Dene wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...


Last night I watched a nice episode of 'Pilot Guides' on the Pacific
NorthWest.

What channel is this on?

Switched over about 20 minutes late, so I missed most of the Washington
part...but Oregon looked great. Some of the locals almost apologized
that it was actually beautiful sunny weather..and not rainy & dull.
Saw the hugh sand dunes at the nature reserve, the view along highway
101?? and Portland...along with other places. I'll have to catch the
entire show again. It would be a nice trip if someone could guarantee
me fine weather...we get enough dampness here.

We treasure our reputation for krutzy weather. That terrible,
miserable, weather that is so foul no reasonable person would
voluntarily endure it is about the only defense we have left out here.
If we had the same warm weather and number of sunny days as the lower
latitudes we'd become Californicated even more rapidly than the current
trend.

I've come to appreciate the Great Wet North's climate now that I have an all
weather boat. I love having the whole drink to myself, vs. July/Aug. when
the pond is full of skiboats and lake lice.

Now, while it just might rain non-stop for 48 weeks every year and moss
just might grow up our phone poles like kudzu vines do down south,
there is a small window of almost guaranteed sunshine and warm weather
that I'll risk having my tongue chopped off to tell you about. Mid-July
to Mid-August. Most years there are very few rainy days and some years
there are none at all during that four week stretch.(Shhhh!)

Best time to visit the Pacific NW, IMO, is immediately after Labor Day.
Early September is usually much more warm and pleasant than June up
here, and most of the families with kids in school are off the water
after the first week. Downside is that in some of the more remote areas
some of the fuel docks, marinas, and other services begin shutting down
right after September 1.

My wife and I are planning to cruise the Sound right after Labor Day.
You're right about the great Sept. weather. Always my favorite time to
waterski (in my younger years when it didn't hurt so bad). Flat
water....great temps.....nobody but Chinook fishermen out there.

Speaking of.....what are the chances that my wife and I could catch/eat our
dinner in the Sound, come Sept?

-Greg

There is usually a run of silver salmon about that time. They tend to
be scrappy little fish, maybe 6-12 pounds on average, but they are good
eating and not ridiculously difficult to catch. Certain portions of the
sound will be open, others not. (Avoid bottom fish near the larger
cities.)