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  1. #1
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Around the Orcas in 8 days

    This hammockation took place Aug 8th - Aug 15th, circumnavigating Orcas Island by way of Sunset Beach (Anacortes), Pelican Beach, Clark Island, Matia Island, Patos Island, Jones Island, Spencer Spit (Lopez Island), James Island, and back to Sunset Beach. I slept in a hammock each night - though three nights required the use of the Tensa Solo pole.

    My hammock setup consisted of War Bonnet SL BlackBird, HG 40• TQ, HG 40° UQ, 2QZQ UQP, And WB MiniFly tarp.

    I drove from Bend to Seattle on Aug 7th, spending the night at my paddling partner's house. We got up at 5 AM and left about 6 AM after a short breakfast and loading boats and gear on/in the pickup (more storage room than my Jeep). Google said the route would be a little over two hours but google doesn't figure in morning traffic. All and all, we hit our goal of being on the water at about 9 AM - near current slack with an increase to over 2kns flood; in the direction, we were paddling.

    OrcasTrack.jpeg

    It took a little under 4 hrs to travel the approximate 7.5nm. Note that the boats were fully loaded with food and water for 8 days (we didn't want to rely on water being available on the islands).

    As we approached the beach, a pair of kayakers raced past. I would have picked up the gauntlet, but, you know, stay with your paddle partner. We figured the two were zooming because they grabbed one of the last, sites on the beach. It had a nice pair of trees that they only used it for a lounging ENO. Most of the beach was crowded with perhaps 30 or more people. There was an Outward Bound group and one summer camp group.

    As it was just after the weekend, the compost toilet had been used A LOT. No toilet paper and strong ammonia scent. So I was hesitant to set up the hammock in the trees, a little way up the trail passed the facility. Steve put up his tent on a short flat area protected from the weather with hedgelike foliage. I walked down the beach some and found one spot with a good tree branch but it looked like, though my hammock would be out of the water at high tide, should I step out at night, I could be in it up to my ankles. So I found a spot where the "tree" was a branch spur off driftwood and the other was the Solo anchored to a log. I moved over a larger log so the anchor wouldn't drag. But I found out it would float a bit at high tide. In the middle of the night, the hammock ridge line would tense and loosen a little as the tide rocked my anchor log - it was a High tide (about 8 ft with a low of -2 ft).

    PBBBS.jpg

    The next day we headed up to Clark Island. We left about noon to work with the current and traveled about 6.5nm in 1.5 hrs. Though the current was in flood, there was some anomaly as we approached Clark Island with a rogue ebb that threatened to push us into the rocks. I shouted to Steve that I'd have to get more aggressive and paddled out of the situation. It seemed the best thing to do was to get myself out of the situation first, then turn around and see what assistance I could provide for anyone else - in this case, one person. Steve has decades more experience than I do and he negotiated the current just fine.

    We had the whole island to ourselves but most interior sites were cleared for tents with no thought for hammocks. The Solo came to the rescue again:

    CIBBS.jpg

    I anchored the Solo with a BoomStake and the metal work on the picnic table:
    ClarkTableAnchor.jpg

    On the 10th, around 10 AM, we headed out from Clark to Matia. The distance was 6nm and took about 2 hrs. But it was a hard two hrs with washboard sea coming from all directions. As Steve said, we had to be "on it" with every stroke. There's a small "almost there" bay on Matia and we pulled in there for a rest, drink of water, and energy bar, before jumping just around the corner to the "real" bay with campsites.

    This time we shared the island with some very well-behaved summer camp kids. They came from John's Island via small sailboats with outboards attached.
    I had real trees for my setup. Steve rigged a tarp over the picnic table because the weather said there might be some sprinkles.

    MatiaTarp.jpg

    On the 11th we were headed to Patos Island with a stop on Sucia Island if we needed to wait for slack/ebb current and to pick up water. We were told there would be water on Sucia, Jones, and Spenser Spit but you don't want to rely on just one source of information. The journey took about 2.5 hrs for 6.5nm. I was hoping Patos would be the most idyllic but it wasn't to be. There's a small inlet in front of the beach so powerboats visit the island too. They can be pleasant or they can bring high people density (just beyond our site), dogs off leash (visiting our site - looking for a place to squat), and electronics (music).

    We were happy to leave about 8 AM on the 12th for a 13nm (about 7hrs) paddle to Jones Island - with a "look-see" rest stop at Point Doughty. There are three main areas to stay on Jones. The south beach is traditional with kayakers, there's also a Washington Water Trails Assoc. site on the west side and the north side has a dock for power/sailboats and additional campsites. I prefer the north side because it is usually not crowded - the yachties mostly stay on their boats. I've always found them respectful of "quiet hour". But Steve wanted to see his favorite sites on the south side so we continued around to the south.

    That beach was packed with boats so we continued around to the west. On the way, we passed three kayakers playing at fishing from their boats. The WWTA site was full with one group who said they'd be leaving the next day, and those three kayakers (they were together) each took a site, declaring "ownership" by hanging an ENO hammock at two, with the main tent/gear at the third. Steven and I have taken our own sites before - but only if it is clear there are many more sites than campers - not when it was as crowded as that day. We continued around to the north end, and found a great spot, with a view, conveniently located near the beach (for gear unloading/loading). There were even two-wheel carts to assist in moving gear. The only downside was the water spigot didn't work there but we were going to hike across to the south side to watch the sun go down. We could get water there and carry it back.

    We hiked over to watch the sun go down and contemplate the day. I was reading "The EndGame", by Baldacci, and Steve was looking at birds when two people, speaking rather loudly, started to set up next to us. After the crowd at Patos, Steve was ready for quiet and politely told the pair that we had come there for quiet contemplation at the end of the day and suggested they could move away a bit to continue their gabfest. There is plenty of space on the west side. I don't know why they figured 3 feet from our chairs was the place to be.

    Steve's tent:
    SteveJonesTent.jpg

    Evening repast:
    EveningRepastJones.jpg

    BlackBird and MiniFly:

    JonesBBMF.jpg

    The next day we had an 11nm paddle to the WWTA camp at Spenser Spit (via a lunch stop at Blind Island). Once again, the Solo Pole prevented "go-to-ground". Using a tree and boomstakes I was snug as a bug in a hammock:
    BBSS.jpg

    Near the end of the trip, we paddled 4nm to James where we had the whole island to ourselves, great trees, and a beautiful view of Mt Baker. There were five boats in the west side bay but they didn't camp on shore. My hammock overlooked the bay and I was ready to be awakened by the sunrise and grand view of Mt. Baker in the morning:

    JamesHammock.jpg

    As it was, though those five boats were still there, I could only see one of them because of the dense morning fog. But that was fine. We didn't have to leave until about 1 pm (to catch the friendly current) and an easy 4nm paddle back to our start at Sunset Beach. By noon the sky was clear but there was a bit of a wind. Nature was saying, "I'm not done with you whippersnappers yet (Steve is 80). So we had some white caps and a bit of rough water (but nothing compared to the paddle from Clark to Matia) to remind us who's boss.

    Once landed, we slowly - everything was "slowly" at that point - unloaded the boats, loaded the pickup, found the showers and cleaned up, then went to a place called Rusty's for a celebratory beer and pizza.

    This was Steve's last "epic" paddle. From now on, we will do shorter out-n-back trips like from the north end of Orcas to Sucia, or lake paddles. Steve has some heart hardware installed and we don't what to max it, or him, out.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 09-05-2022 at 16:55.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  2. #2
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    nice report!

  3. #3
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Great trip!

    Tensa Solo seems to be mandatory gear, or at least made hammocking a lot easier on these islands.

    Glad you and Steve found some peace and quiet... I didn't realize that some boaters could be as rude and inconsiderate as some hikers.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  4. #4
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    To be fair - and post it "out loud", most the boaters/yachties I've interacted with when kayaking are very nice and respectful of personal space and "quiet time". But the group on Patos, that day, was ... younger. Both Jones Island and Stuart Island in the San Juans have a "kayaker's side" and "yachties side", but there are no "rules" as to who camps where - just be respectful, and aware that people have probably been cramped together for a while and are out there because they enjoy the sounds of nature.

    After years of kayak camping, I've never had to Go-To-Ground, unless I wanted to be nearer the tenters than the available trees would allow. But sometimes having to sleep a "further than speaking" distance away is a feature, not a bug. The Solo pole opens up so much more flexibility with location. And Hammock style. If I didn't know the area, I'd leave the bridge home because it needed a more specific (harder to find) distance/clearing. With the Solo, I can just set it up 14- 15 ft from a good tree and I'm golden.

    Tech note: A "for camping/sleeping" gathered end hammock (GE) is usually 11 ft long. It is set up so the ends are about 83% of its physical length ... wait a minute, I'm posting in the HammockForums, not the WestCoastPaddlers forum. We already know this stuff
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 09-06-2022 at 12:51.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  5. #5
    ObdewlaX's Avatar
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    Great report & pics! Looks like some good buddy time too. The Solo looked like it came in handy & is a great thing to have for paddling. I can see it working too for motorcycling, where you're not quite as weight conscious about your gear.

    I've thought about doing a canoe or kayak trip at some point & think it would be a lot of fun.

    Thanks for posting.

  6. #6

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    Great trip. Makes me wish I had a sea kayak and lived closer to the sound. I canoe and feel you on the motorized crowd not always mixing well with the human propelled crowd. Hence there are actually very few lakes I will paddle on. And one of my favorites is on fire right now wiping out two of my favorite campsites.

    San Juan’s are beautiful. Cycled them once but a kayak definitely looks like a superior way to explore.

  7. #7
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Sean McC, if you mean Waldo, that is so sad. I hope it remains one of the 5th purest water lakes in the world. It's fun the read its Wikipedia page. Apparently, long ago, they tried to stock it with fish. But the fish died because, you know, purest lake - no food for the fish. Then they introduced something for the fish to feed on, but whatever that was died too - because there was nothing on the food chain for it to eat. There was NO food chain.

    I wrote a letter to Fish and Wildlife a while back as part of an organized push to keep a - let's just say "person" instead of ganging up on lawyers - keep a person from getting the rules changed so he could land his seaplane in the lake. Note he could easily land in Odell, just up the road.

    As far as water purity... I had my GPS sitting on my spray skirt, was distracted looking for campsites on shore, and I glanced down to see a small rock just ahead, In reflex, I edged to kayak over, missing the rock and dumping my GPS. But you know - 5th purest water in the world so I could look down and see the GPS on the bottom I bailed out of the boat - water was a little below collarbone deep, and put my foot on the GPS. I've learned not to try to get it by "sight and reach" - I just pin it with my foot and follow my leg down with my arm.

    Note that it's easier to do that with your PDF off. It's so much better to learn these things privately.

    I watched someone take their canoe to the public pool on kayak night and successfully roll it up from a capsize (note: leg braces and lots of float bags inside with about a 30% success rate). With adequate flotation, you could paddle from somewhere like Deer Harbor (on Orcas) over to Jones Island. Or from Roche Harbor (San Juan Island) over to Posey Island. But you definitely want your safety/recovery skills down pat. And it doesn't hurt to keep the phone number for a local water taxi (out of Anacortes) on your phone - in case the weather pins you to an island.

    Because you already have water experience, maybe the best course would be to investigate OOPS (Oregon Ocean Paddlers Society) and see if you can get on a group trip to somewhere in the San Juans. Many kayakers have more than one boat - so you might be able to borrow one to try out.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 09-19-2022 at 12:01.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  8. #8
    Member Of Wolf and Man's Avatar
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    Great writeup. I hope to experience that area one day.

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