Blake Island Day 3-4

Blake Island Day 3-4
A little Wind and rain but it was short lived and you would not even know it on the West side of the Island.

Friday evening a storm was heading North for Blake Island.

An Argosy cruise ship brought over 100 Scouts and parents to camp out for the weekend.

As the wind picked up to 20 mph+ and rain began to fall the campers set up camp on the most exposed point. 

While all that was going on we went hiking on the Blue Trail.

It's not windy on the West shore.

One of the high points, the Elevation app is handy in the PNW.

What! Another one?

Must be a fun loving Park Ranger

On the Northwest corner of the island is a small beach where kayakers camp on the beach.

We talked to this Kayaker, he paddled all the way from our marina, Shilshole! He Also has a Catalina 36 similar to ours just one dock over on N

Years ago the Trimbles owned Blake Island.

See: http://www.historylink.org/File/5491

We met one of the guys on the trail who had his moored next to ours. He told us about the sitka Spruce on the Island and pointed one out to us. He siad they were the preferred trees for making ships mast for wooden vessels since they were so straight and tall. He told us about one on the Southeast corner of the island that could esily be worth $20,000 or more so we went to find it. This is it in the center.

The Sitka Spruce get 100+feet tall and they are very straight!

Three day sailors pushed their boats up high on the beach above high tide.They pitched their tents near the Boy Scouts and later the next day I saw them sailing ooff to the South. 

A Dad tows his crew.

The storm passed to the North.

Sunday, all the Scouts are packed up and have their gear waiting on the Argosy to come pick them up.

Cub Scout Pack 144 from Seattle holding their closing ceremonies. These PNW scouts are pretty tough. They have four overnight camping trips each year and the next one will be camping out in the snow!:

We have four overnight camping trips each year. The first in September is to Blake Island where we sleep in tents near the beach. In January, the Pack goes winter camping in Leavenworth with some families sleeping in the lodge and some tent camping in the snow.  In March or April there is a spring camp out, usually to either Millersylvania where we sleep in group cabins or Fort Flagler where we sleep in barracks.

The last camp out of the year is to "Camp Shelton" where we stay in group cabins on Cornet Bay near Deception Pass. Each Cub making the trip for the first time is initiated into the secret order called the Secret of Shelton and is entitled to wear a special insignia on his uniform.

see: https://pack144.org/about.php

The winds have been from the South all month long, zi was really looking forward to the sail back to Shllshole, but the winds were 0-3 at most. The Sound was Flat Calm.That $5K we spent getting the engine fit again was worth it.