The rock garden up here is definitely something different. Instead of just having many small rocks and channels along the immediate coastline Trinidad steps it up a notch by having a ton of large rocks/mini islands scattered up to a mile off shore. And with all the obstacles the incoming swells pinball off and around to create a washing machine effect on a grand scale. On our day it just made it fun and interesting but I can only imagine the confusion and chaos when the big stuff comes in as it so often does.

It was also a great place to get some wildlife viewing in. Birds and pinnipeds abounded. Several of the islands were blanketed by huge colonies of nesting terns; common mures were all around and there was even quite a number of Canadian geese that Michael says had been relocated here from a golf course in Chico. And I was surprised to see a large number of the Stellar sea lions lying alongside their more common Californian brethren. I didn't think they were established this far south but Michael assures me they are quite common around these parts.