Sea Kayak - San Juan Islands from Anacortes

Trip Report

SIGHTED:  SEALS,  PORPOISE, BALD EAGLE, CORMORANT, CANADA GEESE, KINGFISHER,  MERGANSER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT , GOLDEN EAGLE, DEER, GOATS, RACCOON, OTTER

 

06/21/19 – FRI – FRIDAY HARBOR TO STUART ISLAND, 14 NM

TIDES: FRIDAY HARBOR T: -0.7 @ 1358 / 8.4@2226 /

CURRENTS: SPIEDEN CHANNEL:  S @ 0602 / -3.0 @1119 / S @1436 / +2.4 @ 1740  EBB FLOWS WEST

TURN PT T: 5.9 @0631/ -0.8@1403

WEATHER: MARINE LAYER IN A.M. CLEARING IN P.M., LITTLE OR NO WNW BREEZE, WATER CALM TO RIPPLED IN CHANNEL, TEMPS 50S-70S, VISIBILITY GOOD TO EXCELLENT.

 

We had spent the night at a family friend’s house in Anacortes.  We were up at 4:30 and down at the Anacortes ferry dock approx 0500 where we quickly unloaded in the limited time stalls next to the ferry dock before moving our cars to the parking space of our choice close by.  Terry and I had carpooled in my car and Will had driven himself.  Will and I paid $40 each, credit cards ok at the kiosk and we later split the $80 three ways with Terry. We were able to walk on to the ferry for $17.75 with no fuss and left on time at 0620.  There was a problem with water (no coffee either!!) so I was not able to fill up my water bags on the ferry as planned. Food service was limited but didn’t matter for me as Terry and I had gotten Safeway breakfast sandwiches the night before.  No microwave available but I ate half of mine cold with some orange juice before we docked at Friday Harbor. 

 

We checked into the marina office and each had to pay (I think) $7 to launch our kayaks and they agreed to keep our wheels.  I filled my water bags up in the public restroom at the top of the ramp under the marina office. Will kindly took my wheels upstairs after I was done getting my boat down to the dock where they were stored under a stairway somewhere by the marina office.  We were able to launch on time at approx 0900.  The harbor was quiet with little activity.  We got into the back eddy to go north on the ebb to reach Spieden Channel on time about 1100.  We decided to ferry across to get to a small bay on the north side of the eastern opening.  The current was definitely running 3 knots and we could see and hear the roar of the tide rips on the north side of the opening.  However, it quickly became apparent that Will and I had not set a hard enough angle to reach the other side without a lot of hard work.  I became irritated at wasting the current assist and hollered to just head west once we had reached the other side.  We hauled out for a bio/snack break once we got around a point.  It was rocky getting out with some waves splashing in occasionally as we got to the shore. Will slipped on the rocks but caught himself and said he was ok.   After about 15 minutes we hopped back in, peeled out and rode the dying current west.  The mostly treeless side of Spieden is already yellow and I wondered if it is ever actually green.  The bird life was easy to see as we paddled along, watching eagles soaring over our heads or perched on the sloping hillside.

 

There was little current assist by the time we cleared Sentinel Island and we paused at the western opening.  Stuart and Johns Islands were seemingly covered with dozens of large white teepees.  I had also forgotten how many houses were on Stuart.  We agreed to head for the passage between the island and after a quick calculation to verify our target we took off.  It didn’t take long to get across the channel to find plenty of people all over the shore, a lone paddler and a woman actually swimming in a bathing suit in the area just outside the mouth of the passage. An aluminum boat arrived just ahead of us when we reached the north end and discharged a large party of mostly teenagers that no doubt would be teepee residents for a while.  A large boat with a Canadian flag came in just as we crossed over and began paddling up along the pretty shoreline.  It’s been about 10 years since I have paddled to Stuart and I was surprised at the number of houses that are now along the northern side.  We hauled out for lunch at a pretty beach that had evidence of a recent fire in front of the log where we were sitting.  As it turned out we only had to go around the next headland to get into Provost Harbor about 1500 or so.  I was having a hard time remembering where the campground was but was able to locate it just to the west of the power boat dock.  We arrived to find it deserted to my glee and we spread out a bit as we began to unpack and haul our gear up the slight incline.  Plenty of trees for my hammock but then another party showed up.  They were from REI Adventures, being led by Kevin.  Another large party showed up after 7:00 as Terry and I were eating our sandwich dinners on our camp chairs on the bluff looking north but they were also part of the REI group.  The potable water was working and the bathroom was the typical sani-can in a wooden hut that was a very nice one, clean and well stocked with TP and hand cleaner.  We had the beginnings of a beautiful sunset when I got into my hammock sometime after 9:00, put in the earplugs and fell asleep.

 

06/22/19 – SAT – STUART ISLAND TO JONES ISLAND, 12 NM

TIDES: TURN POINT: 5.5 @0723, -0.2 @ 1446

CURRENTS: SPRING PASSAGE: -0.8 @ 1127, S @ 1500 / +1.3 @1724

CONDITIONS: CALM TO WW 1-2’+, TIDE RIPS SE CORNER OF JONES

WEATHER: MARINE LAYER WITH HIGH CLOUDS CLEARING TO PARTLY SUNNY, S 0-15 KTS, TEMPS 50S-70S, VISIBILITY GOOD TO EXCELLENT.

 

There was no hurry to get up as the tide wasn’t shifting in our favor for Patos Island until after 1100.  But the sky didn’t look promising and after listening to the weather report we discussed an alternative plan to going to Patos.  Kevin from REI was extremely helpful as he had an app on his phone that didn’t require any of the non-working coverage for our electronics.  One thought was to go to Pt. Doughty on Orcas.  But with the gale warnings on the forecast we reluctantly opted to head south in case we encountered problems tomorrow. We launched at 1115 to head 2 nm west to Turn Point.  The shoreline was typical of the San Juans: the distinctive rocks and sandstone cliffs in carved in interesting curly patterns topped by beautiful trees, particularly the madronas.  We could see how the water was changing as we approached the pretty lighthouse with its beautiful accompanying lighthouse keeper’s houses on Turn Point.  Not to mention how close tankers come around that point when one came  racketing around the corner.  We paused at one point when we saw a large eagle feeding on the shore.  We couldn’t tell what it was that it was ripping apart while a large golden eagle or some other type hovered close by.   As we made our way around the point more the wind waves were now churning along the rocky shoreline as I headed towards the rocks to do some playing.  At some point I got pushed up on a rock and stuck for a minute as I rocked back and forth, my boat screeching as I finally worked my off it, losing my unclipped water bottle.  Will was able to go in and retrieve it, toss it with his paddle to Terry who then handed it off to me.  That was real teamwork!  =)))

 

Once we got around to the south facing side we decided to get out in the small crashing waves for lunch.  There was a large number of disgruntled Canada geese already there ahead of us who moved over as we approached.  The wind died a little as we took a half hour or so to eat our meal before shoving off.  The current was definitely against us and it seemed to take a long time to reach the NW end of Spieden Island. We paused to discuss our options.  The wind had shifted towards the SE and we would have had it possibly intensifying in the channel so we opted to stay in the lee of it along the heavily wooded northern side of Spieden.  This turned out to be a good choice for two reasons: we were in the lee of the wind and had a bit of a back eddy occasionally helping us along the shore.  But the wildlife viewing was great.  Terry spotted what turned out to be two goats on the shore.  We paused and watched them go up an almost vertical embankment back into the trees.  We spied a group of 8 about a half a mile or so farther on.  Terry wanted to take a bio break so we drifted into a tiny cove about 2 miles down.  I drifted in first and noticed a movement on the shore to my left.  It was a slick, shiny brown otter making its way up the rocks.  Wade and Terry drifted in behind me as he moved up the rocks, pausing to raise his little face to the sunshine, scratch his ear with his back leg and then began rubbing his face, shoulders and rolling on his back like a cat on the rocks.  He was completely oblivious that we were there. After a few minutes of rubbing and rolling he got up, obviously marked the territory and then made his way back down to and slipping back into the water.  I wonder if he ever realized that we were there!

 

We continued on, finally reaching the eastern end of the island.  We could see and hear the tide rips off shore but it had little effect on us.  The wind had more.  We ducked into a sheltered spot for a quick snack and a wee before heading for Jones Island. Both the wind and the current were against us and it took about an hour to make the 2 mile crossing across the tide rip area to the north side of Jones, making a hard left to duck into the lee of the island the last quarter mile or so, arriving at 1800.  The current was surprisingly strong as we got around the first corner to go along the shore to see the first NW campsite with a few people on the beach.  We were told there were no spaces available so we continued on down the shoreline in the back eddies when we could to reach the southern meadow.  The wind waves were dumping a bit with the wind still blowing at least 10 knots and our boats were promptly covered with wet spinach seaweed as we tiredly hauled them out on the ball bearing beach.  Terry went up the surprisingly steep wooden staircase with six or seven steps first.  By the time I got up them I saw what he was already reporting: the place was pretty full with the only unexposed areas the farthest away in the far back.  I knew this was not going to be restful or comfortable so we took off again.  I saw a deer on a headland in the trees just before we turned the SE corner to suddenly find ourselves in some lumps and fast current. We got on around that and the spot that I think I had camped on years ago on the bluff now had a NO CAMPING sign on it.  So we had to keep going.  At least we were out of the wind as we made our way up to the quiet cove where there is a nice dock for power boats, arriving almost exactly an hour at 1900 after we had arrived just to the west of it.  A large group of kayaks were on the east side of the dock and we made our way to the other side of the cove to once again have our choice of campsites.  A large tent was set up close by but nobody was there as we set up.  I opened my back hatch to find to my fury that at least 3” of water floating in it.  Terry and Will kindly and silently carried my gear up to the campsite as I threw a tantrum before settling down to clean out my boat.  This time there were two very nice and clean bathrooms.  We could have walked up the trail to eventually reach the back of the meadow on the other side of the island.  I don’t know how far back the tents/campsites went but there were a lot of them. Most of them inhabited with what turned out to be a lot of noisy people.

 

Terry made a master stroke of throwing his food hanging gear over a high branch on his very first try. Unfortunately my hammock was tied to the other side of the  tree so he had to take it down.  It was nice to set up and eat our dinners in a wind free zone; that meadow would have been cold too.  Our neighbors had shown up and had a roaring fire going which made me wish we had made one of our own but none of us had brought anything to make one with.  We decided to take our food hanging gear and bags to the dock where it was easy to store it over a convenient pipe.  I walked to the bathroom—it was dark by then—and once I got back to our campsite I met the official residents of Jones Island…the raccoons!  There was a pair in the tree over my hammock already.  One came down as I was checking my hammock and the other stayed in the tree, staring down at us as its chum chattered down by the water.  I’d forgotten how aggressive these guys can be on this island. It was about 10:00 when I rolled into my hammock and went to sleep.

 

06/23/19 – SUN – JONES ISLAND TO TURN ISLAND, 7 NM

TIDES: FRIDAY HARBOR: 0.7 @1520

CURRENTS: TURN ROCK LIGHT: 0.3 @0824 S@0920, -0.8 @1237, STRONG N CURRENT AT N END OF TURN ISLAND

CONDITIONS: CALM TO WW 0-1’, LITTLE TO NO S BREEZE

WEATHER: MARINCE LAYER WITH HIGH CLOUDS CLEARING TO MOSTLY SUNNY, LITTLE OR NO BREEZE, TEMPS 50S-70S, VISABILITY EXCELLENT.

 

We launched at 0830 and it was nice to have the current going with us.  We had discussed camping at Blind Island the night before but opted to go to Turn Island so we would have an easy paddle to Friday Harbor on Monday.  We went along the north side of little Yellow Island to pause briefly at the beach on the NW side without getting out.  A woman in some overalls said hello and as we came around I saw a few more people working in the grounds on the west end. The water only rippled and the paddling was easy for the first time on this trip until we got to Turn Island.  The current was running surprisingly strong towards us as we approached the corner of it and I ferried into the back eddy to follow Terry to the closest shore, arriving about a little after 1000. We decided to get out at the cove rather than go around the tiny island and cove on the other side.  Once again we had our choice of campsites and spread out our gear accordingly after some discussions over which one to choose.  Some paddlers later showed up but opted to go on the other side. 

 

It didn’t take long to get our stuff unloaded and the boats later pulled up on the driftwood.  This turned out to be a beautiful and relaxing day, napping on the beach or reading in the shade.  As we were finishing dinner I saw where rain was moving across the northern parts and we scrambled to get everything cleared up and put away as the wind rose.  Luckily we never did get any drops.  I got into my hammock early as Terry and Will went for a walk to the other side of the island where Terry reported a lot of rocks and snarling water.  (We got a glimpse of that the next day leaving on the ferry.)

 

06/24/19 – MON – TURN ISLAND TO FRIDAY HARBOR, 2 NM

TIDES: N/A

CURRENTS: N/A

CONDITIONS: CALM, NO BREEZE

WEATHER: MARINE LAYER WITH HIGH CLOUDS CLEARING TO MOSTLY SUNNY, TEMPS 50S-70S, VISIBILITY EXCELLENT.

 

We wanted to catch the 1100 ferry and get some breakfast before it in Friday Harbor so we had to launch around 7:30.  The current was a little strong as we headed towards the harbor but died once we were in it.  It took about a half hour to make the 2 nm to the dock.  Will kindly went up to retrieve our wheels.  He and I hauled our loaded boat out of the water to set them directly on our wheels while Terry partially unloaded his boat first. I think in the future I will lift the loaded boat out and unload it before putting it on the wheels.  One power boater, unseen by me, very kindly helped push my boat up the ramp while I was wondering why it seemed easier than last time. Eventually we all maneuvered our boats up onto the grassy area.  I noticed that the fountain on the north end has been replaced with dirt and vegetation. The bathroom was being cleaned so I had to change outside in a covered area before we all got cleaned up and wheeled our boats to the waiting area.  Nobody was in the ferry ticket office so we walked over to The Blue Water café and sat down.  I wanted just coffee and a roll which wasn’t on the menu and left for the coffee shop next door.  When I walked back to the café the others still hadn’t had their order taken so we walked back to the coffee house to sit outside.  Will got an order to go from the café and Terry got a breakfast sandwich at the shop.  We walked back to the now populated ferry ticket office and I let the attendant know that we had kayaks and he said fine. The ferry came in and more peds than I have ever seen on one got off that ferry.  It took a long time to get the cars off it too before we could finally start wheeling with Terry in the lead.  Will was a little in front of me to my right when there was a bang and then Will was on his knees looking under his boat.  It turned out that a gap in the walkway caused his wheel frame to collapse so the boat was resting on top of the wheels themselves.  A kind and much appreciated ferry worker helped Will carry his loaded boat all the way to the front of the ferry as I hurried along with mine on her wheels.  I loaned Will my deck leash to tie the frame together and that worked fine to unload the boats.  We arrived in Anacortes with no more incidents and it didn’t take very long to get our cars moved and everything loaded up.  We stopped at the Skagit Bay Brew Pub for a late lunch.  Will went on to his home in Lake Sammamish while I drove Terry back to his house and then sat in traffic to get back to mine.

 

This paddle was a frustrating one with the battles against currents---not my usual style!—and the disappointment of not getting to go to Patos or Doe Island.  Not to mention a damaged boat. But I was very grateful for the cheerful cooperation and understanding of my companions. The wildlife was stunning—the otter viewing was extraordinary!!-- and it was nice to be back in the San Juans before the summer crowds.  Both paddlers performed well with excellent group dynamics.

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