March 21, 2010 - Watmough Bay (Lopez Island)

We really want to head out this weekend as the forecast is calling for light winds and temps near 70 Saturday.  We have plans Friday night that will keep us home, but we decide to get the boat ready and sleep on the boat Friday night at the dock and then leave EARLY Sat morning.  We get up at 5:30AM Sat and leave the dock a little after 6:00.  It is pitch black.  It is good practice for us to do some navigation in complete darkness.  It makes sense to get comfortable running in the dark because you never know what emergency in the middle of the night will have you doing it (usually under stressful conditions).

Leaving in the morning while still dark.

We are treated to a colorful sunrise just as we pass under the bridge at Deception Pass.  What a sight, with a cup of coffee in my hand, and no other boats on the water.  Does it get any better than this???

Sunrise at Deception Pass

It is a 2 hour cruise over to Watmough Bay on Lopez Island from our slip in La Conner.  The kids are asleep though most of the ride.  We pull in and drop the anchor in charming Watmough Bay.  There is one sailboat here on a private mooring bouy.  It's a little breezy and there are waves rolling in, but they are hitting us square on the bow so it's not doing much to us.

Our friends the Dalton's are going to be joining us in a few hours.  They put their boat in the water this morning, were heading for the fuel dock, and then over to tie up to us for the weekend.  They arrive around 11:00 and tie up to us.  We make some lunches for a picnic and then dinghy to shore for a hike up 470' tall Chadwick Hill.  The trail is a bit rugged and steep in places, and proves to be a workout for us old adults, while the kids leave us in the dust.    At the top is a rope swing, and the kids just can't wait to get their to play.  They all take turn after turn on the swing and have a blast!

The BIG rope swing at the top of Chadwick Hill

Kevin climbing a tree

After a lot of playing on the rope swing, and climbing the tree that supports the swing, we continue hiking around and find a fantastic place to eat our lunch.  We are perched on the edge of a very steep cliff that overlooks the bay.  It is a shear cliff straight down to the water below, easily 250' straight down.

The view of our boats from the edge of the big cliff

We continue to hike around the top of Chadwick Hill and do some more playing at the rope swing on our way down.  That rope swing was a huge hit with the kids.  I'm glad is was still there, as we've been telling the Dalton's about the rope swing for months now.  We take some group pictures and then continue the hike back to the beach.

The two boating families

We get back down and the kids explore the beach and start climbing some of the massive boulders that have tumbled off the cliff and are laying at it's base.

Check out the size of these boulders!

Mt. Baker behind our boats

We head back to the boats and then take a dinghy ride to explore the south end of Lopez.

The boys on a dinghy ride (Steve, Kevin, Aidan)

Mark and Jen out in their dinghy

And the rest of us....

Overnight the wind kicks up and our two boats spend most of the dark hours bumping into each other, and making the boats lurch as the lines snap tight.  Not enough sleep for the adults and lots of coffee is consumed in the morning.  The kids, or course, sleep through it all....

After lunch the Dalton's untie from us and drop their anchor a few hundred feet away.  They are staying so they can go hike up to the rope swing again.  We have to get back so Kathy can do some work this afternoon.  Another fun overnighter, this time with our great friends the Dalton's!