San Juan Islands Multi-Day Kayaking & Bicycling Camping Expeditions…

"We had a great trip kayaking -4 days/3 nights- with our guide. He is very knowledgeable, courteous, a fantastic cook, patient, helpful, encouraging, and has a wonderful sense of humor. We enjoyed the experience immensely."-Cindy and Steve Butler

2010 Lonely Planet ranked the San Juan Islands as one of the Worlds Top 10 Cycling Routes

Hey campers…here’s the ultimate multi-sport combination for the active at heart.  It’s a vacation that includes not only sea kayaking, but includes bicycling the islands as well. Sea kayak one day among small remote islands in search of sea birds, seals, porpoise, river otters and orcas…then cycle the next day along unpopulated roads past rolling pastures, dotted with sheep and along steep, breathtaking cliffs.  Each night we will impress you with our culinary talents while you relax and enjoy camping at its finest!

Few people get to experience each island’s unique style the way that you will.  Lopez Island (known for its friendliness and “the wave” that islanders give each other in passing) is the smallest of the major San Juan Islands.  Orcas Island, with Moran State Park, the panoramic view on top of Mount Constitution, the lakes and waterfalls, is a must see when visiting.  The coastline of San Juan Island ’s west side will leave you breathless with the view of the snow capped Olympic Peninsula.  You will get to know these islands inside and out cycling and kayaking each one.

Tour Length: 2-6 days in length

What to See: Commonly seen flora and fauna are bald eagles, cormorants, black oystercatchers, pigeon guillemots, deer, fox, rabbits, seals, orcas , dall's porpoises, great blue herons, ochre sea stars, pacific madrones, douglas-firs, forests of bull kelp and eel grass beds.

Times & Distances: We paddle an average of 8-10 miles during each day which amounts to about 4 to 5 hours on the water. We shuttle you from Friday Harbor at 8:30 AM on the first day of your trip to our launch site and have you back into Friday Harbor by no later than 4:00 PM on your last day. We are glad to accommodate any needs which require variation from our normal schedule including any dietary needs or alterations in return times.  

We bicycle an average of 20-30 miles each day with help of a support van to give you a lift if you need one. Routes run along the low-traffic country roads and you can stop when ever you like to check out the amazing views or visit a local art studio along the way.   

We provide:

Gourmet meals...
...starting with lunch on the first day and ending with lunch on your last day we provide all meals in between. We feel that what you eat can be a major factor in the quality of your expedition and therefore we pride ourselves on the quality and heartiness of our well prepared meals.  Prior to your trip we send out food questionnaires and customize all of our meals to the various dietary requirements of our guests. Below are just a few selections from our fabulous, first class menu.

-Ginger soy glazed king salmon served over basmati rice and topped with a fresh mango papaya salsa.

-Provincial butternut squash sweet potato soup seasoned with red pepper and herbs de provance, and served with garlic dipping bread and sun-dried tomato chicken sausage.

-Ginger Thai peanut sauce blended with fresh broccoli, zucchini, carrots, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and your choice of beef chicken or tofu, served over basmati rice, and garnished with fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, and a squirt of fresh lime.

In addition we work with local farmers and buy organic whenever possible

Our excellent knowledgeable and friendly nature/multi-sport guides...
... we strongly believe that an outstanding guide can make the difference between a good trip and a fabulous trip, therefore we place a lot of emphasis on using the best guides available. We pride ourselves on our choice of guides. We choose guides who are people persons, friendly, knowledgeable, have a great attitude, are excellent leaders, great teachers and who love what they do.

No previous sea kayaking experience is required...
...we begin each of our tours with a thorough safety/kayak lesson to familiarize you with your equipment so that you are adequately prepared for your adventure. This lesson includes paddling technique, sea kayaking safety, loading and unloading of your sea kayak, becoming familiar with our safety gear and other helpful and necessary preparation for our expedition.

*Previous knowledge of bicycling is a must.

Small personal groups…
… a great trip involves many factors. One of these is the group size. A smaller group is safer on and off the water, allows for more interactions between the guides and guest and gives our guests a chance to know each other. Furthermore, we can also adjust and modify the trip to the individual desires and interests of the group, allowing our guests to participate in various activities ranging from birding to advanced kayaking to custom bicycle routes for more mileage to photography. For all these reasons and more we keep our regularly scheduled multi-day expedition group size to 10 guests.

At least two guides on all of our multi-day kayaking & bicycling expeditions groups of 6 or more…
… one of our guides will make your trip with us great, but two will make it even better. We have at least two guides on all of our multi-day expeditions groups of 6 or more. This makes our trips safer, more intimate and allows our guides to offer our guests more, such as an evening paddle or hike, additional paddling skill development and more local folklore.

Camping at it's finest…
…we know that after a day of bicycling you are ready to take a warm shower.  Because of this, we stay at handpicked campsites whether it's lakeside at Moran State Park on Orcas or Lakedale on San Juan Island.  Our sites give you that "camping in the great outdoors" experience that you are looking for. 

Sample 4 Day Itinerary

Day One

We will meet you at the ferry terminal on Orcas Island and then cycle the horseshoe highway along Orcas Island’s enchanted evergreen lined roads.  We will  stop for lunch in Eastsound where you can buy gifts and mingle with friendly locals then we journey on though Moran Sate Parkwhere.  Here you can go for a swim in the lake or hike through an old growth forest to a waterfall.  We will end the day at the top of Mount Constitution where you will have a panoramic view of all the San Juan Islands, neighboring Canada, Mount Baker, Mount Rainer, the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges.

Day Two

This morning we will serve you a delicious breakfast and then take the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.  Here we will shuttle to the beautiful westside of San Juan Island.  Here we will give you a kayak safety lesson and then begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline.  Enjoy fabulous views of the surrounding snowcapped mountain ranges and listen to tales of island folklore. Or taste a piece of bull kelp which serves as a home to a myriad of marine species just below the waters surface. As we journey down the coast, we’ll stop for lunch along a beach where you can search for creatures in the tide pools.  After lunch we will head back out on the water in search of orcas and eagles.  Tonight we will set up camp at Lakedale Resort where you can relax as your guides prepare a delicious meal.

Day Three

Wake up to the sound of birds chirping overhead and then prepare to bicycle! Today we will cycle along quite country roads, stopping at whale watch park for lunch and wildlife viewing. Afterwards, we will cycle north visiting an Alpaca Farm, an English garden at British Camp, Roche Harbor and then head south to San Juan Vineyards.  Tonight we will camp at Lakedale.

Day Four 

Today we enjoy our final breakfast together and then head to the west-side to paddle north near Henry Island.  We follow the coastline north looking for harbor porpoise, to Posey Island where we will take a break for lunch.  Afterwards, we will shuttle back to the ferry to say our good byes.

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