Steamers & Kelp Pt. 6

Pete could tell the wind had picked up once they were out on the rocks and the waves were high with very short periods between them. The clouds were low and thick and fast moving and they could see the streaks that were rain showers scattered across the Atlantic. He imagined the waves out at bonnet break being intimidating, probably overhead at least. The salty mist made everything damp and the smooth granite surfaces slick, especially in places where algae had been allowed to grow. You could always avoid the algae if you looked closely for the darker, discolored patches, but sometimes it was unavoidable and you had to make sure to keep all your weight directly over your feet to stop from slipping. Sometimes it happened anyway. Pete didn’t know if Bill had heard the story about the guy who died mysteriously off the rocks last season in these kind of conditions but he decided that now might not be the time to bring it up. There was a broad shelf, orange from the iron deposits that led down toward the water and toward the biggest, most imposing rock that stood somewhere around 30 feet in all dimentions. Where the shelf met the water, there was a small gap cut by the tides that one could jump over easily without gear. With gear, it was better to try and break it up by stepping on the black, pointed rock in the middle.