Kayaker at home in turbulent waters of Deception Pass

Published 11:41 pm Monday, November 19, 2007

STANWOOD — An outdoorsman at heart, Warren Williamson spent years living in the high country of Colorado, where he enjoyed hiking, fishing and cross country skiing.

After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2001, Williamson discovered a new passion. These days, all he needs is a kayak, a paddle and a stretch of open water, and he’s in heaven.

“You’re right at water level, and you can feel every little ripple and wave,” said the 54-year-old Williamson, describing the thrill of kayaking. “It’s a lot better than being in a big boat because (it’s like) you’re part of the water.

“It’s great. It’s addicting. And what’s really great is this place where we live. For kayaking, man, this intercoastal Puget Sound is the best,” he said.

With the many islands and secluded waterway pockets, both in Washington and in southern British Columbia, “you could spend the rest of your life and not even scratch the surface here,” said Williamson, who lives near Arlington.

Variety is good, of course, but even better is a dependable patch of challenging water. In this area, that means Deception Pass, where the turbulent, swirling channel between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands has become Williamson’s personal playground.

Three or four times a week in the warm-weather months, and at least once a week through the winter, he drives to Bowman Bay at Deception Pass State Park and launches one of his kayaks _ he owns six _ for a few hours of paddling over the frigid, sometimes choppy and often treacherous waters there.

“Instead of going to the gym, I go there,” Williamson said. “Working with that tidal race water … is a real good workout.”

Deception Pass is where Williamson will be on Dec. 2 for the annual Deception Pass Dash, a 5-mile race that brings together top kayakers from around the Pacific Northwest. Though kayaking is generally more a recreational sport, there are occasional competitive get-togethers to test the region’s elite against each other, and the Deception Pass Dash is one of the best.

The race starts at 9:45 a.m., with high tide around 10 o’clock, meaning competitors will have to hurry to get through the narrow channel before the changing tide becomes a distinct hindrance.

Though Williamson is entered, he admits he is not hung up on trying to finish first.

“In our life we go fast all the time,” he said. “It’s the race we’re in every day. How fast can you go, go, go? I kind of go kayaking to get away from going fast, but I still like to do (the Deception Pass Dash). It’s good exercise.”

In fact, some of his best days in kayaking are when he is alone with plenty of time and plenty of water. Sometimes, usually in the summer, he will launch out from Bowman Bay, paddle across Rosario Strait and loop around Lopez Island, a trek of some 30 miles that can take almost nine hours. Or he might continue all the way to San Juan Island and the community of Friday Harbor, where he can hitch a ride back on a Washington State Ferry.

On a placid, balmy day, long kayak trips like that “are the best,” he said.

Still, Northwest sea kayakers are typically a hearty breed, so even a bit of bad weather is rarely a deterrent. Forty degrees “is kind of the breaking point for me,” he said. “But even lower than 40 is very doable. I can remember being on the water where it’s kind of sleet-ish and wet snowing. But rain is no big deal. You’re going to be wet anyway. You’re going to be very wet.”

Likewise, excessive wind is probably unwise, “but usually some stormy weather is pretty nice,” he said, because it makes the water “more challenging.”

There is also the opportunity to enjoy wildlife. Williamson sees eagles, seals, sea lions and otters all the time, and this past summer he encountered a group of orcas near Deception Island. One orca swam past for a closer look, and its dorsal fin was so close Williamson could easily have latched on.

“People ask me if I was scared,” he said with a smile. “I wasn’t scared, but I was very aware, very awake. It was better than a cup of coffee. … If (the orca) had wanted to be aggressive, I was toast.”

Williamson is part of a vast and passionate kayaking community in the Puget Sound area. Some folks prefer sea kayaking, others whitewater kayaking, with a few enjoying both. Like Williamson, most believe the Northwest is pretty much unsurpassed for opportunities to enjoy their sport.

Bill Walker, the race director for the Deception Pass Dash, said he got hooked on kayaking for two reasons.

“At the deeper level,” said Walker, a former University of Washington rower and later a co-founder of Seattle Raft and Kayak, “it’s that awe of nature. I like being in a little tiny boat on big water. It’s knowing there something that’s massively bigger, stronger and more powerful than me, and then having the ability to relax and enjoy being in that environment even when you’re sort of overwhelmed.

“But what’s kept me passionate about it is the people you meet and the camaraderie,” he said. “I’ve built some amazing friendships through kayaking, and that’s what’s held me in it.”