A while back, I was asked to lead a hike for the Council of the Blind of Island and Skagit Counties. With help from Colette, we organized an outing that included taking an Island Transit bus from March’s Point Park & Ride (near Anacortes) to the Oak Harbor waterfront trail. One woman I knew used a walker but I didn’t know if the rest of the group had challenges beyond their visual impairments. So I picked this trail because it’s level, with a paved sidewalk most of the way, and Freund Marsh is a good place for birding, which they requested. At first I wondered about blind people going bird watching, but being able to go birding by ear is really helpful in our lush northwest forests. Sarah Schmidt and Lee Chavez, friends from Whidbey Audubon Society, were kind enough to assist. They’re much better birders than I and could lend a hand guiding if needed. Some of the group met me at March’s Point and we rode the bus to Oak Harbor. Andy and his guide dog, a small, black lab, rode in the front. She looked like a puppy but Andy said she was four years old. He wouldn’t tell us her name and didn’t want anyone to pet her while she was at work. Once in Oak Harbor, we met Sarah and Lee and the rest of the group sitting on a bench in Flintstone Park. Introductions were made and I went over the plan for the day describing the trail on a boardwalk and sidewalk to our picnic pavilion. “The sun and water will be on your left. You’ll feel a breeze off the water. The ballpark, playground and splash park will be on your right. There are a lot of people coming and going. After our picnic we’ll go into Freund Marsh where there will be more birds.” Sarah asked if anyone knew what bird made the distinctive raspy cry we were hearing. Holly called it, “A Caspian Tern!” Someone said it sounded like a cat whose tail was being stepped on. Andy walked well ahead of the others. I caught up and mentioned that there was a sculpture to his left. He told his dog to “find it” and was led to the art piece. Andy told me he had trained his dog to “find it” in a totem pole park in Sitka. When the group joined us, I began to pay more attention to sounds. I heard the crack of a ball and bat making contact in the ball field. Passing the playground we heard the usual cacophony of kids playing and parents calling. We moved slowly taking it all in. We saw kids in the splash park with squirting water from a fake shipwreck and described the scene for the group. We walked across the spongy base by the fake stumps. Someone said, “This feels good. You can leave me here to take a nap.” When we reached the picnic pavilion we were ready to eat. Andy pulled out 8 bottles of water to share. Others shared apples, grapes and cucumbers. As we ate we described the activities of others around us, a family prepared a huge meal, a little girl raced across the grass and back with applause from her family, cyclists rode by on an adventure. Our group sat contentedly smiling at the sun. After lunch we entered Freund Marsh busy with birdlife. Sarah pointed out the calls of the marsh wren and red winged blackbird. We walked on and found a flock of cedar waxwings. She described their smooth appearance and how they eat berries. Look, salmonberries! And wild roses! We tasted. We smelled. We moved on. A couple of policemen on bikes rolled by. An old friend held her large dogs off the trail to let us pass. We stopped at a bench to rest while songbirds flitted through the shrubs around us. Holly, who also had a black Lab guide dog, asked to meet Andy’s dog. Andy removed his dog’s harness, (meaning she was off duty) and led her over to Holly. The dogs rubbed noses and Holly rubbed the smaller dog’s back to get a feel of her size. Tails wagged. People smiled. It was a good day to be outside with old friends and new. Just before leaving Freund Marsh, Sarah stopped and played a recording of a Virginia rail. Sure ‘nuf, one answered! We could hear it tucked into the cattails nearby, but none of us saw it. Maribeth For a map, click here and scroll down to the 4th map. Special Thanks to Sarah Schmidt and Lee Chavez for their assistance. You are much appreciated! Directions: Oak Harbor’s Waterfront Trail connects three parks. If you are entering Oak Harbor from the south on Highway 20, turn right at the third light onto Beeksma Drive and turn left into the park. If you’re coming from north of Oak Harbor, follow Highway 20 until you reach Pioneer Way and go straight onto Beeksma Drive. Parking will be on your left. This parking lot is in the middle of the three parks.
By Bus and Bike: The trailhead at Flintstone Park is across Bayshore Drive from Harbor Station, the main transit hub in Oak Harbor served by Island Transit’s fare free Routes 1, 3, 411, 6, and 14. Bikes can ride Bayshore Drive with a wide shoulder and slow speeds. Bikes may also ride through the park to Scenic Heights Road, but beware of pedestrians. Please call out “on your left” when approaching pedestrians. Mobility: This park is level and has paved sidewalks or boardwalks wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass. Freund Marsh on the west end of the trail is wide and mostly level except at the west end where it rises a bit. The surface is packed gravel and usually dry. The whole trail is 2.2 miles round trip.
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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
April 2024
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