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Sultan Guy Member
Joined: 22 Jul 2008 Posts: 353 | TRs | Pics Location: Now reinforced with Concrete |
I know this is a hiking website but I thought some others might like to hear about sea kayaking and hiking on some of the San Juan Islands.
This trip is almost an exact copy of the same trip I did in 2009 so I included some pictures from both years. In 2011 we had not a drop of rain! Yeah!
In order to avoid holiday traffic and more importantly the crazy ferry waits we launch from Lummi Island ferry terminal on the mainland. Easy drive, free parking, no hassle. Spent the first night at Point Doughty on the northern end of Orcas Island. No long distance hiking from here but a great campsite. Paddlers only and one of the best sites for sunsets anywhere in the islands. No other folks were camped there Friday evening.
Stuart Island sea kayak Sunset at Point Doughty Beach at Point Doughty 018 187
The second day we paddled near Waldron Island and then over and around Stuart Island. Turn Point lighthouse area is my favorite shoreline to paddle along.
Drew near Waldron Turn Point Cliffs on Stuart Island Turn Point on Stuart Island Purple starfish Dome house on Stuart Island
Camped on Stuart Island which has an extensive dirt road/trail system. You can walk out to the Turn Point lighthouse.
Trail on Stuart Stuart Island airport Lovers Leap Turn Point lighthouse 091 U.S, Boundary marker at Turn Point Marker wording Stuart Island truck First couple of kayaking
I love the combo of paddling and hiking. Get to work the entire body!
Day 3 had us paddling to cute little Patos Island again via Waldron Island.
Sandy Point on Waldron Island Cool cabin on Waldron
Patos has a nice loop trail of about a mile or so and much more hiking along the wild shoreline. Lots of large trees here. Really neat lighthouse.
Campsite on Patos Trail to Patos Lighthouse Tip of Patos New goose Patos Island Lighthouse Sunset at Patos
The last day we paddled from Patos along the north shore of Sucia and then over to Matia. Lots of hiking on these two islands. Miles and miles.
Eroded rocks Mt. Baker Matia Island beach
Entire trip was about 65 miles. Lots of seals, bald eagles, ducks, and a few sea lions.
Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
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Riptide Rush Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 99 | TRs | Pics Location: Everett |
Hey Dude,
Wow outstanding shots, I love the one of Baker and the sunset ones are pretty spectacular too! Great report. While your were paddling around the sound, I was climbing Yellow Jacket Tower off Icicle creek in Leavenworth. Here are a couple of shots to get you back into the hiking/scrambling/climbing mode, that is if the snow ever melts out!
On the top
See ya back at the Paddle ranch!
Riptide
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jcocci Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 484 | TRs | Pics Location: Longmont, CO |
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jcocci
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Tue May 31, 2011 10:51 pm
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Great paddle. I love Patos Island.
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Joey verrry senior member
Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 2798 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
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Joey
verrry senior member
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:19 am
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Sultan Guy wrote: | Campsite on Patos |
I always like to look at kayak/hike pics.
Keep 'em coming.
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Stefan Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 5093 | TRs | Pics
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Stefan
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:02 am
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Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:54 am
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Awesome.
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Grizzy Yellow Cedar Hugger
Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 1936 | TRs | Pics Location: Switchbacks |
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Grizzy
Yellow Cedar Hugger
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:47 am
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What a great trip! I love hiking Stuart Island, that is one of the most peaceful places anyone could imagine. I always envy the people that were stationed there long ago...That Lighthouse would have been a great place to spend time ...
PS I've also been diving under those cliffs on Stuart and they are a great dive site! It almost creates a cave as the cliff goes inward.
All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other -
Only the mountain and I. ~Li Po~
All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other -
Only the mountain and I. ~Li Po~
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kayaker Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2011 Posts: 31 | TRs | Pics
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kayaker
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:38 pm
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Crazy jealous. Looks like you guys had a few good size crossings. Did you have any tricky currents or navigation issues?
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mike Member
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 6398 | TRs | Pics Location: SJIsl |
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mike
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:45 pm
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Didn't happen to see whales did you? Transients were in that area and one group witnessed them killing a sealion on Sat.
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:05 pm
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Sultan Guy said Quote: | I know this is a hiking website but I thought some others might like to hear about sea kayaking and hiking on some of the San Juan Islands. |
Got that wrong, Andy. As somebody pointed out recently, the name of our group is "nwhikers", not nwhiking. What that means is that it's a place for people whose interests include hiking and/or the Northwest to get together and talk ........ about whatever they're doing ........ about whatever interests them.
Turn Point on Stuart Island Tip of Patos Matia Island beach
As our group has grown, we've attracted a group of people with a great diversity of interests, and expanded our range to cover the whole world. It's pretty neat to discover that there are other people here who've been camping on Spruce Knob, WV, or skiiing in the Italian Dolomites.
We'd be pretty hard pressed to talk about hikes up Williamson Creek, if our trip reports didn't include canoeing on Spada reservoir. You're sea-kayaking report fits in just fine, the pictures are beautiful, and it will undoubtedly inspire others to follow in your footprints ........ errr ....... wake.
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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honey badger Member
Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 146 | TRs | Pics Location: Mukilteo |
Thanks for sharing. Have tried talking some others into the same route, but o luck so far. The north end are some of my favs in the San Juans. Looks like you got lucky with calm seas.
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7220 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:00 pm
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Really nice shots. I looked at the big version of that "eroded rock" picture for quite a while. Nothing like a lot of time and wind/rain to expose the fine variations in hardness in what would otherwise look like a big ordinary rock.
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mike Member
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 6398 | TRs | Pics Location: SJIsl |
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mike
Member
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:30 pm
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That sandstone formation runs from Chuckanut Mtn out through the Gulf Islands. Larrabee St Pk is a good place to view the wave eroded rock without taking a ferry.
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Sultan Guy Member
Joined: 22 Jul 2008 Posts: 353 | TRs | Pics Location: Now reinforced with Concrete |
kayaker wrote: | Crazy jealous. Looks like you guys had a few good size crossings. Did you have any tricky currents or navigation issues? |
Good question. You cannot kayak this route without fighting some currents and the wind. You need to be a strong paddler to go against 1+ knot current. If not then do not attempt this route!
We had some wind waves up to 2' which is pretty much the norm in this area of the islands. Again you need to be comfortable paddling for up to 5 miles in choppy water (over the deck stuff). Anyone venturing on these crossings should be well trained in both self rescue and group rescue scenarios. The water is cold.
Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
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Z Erratic
Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 797 | TRs | Pics Location: Greater Orondo area |
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Z
Erratic
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Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:49 am
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It's hiking, no matter how you get to the trail! Keep up the good work. Some of my favorite "secret" hikes are in places only easily accessible by canoe/kayak, with only animal trails to follow.
"Einstein stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, is as a blind man stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of sound" 1979
They don't make years like they used to.
"Einstein stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, is as a blind man stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of sound" 1979
They don't make years like they used to.
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