Written by: Addy, Eva, Sam, Gabe and Una

Today was an early morning, we awoke grateful it didn’t rain and began with packing up all our gear. Before we could have yogurt and granola or oatmeal, we had to turn in our tents to prove we were all packed up. After eating, we began to move boats into the water and bring all our gear down to the shore. We packed up the boats and loaded up. Spray skirts and PFD’s on and we were so ready to paddle back. We began our journey back. Through wind, rain, strong current, and lots of scattered singing, we made it through John’s pass, Spiden channel, and back to Rosche Harbor. Once we got out of the kayak and stretched our legs, we unloaded the boats and loaded up the trailer. Since it was pouring, we headed to Jackson beach for some pulled pork sandwiches and snacks. After eating, we loaded back into the vans and to the dorms. We all showered, did laundry, and relaxed to reset from our long but amazing trip. We had some lasagna for dinner and are now winding down for probably an early night to prepare for tide pooling tomorrow. Unfortunately, not many photos today since the conditions were questionable and not many safe opportunities to take out our phones.

Blog credits – Cynthia, Alice, Isla, and Addie

We had a slow start to our day, waking up to a hot breakfast at 9:30 am. The bacon and cheesy eggs boosted our morale after a long kayak the afternoon before.

To give our arms a break, we set off for a six-mile round hike. On the way to the lighthouse (our turnaround point), we stopped at the old Stuart Island school house and a museum about the island’s settlers’ history.

As we continued to the lighthouse, we saw beautiful views of the environment around us. We noticed the contrasting biodiversity between Stuart Island and San Juan Island.

At the lighthouse, we ate a fresh quinoa salad with a side of cherries, crackers, and cookies.

On our trek back, we took a different trail, walking along the beach. At the beach, we saw harbour seals hunting and river otters swimming. It was a fascinating sight! After our hike, we had free time to explore. Our guides put together a delicious charcuterie board for us.

After eating, some jumped into the ocean, and others warmed up by the fire.

Ending our day with campfire songs and cake, we went to bed at 10:30 pm for our early morning of paddling the next day.

See you tomorrow!

Blog Credits: Olivia, Aoife, Silas, and Violet

For an exciting break in the usual pattern, we began our 3-day kayak excursion. Our route to Stuart Island was long and arduous, but worth it once we arrived at the place we’d call home for the next two nights.

When we got camp we had plenty to do, including collecting firewood, swimming in the chilly water, and exploring the forest. Later, we all gathered for dinner to eat delicious fish tacos prepared by our kayak guides. Eli and Zoe, our guides from San Juan Outfitters, were incredibly helpful, reliable, and kind throughout the whole trip.

Later, some of us decided to sleep under the stars with no tent–also called cowboy camping! We fell asleep to the sound of waves and chittering raccoons. Although it was a late night, we hope to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to rock.

~ Olivia, Silas, Aoife, and Violet signing off!