I once had a picture of a woman holding a baby in her arms as she looked from a bedroom window out over a farm field bathed in moonlight. It was entitled Amor a todas horas (love at all hours). It reminded me of countless early mornings holding my daughter Lindsay to comfort her in my arms, standing in her bedroom looking out over farm fields at the Wenatchee Range soft in the moonlight beyond. The past two nights have blessed us with clear skies and a super moon to fill them, bathing us all night with its silver light of romance and magic. Moonlight is made for making memories, holding babes in arms, walking with partners, and finding adventures outdoors in the muted brilliance of sunlight reflected off our nearest neighbor. The social distancing mandate challenges us to stay home and stay safe to save lives. At the same time, our governor asked us to continue to stay healthy by getting outside and walking around our neighborhoods and on local trails. This has led to some confusion about how to do both. I read a recent online blog where someone asked where they could hand-launch a kayak to get outdoors. Some people offered good suggestions. Some took the question as an opening to question the mandate to keep our physical distancing. Others lambasted her for wanting to be outside at all, that a good citizen would stay inside the four walls of the house with no venturing beyond the property line. Our individual and community-wide safety and health are essential. But our individual and collective sanity and mental health are also essential. My goal for this week’s hike of the week became a game to find not only where but when I could go hiking to see if safety could be found even on a popular busy trail. I chose the Tommy Thompson Trail in the heart of Anacortes. Could it be done safely? And could I still find inspiration and nature? Maribeth and I went out first on Monday afternoon, during the heart of a warm evening commute. We started at the north end and walked where the trail follows the Cap Sante Marina and then ventures along the busy Q Avenue. There were joggers and hikers and shoppers and workers and dog walkers and moms with little kids. Nearly everyone was keeping a reasonable physical distance, some wearing masks as they walked, and nearly everyone wearing a smile. We stopped to watch a great blue heron do its zen movements along the shoreline, looking for lunch. Collared doves lingered in a tidepool. I went out again the next day on my bike during the late evening, just before sunset, to find a different feel to the trail. I found fewer people; whole stretches of the trail were empty. I passed a handful of couples walking along, some hand in hand, some six feet apart, some engaged in conversation, some with their phones, and some running or biking together. A loon dove for dinner just offshore from me. An eagle couple flew from treetop to treetop, exercising maybe, or just out for fun, or just out to get to know each other better. A river otter made a wide wake as it headed to a remote shoreline. As the sun settled down for the night, several photographers came out to capture the rising of the super moon. I joined them. Then for one more experience, I again walked out onto the trail, this time at 3:30 am. Oh dark early. I thought the trail would be quieter. NO! It was alive with song and voice and life. Robins were already telling the world that the sun was coming soon. Seagulls offshore must have found a herring ball or maybe some juicy garbage because their raucous catcalls echoed off the hills and buildings. A great blue stood again at the shore’s edge, this time framed by the moon reflecting off the water as a single ball, with not a breath of wind or water movement to disturb the perfect halo of silver. A port worker was busy cleaning one of the handy restrooms. A delivery truck waited at the dock to transfer product to or from a soon-to-arrive boat. But there were no trail users. Go figure. No one to see the moon falling lower over the hills behind Anacortes, or the dark become a faint dawn, the deer finding flowers to nibble among nearby residences, the earth going around one more day, and all of us who are alive with another chance to enjoy this most precious gift of life and light that is all around us every day, at every hour, right at our doorstep whenever we open the door. jack Kids Hike Too With kidlets of all ages staying at home, we all have a responsibility to help them continue to grow in the outdoors with safe and healthy experiences. The Tommy Thompson Trail, although linear and urban in places, still offers adventures for those with shorter legs and attention spans. Just walking the docks at the marina gets imaginations supercharged. I still remember my dad taking me to a local marina and letting me wander the docks with him to see the boats, hear the clanging of lines on masts, and dream of heading out to sea someday. Be sure your kids wear lifejackets if they are twelve or under. Let them play at the small pocket beaches just off 34th street or near the Fidalgo Resort. Or wander off the trail at Seafarer’s Park to play near the woman with the lantern and on the protected beach and short walkway there. My grandkids enjoy that park. Let them see the water under their feet along the half mile of trestle. And teach them to ride a bike or just stretch their legs for as long as they comfortably can, and a little bit longer maybe. Directions:
You can pick up the trail at so many places in Anacortes and on the edge of town! Go to Cap Sante Marina near the iconic Cap Sante head that overlooks Anacortes, and follow the water’s edge – you’re on the trail. Go to Q Avenue near the Market – you’re on it there also! Follow it south from there as it cuts through the marine-oriented businesses to join the water again at about 34th Street. Or go to the parking area at Fidalgo Bay Resort and go either east or north. Or park at the March’s Point Park and Ride near Highway 20 and hike three quarters of a mile northerly to the eastern terminus of the trestle. Go. At any time.
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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
March 2024
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