On Friday, July 27th, my alarm went off at 3:30AM, and I was out of the door by 4AM to get to Anacortes to catch the ferry to Orcas island to go around Orcas in a day. This would be my second attempt as I have come to realize the logistics of going around Orcas in a day are hard enough, but to do it from the Seattle area and try and be back in Seattle in your bed that night is even harder. Turns out second time was the charm.
Thankfully the second attempt had me sleeping in an hour later as there was a new later ferry time added since my first attempt in mid-June, and I learned to get some ferry reservations at the “right times”. I wanted the first ferry to the Island and I wanted a much later ferry (second to last ferry leaving the island) to allow a full 12 hours to go around the island. My first attempt was canceled as I wanted to be on a 5:30PM ferry, but the currents were not going to let me do that. I got to the island around 8AM and was in the water at North beach by 8:30AM. At 9AM I was turning the corner to go down President Channel to catch the max ebb to take me south along the island. This time I was not planning on blasting down at 7MPH, as that was my expectation I had on my first attempt. At first, I was observing the same speeds that had caused me to cancel my first attempt at the end of the second bay (labeled West Beach on the map) going south, which I expected as the tides were almost the exact same as they were on my first attempt. This time I was fully committed to going around assuming an average of 3MPH for the entire day. Turns out when I got south of the second bay I started flying close to 8MPH (which included me paddling leisurely). I maintained that speed for the rest of the cruise down President Channel until I got to Spring Passage. I was able to cover the first 10 miles in 1.5 hours! The next 10 miles would be scenic but would be at slack and with a little bit of wind in my face. I was able to do all 3 crossings of all the harbors/sounds in about 3 hours. My first stop was at Pole pass for a quick Pitt Stop. My next scheduled stop was lunch at Obstruction Pass State Park, which was at mile 20 at 1PM. Once at my lunch stop, I could finally eat my footlong subway sandwich and drink my first beer (an 8% Breakfast Stout from One Barrel Brewing in Madison Wisconsin)!! Before that I was running off 2 cliff bars, and a Jimmy Deans Breakfast Sandwich that I ate at 4AM as I was heading out the door. Need to learn to bring more food and eat more often was lesson #1. At 2:30PM I was off and turning the corner into Rosario straight out of Obstruction pass where I encountered my first serious rip with the current heading north into Rosario. I could have easily had some fun but I decided to take the inside eddy and work my way into the main north going flood current to take me to Lawrence Point. The next hour would prove to be the most technical paddling of the whole day as I encountered almost non-stop rips for the next 5 miles. Thankfully I was able to cover Rosario going close to 5 MPH the entire way and be at Lawrence Point by 3:30PM. I was hoping to finish the last 8 miles going 5 MPH but the currents where not going to let me do that. I ended up fighting a 1-1.5 MPH current all the way back to North beach, taking me a whole 3 hours. I was a little Put Out, but the whole last 8 miles were glass and I could not ask for more than that. By 6:30PM I was heaving my boat off the sand at North beach and wheeling it to the car. I spent the next half hour showering with my solar shower and drinking my Mac and Jacks out of my “NOT-REALLY-INSULTED-STANLEY-STEIN”!! It ended up being warm Mac and Jacks, and when you’re a beer snob and have paddled 36 miles, I was very put out, but also feeling very happy I had just gone around Orcas in 1 day, solo.
Now it was time for the next part and get back to Seattle. I was scheduled to be on the 8:45PM ferry, but the ferry ended up being 1.5 hours late. So, I had a big steak dinner and a few COLD beers in the town of Orcas before the ferry finally left at 10:30PM. It would be 11:30PM by the time the ferry got back into Anacortes. The entire time I stayed at the front of the ferry letting the cool breeze keep me awake. Once I was on the road from Anacortes to Seattle I was sure to crank up the Creedence Clear Water Revival and have my own little Karaoke Session in the car for the next 1.5 hours just to stay awake. I pulled into the drive at 1AM and was in bed by 1:30AM.
It would be a total of 21 hours to go around Orcas in 1 day from my house in the Seattle area. I have had a few days to reflect on what this trip has meant to me and I am still being honest when I say I am still mulling it over. I do these day trips to take advantage of winds and currents. I prefer winds less than 10 knots on these long paddles. I did not know I was doing Orcas until Wednesday before that Friday when I would be paddling Orcas. Trips like these make it hard for people to paddle with me, even when I would prefer it. I am now saying to myself, “Is San Juan Island next?” San Juan Island is just as big, but even more technical with Cattle Pass having its own hellish reputation. Who knows, the summer is still young and I am not getting younger. I still say to myself every night I go to bed, “It’s now or never!!!”