ATTENTION!

This site has oodles of information about boating and the San Juans, it helps to use the search box BELOW to find what interests you.
Search - "things to do" or try "places to go"
search - Sucia Island
search - Friday Harbor
search - hiking or bicycling
try - kayak - try CAMPING - try Anchoring

++++ ============================= All Posts Below

Current Posts Below

Aug 23, 2017

Ten lessor known places to visit in the San Juan's



     Everyone knows about Rosario - Friday Harbor - Roche Harbor and Sucia Island.  Of course they are famous and not to miss, 

but some of the best San Juan area 

destinations are much less traveled 

and even less talked about.

  Out of the way places have secrets where local knowledge may turn a ho-hum cruise into a truly memorable event.  I am listing and describing some favorites, feel free to make them yours too.

   Not in any order or preference!

   #1  Saddlebag Island

       At the top of Guemes Channel northeast of Anacortes in Padilla Bay is diminutive Saddlebag Island State Park.

       Saddlebag has only 24 acres, its distinctive dog-bone shape creates two teeny bays. The north one suitable for  two anchored boats, or only one if the skipper hogs the middle on a long rode. We have always been able to anchor fifty feet from shore.  The dinghy ride is short and sweet, the gravel beach is friendly and steep.  The bay catches a little flotsam and wayward seaweed so an aroma may be mixed in with treasures you find.

      The narrow center isthmus holds a small campground and outhouse (newer).  Hiking the shoreline trail is easy and follows a handy figure eight shape affording views in all directions.  Being less than two miles from Anacortes makes Saddlebag an easy kayak destination.

      The waters on the east side of Saddlebag are shallow and rock strewn, circling the island is a white-knuckle event at lower tides. Your dinghy or kayak would be a better choice than the mother ship if you are determined to gunk-hole.

      We stop at Saddlebag for lunch and a hike, overnight if it is late, or just a quick anchor and hike.  We always see something new, and never go away unhappy.

       Saddlebag may only be rated as  five star, you will be glad you stopped by.

Saddlebag Island State Park


    Clickity click

Aug 1, 2017

Bicycle ride from the Lopez Island County Dock at Hunter Bay to Iceberg Point on the Strait of Juan De Fuca



       We  spent the night at the dock on James Island.  Our plan was to ride the morning current south through Lopez Pass and over to the county dock at Hunter Bay. 

 Next we would unload our bicycles and ride to Agate Beach where we would then hike to Iceberg Point.  If time permitted after returning to the boat, we would whale watch while cruising up Haro Strait on the outside of San Juan Island to spend the night at Garrison Bay or Roche Harbor.  This seemed like an ambitious but doable first full day of our loosely planned vacation.  Keep reading and find out what really happened.

         We left James late (9am) and arrived at Hunter Bay early (9:45), so far so good for the first 4 1/2 miles.

          Spotting the  small county dock from a distance was difficult because a little rocky islet blocked our view until we were right on top of it.  Half the boat hung out from the  tiny cargo loading space, but we got the bicycles off without any problem, and then moved away and anchored in ten feet on a rising tide.


Hunter Bay, county dock and launch ramp on Lopez Island

The county dock and ramp at Hunter Bay is for public use, and is primarily used by nearby local residents.  Like all county docks, the signs say you may not spend the night but our experience around the islands is that the two hour rule is largely ignored.  Under the gangway is a spot for dinghy's and next to our bicycles is a spot reserved for loading and unloading only.  Placement of pilings makes much of the float unusable. Anchoring nearby is easy and the bay is well protected except from northerlies.

Kraken anchored near Hunter bay dock on Lopez island
In the far distance you can see Orcas Island, so any north winds building waves will be coming all the way from Eastsound and can be a touch big, just like southerlies coming from Hunter Bay tend to be uncomfortable when they reach the top of East Sound -- touche'
Southend Store and restaurant is about a two mile walk with a pretty significant hill to go up and over.  Off to the left where the cove is  more protected are a number of cruisers bedded down.  All in all, this is a pretty peaceful place to hang on the hook or come ashore.

   We tied up in the already crowded dinghy spot under the gangplank.  We were watered, sun screened and raring to ride to Iceberg Point

 We pedaled a few hundred feet and ended up walking up a rather steep hill the first 3/4 mile.  It was a nice forested walk, we mingled with baby deer and glimpsed homes nestled around towering trees.  Still pushing our bikes, we crested the hill only to find another much smaller hill. Finally we started coasting at flank speed down the other side and I'm thinking, oh boy, we have to come back over this mountain later today in blazing afternoon sun.

            Once out on the islands only south end main road, we merged with and then were left in the dust of several large  bicycle excursion groups complete with chase vans and guides.  We caught up with them resting at Southend Store only to have them fly by us again on the way to Agate Beach Park.  At Agate Beach we may have accidentally photo bombed them while they posed for group photos.  We pushed on for a quarter mile and padlocked the bikes at the trail head to Iceberg Point.

           We are almost at the half way point of our days planned bike/hike, all we have to do is walk the mile or so out to the point and back, then head for the boat like a horse to its barn.  I want to call Uber.

          I will save the  details about Iceberg Point for another day except to say it is the tip of Lopez  Island facing the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and I think it was a great  worthwhile place to visit.  I also think it would be a very miserable place on shore in a storm and downright dangerous off shore in small craft. Our day so far, has been balmy and near perfect except for the sun and pushing bikes up hills.  ("Lopez" the bicycler's island, tell that to my legs)

         On the way back we were overtaken again by fit and trim excursion bicyclists, each one wishing us a good day as they sped by. The ones riding tandems seemed extra peppy, even happy.

        We stopped at the same store/restaurant (Southend) on the way back, no other bicyclists were in sight. I had been talking about getting a hamburger, coke and fries since leaving Iceberg Point.  We sat down in the restaurant portion of the store at a table with a checkered tablecloth  loaded with chips and salsa. I picked up the Mexican only menu to find pages of burritos, enchiladas and nachos. The hamburger and fries will have to wait.  The pulled pork burritos we ordered were huge and the warm salsa was out of this world good.

       I was ready for Uber or even a stranger with a rusty pickup when we saddled up for the last time an hour later, but the hill coming back was not as steep and we pedaled all but a short section, making it back to the dinghy and Kraken in short order.
  


Iceberg Point on Lopez Island
Iceberg Point Nav. aid. In the background is Cattle Pass and San Juan Island. It is a beautiful calm day with a little lingering low haze. Across the Strait of Juan De Fuca we were treated to the snow capped Olympic mountains


Iceberg Point from cattle pass


The same nav-aid viewed from the water hours later as we head north hoping to spot orcas, still a flat hazy day. You don't have to ride bikes from Hunter Bay like we did, you can anchor at Agate Beach and make the easy hike out to Iceberg Point.


chart of Agate Beach  Iceberg Point Hunter Bay
There is no dock at Agate Beach but you can anchor right in front of the stairs
and hike the short distance to the Iceberg Point trail head.
The bike ride from Hunter Bay to Iceberg Point is enjoyable and takes you by Southend Store for a handy lunch stop or in my case - directions.

       Our bike and hike was just about perfect, we will  do it again someday. All together we pedaled about 7 1/2 miles, and walked 1 or 2. After loading up we headed leisurely around the south end of Lopez fighting a small current until we cleared Cattle Pass where we got a little boost all the way through Mosquito Pass.  We took a slip at Roche Harbor in time to watch the "Lowering of the flags" ceremony.  When they fired the canon, my day was complete.  I slept well that night.



Click below to see Hunter Bay Satellite views