March Across The Marsh

Feeling like some adventure, it was suggested that we pick a path for bright summer morning walkabout. We thought that walking the beach at Cat Island, a prominent rock jutting above the mouth of the Skagit River would suit us well.

I suggested we check the tide tables. The last time we did this jaunt, the tide was high, the beach was completely covered and the trail through the tidal marsh to the beach was inundated by knee-high saltwater. Check. Our planned morning hike coincided with a max tide at 10:02 AM. We postponed our march across the marsh until around 4 PM.

Once we started across the saltgrass wetlands, we were rewarded by only moist walking through the reeds and weeds. The crowds on this Monday following the 4th of July (Saturday) weekend were larger than expected. Many people and their dogs know this isolated location. Plenty of room to enjoy the sea, sand and salt air breeze.

I especially enjoy the colors of the waters, grass, sky along this estuary of the Skagit. Here is a sample of what our eyes were treated to on our march across the marsh.

Marsh trail leading to Cat Island at the mouth of the Skagit River.
I love the gradation of greens from salt grasses to cattail reeds to conifers on the Delta Rock.

Bold violet wildflowers rise from the wetlands
before Cat Island

Turquoise and emerald waters surround the delta sandbars
below the solid ground of Delta Rock

The beach in front of Cat Island stretches to the horizon.
Whidbey Island rises above Puget Sound in the far distance.

Green grass, aquamarine water and dun sand under blue sky -
A day at Cat Island Beach

Outcropping conglomerate from an ancient beach forms Delta Rock

Wading through shallow water, feeling the sand squoosh between our toes

What a view! Mt. Baker in the background, a wide open beach before us
and a warm breeze behind us.

Driftwood Dude. Like a barnacle lump on a log.

After the beach, we stopped at Snow Goose Produce for a heapin' helpin' of an immodest sized waffle cone ice cream.

Nobody had a better day than us. Nobody.