Adventuress Homecoming… at long last. (Long, long last.)
21-22 December 2018
It has been three months, five days, two hurricanes, and one great, big Pacific winter storm later, and Adventuress’ journey home is nearly done. On this morning, the last Friday before Christmas, we boarded the Victoria Clipper to take the high-speed ferry to Victoria BC. The morning dawned calm, with wispy high clouds filtering weak winter sunshine. But yesterday, the worst windstorm of the season raked through the Pacific Northwest, causing widespread damage. It had even shut down all ferry service in the area, making this morning’s crossing crowded indeed.
Robert and I were coming home from our traditional early season ski vacation (Mt. Baker, again) with best friend family Ramona and Breck when the storm hit. Branches and debris blew and swirled in the roadway making travel exciting, if not treacherous. At one point, a fallen branch even struck our vehicle! No worries, no damage and no harm other than a really good scare. But even though we survived the trek, we were delayed many hours coming home by downed powerlines that fell on the major north-south interstate highway.
While we meandered around rural Whatcom County trying to find a way home that didn’t involve sitting in increasingly angry holiday traffic for hours, we learned that Adventuress, which had been delayed last week by the selfsame storm that was making our current trek adventuresome, would arrive in Victoria on Saturday, the 22nd. Holy smokes! That meant we would need to be in Victoria tomorrow!!
Well, sometimes technology is a good thing. While Robert drove, I called around to arrange travel, a hotel room, and moorage. We worried quite a bit about the weather. On land, wind like what we were experiencing could be hazardous. Wind on the water becomes an entirely different beast, traitorous and bloodthirsty. Only fools would dare venture on the seas with wind this fearsome. Usually soon-to-be dead fools. Murphys are many things; but foolhardy was not one of those things. We started working on a safe float plan while on the road.
We arrived home several hours late, cranky, and sore from the unexpectedly unpleasant drive home from Baker, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and turned around to pack for Victoria. In retrospect, our packing was not optimal. We forgot important things… like long-johns and warm socks. We chided ourselves, but in our defense, the last time we were boating, it was how-little-can-I-wear-without-getting-arrested hot!
Later we learned that leaving Mt. Baker had been a really good call, as winds had been clocked in excess of 100 mph on Baker. Hurricane-force by a healthy margin.
But Friday was as clement as Thursday had been tempestuous. It being the winter solstice, we were already well on our way north when the sun made its appearance over the eastern horizon. The crossing was thankfully easy, the only hiccup was that the Strait of Juan de Fuca littered with debris washed into the water from yesterday’s storm.
A word about the geography (hydrology?) of the Pacific Northwest. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a wide, roughly east-west gash from the Pacific Ocean into what is collectively called the Salish Sea. Because it is framed by mountains on north and south, it also funnels ocean winds. The combination of tide and wind can make a strait crossing a roulette of sorts. “The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass.” OR, “Valar mourghulis. All men must die.”[1]
By the time we’d landed in Victoria, BC, plans had changed… yet, again. Our unload time moved from Saturday to Sunday mid-day. More juggling of accommodations and mooring. But now, an enforced extra day of rest and vacation in beautiful Victoria.
It’s morning now. Saturday the 22nd. They say that in the Pacific Northwest from November to May is the season of grey, with perhaps a thin sliver of sunshine in there to remind us of what the sun is. Well, it’s grey today. And wet. Cold, too. The next storm is expected to come in this afternoon, bringing with it a heavy load of snow for the ski resorts. The Adam Asnyk, our transport vessel docked in wee morning hours, after weathering Thursday’s nastiness in Coos Bay, just south of the Columbia River and then making a mad dash for Victoria as soon as the winds died.
Tomorrow afternoon, she’ll be unloaded. We cannot wait!!
[1] The first quote is from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the second is from George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones. See, being a well-read geek girl does have its advantages!