The Naked Kayaker
  • Blog
    • Search the site
  • Resources
    • Complete List of Posts
    • Trip Planning 101
    • Intro to Kayaking - Course Outline
    • Where can I rent a kayak in Belgium/the Netherlands?
    • How do I get certified in NL?
    • Map of Paddling Clubs
    • Dutch-English Watersports Dictionary
  • Destinations
    • West Coast
    • Great Lakes Region
    • New York State
    • New England
    • Europe
    • Oceania
  • Water Nerd
  • About & Contact

Blog

"Believe me, my young friend. There is nothing, absolutely nothing,
half so worth doing as simply messing around in boats." 

The Wind in the Willows

Day 8: Ferry to San Juan Island, Paddle Griffin Bay

7/26/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sunrise at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal
5am: it’s time to wake up for the earliest ferry! In classic Nena-style we (Nena/Sara/Bridget/Ale/Alex/Maria) took the first ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor at 6:25am. We were directed to Lane #4 where we parked, ate yogurt and cereal, and watched a gorgeous sunrise. We wandered into the waiting area and found a Seattle’s Best coffee machine, which delivered wonders for $1.50. “Now boarding the 6:25 ferry to Friday Harbor.” Oh crap, we return to the car just in time to board the ferry, parked behind another pair of kayakers and next to a massive flammable liquids truck. The ferry to Friday Harbor lasted ~1 hour. 
Picture
In the "cars with boats" lane
Picture
A caffeinated Sara is a happy Sara, even at 6am.
We drove straight to San Juan Expeditions (a.k.a. Tim) where we immediately discovered (no surprise here...) that Bridget’s factory roof rack was not wide enough to hold two massive tandem sea kayaks (henceforth referred to as the “Monster Boats”). Eventually it was decided that since Tess’s (the blue Subaru) rack was wide enough, she would transport the baby pink and neon green Monster Boat while Fernando and Big Purple cuddled on the top of Bridget’s SUV. To this day, we continue to regret not taking a photo of the Monster Boats (which are significantly longer than my car) on the roof. Tim was quite helpful, assisting us with strapping down the boats and making recommendations for paddling routes. 

We decided to keep things simple for our first day and paddle in Griffin Bay, which was only 5 minutes from the kayak rental shop and not really affected by tidal currents. Jackson Beach was an easy launch site with plentiful/free parking, two wide ramps, and sheltered waters. An old grey/blue cannery building sits adjacent to the harbor and marked the otherwise hidden entrance for our return. Our compatriots drank some beers and whiskey at 9am before launching. We paddled south, sticking close to shore and inshore of Dinner Island. 
Picture
Nena, Ale, and Bridget on Griffin Bay
A couple hours later we arrived at Jackles Lagoon for a lunch break. Here, a wide cobble beach strewn with sun-bleached driftwood and punctuated by small stands of pickleweed separates a lagoon from the bay. We enjoyed our extravagant lunch of stale pita bread, hummus, raw kale, carrots, snap peas, and fermented avocado. 
Picture
Jackles Lagoon
Before turning back to the launch site, we paddled to Harbor Rock at the Bay’s edge. Here we observed a crowd of seals bobbing in the water. The crystal clear water allowed us perfect views to the eelgrass, kelp, crabs, and other life below. Eventually, we took a shortcut straight across the Bay to return to Jackson Beach, spotting a bald eagle soaring over our heads along the way. 

After paddling, we drove to our campground at the “Lakedale Resort,” which is on the northeast corner of the island and encompasses a series of freshwater ponds/lakes privately owned by the resort. We stayed at site 206, which is on the far end of the campground. Our site was so small that we could hardly find a spot for a single tent, let alone 3. Bridget parked her car across the road and Sara and I put our tent in the parking spot (Sara really loves the sound of cars rapidly approaching the tent). 

A few hot showers later, we cooked up some herbed couscous and steamed broccoli (with a lovely sprinkling of canned tuna) before heading to bed nice and early.

Date: 7/26/2014
Distance: 10 miles
Duration: 5 hours
Picture
Sunny nap at Jackles Lagoon.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome!

    This is a blog about exploring the outdoors (mostly by kayak), traveling, trip planning, and coastal engineering. It currently focuses on kayaking in the Netherlands and Belgium, but previous posts cover Upstate New York, California, and much more. See the Complete List of Blog Posts for a history of the site. Looking for something specific? Search the site here.

    In addition to the blog, check out the Water Nerd section, where I write about coastal engineering and hydrology. 

    ​Happy Paddling!
    ​Nena

    Subscribe Here!

    Email updates on new blog posts, about once per month.

    Reader Tips

    Click the "Read More" link at the bottom of each summary for more photos, to see an interactive map of the route, and to read about the adventure.

    Maps in each blog post: Click the icons to learn more about the launch site (amenities) and destinations. Click the square in the bottom-left corner to see an aerial photo behind the route.
    Suggestions much appreciated!


    Archives

    December 2020
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    May 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010


    Categories

    All
    Biking
    Camping
    Canoeing
    City Trip
    Distance: 00 - 05 Miles
    Distance: 05 - 10 Miles
    Distance: 10 - 15 Miles
    Distance: 15 - 20 Miles
    Distance: > 20 Miles
    Guest Post
    Hiking
    Kayak Polo
    Reflections
    Region: Belgium
    Region: California
    Region: Canary Islands
    Region: Croatia
    Region: France
    Region: Great Lakes
    Region: Greece
    Region: Italy
    Region: Netherlands
    Region: New York
    Region: New Zealand
    Region: Norway
    Region: Oregon
    Region: Portugal
    Region: Spain
    Region: Switzerland
    Region: UK
    Region: US East Coast
    Region: Vancouver
    Region: Washington
    Roadtrip
    Tide: Non-Tidal
    Tides: Non-Tidal
    Tides: Tidal
    Time Capsules
    Trip Planning 101
    Type: Bay
    Type: Canal
    Type: Channel
    Type: Fjord
    Type: Lake
    Type: Lake/Reservoir
    Type: Open Coast
    Type: River
    Water Nerd

    RSS Feed

    Click the RSS Feed link, copy the URL, and paste it into your favorite feed reader.
    Blog Expat: living abroad

    Expats Blog
© 2021 The Naked Kayaker. All rights Reserved.