Sunset viewed from Washington Park

Being in charge of feeding 17 people on a young men’s outing is a good amount of work.  First comes deciding on the menus for eleven meals, then purchasing the food, hauling the food home, then to the boat, then ashore, then cooking the food, and finally cleaning up.  It makes me tired thinking about it, let alone doing it all with Ian.  That is how the week, and Ian’s week, went.  Ian was in charge of his ward’s (church) young men’s high adventure outing.  He asked me if I wanted to go and help out.  Little did I know what “helping out” meant when I accepted.

On Monday morning we filled up four shopping carts of food from Costco, following our carefully developed list of items (thanks to Kaylene and Lisa).  Ian and I transported the food to our garage and garage refrigerator.  Off we went next to Safeway and filled up two more shopping carts of food, and then back to the garage.

On Tuesday morning we hauled all the food, cooking grill, pots/pans/utensils to the boat in La Conner.  We then drove back to Anacortes, picked up nine kayaks and delivered them to the ferry dock where the boys were waiting for them (the boys took their kayaks of the ferry to Orcas Island).  Kaylene then drove Ian and me back to the boat in La Conner and dropped us off.  We then piloted the boat to Orcas Island to rendezvous with the boys.

Once the boys had their kayaks off the ferry and in the water, we headed to Jones Island Marine State Park, located west of Orcas Island.  Ian and I transported food and gear on the boat’s dingy to shore and went to work on the evening meal while the boys set up camp. The next morning, while waiting for a favorable current, we combed the beach, snorkeled, and dug clams. See pictures below.

I always look for rocks I can polish when I walk a beach. This rock looks ancient. Look at all those wrinkles (ha, ha).

It was early afternoon before we got on the water, heading for Sucia Island north of Orcas Island. On our way to Sucia, Ian and I made toasted cheese sandwiches, passing them on to the kayakers while they were in the water. Now that’s service! While our group was getting fed, another group of kayakers came by (a young men’s church group from Lynnwood, WA) and we also ended up feeding them. They were very appreciative.

Below are pictures from our stay on Sucia Island.

 Harbor Seals

 Camp site

 Lucas, Ian, and Tim

 Crabbing with Ian and Lucas

 Breakfast

Pacific Madrone tree

 Dead Pacific Madrone tree

 On the hiking trail

Never know what you will find walking the trail.

 Dinner

 River Otters

 Sucia Island is known for its sandstone formations.

How did this coconut end up on a beach in Washington? 

A storm nixed plans for kayaking to Doe Island, our next planned stop southeast of Orcas Island.  As such, we stayed on Sucia Island a few days longer. Since kayaking from Sucia home to Anacortes in one day was not possible we pulled the kayaks behind the boat.

A couple of miles from our destination the boat’s electronics went out. Then a hundred yards out from the dock at Washington Park the motor quit. Luckily we had lots of boys and kayak paddles. The boys paddled us to a point just off shore. It was low tide and we couldn’t get the boat close enough to the dock so we hauled all the equipment from the boat to the dock through the water. It was a memorable way to end the trip.