1 comment: What a lovely and evocative experience, accompanying you on your day and night explorations. Thank you for the gift of your words and photographs, Jack. Sarah S. Seize the Day... Strong winds and waves rushed out of the west straight into the headlands of Rosario and then into Bowman Bay. A good day to hike from Bowman to Rosario, which also meant bundling up and donning wool hats and layers and layers of clothing. Walking the trail into Rosario means entering a sacred place. Being close to Halloween, the ancient wood and stone buildings suggested good haunts for scary stories, but mostly they just speak of good places to gather and share food with family and friends. Families were taking quick snapshots of themselves at the isthmus; one man was learning the story of KoKwalAlWoot at the story pole; a young couple at the top of Rosario was having their portraits taken for an upcoming wedding; and two wetsuit-clad swimmers looked like seals in the water among the rocks near the tidepools. Looking over the edge of Rosario, the wind pushed back with powerful hands. The sun fought weakly to break through the hazy clouds to the west. Waves with whitecaps rolled into Bowman Bay or crashed fully spent onto Rosario Beach. Eventually it was time to wander back down the gentle path on the south side of Rosario Head, slipping out of the storm and sauntering back to Bowman. The sun had seen enough of this day and choose to go out in a blaze of glory. Then Evening Falls... So I returned to Rosario. The sun had now set. The celebratory colors still lingered over the Strait. A sliver of silver moon hung out above Rosario, the rest of its body hinted at by the light of earthshine. The wind had faded a little along with the light, leaving the residual heavy swells booming into Rosario Beach as reminders of this afternoon’s windstorm. A couple of cars remained in the parking lot, a handful of people catching the last rays of the day in this golden hour, or pink hour now, the hour of romance and rememberings, not wanting to go gentle into that good night. As a ranger closed the gates, I asked for permission to return later, in the wee hours, to see Rosario at night, at low tide, at rest. She said sure. ... Into the Night Oh-dark-early. Low tide. Moon gone. Still waters. Starlight and silence. I wander down to the beach, letting my eyes adjust, my mind relax, and my heart come to life. Orange-red Mars hangs above Rosario Head. Lights from the Rosario neighborhood homes reflect off the water. I want to explore the life in the tide pools, but instead become absorbed by the lights of Orion, of the Pleiades, of Vega setting, and now Sirius rising. A heron squawks as she looks for new feeding grounds, splitting the silence for a few moments, and then Rosario settles down again into the living darkness. Back in town at this hour, housekeepers prepare vacated hospital rooms, bakers heat up their ovens, police follow a weaving driver, a shipyard worker takes a smoke break, a stocker refills the shelves of the grocery store, a rejected lover walks the streets looking for solace, a frazzled mother feeds her hungry crying newborn with joy and warmth. At Rosario, I am alone with the stars and the sea, the woods and the whispering quiet. KoKwalAlWoot stands here day and night. They are all the same to her. People come and go, the sun and stars take their turns in the heavens, the waters swirl and slide along their paths. She stands every day, every night, watching it all. I hang out for a couple hours, my spirit still, at peace, absorbing this place of beauty whether by day or by night. The earth turns, a small but special part of the universe that sings all around us every hour of every day. I think to myself I should go home. And then I realize I already am. jack Directions: Just north of the Deception Pass Bridge, turn north on Rosario Road. Drive three-quarters of a mile and angle left onto Cougar Gap Road which heads down the hill off of Rosario Road. Turn left at the T-intersection onto Rosario Beach Road and follow this road to the parking lot. Or you can hike to Rosario from Bowman Bay, a half mile hike each way.
Park hours are basically dawn to dusk. Valid Parking Pass required at Rosario Beach and at Bowman Bay.
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
March 2024
Categories
All
|