An Adventure to Blakely Rock in the Sound off the Coast of Bainbridge Island
Being Independent Doesn’t Mean You Have to Go Alone.
On the Friday of SeaFair, my friend Arthur (who lives on the island) and I set out for a casual kayak when we ran into some other locals who suggested we check out Blakely Rock, as the tide was still fairly low and we would be able to make landfall.
And so, we paddled out into what felt like the very middle of the sea, riding the wake of container ships and steering clear of the very active Washington State Ferries routes, we landed on Blakely Rock.
Not wishing to upset and disrupt the seals and sea birds any longer than necessary, with the tide rising, we paddled our way across to Restoration Point with views of Blake Island Marine Park, Alki Point and downtown Seattle across the sea, and Rich Passage flowing from the Olympic Peninsula to the west. The Mountain Was Not Out, but still it was a glorious day with plenty of sunshine.
The videos were made with iPhone cameras and a GoPro Hero 10 Black attached to a floating selfie-stick. I managed to get at least one great underwater shot, but for the most part, the waters of our sound are so turbulent, there is not much to be seen. Please enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors. The music is generated by an artificial intelligence model, prompted to generate musical interludes to go with the videos.
In parts 2 and 3, I let the wind and sea do the talking, for the most part.
Being independent doesn’t mean you have to go it alone means that it’s always helpful to have an adventure buddy, especially when kayaking. Just knowing there is someone you can signal to if you’re having trouble can make all the difference in the world. I hope that I can show by example what that looks like for me, in hopes you’ll be able to find your own adventure buddies, no matter where your adventure leads you.
In the intervening time since we went on this journey, Arthur took a hard fall and a bad concussion. He’s recovering at home, but it’s important to remember that danger is a part of life. Independent Living is like boxing, “In boxing you don’t lose if you get knocked down, it’s when you don’t get back up.”
Thanks for watching. Wishing you a long and independent life.