![\"\"](\"http:\/\/debgarland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Matia_Island.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto courtesy of Washington’s Dept. of Ecology<\/h5>\n
Milder weather and vigilance do prevent most problems, but there are no guarantees. On July 26, 2010, a family of six were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard when their Bayliner powerboat broke free of its mooring lines, grounded, and lay pinned against the island\u2019s rock wall. A MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles hoisted the family, one member at a time, to the decks of private vessels. These boats ferried them to a 33-foot Coast Guard vessel that transported them to Bellingham with no reported injuries. A commercial company salvaged the boat. This\u00a0photo is courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, a calm sea mirrored the blue sky above our sailboat\u2019s mast when we visited Matia Island, allowing us time to hike the mile-long Wilderness Loop Trail to see one of the few remaining stands of old-growth timber in the San Juan Islands.\u00a0Designated a National Wildlife Refuge in 1940,\u00a0the 145-acre island is home to colonies of migratory seabirds like Pigeon Guillemots, Double-crested Cormorants, and Pelagic Cormorants.\u00a0If their shoreline nests are approached too closely, the birds will flush, leaving their eggs and chicks vulnerable to predators like seagulls and crows. Abandonment occurs if this happens repeatedly. Here is a Double-crested Cormorant.<\/p>\n In 1892, Elvin H. Smith built a snug\u00a0cabin and lived for 30 years on Matia Island\u2019s southeastern bay. Born in Wisconsin in 1835, he became embittered when his efforts during the American Civil War weren’t recognized. After\u00a0a disappointing love relationship, he headed west, working as a newspaperman and agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad. In Bellingham, he joined a lawyer in land speculation to earn more money. Hearing rumors that the federal government was going to allow homesteading on Matia Island, his partner purchased land from a pair holding squatters\u2019 rights and Smith moved to the island to perfect the claim. They planned to sell it for a profit in the future.\u00a0But within two years, Smith knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life on the idyllic island with \u201cits charming coves, sandy beaches, spring-fed lake, and ancient forests\u201d and bought out his partner.<\/p>\n The bachelor\u00a0raised chickens, rabbits, and sheep, fishing for salmon and cod by stringing a net across the narrow bay where he lived. He grew fruit and vegetables in the rich soil of the island\u2019s valley. On Saturdays, he rowed two miles to Orcas Island, walking another two miles through the forest to the village of Eastsound to sell his goods, buy supplies, and collect his mail. Often he returned with a friend who\u2019d come to visit.\u00a0Was he a hermit? Probably not in the strict sense of the word, but the nickname others had given him stuck until his mid-80’s when he, George Carrier, and his small outboard-engine powered rowboat laden with supplies vanished in a storm on a return trip from Orcas Island on February 23, 1921.<\/p>\n Thanks for reading!<\/p>\n Blessings,<\/p>\n Deb<\/p>\n Anchorage at beautiful Matia Island is enjoyable, yet it depends on favorable weather in Rolfe Cove. In 1792, Spanish explorer, Francisco de Eliza, accurately named the island Matia, meaning \u201cno protection.\u201d\u00a0Exposed to northwest and west wind, waves can build and … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\nPhoto courtesy of USCG – Wikimedia Commons<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nDouble-Crested Cormorant – Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto courtesy of Wikimedia Commons<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto courtesy of Wikimedia Commons<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"