“Leave a place better than you found it.” That’s what my mom always said before leaving our campsite. My folks took us all over the country exploring the natural wonders of 45 states. We were five small kids spilling out of a station wagon, a terrifying sight at any campground, but mom had us well trained and organized. Everyone had a job, getting water, gathering firewood, setting up our camp kitchen and washing station. My favorite job was finding a centerpiece to adorn our picnic table. It could be a special rock, a shell, a cone or a feather. No matter how small, mom would make a big deal out of it. It became a conversation starter at dinner. In the morning, after we packed up and were ready to go, we'd circle around the campsite to look for litter, even if WE didn’t drop it. “Leave a place better than you found it,” she’d say. Words to live by. It's great to live in a community of folks who are doing just that. Volunteers work on trails, restorations projects and pick-up litter on a regular basis. You may be one yourself. One couple dreamed of creating a woodland garden. They started back in the 1960s installing rhododendrons, azaleas, flowering trees, even giant Sequoias on their wooded property near Greenbank. They had a special interest in hybridizing rhodies and collecting interesting specimens from around the world. They worked for decades to make their vision a reality. Ann and Max Meerkerk certainly left this place better than they found it. Now it’s maintained with help from volunteers. And the public can visit for a $10 entry fee. I met a friend at Meerkerk Gardens on a cloudy afternoon. It seemed quiet and almost secretive as we passed through the stone gatehouse. Red rhodies bloomed on one side and a pallet of blossoms greeted us on the other. Pastel pinks and purples drew us along the gravel path. The deep greens of tall conifer branches sheltered the colorful flowers and shrubs below. My initial impression was one of peace and awe. As we moved along, I began to notice the small things which tickled me with delight. The last of the golden daffodils hovered above a cloud of blue forget-me-nots. We passed a grove of flowering trees with a constellation of flowers shimmering in a sea of green beneath them. On one path, a council of well pruned shrubs seemed to lean in whispering. In the Secret Garden a fairy sat on a toadstool, a gnome stood on a swing and a stone sparrow splashed in a bird bath filled with flower petals. We wandered by the plant nursery to the gazebo and enjoyed the view across the water. I recalled being here for the fall festival and Mother’s Day events when there was live music, picnicking and plant sales. On this quiet visit the concert was offered by chickadees, juncos and kinglets. We took the trail down toward the ponds and then crossed over to the nature trails. The half mile woodland loop led us by old fire scared stumps, nurse logs and the more subtle forest flowers of pink salmonberry, yellow skunk cabbage and trillium's pearly white petals. Returning to the ponds we wandered between huge rhodies with fluffy white petticoat blossoms. Bees buzzed between them. This woodland garden is inviting for people and wildlife. A chestnut backed chickadee called from a branch just over my shoulder and asked me to take a picture. I was happy to oblige. We all do things to “leave a place better than we found it”. In April, during Whidbey’s Earth and Ocean Month, there are dozens of opportunities to join a crew for trail work, restoration projects or picking up beach litter. For details on walks, talks, special events and volunteer projects, click here. Peak Bloom Season tours at Meerkerk Gardens, 1:00-2:00 Saturday, April 20. Mother's Day Event May 12th. For more about Meerkerk Gardens click here. Directions: Take Highway 525 to Resort Road, 2.3 miles south of the Greenbank store. Turn east onto Resort Road and in a half mile turn north on Meerkerk Lane.
By Bus or Bike: Take the Island Transit Route 1 bus on the highway to Resort Road. (The Route 1 bus sometimes goes down Smuggler’s Cove Road instead of the highway, so make sure you take one that will travel on the highway by Resort Road.) Here's the bus schedule. Walk a half mile east to Meerkerk Lane and turn north. The Gardens are a short walk farther. Two bikes fit on a bus bike rack. Resort Road and Meerkerk Lane are quiet roads, but there is no shoulder so please wear something bright while riding or walking on the road or flagging down the bus. Mobility: The gardens have well-groomed, almost level paths of packed gravel. The woodland loop trails are more narrow. There’s a short, steep hill between the gardens and the woodland trails.
0 Comments
Just $40,000. When the Army declared Fort Casey to be surplus, Seattle Pacific College recognized the site's potential to become a center for educational and recreational activity. They purchased the northern half of the fort in 1956. This area, now called Camp Casey, included officers' houses, soldiers' barracks, dining facilities, an auditorium, and a gymnasium. Skeptics called the purchase "Watson's Folly”, mocking the decision of the college’s president, C. Hoyt Watson. The total price he paid for this low-bank waterfront property on Whidbey Island – just $40,000. Add three more zeroes for its value in today’s market. Looking at Google Maps, I saw a fort battery just north of the buildings, hidden in the woods. Storm clouds were breaking up, the promise of a sunny day coming our way. “Let’s go check it out,” I said to Kath. And while we’re there, let’s walk into the Admiralty Inlet Preserve just north of it. “Sounds good!” she said. Being privately owned, drop-in visitors are required to register to walk the property. We stopped at the office, open 8 – 5 on weekdays, and met Jake, who greeted us warmly and had us sign the guest register. We were the first registered hikers in nearly two weeks. What a treat people are missing out on. We followed the sidewalk north between the fort buildings until the sidewalk became a dirt road going uphill. At the top, the road swung west – and there it was, a two-turret gun emplacement, the view becoming overgrown but the structure still intact. Walking further north, it wasn’t long before we came to a turnstile gate, the entrance to the Admiralty Inlet Preserve, right next door to Camp Casey! A trail loops around the Preserve, providing a three-mile loop to explore. Jointly owned by the Department of Natural Resources and Whidbey Camano Land Trust, the 86-acre property is permanently protected and will remain forever wild. Picture centuries-old windswept Douglas firs along the bluff edge, multi-storied forests behind them, the wind whispering in the treetops, a chorus of birds harmonizing with their sweet voices, the sunlight dappled on the dark earthen trail, the spring air fresh and fragrant. Around every corner is a new delight: a fir with octopus arms raised to the sky, salmonberries in full flower, a chipmunk feeding in a rosebush, an orange-crowned warbler dancing from red alder to blueberry elder. And then the view drops away in front of us, stunning in its drama of headlands and beaches stretching for miles. Eventually, we came to green prairies spreading before us, just now springing forth with the diversity of what once covered swaths of the Whidbey Island countryside. The two prairies (less than one percent of Whidbey Island’s original prairies remain) are home to a population of golden paintbrush, two of only twelve sites in the world where this endangered prairie plant occurs naturally. The trail then leads to a parking area across the highway. We turned around here, and followed our footsteps back, hugging the prairies, the bluffs, the views, the windy woods, the wildlife chatter, the warmth of spring, and the joy of being alive in this time and place protected and available for us all. Wandering back to Camp Casey, we strolled westward past the officers’ houses to where the sidewalk ended at the beach. Waves rolled in from last night’s storm. Seagulls, eagles, and hawks were hang-gliding above the bluffs in the onshore breeze. The officers’ houses watched in silence. Just $40,000. Priceless. jack Directions: From Highway 20 in Coupeville take Main Street south, which turns into South Engle Road. Turn into the camp at the north end of the large mowed grass field. Park near the office and sign in, or call ahead to make sure you can visit.
There is also a parking area for the Admiralty Inlet Preserve at the north end of the Reserve before S. Engle Road starts to drop down to Fort Casey. From this parking area, you can also walk to Rhododendron County Park 3.5 miles to the east. Or travel 1.5 miles to the Prairie Wayside to the north. The trail crosses Land Trust-protected conservation easements. These working farmland properties are privately owned so be respectful as you travel the trails. By Bus: This entire area is accessible by Island Transit. By bike: There are many side roads around the Fort Casey area that are delightful for biking; roadways are narrow, so watch your mirrors, and there are ups and downs. Mobility: The sidewalks at Camp Casey are mostly flat and mostly in good shape, until they end. The roadways are rough. The trails are well maintained, but narrow in places and with tree roots. There is considerable slope at times. It was April Fool’s Day, but I fooled them all! I rode with the commuters to Coupeville but I didn’t go to work! No! Not on such a beautiful, sunny, spring morning as this! From the Sherman Road bus stop, I took the winding Kettles bike path a short ways. At the edge of the cow pasture, where the trees fill in, I turned onto the Kettle’s Spur trail toward the Pratt Loop. It was early, the sun just up. Birds called all around, but the shrubbery was thick and flutterings were many. Out of sight beyond the hedge, a cow lulled. Curious. A fir tree with a tiny window tucked among the bark. A fairy sat quietly beside it. Below, was a door with a walkway of fairy dust leading to it. More sprites around the base paused to stare up at me. A cheerful greeting passed between us. I moved on passing benches, hidden in a tunnel of Ocean Spray at the edge of the woods, at the edge of the pasture at the edge of the day. Approaching the barn was the strong smell of nettles, growing green and vigorous, out of winter’s duff. Birds were busy in the boughs overhead. I stopped to look and listen. Chickadees, Pine Siskins, and a Junco called out its warning. I slowly circled the barn hearing a steady chipping on a hollow tree. There! High up was a flicker, working to enlarge a hole. It poked its head in, withdrew, pecked some more, checked inside, and chipped some more. Another home improvement project. Passing a bench, I entered a stretch with a head high hedge on each side, like a formal garden. Sun poured in and I paused to let it warm my face. But a hummingbird buzzed me, just missing my head, defending its nest. I looked around for it and was buzzed again. Okay! Okay! I moved on. Around the next bend the Ocean Spray and elderberry grew thick among trees. Chirping, calling, singing birds ducked in and out. A nuthatch hid among the shrubbery. A song sparrow called from the field. A mob of bush tits flitted from one shrub to another. A Great Horned Owl called in the distance, a towhee cried up close, and a yellow rumped warbler, a spring migrant, sang from the trees above. I turned in circles trying to get a good look. A few more steps and there was a brown creeper, spiraling, inspecting a fir for insects. Below the branches I could see the cabin across the field and soon I emerged from the woods and stood in the open gazing over Ebey’s Prairie, Admiralty Inlet and the Olympics peeking through the morning clouds. Hundreds of acres of farmland dotted with barns and houses, fence lines and roads framed in by the water and mountains. And people. I hadn’t seen any on my walk through the woods but here in the open I could see hikers in small groups heading up the bluff or crossing the ridge trail. I circled the field hearing savanna, golden crowned and white crowned sparrows. Turning toward the Ebey cabin a bird on a fence post caught my eye. Was it a House Finch, or a Purple Finch? I walked on passing a few ladies chatting energetically. At the cabin I sat on the bench and took out my thermos. Quail called in the hedgerow. Red wing blackbirds sang, "MukilTEO! MukilTEO!" An eagle sat silently at the top of the tree next to the cabin. Hikers approached moving briskly. As they passed I noticed a small bird on the trail sign. Raising my binoculars, was it… a bluebird? Perfect. Maribeth “and over our heads will float the Blue Bird singing of beautiful and impossible things, of things that are lovely and that never happened, of things that are not and that should be.” Oscar Wilde Directions: If not on the bus, the Pratt Loop Trail shares a parking lot with the Ebey's Bluff Trail. Take Hwy 20 just north of Coupeville and turn south on to Sherman Road. Turn right at Cemetery Road and drive cautiously to the very end. Park by the Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve offices and start north just behind the cemetery. When you reach the barn you may turn right to take the Spur Trail or left to continue around the loop. The Pratt Loop meets the trail to Ebey's Bluff near the Jacob and Sarah Ebey cabin.
By Bus and Bike: Take the fare free Route 1 bus to Sherman Road. Take the Kettle's bike path north west and turn left onto the Kettle Spur trail at the edge of the forest. Look for the short sign post. Park your bike at the kiosk where there is a bike rack. Two bikes fit on a bus bike rack. The Kettles bike path is paved but hilly in this section. It starts at Rhododendron Park south of Coupeville and continues to the Kettles Trails and Fort Ebey State Park trails north to Libbey Road. These trails are very popular with mountain bikers. Mobility: This is a nearly flat, well maintained trail with few roots or rocks. Part of the way is on old farm roads. The Pratt Loop is 1.3 miles and the Kettles Spur Trail is 3/4 of a mile long. Oh-dark-early. After a drenching, all-day rain on Saturday, Sunday was supposed to be sunny, so we rose early. A blush of dawn appeared in the east, but darkness and fog filled our forests and waterways. Fog hid the nearby islands from view as we drove down rain-slickened roads on Fidalgo over to Whidbey. My headlights revealed just enough of the road ahead for us to creep along Zylstra Road, arriving at the Del Fairfax trailhead long before daybreak. I wanted to experience it at first light while wildlife still reigned. I had promised Kath a Starbucks before we got started, so now with her cup in hand, we slipped through the gate and into the Reserve. This was Kath’s first visit here. Maybe yours too. Walking along the soft forest trail, a Varied thrush, a Hutton’s vireo, flickers, kinglets, chickadees, Pac wrens, and song sparrows sang, warbled, and twittered … and a rooster crowed a wake-up call. Not a bad welcoming as we walked toward the meadow. I let Kath lead as we emerged from the dark forest into the bright opening of the field. She sensed the magic before we even got there. The meadow lay silent before us, sacred and serene. Veiled in the mist, three ghost-gray deer dawdled along the opposite side of the field and then out of sight. Kath began walking to the west, and in a minute or two, also faded into the mist. We rambled along the perimeter trail while the fog flowed around us on its silent haunches, muting the universe into our own private world, a separate peace. Trees emerged as fuzzy silhouettes in muted shades of gray until we got beneath them, and then they faded away again as we moved beyond. Branches and cobwebs lay speckled with brightly shining diamonds. Making the full circle around the meadow, we observed and absorbed the hidden details often overlooked on a bright sunny day. Fog focuses our attention on what is before us, near at hand, within our reach. The rush of the highways, the busy of business, the past, the future, indeed the entire rest of the world are all beyond our view and our worries right now. All that matters is just this meadow, moist and mysterious, shadowy, and intimate. Walking through the forested shadows and rolling grasslands, this place reminds us of the complex simplicity that surrounds us, the life that can be ours. Just like the singular sparrows of the woodlands, and the lilies of the field, “the least of these,” anonymous, humble, seeking not their own glory, yet gentle and glorious in their boundless living and giving. Just like George Fairfax himself, who owned and treasured this land, and donated it in memory of his late wife Del. He wanted everyone to experience the quiet beauty of this secret garden, this place of softness and solitude, this pocket preserved for us all to come and be at peace. We returned home as the fog was fading, the morning breaking, the sun rising, blue skies blazing, and yes, breakfast waiting. jack https://www.wclt.org/projects/del-fairfax-preserve/ (the official background) https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/our-media/del-fairfax-preserve/ (a one minute movie) Directions: From Highway 20 in Oak Harbor take Swantown Road and then an immediate left onto Fort Nugent Road, then drive two miles and turn left onto Zylstra Road. Or from Highway 20 4.3 miles north of Coupeville, turn left onto Zylstra Road and drive 3 miles north. Park across the street from the small fire station.
By bike: The roads in this area once you leave Highway 20 are rolling and relatively quiet, but with limited shoulders. Mobility: The forested part of the trail is wide and firm, mostly dirt and mostly flat. The meadow trail is a mixture of grass and dirt, fairly wide but also lumpy and rolling. Please stay on the trail around the meadow, and keep your pets leashed at all times. |
Authors
Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
May 2024
Categories
All
|