This weekend I took two hikes. On Saturday, I met some friends and walked with them and their dog in Saratoga Woods to the big glacial erratic. They’d been hibernating all winter to stay safe and comfortable. After being vaccinated their only complaint was a touch of cabin fever, a common ailment this time of year. We had a good walk catching up and meeting others along the trail. On Sunday I felt like having a quiet, solitary experience so I walked alone from Putney Woods to the same glacial erratic in Saratoga Woods. I wanted to see how these trails were connected. Miles and miles of trails looping and lacing through the woods between Langley and Freeland. There are many reasons to take a walk, for the fresh air and exercise, for mental and emotional relief, to look for birds and wildlife, to meet friends and socialize, or to get some quiet time alone. Between my two walks I’d covered all the bases. And I got a surprise bonus. I got lost! I love the feeling of being lost for a few minutes or a few hours. Not knowing where I am, or which way to turn. It makes me smile. Having explored Whidbey for decades I have a pretty good idea of where I am most of the time. Some trails I’ve traveled so many times that I could walk them in the dark. But Putney and Saratoga Woods are not that familiar to me. I’d taken a photo of the map at the trailhead, and another on a sign post along the way, but some trails are unmarked so I followed my sense of direction. Still, on grey days it’s easy to get turned around. I was able to find my way to the glacial erratic, but finding my way back was a challenge. I’d met people as I entered Putney Woods and pet their dogs. There were families with kids that were visiting from off-island. One family didn’t know about the glacial erratic so I showed them pictures from the day before. I hadn’t seen anyone since meeting them on the trail that connected the two trail systems. I wondered if they were lost, too. I recalled David Wagoner’s poem, Lost. He said, if you’re lost, stand still, the forest knows where you are, you must let it find you. Lost Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you. -- David Wagoner I sat down and listened. Kinglets and chickadees chattered high up in the tree tops. A raven called in the distance. A nuthatch blew its tiny horn. Taking photos on my solo walk had focused my attention on details along the way. Finding these landmarks on my way back was reassuring. Here a couple of downed trees just overhead, there someone had left a cairn, and this muddy spot with the tree in the middle was familiar. I took a few wrong turns but then realized my error and slowly made my way back to familiar well-marked trails. When someone asked Daniel Boone if he’d ever been lost, he answered, “No, but I’ve been a might bit confused for three or four days.” Maribeth Click here for a video of the erratic. Directions: To Saratoga Woods from Langley, take Saratoga Road 3 miles northwest. The trailhead will be on the left.
To Putney Woods from Highway 525, turn north on Bayview Road, left on Andreason Road and right on Lone Lake Road to the trailhead on the right. For a map click the link below. www.islandcountywa.gov/PublicWorks/Parks/Pages/putney-woods.aspx These trails are popular with equestrians and mountain bikers as well as hikers. They are not accessible by bus.
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
|