50 Days, 500 Miles, and 5 States When I Turn 50: Craft Island

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Craft Island

I confessed on my Skagit Bay Estuary post that until recently, Fir Island just wasn't on my map. It's embarrassing to live your whole life in one area, and still be so clueless--but there you have it. Sweet Sassy Pants (a new "follower"...so exciting!) was kind enough to let me know of another treasure off Fir Island--Craft Island. There are so many little islands around here! I can name about half of the San Juan Islands, but that's about as far as my memory will serve me. Don't even ask me a mountain name; Baker and Rainer, that's all I got. I'm trying really hard not to be such an idiot...Three Fingers, White Horse and Pilchuck...see, I remembered! These are the mountains we could see from our quaint little spot on Craft Island, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

You can't see them, but the mountains are that way

I bought my husband a skim board for his birthday because I heard this is a place you can actually use one. (Northwest beaches are not known for sandy shores; they are known for rocks and logs) When we had our good friends over for a birthday dinner, a plan was devised to head out to Craft Island and try it out on the next Sunday afternoon. I had to nine-to-five it that day, so it was decided that Ken would go with them, and I would swing by on my way home from work.

Skim boards shining in the sun

The coolest part is that our friends live close enough to Craft island that they could just jump on their jet skis and get there that way...the closest thing we'll ever have to being 'jet setters'. It was an amazingly beautiful, hot, and cloudless day; so it didn't matter that I would be getting there late--or that I had to go the muddy trial route.

I hesitate even calling this a 'hike'...it's more of a path to make it to the water. But, you still have to use your legs, right? If you decide to go there, I suggest better footwear than slip on fashion sneakers.

Mystery Island

By the time I got to the river/bay (it's right where the two come together), the tide had come in...so no skim boarding for me. I enjoyed just watching the kids swim, and looking at the breathtaking views. (this is when I asked what the mountain names were, and the other island to the right...but I've already forgotten that)