Patos Island

Instead of staying two nights at Stuart Island (we felt that we'd been there, done that), we decided to move north. We hadn't planned to stop at Patos Island, the northernmost of the San Juan Islands, because the small cove only has room for about 4 boats, and we just knew that it would be full (it's summer, after all). We left Stuart Island early, around 6, and motored north toward Patos. As we got closer, we noticed a power boat heading southeast from Canada in what looked like a straight path to Patos. Argh! Aaron swears he saw them speed up, as it was obvious by then that we were both heading to the same spot. Given that our 30hp motor just couldn't compete with a power behemoth like that, we resigned to doing a drive by--we at least wanted to see the lighthouse.

On the way to Patos Island. Ahh, August in the Northwest...


As we pulled into Active Cove, we saw it--one open spot. But we also saw that dang power boat, who had arrived just a minute before us, headed right for it. Oh well, right? No! They were just casing the joint! Lucky for us, they did a quick spin around the cove and then took off (probably had to check in with customs or something). The spot was ours! Score.

No matter that it was rainy, we Gore-texed up and went exploring. The northern San Juan Islands--Patos, Sucia and Matia--are absolutely stunning. With their dramatic sandstone cliffs, old growth forests and remote location, these three islands were by far our favorites. We walked a short trail through the forest and then out onto a bluff to view the lighthouse. We met a couple of ladies out there who had volunteered to clean up the trail, remove blackberry bushes and do a little maintenance on the building--and to promote the lighthouse's 101st birthday. Yes, they were planning a party.

Gotta love Gore-tex!

We hiked the loop trail, got our pants soaking wet and retired back to the warmth of the boat (all hail the diesel heater) to read and nap. It rained pretty much all day, but we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset--and a break in the rain. Yay! The next morning, we got some amazing pictures of the lighthouse as the sun rose over the island.

Our diesel heater kept us toasty and cozy--just like a little fireplace.

Approaching the lighthouse via the paved trail that served to carry goods to the lighthouse keeper and his family.

Patos Island Lighthouse
Aaron posing by the one of the awesome sandstone formations