Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

The wind has teeth

Posted by Ken Campbell November 16, 2009 0 Comment 1003 views

Apparently the wind machine has been left running again. A quick glance at the forecast for the Decpeption Pass area left me with this: … STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST MONDAY… … STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON… A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIND SPEEDS […]

The week (in preview)

Posted by Ken Campbell November 15, 2009 0 Comment 1047 views

The rain falling outside is simply a harbinger of the watery week I have ahead of me. I’m leaving tomorrow for a couple of days at Deception Pass, for a few sessions of kayaking and paddleboarding. Then it’s up to Bellingham to check out the Starboard line of SUPs and hopefully demo a few boards, […]

Test run at the pass

Posted by Ken Campbell November 14, 2009 1 Comment 1093 views

Deception Pass is home to the strongest tidal currents in Washington. Speeds in excess of 8 knots are common and the sheer volume of water that flows through the two narrow channels that separate Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands makes this a challenging spot for kayakers and paddleboarders alike. I’m heading up that way on Monday… […]

Daylight ops

Posted by Ken Campbell November 13, 2009 1 Comment 1142 views

Remember those old commercials they used to run to make gullible young boys join the Army? “We do more before 6:00 am than most people do all day.” Hardly seems like an effective ad campaign to me… Join up. Work your ass off. In the Air Force, we used to say that we didn’t do […]

A Change in the weather

Posted by Ken Campbell November 10, 2009 1 Comment 1157 views

It’s snowing. In the Cascades, it’s coming down thick and fast – Crystal Mountain ski area, not far from Seattle, is planning on opening tomorrow – and it’s starting to accumulate out on the peninsula as well. The forecast for the next few days is calling for a mix of rain and snow almost everywhere […]

Return of the native

Posted by Ken Campbell November 8, 2009 1 Comment 1071 views

The boy and I went out to Kennedy Creek yesterday to see the salmon. The rain had been dumping at times over the previous 24 hours and I figured it wouldn’t be great for fish-watching, what with the swollen creek and the silty water. We’d been talking about it for a few days though, and […]

Cowabunga

Posted by Ken Campbell November 7, 2009 0 Comment 977 views

In case you were thinking about heading to the coast tomorrow… NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 319 PM PST FRI NOV 6 2009 NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST- A HIGH SURF WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST SATURDAY. A LONG SERIES OF GIANT WAVES BEGAN TO REACH THE WASHINGTON COAST THIS MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE […]

Shiver weather

Posted by Ken Campbell November 6, 2009 2 Comments 1058 views

With the wintery wind blowing outside my window and the rain falling in sheets against the glass, next summer seems far away indeed. Other than my morning paddles, I’m not getting out all that much and when it comes to spending time in the Olympic wilderness, let’s just say I’m going through a dry spell. […]

Let ’em spawn

Posted by Ken Campbell November 3, 2009 1 Comment 1189 views

The Elwha River is one of the largest on the Olympic Peninsula. Its history suggests that it was once among the most productive salmon rivers in western Washington with some of the largest Chinook in the state. Then they built the dams. I haven’t heard much lately about when the dams are coming down…

What’s in a name?

Posted by Ken Campbell November 1, 2009 0 Comment 1074 views

Native tribes used to call it Whulge. George Vancouver scribed the name of his lieutenant, Peter Puget, on maps that he was making as he traveled through the area. Now the waters that dominate western Washington and British Columbia have a new name, a new official designation: the Salish Sea. The move is being done […]