With each tide the Pacific kept spitting out these gorgeous rocks right at our feet, already tumbled to a smooth finish. Each one was more beautiful than the last. After a while I had to stop picking them up. Beach backpacking with 10 pounds of rocks in the bottom of your pack is a tough workout!
The intention was only to canoe camp at Baker Lake, but at the last minute we decided to follow an obscure lead for Washington blue agate (“Baker Blues”, not to be confused with the rarer “Ellensburg Blues”) at the confluence of some nearby creeks. Yes, we found it! Most of the agate was still encased in the host rock, but I’m guessing that these will clean up really well in a tumbler. The blues range from sky blue all the way to white. I also found a nice slab of pyrite (too heavy to backpack home), and this striped stone that I absolutely adore. This spot was really special.