The last time I was at Ala Spit was New Year’s Day 2020, the beginning of quite a year. It was a king tide that day, and finding a path across the spit was a challenge to keep my feet dry and my body warm. I wrote then how New Year’s Day always makes me think of the song “Unwritten”, how the new year waits for us to write a new chapter in our life. “Life is short and the older you get, the more you feel it. Indeed, the shorter it is. I realize how important it is to use the time I have.” – Viggo Mortensen I was back this week. This time the current was racing out for one of the lowest tides of the year. The beaches were wide and spacious, the air warm, the sun sparkling on the water. I walked to the southern boundary first, past the kayak camp, then turned around to follow Ala Spit to its northern end. I always think I’m going to hike the spit fairly quickly, take maybe a half hour or so. It’s only a mile-long round trip. Then I get walking, and thinking, and something catches my eye and I check it out, and something catches my heart and I dwell on that, and then I view a crab or a fisherperson or a cute dog or a new flower or the sound of the tide running by or a memory of a previous visit or the way the wind plays with the grass or the smell of low tide or the taste of salt water or the feel of the wind on my face or a dream of sunlit waters dancing in my mind -- all these things filling my senses and my spirit and I lose track of time and find life instead. “Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.” - Betty Smith Have you ever seen a feather fall out of the sky? As I moved north, I happened to look up. A feather was fluttering down out of the heavens. It landed near me, a gentle touchdown, and just lay there on the sand. I looked up and saw no bird flying above me. The feather was bluish-gray, a foot long, seemingly fresh from its most recent owner. I accepted this unusual gift, stuck it in my hat, and continued on. A fisherman waded out to look for sea-run cutthroat. A couple families walked by, enjoying each other’s company as they bantered, and enjoying the long-distance views. I counted the islands visible from here: Fidalgo of course, and Skagit, Hope, Kiket, Big Deadman, Little Deadman, Goat, Ika, Dot, and Sugarloaf. That’s a lot of islands seemingly a short flight away. Driftwood forts sprouted like urchins or mushrooms all across the spit. Flowers were bursting their flavors and beauty too, growing in clumps of yellow or pale lavender or white or plain green. The warmth brought out their scents and made the air intoxicatingly delicious. I rounded the point and headed down the west side, quite different from the east side. The east is busy with the currents and waves, the west silent and time stands still; the east is gravelly and sandy, the west mostly muddy; the east looks far and wide, the west close and personal. I stood in the mud and watched crabs scurry for shelter as the water receded even lower. They know the routine: escape being exposed to the air during low tide, exposed to predators and the desiccating sunshine and heat. Soon I was back at the parking lot; well, not soon. It was two hours later. Once again Ala Spit had absorbed my time, time well spent. “The butterfly counts not months, but moments, and has time enough.” - Rabindranath Tagore jack Directions: On highway 20, 6.5 miles north of Oak Harbor, take Troxell Road east four miles to Geck Road (you'll see it as soon as you get near the water) and drop down to the parking area.
Transit Accessibility: not accessible Accessibility: the parking area is right at the beach. However, the trail is strewn with logs, and getting to the beach requires clamboring over more driftwood. Bike Accessibility: difficult on Highway 20; Troxell Road is quiet, though hilly and with narrow shoulders.
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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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