I do just as much or more kayaking as I do hiking and love to combine the two any chance I can. Easy to do in Alaska or BC but harder here in WA State. A great favorite of mine that I have done many times is Eagle Cliff on Cypress Island near Anacortes. I thought some of the members here would like to know about this fantastic island and the great hiking opportunities that are here.
The majority of Cypress Island is owned by the DNR and there are enough trail miles to keep you busy for a weekend. Easy to reach by kayak or small motor boat and there was a guy running an informal passenger only ferry who may still be operating. There is some really neat lakes in the middle of the island that I have visited on other trips. There are designated camping areas but a good low impact backpacker would be fine all over. For this day trip we kayaked around the island which is about 16 miles and hiked the popular 1.3 mile Eagle Cliff trail from Pelican Beach.
Cypress Island in the far distance
Cypress Head beach
Trail map
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Beautiful trail
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On really clear days in the fall/winter I have had great views of Mt. Baker, Olympics, Vancouver Island mountains, and the entire Cascades. Today was a bit hazy but still nice!
Lokking SW
View north
View west
View east
Eagle Cliff from the water
The trail is closed between February 1st and July 15th for nesting birds.
Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
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Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
About 8 years ago i was motoring back from Sucia island (via Rosario Straight) the weather forecast said sunshine. Well it was sunny, until a storm blew in and stalled, turning glassy water to small craft advisory washing machine, in minutes. The closest harbor was James island by this time. Less than two miles away, the water was so rough it took four hours to reach it. There was way more than four boats rafted up to that dock. Before i tied off to the flotilla, i was handed a towel, and a cup of coffee. Boaters are great. About an hour later, a group of kayakers pulled up.
I'm not sure if i will ever be brave enough to kayak the sound. Knowing how quickly conditions can change.
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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