Forum Index > Trip Reports > Stuart Island-sea kayak/hike 5/27-30
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Sultan Guy
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Joined: 22 Jul 2008
Posts: 353 | TRs | Pics
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Sultan Guy
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PostTue May 31, 2011 9:10 pm 
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. cool.gif
Stuart Island sea kayak
Stuart Island sea kayak
Sunset at Point Doughty
Sunset at Point Doughty
Beach at Point Doughty
Beach at Point Doughty
018
018
187
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
Drew near Waldron
Turn Point
Turn Point
Cliffs on Stuart Island
Cliffs on Stuart Island
Turn Point on Stuart Island
Turn Point on Stuart Island
Purple starfish
Purple starfish
Dome house on Stuart Island
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
Trail on Stuart
Stuart Island airport
Stuart Island airport
Lovers Leap
Lovers Leap
Turn Point lighthouse
Turn Point lighthouse
091
091
U.S, Boundary marker at Turn Point
U.S, Boundary marker at Turn Point
Marker wording
Marker wording
Stuart Island truck
Stuart Island truck
First couple of kayaking
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
Sandy Point on Waldron Island
Cool cabin on Waldron
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
Campsite on Patos
Trail to Patos Lighthouse
Trail to Patos Lighthouse
Tip of Patos
Tip of Patos
New goose
New goose
Patos Island Lighthouse
Patos Island Lighthouse
Sunset at Patos
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
Eroded rocks
Mt. Baker
Mt. Baker
Matia Island beach
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
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Riptide Rush
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Riptide Rush
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PostTue May 31, 2011 9:53 pm 
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
On the top
See ya back at the Paddle ranch! Riptide

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jcocci
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jcocci
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PostTue May 31, 2011 10:51 pm 
Great paddle. I love Patos Island.

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Joey
verrry senior member



Joined: 05 Jun 2005
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Joey
verrry senior member
PostWed Jun 01, 2011 8:19 am 
Sultan Guy wrote:
Campsite on Patos
Campsite on Patos
up.gif I always like to look at kayak/hike pics. Keep 'em coming.

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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 9:02 am 
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

Art is an adventure.
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!



Joined: 27 Mar 2003
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
PostWed Jun 01, 2011 9:54 am 
Awesome. cool.gif

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Grizzy
Yellow Cedar Hugger



Joined: 16 Jul 2006
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Grizzy
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 10:47 am 
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 ... cool.gif 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~
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kayaker
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kayaker
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 2:38 pm 
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
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 2:45 pm 
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
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Scrooge
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 5:05 pm 
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. confused.gif 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
Turn Point on Stuart Island
Tip of Patos
Tip of Patos
Matia Island beach
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. agree.gif 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. wink.gif

Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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honey badger
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honey badger
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 7:14 pm 
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
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostWed Jun 01, 2011 9:00 pm 
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
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mike
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 9:30 pm 
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
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Sultan Guy
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PostWed Jun 01, 2011 9:34 pm 
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
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Z
Erratic



Joined: 28 Jan 2008
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Z
Erratic
PostThu Jun 02, 2011 11:49 am 
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.
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