Sea Kayak to Cypress Isand
This was an amazing trip, but also one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Travis and I set out from Washington Park, in Anacortes, late in the afternoon, with overcast skies and a few showers. Our trip was approximately three miles across the Puget Sound, crossing a ferry route, and skirting the edge of Rosario Straight, to reach Pelican Beach, on the northeast side of Cypress Island. Travis had plenty of kayaking experience, including as a guide on Orcas Island. I had only been in a sea kayak twice before in my life. Our trip to the island went smoothly, but was a lot harder than I was expecting. The return was another story.
Upon arriving, we set out into the forest to collect some firewood (handsaw saved the day again!) and then setup the tent. We built a fire and relaxed. It was great to be able to camp right on the edge of the beach.
Travis and I hiked to Eagle Cliff the next morning, to check out the view. Travis’ brother, and two of his buddies, arrived later that day, via a power boat. Their supplies included a pony keg!
The five of us returned to Eagle Cliff to enjoy the sunset.
I got up early on day 3, around 5:30am (our return day). The sky was clear, with an occasional breeze. Looked like it was going to be a nice day. It was nice to be up before everyone, to enjoy the quiet and the views. I browsed the news on my phone and checked the weather for Anacortes: Small Craft Advisory. Go get me brown pants.
I woke up Travis, to discuss our options. We had originally planned to finish circumnavigating the island on way back, with a stop on Strawberry island for lunch. That was definitely out. The small craft advisory was already in effect, but it was calm at our location. It was forecast to deteriorate as the day went on. We checked the wind and tide forecasts – both were in our favor. We decided to quickly pack up and head back.
The waves picked up to 1 to 2 ft once we got past the southern end of Cypress, with some whitecaps and the wind at our back. Small waves broke on our kayaks. We saw only a couple of boats, neither close to us.
About a half mile from Anacortes we got into some confused seas, with waves coming at us from multiple directions. This was the toughest and scariest part of the paddle. There was no way I would be able to get back in to my kayak if I capsized (likely true even in calm water). We managed to get ashore without incident. Unfortunately, no pictures – there was no stopping and I had a death grip on my paddle the entire time.
The sign at the park (which I missed on day 1) made me realize how stupid I had been to go on this trip without a dry suit, especially since I didn’t have much kayaking experience. Seawater in the northwest is 45 to 55 degrees year round. If submersed, you have 1 minute to control your breathing, 10 minutes of functional movement, and 60 minutes until you are unconscious.