By October, the weather in the Pacific Northwest usually takes a turn for the worse. As the polar jet stream strengthens and moves south, extratropical cyclones strike our region with increasing frequency, bringing southeasterly surface winds and rain.
In a separate phenomenon, freezing, high-pressure air expands out of the arctic into the interior of BC, thence escaping as outflow through the inlets and river valleys, bringing strong, cold, northerly wind.
Sure enough, the forecast this weekend called for arctic outflow through the Fraser Valley. Temperatures would be cold, and north winds were forecast at twenty to forty knots throughout most of Puget Sound and the inland waters.
Twenty knots is too windy to kayak with little kids, so this forecast was bad news for James and my plans to go camping with our daughters. However, the ECMWF wind model indicated that Skagit Bay in north Puget Sound would be subject only to ten-knot winds by late Saturday morning, with winds declining on Sunday afternoon. I decided a short paddle to Hope Island would be possible under these conditions.
The Hope Island of this trip is the “north” Hope Island, in Skagit Bay, north Puget Sound. It is distinct from the “south” Hope Island in south Puget Sound, where we camped the previous month.
Route map: I considered heading to nearby Skagit Island, but Hope Island is a shorter crossing involving slower currents, so it was the safer choice in light of the forecast wind.
Snee-Oosh Beach on the Swinomish Indian Reservation was a great launch. There was free overnight parking just yards from a gentle, gravel beach. Maya and Chelsea played among the driftwood while James and I loaded the kayaks with teetering mountains of stuff, as is our customary practice.
We launched shortly before high tide. Normally, one would expect an adverse, southbound flood coming out of nearby Deception Pass. However, currents in Skagit Bay are subject to all kinds of weird, swirling countercurrents, so we actually had a favorable northbound current that whisked us to Hope Island in short order.
Letter from the dog owner asking for help. Before the trip, Chelsea mailed Maya a letter from an imaginary dog owner, summoning Maya and her stuffed dogs to Hope Island for a rescue mission!
Loading kayaks at Snee-Oosh Beach. Hope Island in the background, just under a mile from the beach.
James and Chelsea paddling to Hope Island. The girls enjoyed listening to stories from their dads during the crossing.
Kayaking to Hope Island. Hope Island in the middle distance, Whidbey Island behind to left, Fidalgo Island behind to right.
Chart showing confusing currents in Skagit Bay on a flood tide. Current speeds are generally moderate, which is fortunate considering how unpredictable is their direction of flow.
The weather forecast proved extremely accurate, as it generally does in our area. A frigid, ten-knot wind blew steadily all weekend. During the crossing, the wind kicked up enough chop to soak Maya. She was quite cold when we landed on Hope Island, so I bundled her into the tent right away.
Once the girls warmed up, we all went exploring. Hope Island is primarily covered in dry, open forest characterized by Douglas-fir, Pacific madrone, seaside juniper, and western redcedar. The girls, pretending to be dog catchers, raced ahead through the forest to set up “dog traps” across the trail, which James and I would blunder into and become ensnared.
Some intrepid previous visitor had rigged a hair-raising rope swing high above the beach at our campsite. Maya was too little to ride such a varsity-level swing, but Chelsea was the perfect age. She swooped over our heads far out over the beach while we all gazed on in amazement. Afterward, even the dads could not resist taking their own turns.
Maya in tent on Hope Island. A mischievous dog named Sam has stolen the pump to my sleeping pad.
Chelsea and Maya playing on Hope Island. James hung up a kelp piñata for the girls to whack.
Maya and Chelsea rope swing. Everyone was quite impressed at Chelsea’s rope-swinging abilities.
Chelsea rope swing Hope Island. Chelsea was the most adventurous explorer of all of us.
Chelsea and Maya eating Nutella sandwiches. The girls took refuge in the tents whenever they got too cold.
By Sunday afternoon, the icy wind had finally abated. On our return to Snee-Oosh Beach, however, the ebb current pulled us hard to the north as we tried to cross, clear past Lone Tree Point. Fortunately, there was a southward countercurrent close along shore. By hugging the beach, we were able to regain Snee-Oosh in just over an hour’s paddling.
North Hope Island is not as well known a destination as south Hope Island, but it is actually an easier paddle and even more scenic. Even during the chill wind of a Fraser outflow, we had a great trip.
—Alex Sidles