Chapter Thirteen (continued) —
Kayaking Stops In Washington State and the San Juan Islands
Directions: Ferry from Anacortes,
WA to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands. Drive north towards Roche Harbor. Turn left at the Westcott Bay sign.
Ferry Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/cameras/index.cfm
San Juan Islands Website: http://www.guidetosanjuans.com/
So we all assembled in the San Juan Islands. My brother and his family live in Tacoma, Washington. My husband flew in from New York City, and my oldest brother and his son had driven with me from Glacier National Park. Various neices and nephews piled into the cars and headed up I-5. We formed a huge caravan heading for the Anacortes Ferry eager to take up residence in the two houses we had rented on Westcott Bay.
On the ferry from
Anacortes to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
The San Juan Islands are a very popular spot for kayakers. You can 'walk on' your kayak on the ferry and get off on any of the islands and kayak to another island.
Walk-on kayaks on
the ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor
From our ferry we could see other ferries and the beautiful view of Mt. Baker in the distance.
Ferry
View of Mount Baker
from Ferry
The short trip to San Juan Island was a beautiful ferry ride and whet my appetite for kayaking these beautiful waters.
San Juan Islands
The many islands and landing areas make this a kayaker's paradise.
San Juan Islands
We landed in Friday Harbor and drove off the ferry to Westcott Bay in the north of the island.
Friday Harbor near
ferry landing
Friday Harbor is a quaint seaport a short walk from the ferry landing and marina. It is a great town for strolling and stopping in at the town's many restaurants, shops, galleries and boating facilities.
Friday Harbor, San
Juan Island
We landed to a gorgeous day with sunshine and blue skies. July is a great month to be in the San Juan Islands.
Ferry landing at
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Ferry at Friday
Harbor, San Juan Island
Upon arrival at our Westcott Bay rental houses I immediately checked the tide table and although it was a few hours before low tide I decided to try to launch. I put in front of the house that would serve as my base camp on San Juan Island (594 Westcott Bay) launching into the muddy beach area but still managing to make it out into the beautiful bay.
Muddy launch at
Westcott Bay, San Juan Island
Once underway I had a very nice paddle in Westcott Bay, passing the famous Westcott Oyster Farm.
They produce amazing oysters, clams and mussels on their 23-acre site in Westcott Bay. Westcott Bay and the adjacent Garrison Bay form a unique estuary system. The bays are fairly shallow with a narrow entrance from Mosquito Pass. These features allow the water to warm up in the spring and allow nutrients from seasonal streams to be trapped in the bay. Warmer water and nutrients, which support the growth of algae, make the area ideal for shellfish aquaculture.
Westcott Bay Oyster
Farm, San Juan Island
The water was quite smooth with no wind. I paddled west into Garrison Bay and landed at the historic English Camp. Back in 1959 when Great Britain and the United States agreed to a joint occupation of San Juan Island until the water boundary between the two nations could be settled, it was decided that camps would be located on opposite ends of the island. English Camp is maintained by the National Park Service. Three of the original buildings remain including the barracks, blockhouse and commissary. There is a small, formal gardens that has also been restored and is maintained beside the beach. The British flag flies over this park although now only the cemetery (The Royal Marine Cemetery) is actually British territory.
There I saw one of the lagest Pacific Madrone trees I had ever seen along the shore near the Camp. The bay is a very secluded area and a good place for a fort. This was a nice area to paddle because there were no houses built up along the shore of this historical park.
Landing area at
English Camp, San Juan Island
The following day I launched at
Westcott Bay two hours after high tide so some rocky beach was exposed enough to
get into the water. I went out to Mosquito Pass and dodged the rips, whirlpools and eddies. There was a strong current which slowed me down to 1.8 knots as shown as my speed on my GPS. I made it through Mosquito Pass and and headed to Roche Harbor. This is an exceptionally beautiful harbor with a landing beach to the right of the main harbor and hotel. From there you can walk up to get Starbucks coffee, ice cream, at a very nice gourmet grocery store there.
I saw a sea plane
land directly in front of me at Roche Harbor. It was rather scary at first trying to predict just where he was going to land and where I should go so I ended up staying pretty still. He finally
made his turn and approach and landed about 100 yards in front of me.
Sea plane landing in
front of my kayak at Roche Harbor
I paddled along
the east side of Pearl Island directly across from Roche Harbor, then went
northwest towards Posey Island. There I landed on the south shore of Posey Island, which is a state park and part of the Cascadia Marine Trail system. The island is accessible to kayaks and nonmotorized craft only.
Posey Island landing
site
My kayak at the landing area at Posey Island
The Cascadia Marine Trail stretches from Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts near the Canadian border to Olympia, Washington on southern Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Rosario Strait and the Strait of Georgia. It passes through some of the most beautiful and unique marine environments in the United States and some of the most popular recreation destinations in the Pacific Northwest. The trail was created in 1993.
Cascadia Marine Trail Sign at Posey Island
If you want a beautiful little spot all to yourself this is the place. Imagine that, an island all to yourself. Posey Island is just one acre with lots of wildflowers. No more than 16 people are permitted on the island at one time.
Posey Island State
Park landing area
There are two campsites and bathroom facilities on Posey Island.
Restroom facilities at Posey Island campground
There are lots of signs to let you know you have landed on Posey Island.
Sign for Marine
Trail Campsite at Posey Island State Park
Campsite A has a picnic table, firering and a lovely view looking back towards Roche Harbor.
Campsite B has a picnic table, firering and a lovely view looking back towards Seattle.
Campsite
"A" on Posey Island
Campsite
"B" on Posey Island
I kayaked along
the west coast of San Juan Island as far as Hanbury Point then turned around and headed back as I was afraid of a muddy low tide landing back at Westcott Bay. Even so, it took quite a bit of effort to get out of the 200 feet of mud and muck. But it was worth it given the shoreline exploration I had done that morning.
Near Hanbury Point,
San Juan Island
Although there are houses everywhere on San Juan Island it is still possible to kayak along long secluded areas of shoreline.
San Juan Island shoreline
As tempting as it might be, crossing over to Vancouver Island would have been an arduous trip. I would have to save that for another time as I still had the entire west coast of San Juan Island to explore.
View of Vancouver
Island from the west coast of San Juan Island
Meanwhile the drama of the blue heron and the bald eagle was about to unfold before me as I paddled my kayak near Henry Island.
Blue Heron on marker
Eagle replaces crane
on marker
I went back out
into Westcott Bay in my kayak then headed out into Mosquito Pass. I headed southwest and went past the large kelp beds. The tide was pretty low at this point so I could see lots of marine life.
Kelp bed on west
coast of San Juan Island
I passed other kayakers in Mosquito Bay.
Kayakers in Mosquito
Bay
I got back into my kayak and went west around the other side of Pearl Island and back into Roche
Harbor. A huge red jellyfish about a foot in diameter passed near my paddle on my starboard side. I didn't stop to take a photograph but moved along rather quickly away. I then kayaked down to Mosquito Pass where I hugged the Henry Island side of the pass to avoid most of the troublesome eddies and tidal pull areas. It was a fairly easy return.
Mosquito Bay
I got to watch this Grey Heron for several minutes from my kayak. He was not afraid and let me get pretty close to take his photograph.
Grey Heron on San
Juan Island
I saw my first Harbor Seals and they were very cute popping their heads in and out of the water checking me out. They are not afraid of the kayak and if you stop paddling and watch they stick around. I drifted a bit and watched them for a while.
Harbor Seal in
Westcott Bay
The tide was going out and the harbor seals were everywhere popping their heads out of the water.
Harbor Seal and pup
As I headed north I saw a white harbor seal mother and her cub sitting comfortably on a rock. I averted my eyes so as not to disturb them and the mother stayed still.
Harbor seal and pup,
San Juan Island
The next morning I left at 9:30
a.m., 2 hours after high tide, launched into fairly strong winds from the
Northeast. I paddled through Westcott Bay past Garrison Bay to Hunts Point. There I passed the enormous kelp fields. I made great time with the wind at my back at around 3 knots. I met up with three local kayakers who put in at San Juan County Park. They said the winds were brutal heading north so I went as far south and west as Smuggler's Cove then turned back to face the wind. It was a big tough going, but I got into a rhythm and stayed near the shore. I decided to rest a bit so I turned into Snug Harbor in Mitchell Bay. Snug Harbor is a very nice little harbor with the best kayak launching area I'd seen on San Juan Island so far with soft green moss instead of large sharp rocks.
Snug Harbor landing
on San Juan Island
Other kayakers soon followed suit and landed at Snug Harbor for a brief respite from the wind.
Fellow kayakers at
Snug Harbor, San Juan Island
Three nice kayakers who stopped for an espresso talked with me a bit about my route and the orcas they had seen further down the west coast. They said they actually wait out the tide shift by holding onto the large kelp in their kayaks, then wait for the oracs to swim by. I had seen the orcas from a whale watch boat earlier in the week and couldn't imagine being out there with them as they moved in such large groups and so swiftly through the water.
Kayaking trio taking
a rest at Snug Harbor
You could buy
and espresso or snacks at Snug Harbor as well as rent double kayaks. There were very nice facilities including a restroom. I chatted a bit with the three kayakers who were also resting here then put in to head back to Westcott Bay. I paddled north to the shoreline and got some relief from the wind as I headed out into Mosquito Pass.
Espresso bar at Snug
Harbor
A large upended double kayak serves as a landmark for Snug Harbor.
Kayak landmark at
Snug Harbor
Low tide at Snug Harbor was not nearly the muddy affair it was in Westcott Bay.
Low tide at Snug
Harbor, San Juan Island
I really enjoyed having my own Dagger Meridien SK-S kayak along on this trip rather than having to rent one. It was so nice to be able to control the kayak in these winds and extreme tidal pulls.
My kayak in the landing area at Snug Harbor at low tide
Low tide at Snug Harbor was not nearly the muddy affair it was in Westcott Bay.
The mud at low tide at Snug Harbor
We drove over to visit the Pelindaba Lavender farm in the middle of San Juan Island and saw lovely lavender growing everywhere.
Lavender farm, San
Juan Island
We passed Orcas Island on the ferry to Friday Harbor.
Orcas Island
There were lots of California sea lions around the San Juan Island shoreline.
Sea Lions
The water pattern reminded me of the First Nation art I had seen from British Columbia.
Water pattern
We stood on the hillside at Lime Kiln Point and watched the Orca whales go by in the late afternoon. What a sight!
Lime Kiln Point, San
Juan Island
I was glad to have my GPS along with all the coves, inlets and islands in the San Juan Islands. I kept it in a ziplock bag even though it is a waterproof Garmin 76-S.
GPS unit in zip lock
bag on kayak
In the center of San Juan Island there were Pacific Northwest scenes like this one.
Pacific coast
vegetation on San Juan Island
