Tuesday, July 11, 2000
All Sucia
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A Trip
Within a Voyage
The
next day after coffee, we hiked to Lawson Bluff and dropped. After a while of looking at the rock formations and bright purple starfish,
we headed back to the boat. In the bay there was more activity than anywhere else on the
island. We stayed for a while and ate tabouli wraps that Keith prepared, listened to music
and watched the show. At one point an
ultralight floatplane landed in Fox Cove, motored
around then flew over us and landed in Fossil Bay.
After lunch, Keith and Tom took the kayaks and I road the bike back to
Lawson Bluff where we met an hour later. The trails on the island are well marked. They
are used enough, but the plants still lap at your legs as you move through. It seems so
wild here. When I pictured this island way up north by the Strait of Georgia, I thought it
would be battered
by
the
wind
and dry with lots of rocks and sand. It was all that, but it was also
one of the most lush places I have ever been. There were remnants of severe
storms
(pictured).  As I biked past this giant fallen tree, I imaged the sound it made coming
down. Soon I found myself out on a rock at the end of the trail. I set the bike down and
took a drink of water. Just then, Tom and Keith were crossing the mouth of Shallow Bay and
heading toward me. We all laughed at the perfection we were in. Doing a trip with Tom is
always so amazing. Not just because of the quality goodies he’s packin’, but he
does life full-on! While we’re in a place like this—or hot springs in Idaho or
on a motorcycle trip in
Lassen
National Park in California—he is reading about it,
learning and teaching. I don’t know how we found each other, but I seem to give him a
reason to be in these places, and he throws a hell of a party where ever I drag him to. We
are a pretty good team.
We rested and lounged on our private beach. We all tried on Keith’s
polarized sunglasses that enabled you to see through the water from the bluff and spot
fish and even a squid (later determined to be a giant pink starfish). Then I hopped in a
kayak and Keith took the bike and we headed for the campsite.
Tom and I paddled out to catch a glimpse of Sucia’s north face. The
sand stone rises sharply to form weather beaten sheer cliffs. We meandered back toward
camp, first crossing the mouth of shallow bay.  I began to get a
feel for this boat. It is so very different than sailing. In a kayak, you are sitting
right on the water like a bird. We were able to paddle right up to the incredible
sandstone sculptures and touch them. We could reach out and pick up starfish. These
sculptures looked amazing, but they felt unbelievable. This rock was thrust skyward
thousands or millions of years ago the San Juan Plate shifted. Then the wind and salt
water wore away at them exposing the
angled lines of history and smooth pits of erosion.
It was like nothing either of us had seen. Tom said the only thing close were the rock
formations he saw when kayaking in
Baja. Soon we were back at camp. We lit a fire, tossed
on fresh ears of corn and ate dinner. As I tasted the crab, I really began to feel like I
was becoming part of this place. I know these tranquil nights are rare, but these are the
times I feel truly blessed. My god created all of this for me to appreciate. And as Tom
said, "I can’t imagine anyone appreciating a glorious day like this more than
us!" Sheer magic. I climbed in my sleeping bag that had been laying in the grass
right wear I left it when I woke this morning and quickly fell fast asleep.
Frank
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