We were all set to go back to Portland yesterday (Saturday), but during dinner out with our friend Steve on Friday night in Anacortes, he convinced us to stay another night and join him and Sam out at Orcas on Saturday. We caved.
We left Anacortes around 11:30am yesterday and headed over to West Sound on Orcas Island. We were not too far behind Steve and Sam in Sam's Nordic Tug 37, and we both anchored on the west side of West Sound, near Victim Island. We quickly loaded up into the dinghies and headed out to find the trailhead for a hike that Steve found online: 3 miles up Turtleback Mountain (elevation gain about 900ft).
Steve and Sam getting Steve's dog Bella into the dinghy:
We docked the dinghies at a dock that didn't have any "private" signs, but we think it may have been private. There was no house attached to it and it was the closest place we could find to the trailhead, so we thought it might be okay, just this once:
Starting up:
The views just got better and better:
Bella and I played a tiring (for her) game of "stick' at the top:
And now, down:
This was a gorgeous hike, and definitely one to do again. Here's our route map and elevation graph (including a tiny bit of the dinghy ride back, oops):
Dinghies out at the definitely private dock (shhh):
Bella doing well getting in and out of the dinghy:
Sam has a fast dinghy. We need a faster dinghy.
We met back up over at Sam's boat and had cocktails and dinner and wine and tons of fun conversation, and Steve played/sang a song for us with his guitar, and we played Cards Against Humanity until about 1:30am. Such a fun night!
Here the track from Anacortes to West Sound (19.22 nautical miles):
This morning we slept in a bit (on account of cocktails, wine, 1:30am) and then headed back to Anacortes. We cleaned up Airship, unpacked, and made the drive back to Portland.
Next stop: North Carolina!! We get to go visit Tiffani and Deke!!
