A Spencer Spit escape

Last weekend the pressure in our adventure tanks had risen too high and was in danger of blowing, so we headed up to Aeolus and out for the weekend. It turned out to be an utterly gorgeous and calm series of days, with only one short chance to sail. Spencer Spit on Lopez island is a wonderful and close hop away from Anacortes. About 2.5 hours, depending on the always contrary currents in Guemes Channel.

With the whole family aboard, we motored our way through water and wove our way among seabirds over through Thatcher Pass and around Frost Island to the northern side of Spencer Spit. We anchored in about 20' of water and were soon ashore for the fun that follows. Both boys love scaling and sliding back down the sandy cliffs just north of the campground.

Elliott in the hammock and blissing out

Generally speaking my wife and I are quick to tell our boys about reducing erosion and staying on trails and all that. Lessons from careers in outdoor education stay with you. But in the case of these sand cliffs, it is all open access. There is a serious problem around the Salish Sea with people using bulkheads and walls to prevent shore erosion and cliff crumbling. Sounds good, for the house owners, but that erosion and sand deposition is essential to maintaining healthy habitats for feeder fish, the small ones that feed everything else. That's why those sandy bluffs are called "Feeder" bluffs. They feed the sand that nourishes the beaches that supports the marine life.


Anyway, we played frisbee and read books and strolled around and watched the great blue herons, and bald eagles, and humans. Altogether fun. And on our way back we got to sail on a nice close reach for a while just outside of Thatcher Pass.

Owen steering, Elliott reading, and Salty our dog, being a dog--A perfect moment