A Day at Reid Harbor

Today we decided to stay at Reid Harbor so we could hike Stuart Island (and to celebrate Tim's birthday). Stuart is in the northwest corner of the San Juans, and is kind of dumbbell-shaped with Reid Harbor on the south side, and Prevost Harbor on the north side. Turn Point Light (the fourth turning point of the US/Canada border) is on the western end of the island, and is a nice hike from the anchorages.

Last year, we only had time to make it about half way to the lighthouse. The farm at the midpoint of the hike has some breathtaking views. It was clear enough to see the mountains in the distance, and even a couple sailboats in the frame to lend a nautical flare to the landscape. I can imagine the hassles of living here, but I can also understand why people do it. It was also the dustiest hike I'd ever taken, with a thick gray rock dust that got into absolutely everything and stuck. This year, it had rained a little bit the night before, which kept the dust down.

Since we had options for getting to shore this year, we decided to kayak in to the beach rather than row the dinghy in (Laura much prefers paddling over rowing). It's an interesting perspective paddling through a busy anchorage - since we're much closer to the water, the boats look that much bigger. This must be what it's like for the seals we keep seeing. Last year, one followed us all the way in and back out when we rowed from Frog Prints. This year, they were more distracted by all the other boats.

After landing on the beach, we set off on our hike. It's something like 3 miles to the lighthouse, so it was a nice bit of exercise. On the way, we had to stop at the Stuart Island Treasure Chest to see what was new for this year. Laura picked up a new T-shirt, but I just browsed. Luckily there weren't any yellow jackets around the chest this year. If you haven't been to the Stuart Island Treasure Chest yet, I highly recommend it. Perhaps it's a bit touristy, but it's one of those little secrets of the San Juans shared only by locals and boaters.

We ran into quite a few other people this time, both hiking and in the park, but not enough to make it unpleasant. Considering the number of boats in the harbor, I would have expected to be mobbed.

Turn Point Lighthouse was originally built in 1893, and has a commanding view of Canada - everywhere you look. It's a common place for Orca sightings, but we didn't spot any today unfortunately. It's interesting to see the light up close - it is clear that the Coast Guard is enjoying the views as well, since there are no fewer than four different cameras mounted along with the light. Given the number of calls for assistance we always hear on channel 16 when we're up here, it's good to know the USCG is keeping tabs (granted, it's also to watch the boarder - have to make sure the Canadian whales aren't sneaking in without a passport).

The light's been all automated since 1974, although you can imagine the keeper living out here in times past. It must have alternated between incredibly beautiful and incredibly boring - particularly for anyone who was assigned rather than here by choice. The light keeper's house, the fog signal house, and the stable all remain, along with odds and ends from past structures such as the bases of what was most likely some kind of antenna. The place has a very "out of time" feeling about it - you can imagine the keepers passing the time on this grassy point as the merchant ships ply the waters on their way to the seaports of the region.

Next to the point is a huge rock cliff which plunges down to the water. It's very characteristic of the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and foreshadows some of the locations we'll see later in the trip. It's interesting rock though - it looks almost like concrete aggregate - lots of small pebbles in a dense gray substrate that looks like it should erode much more easily than it apparently does.

The variety of environments we see hiking around the San Juans is remarkable. Where else can you go from a shore line, through forest, across fields, and into mountains in just a couple miles? I remember we were on Orcas one time where we had warm, sunny weather down in Eastsound, and yet were met by snow at the top of the mountain. I can't recommend this area enough as a great vacation - especially from the water.

After hiking back to the harbor, we paddled back out to Frog Prints. That evening we watched the first of many seals we'd be seeing this trip. There were at least three of them doing back flips all over the harbor. We weren't sure if they were diving for food, playing around, or just showing off for the crowd, but it was fun to watch nonetheless.

Dinner was excellent. That's one of the nice things about island hopping here at this time of year - local fresh food is almost always within a day or so reach, so we eat really well even with a relatively small fridge (which we haven't mastered figuring out where things freeze and where they don't). Laura was on a real experimental cooking kick this time too - it's amazing what can be done on two burners and an oven.