July 20, 2014: For several years, I've been doing a hike at Alger Alps that has a view out to the San Juans. One tiny round island seemed esp appealing, if you like the idea of tiny islands. In researching it, I believed it to be Vendovi Island. Vendovi is a 200-acre island, population two, and recently because accessible to the public.
I will admit up front what I soon figured out: Vendovi is not the island I had been seeing on my hike. (Neither is anything in this shot, this is just the morning view from the Leapfrog Water Taxi I took to Vendovi.)
It was, however, still a good day, and, at least until other boaters and visitors showed up later, a unique opportunity to be nearly alone on this tiny island.
You can learn more about hiking Vendovi in my trip report on the WTA site. While I was a bit too late for a real show of wildflowers, it is supposed to be a great spot to see them in the spring, as there are no deer there to chomp them. Also a good place to spot birds and seals.
John Fluke, of the Everett-based Fluke Corporation, and his family owned the island from the mid-60's until it was purchased by the San Juan Preservation Trust in 2010. The Fluke family has used it as a family getaway, and other than their home near the dock and a few outbuildings close by, the island has not been developed.
The caretakers' house. Caretakers Heather Bansmer and Shawn Breeding live on Vendovi during the summer months and on a sailboat the rest of the year.
Shawn said they are excited to do some things on dry land that they haven't been able to on a boat, like having an edible garden (although technically I guess this *is* still on a boat).
Once past the house and the small cemetery, there are a few miles of trails to explore.
Kingfisher
Beach leek
Eagle
The island had an abundance of lost moth wings.
There were also many slugs.
action slug
The view from Paintbrush Point. The rounded island in the middle of the picture is the island I *thought* I was going to be on.
Monotropa uniflora (ghost plant, Indian pipe, or corpse plant)
Snowberry flower
Salal flower
Fireweed and the view from Sunset Beach
Pigeon Guillemot
Pigeon Guillemot