by Tex » Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:26 pm
Sorry for the delayed report on my latest trek up north.
So one of my business partners is also one of my oldest surf pals. We have been hitting spots up there since around 94 after seeing grainy images posted on Ricky Young's surf shop walls.
My buddy bought a house in Joyce probably around 1998 and we have gotten key spots fairly wired around that neck of the woods.
Last Friday my lady gave me full green light to blow out of town for a few days. I decided to head north since there were repairs that I was going to help with on the house, rebuilding stairs, etc. Swell was not going to be epic but I didn't really have to be back in PDX till Tuesday so I figured just head up and see what happens.
I got there around 5:30 on Friday night and the power was out....high winds and rain, the mighty Pysht was flooding like crazy. Clallam PUD was working overtime on the lines.
Anyway, my buddy says when I get there...welcome to the next chapter. I had no idea what that meant, eventually he told me that the property directly above his had been foreclosed and he had won the auction for it. The property included a 2 bed house, 3 car garage and a cabin right above Harrison Campground. Wont tell you the price cause it is just ridiculous. It has some renovations that are needed but it has stellar views of some solid point breaks. So now he has basically 3 lots and 3 homes out there. Could be some AirBNB opps so I will keep this group posted on that.
No surf on Sat, we checked Point Angeles....small and windblown. Sunday, a micro pulse turned on and we surfed outside the house on long boards. About 5 people surfing the point but really small and frankly overcrowded.
Sun, no surf.
Monday, surf turns on but we have conference calls booked solid till 2:00. It was brutal watching guys at first light on the point running down the line in between calls.
2:00 meetings are over, I am in my suit in 3 minutes and getting the kayak ready. My buddy had to go back to PA to get all new locks for the house he got.
So since there is private beach between our place and the point, I had to load up a kayak that has a 35 pound stationary bike wheel attached to 30 feet of climbing rope. I couldnt tell how big it was so I decided just to bring my 6'0 thruster on the kayak and hope for the best. Kayaking out through the breakwater with an "anchor" and a board fins up is always an interesting proposition but made it through no problem. Sun was breaking out real nice but water was cold as shite.
There was a guy and a girl surfing the point with long boards...they waved at me thinking I was going to kayak right past them. They were shitting their suits watching me drop anchor and paddle over to the line up. Having the kayak can be a great indicator, I have had sessions where the kayak is vertical on swells rolling through.
As we traded waves the tide was dropping and we were having to navigate massive kelp beds which sometimes slowed the ride down. Bigger waves negated the kelp and the best sets had each of us on our own wave and I was getting 3-4 turns on the bigger waves. Super sunny day with very mellow vibes and extremely fun point surf.
Finally got to the point where I could feel my chest getting really cold. Decided to call it. I get to the kayak and watch a set come through. I figure there would be a lull after that one. As I begin getting my anchor back into the kayak, I look out to the horizon and see a faint dark line. I am pulling the anchor as fast as I can, the wave is getting bigger...I get the anchor in, load up the surf board and start paddling for the top of the face as hard as I can, I make it over and watch this wave detonate on the reef....shitting my pants realizing how close it could have been to an absolute yard sale. Kayaking back to the cabin, all the spots were getting hit up. Fun kayak in riding some of the smaller swells to the sandy beach.
It was as good a session as I could have asked for and made it home before the 11:00 news was over.