Sea Kayak - Totten Inlet

We launched from Arcadia about 1/2 hour before max flood at mouth of Totten inlet.   It had taken us a couple hours to set up car shuttle and get ready to launch.   We decided to do a loop around Hope island first, and got a nice current in Squaxin passage and around steamboat island into Totten inlet.    An area of tiderips around the spit was managed easily by everyone.

We made one rest stop along the way with pre arranged permission to land, but most of the shoreline and tidelands are privately owned with lots of homes and oyster farming.   

Weather was partly cloudy, partly sunny, high about 60 degrees F, and mild Southwest wind, creating ripples but no wind waves.   

Distance paddled was about 10 nm.   

We saw Lots of herons, kingfisher, also cormorants, honking geese flying south overhead.     Other birds, deer, seals.  Lots of oyster shells.     Fall colors just starting to emerge.

Not much boat activity in the inlet.   A few other kayakers at Hope island.   An excursion boat of people motoring around in Hope island vicinity.    One boat with 2 men returning from tending oysters.   It was pretty quiet for a Saturday.  There was some shooting or fireworks that we could hear coming from Mason county at times.

We arrived at takeout during high tide of 15 ft as planned, but it was still awkward getting kayaks up a few feet of steep bank.   

Paddling time about 4 hours.  

 We then returned to Arcadia to get the remaining car.   Most of us took a detour into Shelton for Mexicanfood before driving home.