PORT LUDLOW — Heading for a bridge — or what’s left of it — the Olympic Peninsula Paddlers found a dragon, the Hood Head dragon.
The nine kayak paddlers had intended to row out to the Hood Canal Bridge on Saturday to watch the work as the eastern half of the bridge is replaced, but high wind prevented them from venturing far out from shore, said Elston Hill of Port Angeles, a member of the group.
From Shine Tidelands State Park, the group paddled to Hood Head — a mini-peninsula overlooking Hood Canal — where a dragon made of driftwood greeted them.
“People rehabilitate that dragon every year,” Hill said.
“You can’t see the dragon from the bridge, but it is there.”
No one know who made the dragon, Hill said.
The detour gave the paddlers an unexpected view of the bridge, which was closed on May 1 for an estimated six weeks.
“We thought we’d paddle over there and see all the different pieces as it was being taken apart, but the wind was really going, so we got a different view of the bridge from Hood Head,” Hill said.
The view was astounding, he said.
“This is such a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “For us to be able to see the parts of the bridge like that and see it being constructed — we won’t ever get that chance again.”
Monthly paddle
The paddlers’ club, which is open to beginners as well as experts from across the North Olympic Peninsula, plan a monthly paddle adventure in addition to weekly paddles at Lake Aldwell west of Port Angeles at 7 a.m. each Friday.
Prime time for the club is September through June.
“Most of the time in the summer people are out having fun, being adventurous, so we take those months off,” said board member Bruce Monro of Port Angeles.
The group has an informal structure and has annual dues of $25 per person or $30 per family, he said.
In addition to enjoying recreation, the paddlers also want to ensure each other’s safety.
“It is good to have a group of us out together because we can look out for each other,” Monro said.
“Although every one of us is responsible for our own safety, it is good to know other people are there looking out for you.”
Club members teach newcomers how to roll in the canoes and emphasize the need to carry safety gear.
“We want to make sure that if someone is out there alone and turns over, they will know how to get out of that situation instead of just hoping that someone happens to come along,” Monro said.
For more information, see www.olympicpeninsulapaddlers.com.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
