Petsmart...? (in Sequim?) ;)

I concur with the woman that brought up foot braces (the pegs inside the kayak). That way you are putting a bit more pressure on your feet then your knees. For braces to work they need to be adjusted correctly though. You should neither of straight legs nor totally bent legs. You could also try sit on top kayaks. They give you a lot more freedom to move your legs.

Seattle Watersports has sit on top kayaks at Golden Gardens on weekends in the summer. You can rent one and see if that helps.

Good luck!

Many people have made the point that you need to know what type of bear. In general this can be done by knowing where you are going. In Washington State it is estimated there are only about 20 brown bears (Grizzlies). This number fluctuates as most of the bears have quite large territories that include part of Canada.

Black bears are responsible for a higher percentage of injuries and some deaths primarily because they are so wide spread. When you see a black bear the best thing to do is make lots of noise and through rocks or sticks at it. With a brown bear the stakes are higher and the rules change slightly. For all bears a general rule is not to run. You can back away slowly but if the bear starts to come closer you could be luring it to you. In that case, hold your ground.

Other than polar bears, humans are not typically food for bears. When they encounter you, they are curious what you and if you're a threat. Once they determine you are neither they usually move on. Startling a bear moves you high up on the threat level and is usually why people get attacked. Making noise (especially important in grizzly country) is a great way to alert bears that you're coming. Clapping, whistling or just talking with friends works fine. Bells have been proven not to be very effective.

Your food smells very good to bears. To avoid encounters for food, be sure to cook well away from where you sleep. Hang your food and food like substances (lip balm, toothpaste, etc). In grizzly country, have a separate change of clothes for cooking as for sleeping and hang the cooking clothes. If you are not around suitable trees to hang you can use bear cans. DO NOT bring food into your tent.

It is true that when you are being attacked by a bear you need to play dead. This proves you are not a threat. If you are continued to be bitten though, it means the bear is thinking you are food. That is when you fight your ass off.

For grizzlies, pepper spray is required gear to carry with you. It has been proven more effective then guns.

Prevention is the best medicine. Don't attract bears and know how to avoid them. Learn what bear signs look like (tracks, scat, fur, etc). I've hiked and lived in bear country for many years. I've seen black bears in my camp only a couple times. These techniques have worked for me and thankfully I've not ever been in danger. The odds are in your favor. Just be smart.

Fort Flagler is gorgeous and has tons of things to see. http://www.planetware.com/port-townsend/fort-flagler-state-park-us-wa-ffp.htm

I used to have that happen all the time. For me, it's just keeping my legs in one position that caused it, and luckily for me, it's possible for me to kneel or cross my legs (I'm pretty small) if I do it carefully. Obviously, I don't do that in heavy seas. In calmer conditions, and when you're not paddling hard, see if you can bend your knee enough to squeeze one leg at a time out onto the deck.

Footbraces help a lot too, because they allow you to work the leg muscles to keep them from stiffening up. If your kayak doesn't have them, see if they can be added. Or at least cram something down into the footwell that you can push against.

Try a small foam cushion under your knees, too.

Just keep smiling, and remain calm. Make light conversation. Try to avoid the subject of men's grooming products or techniques; maybe chat about the Pet Shop Boys instead. Try to keep yourself between the bear and the door at all times.

Wallace Falls. It's a state park off Route 2 near Gold Bar. Free parking. 2 levels of falls but not too strenuous.

I've never been attacked by a bear but 25 years ago I got paid to stick my head into bear dens and grab bear cubs following the sow being drugged up. Cubs were weighed, sexed, checked for health, etc. Mom was also given a once over. This was in Massachusetts/Vermont.

I mention it because the one thing that jumped out at me durring this job was how small the black bears were. There may have been one at about 300# but most were the size of a Newfoundland dog.

I spent a fair amount of time in Alaska where this a HUGE topic of conversation. Especially in Denali where no guns are permitted. According to the Rangers there are few preventative measures that work other than making sure you don't have food on you that is unsealed. Making noise, in their estimation, does not seem to do anything. I still would do it. Bells do not register diddly in the brown bear mind (according to the rangers). Loud voices, clapping, etc may keep a bear from being surprised to find you but it's still a tough call.

Brown bears are the baddest mother fuckers in North America (excepting Bigfoots, of course) and own you. and the whole forest.

Get a mean three legged dog that is slower than you.

make yourself VERY big (put your arms in the air, and hold out your jacket to increase your surface area appearance), sing softly to it (seriously), and DO NOT look Mr. Bear in the eye.

I haven't had any experience with grizzlies, so this JUST applies to black bears (that's the kind we have around here, and they're much smaller...trust me, you'll know the difference).

DISCLAIMER: this is based on my own experience.

For the most part, bears want NOTHING to do with you, personally (food is different). If you're hiking on the trail and see a bear munching on a berry bush, you can just sit and watch at a safe distance, if you choose. If you feel threatened, have a big stick and look big and angry. Yell and curse and wave your arms and just make a big scene. They will leave. You can pursue or not. You don't want them to be afraid for their lives, you just want them to not feel like spending any more time near the yelling freak.

If the bear is not afraid of you, either because it's habituated to humans or because it has a cub and is worried about it, just try to calmly LEAVE the scene. It probably won't pursue. If it does, have a big stick and continue to look big and not worth the trouble. You can try to climb a tree, but most black bears can climb too.

If you're camping, make sure your food and toiletries are slung up in a tree...bring NO food into your tent. A bear that learns to associate people with food will cause problems for others later on. If you encounter a bear like that, report it.

I live in a wilderness area. I chased a bear out of my rhubarb patch YESTERDAY. I shot one with a rubber blunt arrow last weekend. I encounter bears on the trail and harass them out of my apple trees. I've chased bears away from my food. I have come between a mother bear and her cub on the trail. I have never, never felt threatened by a black bear.

If you're going deep, deep into the woods, bring a gun. If you don't have one, borrow one. No license is needed in WA to carry a weapon - a license is only needed to CONCEAL a weapon, so keep it visible and you don't need any paperwork.

If you encounter a bear, GIVE THE BEAR AN EXIT ROUTE. Fire a round into the air and yell and scream at the bear, make yourself look tall. If it doesn't retreat, aim and prepare to fire on it. If it comes at you, shoot to kill. You need a big boy gun too - a .44 magnum pistol in a good holster or or a 12 gauge shotgun with a shoulder strap should do the trick. Aim for the head or heart.

It's the longest undamned river in the lower 48. It holds amazing game fish: brown, brook, rainbow, cutthroat (three subspecies) trout plus cutbow - a cross of cutthroat and rainbow -- and grayling. You can catch many on the same day. Hooking a brown, rainbow and cut in one outing is called a Grand Slam.

Native Montana whitefish aren't targeted but often caught and pallid sturgeon are found in the lower river.

There are dozens of insect hatches and a healthy population of sculpin and minnows for these fish to grow chunky on.

Every section fishes differently and has its own charm. My favorite is through Paradise Valley, but I also like the section through Livingston and east of town towards Big Timber.

It's not hype. It's a well-deserved reputation of very fine fly water.

I'd assume this means you're playing the part of the human condom... / sandwich filling?
Don't stop for anything - enjoy the ride.

Waterfront Pizza is great. Don't be confused by the takeout looking window, the small little restaurant is upstairs.

I second Sacrelicious on having a picnic and hanging out at Fort Worden.

See a movie at the historic Uptown Theater or awesome Wheel In Motor Movie drive in.

And there's a really cool walking route that takes you by all the old historic houses, courthouse, lighthouse, etc: http://www.cityofpt.us/publicworks/pdfs/ptwalkmap.pdf

Large hairy gay men, in my experience, are neither terribly pleased or displeased to meet randy middle aged women so the introductions should be informal and brief. However, neither is usually willing to share their prey so unless you've got a most unusual bear and cougar you are going to have to make them take turns. I'd lean torwards dinner with the bear followed by adult play time and apres amour de homo cocktails with the cougar who would be more likely to spring for breakfast.

Your entire state is pretty kick ass. I think there is a trib of the yeller called fish creek or trout creek that is also great and mcuh smaller water.

If you fancy a light hike, you can head for the Olympic Hot Springs. The trailhead is ~1.5 hours from Port Townsend, (45 minutes past Port Angeles)

The hot springs can be a little crowded on weekends, but not terribly. During the week you should have plenty of room - likely just a couple other bare-bunned hikers in the pools.

Your growing up idea is correct! Hard to beat Montana for fly fishing...

Most of the hikes up Hwy 2 travel through old growth forests. Lake Serene is a beautiful, if tough, hike. Wallace Falls is easier than Serene and takes you to a number of impressive water falls. It is, however, swamped with people. My favorite is Deception Creek. It's maybe a little long, ~10 miles, but uncrowded and not technically difficult.
http://www.wta.org/ is my go-to hike-finder online.

If you feel like taking a drive you should go to Hurricane Ridge, near Port Angeles, beautiful mountain top hikes and great views of the Olympic Mtns. Sirens is good for drinks on Water Street and The Fountain Cafe (one block up from Water St, near the stairs to Uptown) has amazing and lovingly prepared food

Grand Valley, on the Olympic Penn might be perfect for you: it has a lake, only the most remote of dirt FD/FS roads, and a quota system to at least help keep it from getting too crowded. You gotta hike in and out of course. Worth. It.

Plus, extremely picturesque.
(Sound Of Music, eat your heart out...)

Great Q, thumbsup!
Specific Lay-of-the-land views on hikes that are within an hour's drive can be had from Tiger Mountain and Mt Si hikes, both off of I-90. Stay on the western sides of these mountains. Both have lovely views of wee faraway Seattle and surrounding hills/lakes/mountain scenery.

Trail/hike names: West Tiger 1 or Poo Poo Point (I kind you not, this is the name) on Tiger are good. The trailhead is about 19 miles east of Seattle, and not more than a 1/4 mile off the freeway- so really quite close/easy to get to. A couple different ridges toward the top offer good views on a clear day... (which, if you're new to the area, might be good to note only happens semi-reliably for the next 4-6 weeks).
Mt Si's main trail takes you 8 miles for a 3000+ elevation gain. Big views, though some parts are dangerous - watch yourself. Far too many people have fallen/slid to their end on Si.
Both mountains have a lot of people this time of year - go during the weekdays if you can to avoid crowds.

You may also want to check these books out:
http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/showproducts.cfm?FullCat=138

Very close to Seattle is Rattlesnake Ledge in North Bend. This can be done in a half day and gets you into some beautiful scenery. Little Si on the other side (North) of I-90 is also fantastic.

I'm a big fan of the art gallery and totem carving on the Jamestown S'Klallam land near Blyn. The tribe has a great story of buying back their land and developing a great community center and dental clinic. On both my tours to the Olympic Peninsula I stop here. Our guests love the gallery because in addition to amazing traditional masks and cedar hats, etc, they have more affordable souvenirs all made by Native Americans. Don't ignore the carving shed. Giant cedars are being carved into incredible works of art before your eyes.

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail North of I-90 you can get to some nice campsites on several lakes in just a few hours. This hike brings you on the Kendall Katwalk (http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/kendall-katwalk), which is a spectacular trail with amazing views. Best to camp here mid week.

From Seattle drive I-90 to exit 52 (signed for Snoqualmie Pass west). At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn left (north) and cross under the freeway. In about 100 yards, turn right onto a dirt road leading into the PCT trailhead.

It will take you at least 2 1/2 hours to get from Port Townsend to Neah Bay. At least. Keep that in mind.

If you do go to Cape Flattery and want more views on the way back, take a short hike (I believe 3 miles) on Hurricane Ridge -- a friend saw 7 mountain goats there last weekend! If you want to spend more time hiking, I suggest Mount Townsend (follow the road signs to the trailhead despite what wta.org says) or Marmot Pass.

The eating in either PT or Port Angeles is wonderful, but about as pricey as Seattle if you're going local.

I've stayed at the Quillayute River Resort, just outside of Forks. It's right on the river, and quite lovely. I think the rates might be slightly lower than Quileute Oceanside Resort, and it's also a bit more private. The suites are cute and comfortable, and they have kitchenettes. The couple who own it are super nice and live on site.