My dad was an avid fisherman, to put it mildly, and he hiked the high country once in a while to get to mountain lakes where he fished some more. Sometimes he brought me with him on those hikes as a tag-along, and the hiking bug grew within me. I eventually expanded my hiking to include beaches and deserts and snow and rock and islands and nearby neighborhood wanderings. But I still see him in his flannel shirt and faded green jeans guiding me upward as we headed toward a Cascade mountain jewel. We all have, or had, a father. We each have our own experiences growing up with or without our dads and their varying influence and care in our lives. Regardless of our upbringing, we are here today with half of their genes, a smattering of their habits, and a passel of memories that still touch us in many ways. Some we grow past, some we put up with, and some we build on for the future. And we all have a shared past from our forefathers, the generations who came before us and helped shape the landscape we know today. Many of those influences burden us today, such as in our race relations, our unsustainable lifestyles, and our ongoing us-versus-them approach to the world. On the other hand, we have the evidence of incredible gifts to us, gifts that we can care for and pass on to the following generations, such things as good character, a belief in civil rights, a growing awareness of our place in nature, and a legacy of places that were protected from development just because someone, some person in the past, made a decision to care about the future. One such place is Del Fairfax, on north Whidbey Island. Dr. George Fairfax of Oak Harbor donated the 50-acre property off Zylstra Road in 2007 and named it in honor of his wife of 56 years, who had passed away the previous year. George and his father had purchased the land in 1973 for investment purposes. Fairfax is happy he made the donation. “We raised six children. My five (surviving) children supported my idea of donating the land. Money doesn’t interest me anymore. Nature interests me more.” Wanting it to remain unspoiled for future generations, their generosity became a gift to us all, and a legacy for the future. I first saw the fields and forests last year on a delightful Sunday morning hike with a friend, highlighted by a welcoming committee of deer in the meadow and a leisurely lunch and inspired conversation along the sunny trail. Wind in the meadows - YouTube video, 7 seconds I returned this year to relive the memories and look forward to new ones. The deer were elsewhere, but the trail and meadow were all as I remembered them. The sun beamed as I entered the beginning of the trail. I read about the history and silently thanked the Whidbey Camano Land Trust and the local site stewards for continuing to preserve this special place. I heard Swainson’s thrushes, black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, warblers and towhees as I followed the shy half-mile trail through the deep woods, emerging back into the sun at the 10-acre meadow to the north. It's only a little over a half mile to walk around the entire meadow. But the distance traveled isn't the point. There’s a feeling at the meadow, a feeling of contentment, of joy and well-being. Walled in by a tall forest on all four sides, and filled with daisies and grasses, and untouched other than by a mowed trail around the perimeter, I feel like it was my private reserve for the morning stroll, shared in passing with a neighborhood family group, two local birders, and a couple walking their dog. A hawk soared above, an eagle watched nearby, swallows darted among the grasses, song sparrows sang melodies, the forest hummed along, thrushes whistled the blues, growlers growled in the distance, squirrels chattered, and insects buzzed. The song they all sang was of peace. I rested at the halfway point on the bench at the northeast corner, not that I needed a rest but because I just wanted to take in the beauty and life and simple grace of a gift given by a father for all of us, to the whole world, a gift for people and plants and wild animals and winds seen and unseen, and a gift of dreams to come, of a future built on the dreams of our fathers. jack "If you do not know where you come from, then you don't know where you are, and if you don't know where you are, then you don't know where you're going. And if you don't know where you're going, you're probably going wrong." - Terry Pratchett How did your father shape your hiking interests? Let us know. Directions:
From Highway 20, 4.3 miles north of Coupeville, turn left onto Zylstra Road and drive 3 miles to the Fire Station. From Highway 20 in Oak Harbor, take Swantown Road and then an immediate left onto Fort Nugent Road. Drive 2 miles and turn left onto Zylstra Road. Go about another 2 miles to the Fire Station. Park along the fence across from the Fire Station, leaving lanes clear for fire vehicles.
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
|