San Juan Islands Sea Kayaking from Anacortes

Today began as you might have expected any February morning to start out here in the San Juan Islands. Frost was on the roof, a light breeze chilled my bones as I fetched the morning paper, parting clouds gave me hope for a sunny day. We ate our breakfast, carried the kayaks to the water, and set out for a morning paddle. Cypress Island loomed over Guemes Island off to the north. This spring we'll be sea kayaking along those incredible shores every day on our tours, but today we are just out for a little exercise. We crossed Guemes Channel and headed west out into Rosario Strait. Almost immediately we had an encounter with a small group of Harbor Porpoise. These small cetaceans are generally less than 6 feet long and weigh around 150 pounds. They are fairly common here in the eastern San Juan Islands. Often shy around power boats, Harbor porpoise are best viewed from a sea kayak where they often approach to within a few feet. Today was no exception and we sat quietly in our kayaks, listening to the sharp exhalations and admiring the grace with which they moved in their environment.

We continued up Bellingham Channel, enjoying the stillness of the day and the stunning views of the forested slopes of Cypress Island. This spring our multi-day guests will enjoy this same view. Even better, they'll be staying out there for a day or to.

As the sun gained height in the morning sky we grudgingly acknowledged that it was time to turn back, head for home, and get ready for another day's work. I can't wait until spring when we are showing visitors around this exceptional place every day, wind in our hair, sun on our faces. But for now....we'll have to endure the office part of this job.

A stretch of beautiful days gave us the inspiration to get Taiga's grandmother up here to babysit so that we could go sea kayaking with some friends.
Yesterday morning was so perfectly beautiful that we piled into the car just after sunrise and drove down into the Skagit Valley to witness the waking flights of the Snow Geese. These geese collect in masses just past the dikes of Fir Island and spend the night on the bay. At daybreak they take to the sky in long graceful skeins, heading to green fields for the day's feeding. Watching 10,000 geese flying overhead in the morning sun is something I would prescribe to anyone suffering from mid-winter cabin fever. The fresh air renews the body, the flight of the geese renews the soul. We followed the geese to a field where they congregated in a huge, noisy flock.
After watching this spectacle for a while we drove back to Anacortes to begin the active part of our day.

On a weak flood tide we launched into Guemes Channel and pointed our kayaks toward Cypress Island. The kayaking across was quiet and peaceful. We encountered rafts of wintering sea birds in Bellingham Channel. Guillemots, murrelets, Golden-eyes, and scoters were just a few of the many species enjoying the calm water between Guemes and Cypress islands. We landed at Cypress Head, one of the primitive
campgrounds managed by the Department of Natural Resources. Trails from the campground lead up and into the interior of the Biological Reserve. We took the trail that climbs through a beautiful forest and goes up to the abandoned airfield in the Cypress Highlands. Years ago they put this airstrip in to create better access to Cypress. It was a good plan, except for the 500 foot sheer drop on either end! In the best of conditions this was a risky place to land a plane, taking off was even more adventurous. If the wind was blowing it could be downright dangerous. Eventually the risks outweighed the benefits and the airfield was shut down. Now it serves as a great picnic spot with fantastic views.
The days are still short in February so we couldn't stay for too long. We retraced our steps back down to the beach where our kayaks were waiting. Sea kayaking in the waning light of a San Juan evening is one of the more sublime experiences a person could ask for. We made it back into Anacortes just before dark.
Sea kayaking, hiking, and the San Juan Islands....what more could we ask for. This was a great day!