James Island Hints

Date: unknown
Author: Noel Collamer

Take your car a kayak on the ferry from Anacortes to Lopez Island and drive to and launch from Spencer Spit State Park ( there is a lovely WA Marine Trail site under the apple trees near the beach is you have to spend the night. Paddle south through Lopez Pass with its lovely illegal gravel camp spot and up with the flood to the James Island Marine Trail sunset view site just south of the west side dock.

The next day paddle across Thatcher Pass and followed the flood up Rosario Strait along Blakely Island. About half way up the all wild east side of Blakely are a few lovely isolated pocket beaches that may be high enough to make camp on and are at least perfect for a lunch spot. Hug the south shore going through Pevine Pass, especilly at maximum flood. Consider crossing over to the Marine Trail-DNR site at Obstruction Pass for lunch and/or a nap and then paddle down the mostly wild west side of Blakely, across Thatcher Pass and through the swirling currents south of Fauntleroy Point to camp. The 17 mile took us about 5 hours of paddling.

Pay attention to the tides and launch the next morning to avoid the strong ebb tidal flow at Fauntleroy Point on the short paddle back to Spencer Spit.