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lake_whatcom [2025/02/14 17:21] preavley |
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| As mentioned above, downwinding weather will typically mean few if any motorboats to watch out for unless you get a rare warmer season run. Bellingham wind season is Fall and Winter when there is far less motorboat activity than in the warmer months. | As mentioned above, downwinding weather will typically mean few if any motorboats to watch out for unless you get a rare warmer season run. Bellingham wind season is Fall and Winter when there is far less motorboat activity than in the warmer months. | ||
| - | Your main concern during wind season is usually going to be water temperature. Lake Whatcom is much more friendly than Bellingham Bay wavewise in all but the wildest winds. But the **lake water is considerably colder**, particularly in **January, February and early March**, so you have to dress for immersion. And dress for extended immersion if you are testing limits in any fashion - tippier boat, little or no buddy support, first run on Whatcom, etc. There is no Coast Guard or rescue service on the lake. In the Winter you and your party will often be the only ones on the water. Plan carefully and watch out for each other. | + | Your main concern during wind season is usually going to be water temperature. Lake Whatcom is much more friendly than Bellingham Bay wavewise in all but the wildest winds. But the **lake water is considerably colder in the windy season**, particularly in **January, February and early March**, so you have to dress for immersion. And dress for extended immersion if you are testing limits in any fashion - tippier boat, little or no buddy support, first run on Whatcom, etc. There is no Coast Guard or rescue service on the lake. In the Winter you and your party will often be the only ones on the water. Plan carefully and watch out for each other. |
| If you are doing a full length of the lake from the Southerly Boat Launch and the wind is E rather than SE, it is a good idea to hug the right shore in the calm branch of the lake at the start and first work you way farther across the lake going N or NE when you hit the wind coming from your right from Blue Canyon before you turn left and start to go with the wind. That will make it much easier (and more fun) to either make the gap at Reveille Island or go right of the island. Otherwise an East wind will tend to push you hard left into shore before you can reach the gap between the island and shore (after which the lake turns more to the northwest). | If you are doing a full length of the lake from the Southerly Boat Launch and the wind is E rather than SE, it is a good idea to hug the right shore in the calm branch of the lake at the start and first work you way farther across the lake going N or NE when you hit the wind coming from your right from Blue Canyon before you turn left and start to go with the wind. That will make it much easier (and more fun) to either make the gap at Reveille Island or go right of the island. Otherwise an East wind will tend to push you hard left into shore before you can reach the gap between the island and shore (after which the lake turns more to the northwest). | ||
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| + | On particularly strong gusty East wind runs you can get a blast of gusts as you go around the right side of Reveille Island (the left side gap is more protected). After the Island sometimes you can get an occasional gust from Sudden Valley on your left. Until you get to the final basin of the lake where you approach Bloedel Donovan, typically there is little unusual turbulence unless you go close to Strawberry Pt. (on the map above this is the point that sticks out on the south side just above and right of the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve icon) where you can get some rebound. Stay farther right if you want to avoid that. | ||
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| + | In the last basin of the lake waves typically will build to their largest of the run. It can be a little difficult to identify the old pier support logs and buoy line that you go around keeping the buoys on your left as you turn left to get into the landing at the park. Don't cut left too early, but as soon as you identify the end of the buoy line and your turn you need to start going left to get the buoy line closer on your left. Following other experienced paddlers here is not a bad idea for first timers. | ||
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| * **Tempest Weather Stations ** | * **Tempest Weather Stations ** | ||
| * These are home gauges and will generally clearly underreport actual wind on lake. If you watch them over time you might be able to come up with an extrapolation factor for some wind directions and relative strength of actual wind on the lake for those directions. | * These are home gauges and will generally clearly underreport actual wind on lake. If you watch them over time you might be able to come up with an extrapolation factor for some wind directions and relative strength of actual wind on the lake for those directions. | ||
| - | * [[https://tempestwx.com/station/34066/|North Shore Rd]] North Shore Rd. about half way between Agate Bay and Smith Creek | + | * [[https://tempestwx.com/map/175266/48.6907/-122.3727/12|Tempest Weather Stations Map]] |
| * … | * … | ||
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