Kayaking Cypress Island
(Photos below)
September 3 - 4, 2005
Over Labor Day weekend, Andrew Martin, sea kayak-genius, was kind enough to take us out, along with Eric's co-worker, Stacey, on a circumnavigation of Cypress Island. We had high expectations going into the trip, but it managed to far exceed them. From now on, we are all about sea kayaking!
We launched at Anacortes and hustled across the channel to Guemes Island. From there, we crossed the Bellingham Channel and snuggled up near the forested and wild shoreline of Cypress Island and paddled north. Within minutes we spotted rhinocerous auklets, marbled murrelets, and a puffing-and-blowing bull sea lion. We rounded Cypress Head and beached our kayaks while we ate lunch. Then it was back in the water for the final push to Pelican Beach where we scored an awesome campsite on the beach.
The life of the sea kayaker, we realized, is fundamentally awesome. Leisurely. Nearly painless (we revised that sentiment the next day). We lingered on the beach reading and chatting and then headed out for a late afternoon hike--Cypress Island has dozens of miles of hiking trails--up to Eagle Cliffs, which command a sweeping view to the west, north, and northeast. Again, we lingered. Then back at camp we prepared a lovely dinner of fresh food from home that we washed down with two bottles of wine around a small fire.
During the night a few droplets of rain spattered on the tent but we were too happy to care. In the morning we packed up and waited for the tides to shift in our favor. Once they did, we rounded the northernmost point of Cypress--not as gracefully as Andrew navigated the bullkelp and rocks, but still, we made it. Then we drifted down the west side of the island, mostly enjoying the flood tide that pushed us most of the way to Strawberry Island, a tiny promontory of madrona-covered rock where we ate lunch.
After lunch we hopped back in the kayaks, paddled around to the south end of the island and then began the ugly fight. We fought the current now along the southern side and then barely escaped being sucked up into the Bellingham Channel. Once we were past that, we had to struggle across the Guemes Channel back to our landing site. The current was raging, at least to us novices, and there was a moment or two when we honestly feared we would not make it. At one point, we passed within several feet of a channel marker, where the water was rooster-tailing up from the force of the current. A little hairy. And getting dumped into that cold fast water could have been death. Or maybe we're making too much of it.
In any case, Andrew and Stacey seemed to have no trouble at all. Next time, we're following them.
We beached our kayaks at the Cypress Head landing on the east side of Cypress Island.
Our campsite at Pelican Beach on the northeast corner of Cypress Island.
We are definitely buying a sailboat in the immediate future.
We hiked up to Eagle Cliffs, on the northwest corner of the island. This view from near the top looks west to Rosario Straight and Blakely Island.
A boat makes its way south down Rosario Straight.
Looking west across Rosario Straight at the north end of Blakely Island and Obstruction Island.
Stacey, Andrew, and Jill contemplate the stressful life of sea kayaking with Orcas Island visible in front of them.
Eric makes coffee in the morning at Pelican Beach.
Who doesn't look great in a life jacket and a spray skirt? Eric and Jill pose with their kayak at Pelican Beach just before launching on day 2.
Stacey and Andrew (our fearless leader) show us what kayaking is all about.
Our kayak somehow made it back to the beach at Anacortes. Behind it, the Guemes Channel and Guemes Island.
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