Change Up

 

Approaching Deer Harbor on Orcas Island

Deer Harbor Marina

I picked up some groceries after my return to Anacortes, this time being careful not to swing the heavy bag over my shoulder and sprain my hand again.  It seemed like a familiar routine; would we go to Blind Bay and anchor for the night and then on to Friday Harbor?  I now understand how Bill Murray felt in the movie “Ground Hog Day” where he kept repeating the same day over and over again until he got it right.  

Deer Harbor Marina

We decided to “change it up” and headed for Deer Harbor to break the cycle.  The weather was warm and the breeze refreshing, a perfect day with calm seas.  We anchored in beautiful Deer Harbor and took the dinghy into the marina for an evening walk with Java.  She saw several wild bunny rabbits and other dogs out for their evening stroll.  We couldn’t pass up our visit to Deer Harbor without having dinner at the historic Deer Harbor Inn, located about a half-mile walk north of the marina.  

Short Cut to Deer Harbor Inn

We hiked up the winding country road and took the posted short-cut through the trees.  Located on a hill, the Inn has lovely views of the harbor from the large deck, it’s always a great place to relax.  The Inn and Restaurant is the site of Deer Harbor’s first commercial orchard where 100 year old apple, pear, and plum trees can still be found.  

Deer Harbor Inn and Restaurant

View from Deer Harbor Inn

Around 1910, the Nortons acquired the orchard property and began boarding school teachers from Seattle which led to establishing the Island’s first resort.  The Nortons became known for their chicken buffet dinners and homemade desserts.  Thankfully, the current owners carry on the tradition of excellent home cooked

A Seaplane lands at Deer Harbor

meals including delicious soups and homemade breads with seafood and meat dishes served family style.



Scenic Anchorage at Deer Harbor

The Lead Line



Anchorage outside Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes

For a change of scenery, Leonard decided to anchor just outside Cap Sante Marina while awaiting my return from Portland.  It turned out to be a scenic anchorage with great views of Mt. Baker, plus a convenient dinghy dock for going ashore.  

Got d' Fever at Anacortes Anchorage

Minus tides for that entire week, however, were predicted for the area.  On his second morning while at anchor, an extreme low tide would occur.  The charted depth for the area is 8 to 9 feet at zero tide, and the tidal prediction had called for a minus tide of about 2 feet.  Our boat has a draft of just under 5 feet, making for a rather close encounter in this particular situation, leaving only 1 or 2 feet of water under the keel.  Leonard monitored the “depth sounder” but these electronic readings can have errors or anomalies due to the different layers of mud and seaweed under the water creating less than precise readings.  

Looking towards Cap Sante Marina

The location of the transducer (the device that transmits the electronic readings) has to be taken into consideration as well.  The transducer is not normally located at the bottom of the keel but somewhere part way up the hull, accounting for another margin of error.  Then there is the tidal prediction which is taken from a nearby “tidal station” which isn’t necessarily where the boat is located - another possible margin of error that could result in more or less water under the boat than anticipated. 

Looking towards Mt. Baker

In order to figure out exactly how much water he had under the boat at any given time, Leonard created a “lead line” – a common practice used by early mariners.  

Leonard's Lead Line

To create his lead line, Leonard used a downrigger fishing weight and attached a thin rope or line marked off in 3 foot intervals with painters tape.   His lead line confirmed that the charted depth was accurate and that the tidal predictions were correct.  He was confident that there would be nearly 2 feet of water under the keel before the tide would change again to more comfortable levels within a half-hour.  The use of this old technology had paid off. 

Backyard Boating



Popeye the Harbor Seal

I have to say that some of the best boating to be found is right here in our own backyard in the State of Washington.  The San Juan Islands located in relatively protected waters have such a nice variety of things to see and do – small towns or villages, beautiful farms, historic sites, interesting museums, nice marinas, and secluded anchorages. 

Friday Harbor Airport

After visiting Roche, we continued around the island and made a stop at Friday Harbor for some groceries and water.  While in town we decided to hike one of the local trails near the Airport.  We discovered that the airport trail connects up with the “American Trail” that leads to American Camp located on the south end of San Juan Island.  

Many Scenic Farms in the San Juan Islands

To our surprise, we learned that the American Trail extends the length of the island and runs between English Camp and American Camp.  In some places along this trail, however, hikers need to walk on the road due to several portions of private property.  Of course we always have to say hello to Popeye, the harbor seal and long-time resident of 25 years.  Popeye can usually be found in front of the dockside fish stand, slapping a fin requesting treats at lunch and dinner.  We stayed a couple nights in Friday Harbor to wait out a strong south wind before heading to Eastsound on Orcas Island. 

Anchorage, Village of Eastsound

Although there is a small guest dock at the village of Eastsound, it is often occupied so larger boats usually anchor in the cove.  Since the anchorage is exposed to winds from the south that build due to the long narrow stretch of water called by the same name, East Sound, it is important to wait for favorable conditions.  The village at the end of this sound is one of four main towns in the San Juan Islands and is equally charming with cute shops and cafes.  

Homestead Cabins, Museum at Eastsound

Each town among the islands has its own interesting history, offered in the form of one or more museums.  At Eastsound it’s always fun to see the group of log cabins built in the late 1800’s which now serve as the town’s museum, showcasing the island's local history and artifacts.  These six original cabins were moved from various sites around the island to their present location at Eastsound.  Also of interest is the stately mansion on the east bank about mid-way along East Sound.  Completed in 1909, the estate was constructed by ship builder and Seattle Mayor, Robert Moran.  

Robert Moran's Mansion - Rosario Resort

The mansion along with the adjacent marina are part of Rosario Resort, another historic treasure in the San Juan Islands.  But alas, it was time for us to leave these beautiful islands and head back to Anacortes and then to Portland for what I hope will finish up the last of our business.

Secret Places, Roche Harbor

 

I can’t count the number of times we have been to Roche Harbor and never hiked the trails above the lime kilns; this was our year to discover the hidden back country.  We picked up a trail map from the Hotel which wasn’t all that accurate, but we still found our way through the forest trails which climb up into the hillsides where the rock quarries are located.  

Anchor Point for Holding Men or Buckets

The map we had showed a loop trail, but in fact there is a maze of trails.  Limestone was mined from as many as 15 quarries cut from the hills behind Roche Harbor.  

200ft Cliff Face

Cliff faces at some of the quarries are over 200 feet high.  When we broke through the trees at the top, we stood still in our tracks and crouched down from fright; we found ourselves on a narrow ledge with a sheer vertical drop on both sides of us – I think we found those 200 foot drops!  

A Frightful Drop!

No wonder quarry work is described as hot, dirty, and dangerous.  Men would bore holes in the side of a quarry using compressed air drills.  Dynamite was then placed in these holes and charges were fired at the end of the day, creating a large pile of loose limestone.  In the morning a different crew loaded the stone into ore carts to transport to the kilns.  

Cart/Rail Track 

The carts were first pulled by horses which were later replaced with a small 3’ gauge rail and steam locomotive.  We found what looked like the old path or rail line that gradually descended down the hillside.  

The Rope Swing

We also found a small clear lake with a rope swing over a perfect swimming hole.  It looked like great fun if you didn’t mind sharing it with the fish. 


A Clear Mountain Lake

Perhaps the men who worked the quarries cooled themselves off at this very spot.  Another crew of men would have been down at the kilns, processing the stones.  In order to process the limestone, rocks had to be at least 6 inches in diameter so air could escape up through the stones to distribute the heat.  Once mined and transported down the hillside, the stone was dumped into the top of the kilns.  The kilns were heated to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in order to convert the stone to lime.  

Hiking Through the Limestone Boulders

When cooled the lime was drawn off into barrels.  In order to keep the kilns at such intense heat, 32 cords of dry wood were consumed every day.  Together, the kilns produced approximately 1,500 barrels (200lbs each) of lime every day. At one time Roche Harbor was the largest producer of lime west of the Mississippi.  A large part of the production went to San Francisco to rebuild the city after the great fire of 1906.  Steel required high quality lime and Roche Harbor’s lime was 98.32% pure carbonate of lime.  John McMillin had the quarries worked in such a way as to produce stone that was easy and inexpensive.  Over the years this resulted in making the quarries inefficient to mine. 

The Lookout

Production ceased in 1956 with the sale of Roche Harbor to Rueben Tarte and family.  The adventure of hiking through the hills is well worth the effort to see these quarries now shrouded in silence.  On our hike back down the mountain, we discovered another side trail that took us up to a lookout where we had great views of Garrison Bay and Westcott Bay.           

Great Views from the Lookout

Heart of the San Juan’s

Cruising the San Juan Islands is not complete without a stop at Roche Harbor on the west end of San Juan Island.  It is the heart and soul of the islands with untold charm and historic significance.  We always make a point of visiting the Mausoleum, the Lime Kilns, the Company Store, and Hotel de Haro. 

Company Store

The Hotel was named after the Spanish explorer, Capt. Lopez de Haro who discovered and named the San Juan Islands in 1787.  The Hudson Bay Co. built a log structure on the site sometime between 1845 and 1850.  It was 1886 when John McMillin built the Hotel de Haro around the original log structure.  Several famous individuals have stayed at the Hotel, including President Theodore Roosevelt, President William Howard Taft, and actor John Wayne.  1886 is also when John McMillin purchased the lime kiln holdings from the Scurr brothers, who had previously purchased the lime kilns from Joe Ruff in 1881. 

Lime Kilns - Roche Harbor

The first two lime kilns were built by the British under the direction of Lt. Richard Roche stationed at English Camp on nearby Garrison Bay during the Pig War (1858-1872).  By 1890, Roche Harbor was a full blown company town. 

Lime Works - Roche Harbor

Limestone was quarried and transported to the kilns where it was burned down into industrial lime, a much needed ingredient in the production of steel, plaster, cement, and paper.  Bethlehem steel was a major customer. 

Company Town Generators

Diesel-fired generators, installed by McMillin, were used to power the lime plant, offices, hotel, and employee housing. 

The Chapel - Roche Harbor

In 1892 the Chapel was built as a Methodist Church, John McMillin’s denomination.  A “circuit rider” minister provided regular services, and during the week the church was used as a school for the children of company employees.  A schoolhouse was built later which now serves as a cottage for Roche Harbor Resort in addition to the company houses. 

School House and Company Homes

Next began the construction of a mausoleum in 1930 for the future internment of himself and his family.  It was completed in its present state by the spring of 1936. 

The "Afterglow Vista" Mausoleum

The structure incorporates symbols from the Bible, the Masons, and the Sigma Chi fraternity, all of which were important to McMillin as well as his own views of family unity.  

McMillin Family Mausoleum

The columns were created to be the same size as those of King Solomon’s temple and the broken column depicts the broken column of life.  Six stone and concrete chairs surround a round table made of limestone and concrete. 

Crypt Chairs, the Family Union

The chair bases are crypts for the family ashes while the set represents their union after death. 

Grave Sites in the Forest

We enjoyed our hike through the woods and paused at some of the company grave sites on our way to the mausoleum.  The trail begins just past the small airstrip, upland from the marina.  Of course the airstrip is another must see on our list; we landed our Mooney Airplane here in the early 1990’s, a special remembrance for us.  After seeing the airstrip again, I had to marvel how we landed such a fast airplane on such a short runway!

Roche Harbor Airstrip

A Country Road



West Sound Cafe

Today brought mild weather; time to stretch our legs, even Java seemed anxious to go for a walk.  We piled in the dinghy and motored over to the public pier in West Sound, providing easy access to the country roads and the country café located near the dock. 

Spring Flowers at West Sound

We had planned to have lunch before our walk but found that the café was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Someone should write a book about all the cute places to eat, where to tie-up, and the hours of service.  Oh, that’s right, I already wrote that book – Cleats & Eats.  Now that I am retired from writing guidebooks, I can just show up and have fun, no more working feverishly to gather information.  We can take lunch back at the boat after our walk; no more excuses, it was time to stretch our legs.  

Our Walk Down a Country Lane



The Smell of Fresh Cut Hay

Caution was required, however, as the paved roads in the area are rather narrow and winding with no shoulder.  Fortunately we found a side road, a beautiful gravel country lane just past the Orcas Island Yacht Club that meanders up a valley.  

Java Loves Her Walk

We followed the twists and turns through the forest with only the sounds of chirping birds, it was so very peaceful.  

An Old Log Cabin

The sweet aroma of the forest and fresh cut hay from the open fields were heaven sent.  Every bend and every rise beckoned us on until we came upon an old log cabin in the undergrowth, if only it could speak.  

What Stories Could be Told?

Here we found a fork in the road, most likely driveways for the local farms.  Not wanting to intrude upon the islanders’ privacy, we turned around at this point, having savored the best of this lovely country setting.

A Peaceful Country Setting

  

Massacre Bay



Massacre Bay and Turtleback Mountain

Approaching Skull Island by Kayak

Rope Swing - Skull Island

We departed Blind Bay after a fun weekend with friends and motored across Harney Channel to Massacre Bay in West Sound at Orcas Island.  Massacre Bay is very scenic with Turtleback Mountain rising as a backdrop over the bay and little Skull Island.  The Lummi used the small island and the surrounding land for seasonal camps which were raided in 1858 by a northern tribe from southeast Alaska, hence the foreboding place names.  We decided to explore this enchanting place by kayak.  While circling Skull Island, we spotted the beginnings of a sea cave and also spotted a rope swing, perhaps someone's secret swimming hole.

A Field of Flowers - Skull Island

Wild Flowers - Skull Island

The island appeared intriguing with its sparse growth of trees, open grassy areas, and fields of flowers.  We finally found a spot to go ashore along Skull Island’s rocky shoreline.  Tying off the kayaks to a log, we climbed up the steep bank and took in the lovely views. 

A Walk on Skull Island

We didn’t find any skulls but our imaginations were quick to fill in the missing pieces.  After spending the afternoon in Massacre Bay, we motored to nearby Double Island Cove to set the anchor for the night.  

Got d' Fever seen from Skull Island

This scenic cove also contains a small state park called Victim Island.   We made two or three attempts to set the anchor just off the shelf in about 21 feet of water but kept finding patches of rock; the anchor would grab and then lose its bite, jarring the bow of the boat.  I guess we were the next victims of Double Island Cove and its haunting islands.  We motored back to the northeast side of West Sound and anchored in front of the adorable West Sound Café near the public pier.