Search trip reports
20190902_090014.jpg

Trip Report    

Sea Kayak - Totten Inlet

We launched at Kennedy and paddled the length of Totten Inlet, taking out at Arcadia Boat Ramp.

Placeholder Contact Profile Larry Cowan
September 03, 2019
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • This trip requires a high tide launch to avoid mud wallowing in the extensive Kennedy Creek mud flats.  We had a 14 foot high tide at 8:40 AM which was a perfect tide to launch, but required an early meeting at 7 AM to prepare our launch and shuttle cars.  The trail down to the water is very steep so we organized a bucket brigade style boat shuttle to pass the boats down the trail to the grassy flats where we launched. Its a good idea to bring some pruning sheers to clear the black berry vines overhanging the trail.  We left one person with our gear while we shuttled cars to the Arcadia Boat launch take out point.

    The launch point is on the north side of Kennedy Creek at the junction of SE Old Olympic Highway and north bound US 101.  The access is from a small turnout with limited parking area.

     

We enjoyed a quiet paddle in calm conditions with slightly foggy overcast skies breaking to sun around 11 AM.  Totten Inlet is an extremely productive shell fish habitat with shellfish growing operations the dominant shoreline use.  We began by paddling up Kennedy Creek, before turning around and paddling the length of the inlet stopping to poke into a creek mouth and enjoying the solitude of a morning paddle through an old time landscape of oyster farms and wooded shorelines,  We had lunch at a secluded beach on the south side of the inlet across from Little Skookum inlet.

After lunch we crossed back to the mouth of Little Skookum Inlet where we talked to a group raking steamer clams then rode the ebb to the take out at Arcadia by 2 PM.  We were 7 paddlers everyone did well, we saw two other kayakers one power boat several harbor seals, cormorants, a flock of gulls and several Great Blue Herron's.  We had a light NE wind after lunch that soon became light and variable.  Our route was 12 km which can be extended by paddling up Skookum Inlet for further exploration.