After restocking at Friday Harbor we cast off our lines and headed out towards Stuart Island.

Pretty boat and pretty house
Pretty boat and pretty house

 

Jones Island dock. We stopped here for a little hiking.
Jones Island dock. We stopped here for a little hiking.
Jones Island
Jones Island
Clear water
Clear water
Friendly deer
Friendly deer
Creepy tree sap and cobwebs
Creepy tree sap and cobwebs
More tree sap
More tree sap
Madrona trees. Everyone carves in them.
Madrona trees. Everyone carves in them.
Tall Madrona trees
Tall Madrona trees
Madrona bark detail. Just peels away...
Madrona bark detail. Just peels away…
Trail along the water
Trail along the water
Giant uprooted tree roots
Giant uprooted tree
dead tree gnarled by the wind.
dead tree gnarled by the wind.
Some of the madrona trees have insane tree trunk growth
Some of the madrona trees have insane tree trunk growth
...looks like lava
…looks like lava
Looking out onto the islands
Looking out onto the islands
nothing but big sky out here!
nothing but big sky out here!
Someone made a shell wind chime! I LOVE THIS!
Someone made a shell wind chime! I LOVE THIS!
Sunlight through the trees
Sunlight through the trees
Succulents growing on the rocks
Succulents growing on the rocks
Jason, Kristen, and Jessica all pointing at something
Jason, Kristen, and Jessica all pointing at something

 

Just gorgeous out here
Just gorgeous out here
Lone tree
Lone tree
Loved the shapes of this photo.
Loved the shapes of this photo.
All my buddies down on the rocks
All my buddies down on the rocks
Pilings washed up on the beach
Pilings washed up on the beach
Detail of neat little plant that I don't know the name of.
Detail of neat little plant that I don’t know the name of.
I think this one spends a lot of time under the saltwater...
I think this one spends a lot of time under the saltwater…
Interesting coast line up here
Interesting coast line up here

 

We caught a mooring ball in Reid Harbor once we finished our hike and made it to Stuart Island.  There’s a small community of people who live on Stuart.  Apparently there’s no electricity to the island so everyone’s pretty self sufficient.  There’s a small schoolhouse and teaching museum on the island so we decided to take the little hike out to see that since Kristin is a teacher and she geeked out on this one. Unfortunately we picked the one day they chose to repaint the entire school. :/

Well, shit...
Well, shit…
Maybe next time!
Maybe next time!
Totem pole on the main schoolhouse
Totem pole on the main schoolhouse
I don't know who Bob is...
I don’t know who Bob is…
They have various t-shirts etc for sale on the honor system.  Just take what you want and mail them a check later.  I got a shirt. Just because.
They have various t-shirts etc for sale on the honor system. Just take what you want and mail them a check later. I got a shirt. Just because.

 

Hiking back to the boat at dusk. Beautiful lighting through the trees.
Hiking back to the boat at dusk. Beautiful lighting through the trees.

 

Backlit fern
Backlit fern

 

Really really nice hiking out here on the islands
Really really nice hiking out here on the islands
More ferns
More ferns
Names carved into a tree
Names carved into a tree
There are cactus here. I found that out the hard way as I leaned on another one with my knee to get this shot. OUCH!
There are cactus here. I found that out the hard way as I leaned on another one with my knee to get this shot. OUCH!

 

One of our neighbors for the night.
One of our neighbors for the night.


 

2 Comments

  1. Lawrence Mecklenburg June 11, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    Stuart Island is just gorgeous. Beautiful pictures, Ashley. Watch out for the cactus (I didn’t know cactus grew in the Puget Sound area)! Your last photo shows a “Ranger Tug” which are manufactured in Seattle. They’re cool little boats.

  2. Lawrence Mecklenburg June 11, 2014 at 6:01 pm

    FYI, that prehistoric green plant in the photo titled “Detail of neat little plant that I don’t know the name of” is called a Horsetail.
    Also, how do you always find all those USGS survey markers? I NEVER see them unless I trip over one, which is impossible to do because of their rounded shape. So that means I NEVER see them, period.