Kayaking in the San Juan Islands

Wednesday – Kayaking was one of the main reasons we finally decided to take a trip to the beautiful San Juan Islands. We were enticed by all the advertisements showing pictures of the kayaks with the whales.   I’m thinking some of those pictures are photo shopped.  Boats and kayaks are required to be 400 yards away from the whales. .  If you’re hoping to see the whales while you’re kayaking, you have to be just plain lucky.  We weren’t lucky.  I’m guessing some are lucky but probably most aren’t.  Being in the right place at the right time when those pods travel a great distance daily to forge food is just plain luck. 

Getting ready to go.  How did we like tandem?  Well, the decision is still out on that one.

One shot I got out of the kayak.

The other shot in the bay I got out of the kayak.

This is what we did.  We put the kayaks in at Smallpox Bay.  The kayaks we used were 22’ tandem kayaks that weighed about 95 pounds each.  Were they in the water and ready for us?  Heck no!  We all had to carry them down to the water and back.  Ugh!  We were given a safety talk and provided with waterproof gear.  Not only did the gear keep you dry, it also kept you warm.  That part was very good.

Taken from the beach.                

Our total trek in the kayaks was about 7 miles round trip.  I could tell you we leisurely paddled south taking pictures of the shoreline, birds and enjoying glass-like water.  I could tell you that but if I did, I’d be lying.  We paddled out of the bay and into the strait past the Lime Kiln lighthouse and into Deadman’s Bay.  Our guide let us know we’d travel as fast as our slowest boat.   In other words he was telling us to move and that it was literally a race with no time to take pictures or even scan the shoreline for wildlife.  We were too busy fighting a strong headwind (our guide estimated 17 mph winds), choppy seas and currents. We figured on our way back the winds and currents would be pushing us in the right direction.  That didn’t happen either as the wind and current shifted.  

Sharon and Joe

We did see one eagle and one harbor seal but those were in the bay.  Ask us if we’d do this again.  Just ask us.  It’s like Terry said.  If this was the first time we had kayaked, we probably would never do it again. 

Friday Harbor itself is protected.  The winds can be nearly non-existent there but when you get on the west side of the island, it’s a whole other story.  We did love the island and we’d love to go back.  Maybe even go to a different island. There is so much to see and do.  If we do, we’ll take our own kayaks and when the winds are strong, we’ll  kayak in one of the many bays. 

Thursday -- Joe and Sharon hopped on an early ferry out of Anacortes arriving in Friday Harbor a little after 9:00. It didn’t take us long to get on the road to other parts of the island.  The San Juan Islands have a very interesting history.  Both Britain and the United States claimed these islands.  The Treaty of Oregon drew the international boundary on the 49th parallel and referred to the western boundary as the center of the strait.  The problem is there are two straits. Thus, Britain decided it was down the eastern  Rosario Strait and the United States decided it was down the western Haro Strait.  The dispute came to a head over the shooting of a pig.  This became known as The Pig War.

American troops arrived with a 64-man unit.  In response to this the British arrived with 62 guns, 400 Royal Marines and 15 engineers.  When the Americans wouldn’t budge, more British soldiers, ships and weapons arrived.  The British settled north of the island which became known as English Camp while the Americans occupied the southern part of the island known as American Camp.

For 12 years each army threw insults at the other trying to get them to fire the first shot.   It didn’t happen and no shot was ever fired .. except to the pig which was the only casualty of the war. The dispute was turned over to an international arbitration committee to decide where the boundary should be.  It took a year but eventually the islands were given to the United States and the British departed. 

Eagle Nest

Osprey Nest

First we visited American Camp. Then we went to English Camp.  Some of the buildings are still standing at each camp.  In one of the trees at the American Camp was an Eagle’s nest.  We could see the top of the heads of the babies.    At the English Camp was an Osprey’s nest.

Joe and Sharon checking out the English garden at English Camp.

Next on our list was heading back into the town of Friday Harbor to meet the 1:00 ferry.  Ed and Linda were arriving and we were all looking forward to lunch on the waterfront with them.  I’ve got to say my lunch of steamed clams was amazing.  We had a great time talking, laughing and visiting before the four of them caught a ferry back to the mainland.

Here they come  ….. Ed and Linda.

One fun thing we didn’t have time to do was rent a scoot coupe.  Now that would be fun and maybe next time! 

Friday -  This was departure day for us.  It was time to get on the ferry at Friday Harbor and then again at Coupeville.  It was two ferries and then about 180 miles south. 

A nesting seagull on the ferry dock. 

At the Coupeville ferry dock we saw many boats and trailers loaded with crab nets.

It was an uneventful ride back and a long day.  We were beat but we really had a great "vacation" even though the kayaking was disappointing.  We'll be ready to do another mini-vacation soon.

‘Tis life on the road.

I'm old enough to know better but young enough to do it anyway