San Juan Islands Sea Kayaking from Anacortes

It's hard to come to grips with the fact that the long, cold, wet, windy winter has finally released its grasp on us. But the truth is evident everywhere we go. Sea kayaking around Burrows Island is a wonderful way to see the wildflowers blooming. On a kayak tour last week we came upon an area so thick with our native Nodding Onion that we could actually smell it while sitting in our kayaks! There are some thick patches of Blue Camas, that all-important source of starch for the indigenous folks who lived here in the San Juan Islands before us. We also are seeing huge areas of Death Camas. The flower is a delicate creamy yellow, and is quite beautiful, but the plant is deadly poisonous. In fact, the natives who harvested the Blue Camas took great pains to separate the two species (which grow side by side), pulling out the Death Camas and throwing it away from the patches of edible Camas. In some areas a careful look reveals this activity, Death Camas growing heavily on the high side of a slope, Blue Camas growing in thick patches down a bit lower.

We continue to see Coyotes on nearly every kayaking trip out to Burrows Island. I'm starting to think that it must have been a very sucessful year for those coyote mommas out there. I hope the trend continues.

We've also noticed a few shoals of baitfish hiding in the new kelp forests that have just recently re-appeared. Not surprisingly, our Harbor porpoise sightings are also becoming more frequent. They tend to be where the food is.

A big "shout out" goes to Joey and Brian who joined me for a kayak trip last Friday morning. That was one of the most fun trips that I've had out there. You guys were terrific, we hope that you both will come sea kayaking with us again sometime soon. Bring your daughters next time Brian!

April is just about over and we've had the most amazing start to our season ever! We took out a lot of kayaking trips during the last six weeks, and our multi-day kayaking trips, which begin at the end of May, are already filling up. It's looking to be a busy summer.

This week has been a lovely mix of sea kayaking, long walks in the woods, playing with our little boy, and a dash of habitat restoration, enough to make the soul sparkle.

We were down at Deception Pass State Park this weekend, it was the monthly gathering of like-minded individuals who come here to battle invasive Ivy, acres of Scotch Broom, and other nasty botanical elements trying to take over our beautiful native forests. Rick Machin, of the San Juan Preservation Trust, and I climbed up to a beautiful mossy "bald", or grassy clearing, high above Deception Pass to tackle a particularly thick copse of Scotch Broom. Although the plant produces a showy yellow flower in the spring, it is a particularly nasty invasive species that crowds out the plants that have existed here for thousands of years. It took a couple of hours, but at the end of it we felt pretty good at the work we had accomplished. Next year we might be able to walk up here to enjoy the beauty of native wildflowers blooming against the gorgeous backdrop of Deception Pass.

Speaking of wildflowers, our kayak tours are enjoying a fantastic bloom out on the south side of Burrows Island right now. Acres of Camas, Monkeyflower, Calypso Orchid, and Shooting Stars give the steep slopes a great contrast in color. We've also been able to watch Coyotes foraging along the shoreline. They seem to be seeking out the Chitons that are exposed on the rocks at low tides. From what I understand, Burrows Island, Allan Island, and Fidalgo Island are the only San Juan Islands that host a Coyote population. They seem smaller than the ones I grew up with back on the farm in the south Puget Sound. Small, but healthy.

Wow! it's been busy these last couple of weeks. The weather has been terrific and lots of people have been calling to join us on a kayaking trip.
Spring has most certainly arrived here in the San Juan Islands. The grass on my lawn is growing faster than I can keep it mowed, the Tulips are officially in bloom in the Skagit Valley, and the Peregrine falcons on Burrows Island have fledged another chick. That is the sixth consecutive successful year of nesting, that I know of, from that pair. We heard the adults chattering for a couple of days, a sure sign of fledging for these generally quiet birds, but we couldn't find the chick. But on Friday we got lucky. The chick was sitting on a rocky outcrop just a few yards away from the nest. What a great thing for us to be able to witness! These birds seemed doomed to extinction just twenty years ago, and now they are poised to have their "Threatened" status removed. A great success story for conservation, to be sure.

Friday's kayak trip also saw coyotes (twice) foraging for their lunch in the inter-tidal zone. They seemed to have a knack for prying Limpets and Chitons from the rocks. I've eaten both Limpets and Chitons before, and I'm hear to tell you, those Chitons are tough to chew! In fact, we had to tenderize them like Abalone before our teeth could handle it.

On Saturday we had a great combination of mirror-calm water, and a low tide. We took out some family members of one of our regular guests, including Adam (6 yrs old) and Evan(4 yrs). As we explored the exposed shoreline, inspecting cracks for sea stars and gently petting an urchin, I was again reminded of why I love this job so much. It's the act of discovery that makes sea kayaking so rewarding, and it's the kids who bring this point home so clearly. Thanks Christine, we'll see you again soon! Another thanks goes out to Darryl and Jackie, another couple who joined the group. You two were great sports about having the little ones along on the trip. (In fact, these two were like two big kids when it came to exploring the intertidal zone, proving that you are never too old to have fun.)

The Bald eagles seem to be back in the San Juan Islands in full force now, and Turkey vultures have returned from their southern ranges to ride the thermals above the San Juan hilltops.