 Photo above by Susan McClung Spring. She takes a deep breath, and on her exhale the leaves on trees unfurl like tiny flags heralding her revival, trumpeting the good news to all who will listen. We stand in awe, as we too are reborn. This is when we fall in love, again, speak without thinking, say yes to things we would normally refuse. It becomes more difficult to say no when the whole world around us appears to be an astounding affirmation of the resilience, richness, and regenerative power of life. Springtime inspires us to believe that along with the earth, we too might change, becoming renewed as we embrace the growth of light, life, and love. I asked the readers of this blog if anyone wanted to join me on a hike around Whistle Lake. Five people from three different towns and walks of life gathered at the parking area. We followed the gravel path to the lake, interrupted a short while by the brash noise of unmuffled motorcycles. But soon the peace returned, and we lost ourselves in the beauty and tranquility of the lakeshore trails. Fallen trees lay around us and hung up at odd angles against other trees above. But the destruction of last winter’s winds was already being hidden by the new growth of ferns and flowers, with leaves unfurling, stems extending, colors flying. So too our legs and lungs strengthened and expanded as we climbed the hills to get their good tidings, resting beside still waters, listening to the quiet of forest glens and whispering breezes, and gazing at the splendor of spring amid the richness of new life. What new experiences and adventures would we discover in our travels and explorations? Our pace was easy, resting often, stopping to take pictures and to take closer looks at flowers like paintbrush and serviceberry, listening to nearby bird songs, smelling odiferous skunk cabbage, navigating rocks and root-filled twists and turns in the trail, expressing glee at a trailside patch of white fawn lilies, finding dragon stumps and rock-like roots, and being humbly impressed amid the carnage of even more fallen trees along the trail. As we started to drop down after climbing to the top of the southern ridge, a white head in a nearby tree caught my attention. I motioned to the others to look quietly beyond us as a bald eagle carefully surveyed its surroundings. Soon we saw another eagle nearby, then a third one even closer, spreading its wings to dry after a fishing trip at the lake. After marveling at the sight of these majestic neighbors living in their lakeshore world of tall trees and rock outcroppings for several minutes, we descended to the outlet of the lake, crossed a footbridge and entered a gentler world of flat, lush wetlands and marshlands. And what is that smell? More skunk cabbage! Ascending back to the northwest shore we found views out over the lake again, places where in summer local kids will jump off these rocks into the deep waters below. But today, we looked across the lake, and there were the eagles again! One was a juvenile, mostly dark in color, resting against a tree trunk as its parents patrolled the lakeshore. Along the trail we found mushrooms and bracket fungi, flowering Oregon grape, more fawn lilies, cedar and fir, ducks and woodpeckers. And the smell of skunks yet again? More skunk cabbage! Here the trail follows the lakeshore closely, at lake level, affording us front row seats as we took the scenic route instead of the faster roadbed trail far from the shoreline. It soon brought us back to where we started. Completing the loop, we celebrated the discoveries we had made, and the chance to share them together as new friends, connected by our love of these trails and the wild and beautiful lands they traverse. Spring. We too felt renewal. jack Directions: From Anacortes, go south from the Commercial Avenue roundabout. Take a left at the T onto Fidalgo Avenue, left again on Hillcrest and then right on Whistle Lake Road. Follow the signs, entering a dirt road just before reaching the parking lot.
Accessibility: the trail to the lake is a wide dirt road, slightly uphill. The trails around the lake are narrow, twisting, full of roots, rocks, ups and downs, and occasional difficult stretches along slanted rock faces a few feet at a time. Transit: none available. Bicycle access: there are no shoulders on Whistle Lake Road, but the traffic volume is very low. Note: motorcycles are allowed on many of the trails in the ACFL, including the main route to the lake from the parking area. We saw (and definitely heard) three young riders going on trails that are off-limits to motorcycles.
0 Comments
 I am usually not even aware of it, but I always have a song in my head. This spring, as I begin my day this one is playing with an enthusiastic chorus! I like to rise when the sun she rises earli in the morning. I like to hear those small birds singing merrily upon the leylands. I like the life of a country boy and to ramble in the new mown hay. Click I Like to Rise to hear Folly Bridge sing it. This song is an old English tune taught to me by an Arab sea captain who used to sing it wholeheartedly to wake the crew. Though we were far from the British Isles and nowhere near any new mown hay (thank goodness), it was the best way to start the day. Now that spring has sprung many tunes are wafting through my window at dawn sung by songsters from near and far. I’ve always been a morning person and typically wake before dawn. The best part of my day is my morning walk. In spring, I step outside and hear robins, sparrows, juncos and chickadees. As I slip by the house of my sleeping neighbors I watch an eagle building a home in their tallest tree taking talons full of grass to line the nest. Killdeer cry out from the farmer's fields. Walking the road I see blackbirds on the wires, sparrows calling from the hedgerows and swallows, recently returned from South America, dipping and gliding over the horse pastures. My walk takes me by a wetland next to the Nichols Brother’s Boatyard. It’s quiet at that hour except for the red wing blackbirds calling “Mukilteeeee-o, Mukilteeeee-o”. A heron is practicing Tai Chi in the marsh. At the end of Holmes Harbor buffleheads and mallards glide across a reflection of the sunrise through the trees. Click here to see the tai chi master. I climb the hill toward Freeland Hall and take the trail around the bluff. An old yew leans out toward the water. Around the next bend the dog walkers come chatting away. There are three dogs, one for each household. Mac, Maya and Otto meet here most mornings. We all pass with a sniff, a wag, and a cheerful, “Good morning”. Coming down to Freeland County Park, I find Bruce about to take his rowing shell out on the glassy water. He invites me to join him. Alas, not today. Turning up Myrtle Avenue I pass an old orchard in bloom, then the garden with the bike wheels that spin with the breeze. They have a bench with a tape measure attached to the side to show the 6 feet required for safe sitting. I’ve never met the residents of this charming abode but the ornaments on the mailbox and flowers at the garden gate make me want to someday. I keep walking and pass both the chickens and the eggs. This is a paved walkway and would be good for someone on wheels except for the next block where the pavement dips on one side. Still the street is quiet and presents an alternative. I follow the trail to the corner where Myrtle meets Main Street and climb one last hill to catch my bus to work. A morning walk with a song in my head is the best way to start the day. Medical experts say a 30 minute walk at least 5 days a week is a good way to stay healthy. I think it is a good way to stay happy, too. Directions: From Highway 525 in Freeland turn south on Main Street across from Fish Road. Then take a quick turn onto Myrtle Avenue. Or walk from Main Street down Myrtle Avenue just west of the Payless parking lot. It's about a half mile walk north between Payless and Freeland County Park. Continue west to walk another half mile along the bluff around Freeland Hall and visit the wetland next to Nichol's Brothers Boatyard on Shoreview Drive.
Transit and Mobility Access: Take the Route 1 bus to Main Street in Freeland and get off at Payless. Go west to Myrtle Avenue and then north to Freeland County Park. The buses are fare free and can take wheelchairs, strollers and bikes. For a schedule visit: www.islandtransit.org  Decades ago my mom told my dad to make a left turn while driving at Washington Park, and then we met a car coming the opposite direction. We were going down a one-way road the wrong way! What I remember is my dad being surprised and then laughing out loud as he backed up, while my mom said “Whoops…” and giggled and smiled mischievously. Ordinary moments. They happen every minute of every day. They brush past us like a whisper in the wind, like the movement of a shadow, here and then gone. I walked down that same roadway this week, the wrong way of course. Again I heard the sound of my father’s laughter, and the look of my mom giggling and smiling. As I continued, a family stood around a campfire and cooked dinner. Down at the water, kids played at the beach, moms watching nearby. I thought back to times with my kids at the beach, times long past now. And I know you can picture time with your kids or grandkids or nieces or nephews or neighbors or anyone you’ve played with at the beach. Ordinary moments. What I would give to re-live those moments, just for a moment. A man sailed in from the channel, tied up his boat, and his sweetie gave him a welcome-back kiss. I walked down the loop road, and a couple of women sat on a bench looking out to sea. A ferry cruised by in the distance. I asked if I could take a picture of their backsides and the ferry. They laughed. Now I see why it sounds funny. I walked on to the meadow, where a mom and dad were encouraging their kids to jump off a rock at the same time, so they could photograph them in mid-air. They tried a couple times. Others sat at tables having a picnic, or sat on the grass just soaking in sunshine instead of rain for a change. Around the corner, a woman sat on a bench and fed a junco and chickadee that were happy for a handout. A family played on the rocks at the water’s edge, the mom cautioning the kids to be careful, the dad leading them on to further exploits. Fewer people walk farther. The sun made piano key shadows on the roadway. A man marched down the hill getting his exercise before nightfall. A hiker came out of the woods where the road turns uphill and back east. I took his trail west, hiking to the western tip of Washington Park, the western end of all of Fidalgo Island. Grasses grew out of the rock, bending in the breeze. Trails from travelers past led the way for future travelers like me. I wandered off-trail a while, off route, off key, off the grid, and I could have been off anywhere with juniper trees and rocks and grass and sunshine, in the Rockies or a B-grade western. I was just a mile from Skyline houses. I contoured east between the shoreline and the ridge, passing an ordinary heron, hearing ordinary lonesome mourning doves calling their plaintive sigh. I rested in a lava tube alongside the trail, then scrambled my way to the viewpoint that looks south toward Mt. Erie and Burrows Island. Porpoises frolicked in the channel; an eagle flew by at eye level. Several visitors like me watched in awe and joy at these ordinary, daily events. A family sat at a table to eat, an ordinary gift of togetherness. A statue here honors the man who helped create Washington Park, who donated the land for our enjoyment and the health of our planet. What an extraordinary gift. As I returned back to Sunset Beach, the sun set behind Lopez, something it does every day. How ordinary. I watched through my camera lens, and then through the misting lenses of my eyes. jack Directions: From Anacortes, take 12th Street west, which becomes Oakes Avenue. Go straight at the signal on what is now Sunset Avenue (where you could angle down to the ferry instead) and go about one more mile to the entrance of Washington Park.
Accessibility: The loop road through Washington Park is paved the entire way, though there are somewhat steep sections. This road is closed to vehicle traffic in the morning until 10 a.m. The trails are challenging for the most part, with rocks, roots, uneven surfaces, and varying degrees of angles and widths. The viewpoints offer some opportunities to get out of a vehicle. Transit accessibility: Take Skagit Transit 410 to where it turns into Skyline Drive. Washington Park is 1/4-mile straight ahead instead. Bike accessibility: I biked from downtown Anacortes. It's about five miles with varying shoulder widths but mostly adequate for safety, and with a fog line for separation. It is paved with minimal debris or bumps.  Since I became the Mobility Specialist for Island Transit, I’ve had a growing awareness of people with mobility challenges and what our buses can do for them. As someone who loves the natural world, I cannot imagine being without access to the woods, beaches and bluffs close to home. So I’ve made it my personal goal to remove barriers and encourage people who may think that they can no longer get out on trails. We’re all growing older and may be less inclined to venture out due to injury or illness. Yet most people find solace in nature and we all need access. This outing began with an email from Kate Poss asking me about ideas for her blog This is Whidbey. She came on a bus tour with me last year and covered it in her blog. David Welton is her blog partner and photographer. I told her I’d like to promote how to get to accessible trails with Island Transit. I’m on the County Accessible Communities Committee where I heard about Wendy Sines who works at the Langley Whale Center and uses a wheelchair. I asked Wendy if she’d be willing to come test some trails to see if they were really accessible. Thankfully, though she knew none of us, she accepted. I asked Jack Hartt to come as our photographer. Then I asked Island Transit for a bus and driver. Joanie Crowther, a veteran bus operator and avid hiker took on the assignment with expertise and enthusiasm. We even invited Hawkeye, a Bouvier, to come under the management of David’s wife Georgia Edwards. Hawkeye is well trained and a certified hospital therapy dog. He’s also the most easy-going teddy bear of a dog you’d ever want to meet. We met up at Island Transit near Coupeville. Joanie pulled the bus around to load Wendy in her wheelchair and the rest of us stepped onboard. All Island Transit buses have a ramp or lift and can carry two wheelchairs, strollers, and 2 or 3 bikes. Click here for a video of Wendy using the lift to get on the bus. Our first stop was South Whidbey State Park on the Route 1 Southbound. After unloading, we took the paved roadway to the left of the ADA restrooms into the old campground which is closed to traffic. There was a steep hill. I told Wendy to let us know if she felt unsafe at any point. She assured me that as long as the surface was paved and dry that her electric wheelchair could make it. Hawkeye, posed as a support animal. Service animals are allowed on the bus, as are pets in an approved carrier, if they aren’t in the aisle and don’t bother other passengers. After a nice turn around the campground loop serenaded by spring bird calls we boarded the bus again. Click here to see Wendy take off on the trails. Our next stop was at South Whidbey Community Park behind South Whidbey High School on the Route 60. We disembarked at the sign on Maxwelton Road. Wendy rolled right through the park on the paved road and packed gravel trails. Not all trails are wheelchair accessible but the Westing Loop, Water Tank Way and Park Connector are good. She raced up the last steep hill and passed ADA restrooms by the playground and soccer fields. The bus waited for us at the shelter on Langley Road. I told Wendy if she didn’t feel comfortable rolling on the shoulder we could ask the bus driver to pick us up at the nearby park entrance, but Wendy was fine. Click here to see Wendy and Jack on the Oak Harbor waterfront trail. From there we headed north to the Oak Harbor Waterfront Trail. The main bus terminal, Harbor Station, is just across Bayshore Drive from Flintstone Park where this mile long trail begins. We followed it west just above the beach, by playgrounds, picnic pavilions, over the bridge by the swimming lagoon and through Freund Marsh, a natural area with packed gravel trails. Joanie waited with the bus at the far end near Walmart. By then Wendy’s wheelchair battery was running low but Wendy was thrilled. It was an exciting day for us all. Joanie told me later, “You could see her blossoming as her confidence built throughout the day. She realized, ‘Yes! I can do this!’” Maribeth Directions: South Whidbey State Park is on Smugglers Cove Road 6 miles north of Freeland or 5 miles south of Greenbank Farm. Follow the signs from Highway 525. South Whidbey Community Park is one mile north of Highway 525 on Maxwelton Road or a mile north of Ken’s Korner on Langley Road. To find the Oak Harbor Waterfront Trail take Highway 20 to Pioneer Way and go east. Drive a quarter mile and turn right onto Bayshore Drive. Drive another quarter mile and Flintstone Park will be on your right, directly across from Harbor Station bus terminal. Transit and Mobility: All Island Transit and Skagit Transit buses carry wheelchairs as well as strollers and bikes. Island Transit is fare free and we offer free travel training to help you get started. There is a list of bus accessible trails and wheel-friendly trails in the back of Hiking Close to Home. We recommend going in dry weather. Not all trails are accessible for all mobility challenges or assistance devices, but these three sites are among the easiest to access by Island Transit bus. You may also take Skagit Transit 410 to the Tommy Thompson Trail in Anacortes which is a 3.3 mile paved bike path that starts across R Avenue from Safeway and continues south toward the refineries. For details call me at 360-678-9536, or email [email protected], or visit the Island Transit website for a flyer of 5 trails on North Whidbey here: irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/ac3d33af/files/uploaded/Island%20Transit%20Best%20By%20Bus%20Accessible%20Trails%20North.pdf And 5 trails on South Whidbey that are transit accessible and wheel-friendly here: irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/ac3d33af/files/uploaded/Island%20Transit%20Best%20By%20Bus%20Accessible%20Trails%20South.pdf |
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
October 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
