It was Saturday and I needed to deliver 25 of our hiking books to the gift shop at Fort Casey State Park. I take the bus often to reduce my carbon footprint. I think of it as a fun challenge. On weekdays the Route 1 bus goes straight up the highway to Coupeville, but on Saturdays, the Route 1 goes to the Coupeville Ferry and right by the park entrance. I wouldn't have to change buses! So I hopped on the bus with my box of books. On the way I thought about my upcoming blog post. Fort Casey, Camp Casey, and the Admiralty Inlet Preserve are all within walking distance. But I decided on Keystone Spit which is right on the bus route. The two mile walk would be perfect timing to catch the bus home. After delivering the books to the park office, I followed the campground road down the hill, crossed the ferry holding area, and walked east toward the busy boat ramp. I could tell by the number of boat trailers in the parking lot that it’s fishing season. I passed a nice restroom where divers were preparing to explore the underwater park. They can dive around the breakwater or the old pier which was once part of Fort Casey. The pier is often crowded with cormorants, excellent divers in their own right. Moving down the beach there were families beach combing and people walking their dogs. Cabins and castles were built using local materials, complete with furnishings and flagpoles. Fishermen stood evenly spaced, casting and reeling in hopes of winning a flashing silver prize. One old expert sat among the driftwood observing as if assessing the techniques of the others. As I moved from the beach to the old rugged road in the middle of Keystone Spit I stopped to read an interpretive sign telling the story of how this spit was slated for development. They called it “Chicago” on a plat recorded in the 1890s. The line of pilings on Crockett Lake across the road supported a bridge to the proposed town site. The hopes of a nearby railroad never materialized and neither did the town. Later, in the 1970’s, developers proposed 200 houses be built on the spit and two model homes were constructed. But local opposition that continued for years ended when Keystone Spit became part of Fort Casey State Park. Those two homes, battered by winter storms, provided homes for birds and wildlife. I was watching in 1988 when the remnants were torched by local firefighters for practice. Just across the road from Keystone Spit is Crockett Lake, an estuary with a mixture of salt and fresh water. The salt water of Admiralty Inlet, the sand bar of Keystone Spit and the brackish water of Crockett Lake makes this rich bird habitat. It meets the criteria to be an official Important Bird Area. Several species of raptors, shore birds, gulls, ducks, cormorants, herons, finches, wrens, blackbirds, swallows, sparrows and martins all find food and shelter here. In summer enormous white pelicans can be seen at the west end of the lake. An observation deck provides a little height where one can set up a spotting scope to spy on the birds from a distance. Continuing to the east I came upon two small ponds where I’ve seen a variety of ducks take shelter during winter storms. The Whidbey Camano Land Trust has a fundraiser going on involving biking around the lake and Ebey’s Prairie with a pie as a reward. A friend and I planned to participate the next day. I saw several cyclists passing by which made me wonder if they would also be eating pie in the near future. Find out more here: https://www.wclt.org/get-involved/bikeride/ At the eastern end of Keystone Spit is Driftwood County Park. You can park here without a Discovery Pass, but if you park on the old road in the middle of the spit, you will need one. Or you can take the bus as I did. For a bus schedule visit: www.islandtransit.org or call 360-678-7771. Maribeth PS: To help keep Keystone Spit clean volunteer with the Beach Litter Clean-up Program. Visit: https://extension.wsu.edu/island/nrs/beachlitter/ for details. Directions: From Highway 20 and Main Street in Coupeville, turn south and follow the signs to the ferry. Keystone Spit is just east of the ferry terminal. Walk the beach passing a few homes and then you can walk on the old road in the middle of the spit. Or park on the old road in the middle of the spit. You will need a Discover Pass as the spit is a State Park. Or drive to the east end of the spit and park at Driftwood County Park and walk west.
By Bus: The fare free Island Transit bus stops at the Coupeville ferry terminal and you can flag down the southbound bus at the east end of the spit. There is no Northbound bus stop there. Call 360-678-7771 for details or visit: www.islandtransit.org for a schedule. Take the Route 1 on Saturdays and the Route 6 on weekdays. There is no Sunday service. 2-3 bikes fit on each bus bike rack. Masks are required. Mobility: The old road in the middle of the spit is flat but the pavement is rough. The beach is mostly cobblestones and steep at high tide. By Bike: There's a wide shoulder on the highway along Keystone Spit. Riding the five miles around Crockett Lake is a very popular route among cyclists.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
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
April 2024
Categories
All
|