Sabbatikos

From Vendovi Island we headed north through the Salish Sea leaving Sinclair Island to port and Lummi Island looming off our starboard bow.

Pushing near 90 degrees it was one of the hotter days in the San Juan Islands that I can remember. With swirling tides around Lone Tree Island and The Sisters rocks we maneuvered ourselves between the rocks (home to many sunbathing seals and their newborn pups) to secure a mooring buoy in the small bay on the eastern side.

Clark Island is a Washington State Park with sandy beaches on the west side and a gravel beach with stunning views of Mt. Baker on the eastern shore. But for some reason we had never been to this park before.

We headed ashore to walk and explore the trails on the island. We found beautiful forests of Pacific madrone, interesting rock formations and geology, and perfectly framed views after views of Mt. Baker melting away in the late July heat.

Clark Island has several nice camping sites and composting toilet facilities on it. It is ideal for kayaker campers (and there were plenty there) although the currents between Clark and Barnes and around the rocks can be very swift and swirling during peak ebbs and floods.  Be careful.

We returned to Pangaea for happy hour and dinner to watch the sun set and the moon rise over Lummi Island. It was a perfect summer day in the San Juan Islands and a new discovery for us to see Clark Island. Only once in a blue moon do you get a day and a evening like this. We’ll be sure to return here, perhaps to camp, at some point in the near future.