San Juan Islands, WA
A number of paddlers have lost their lives in the two-mile crossing from Orcas to Sucia. One paddler I know made it through terrible conditions, closely followed by a Coast Guard helicopter that seemed to be waiting for him to capsize. He was astonished after reaching shore when the helicopter landed nearby and one of the crew members jumped out to berate him for taking such a foolish risk.
Sucia (pronounced SOO-shuh, locally) is Spanish for dirty, or in sailorÂ’s lingo, foul, meaning dangerous. The island is horseshoe shaped, with a series of long fingers on the east side that were shaved and shaped by retreating glaciers. There are miles of trails all over the island, but one of the best ways to explore Sucia is by boat. The island is a massive chunk of limestone, and the exposed shorelines and harbor walls are evidence that it was part of a riverbed in the Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago. Ancient shellfish buried in the sediment can still be found in Fossil Bay, on the islandÂ’s southwest end. (It is illegal to dig them out.)
A one-time military reserve, Sucia was gradually purchased from the federal government by a consortium of Northwest boaters during the 1950s and '60s, then turned over to the state to be developed as a marine park. Parts of North and South Finger Islands, in Echo Bay, and tiny Herndon Island, at the mouth of Mud Bay, are still privately owned. Keep an eye on the trees that line the shore for roosting eagles or ospreys, kingfishers, and woodpeckers. Little Sucia, off Fox Cove, is an eagle preserve.
Potable water and solar-composting outhouses are available at Fox Bay, Fossil Bay, and Shallow Bay, making them exceedingly popular campsites. Ewing Cove, on the northeastern tip of the island, and Snoring Bay, on the southeastern end, are more remote and primitive campsites. Ewing, in particular, is surrounded by beautiful rock formations and tiny islands and is a long way from anywhere else on Sucia.
About a mile to the east of Sucia is Matia (MAY-shuh). The name is thought to come from the Spanish mal abrigo, meaning bad anchorage, or mata, for bushy. Matia is one mile long and about a quarter mile wide and is a national wildlife refuge, though camping is allowed on the west end, at Rolfe Cove. There is an elegant composting outhouse and a substantial dock, but no fresh water. There is also an enormous sandstone rock face on the north side of the campground that is a good example of the erosion and uplifting that characterize the geologic history of these islands.
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