Touchstone: (noun) a fundamental or quintessential part or feature. We all have them: moments, places, and actions in our lives that become the essence of who we are and the directions we take. They may be events that happen to us, choices we make, or the heritage we are raised in that indelibly stamps us and sets the course of our lives; or that creates a turning point, a new awareness, a new venture, a new us. Think about yours for a few minutes. And I invite you to read on about some of mine, and for others, residing along one of my favorite trails close to home. The afternoon had sunshine breaking through the clouds after a dreary wet morning. Kath and I parked at the southern parking lot of Bowman Bay to hike out to Rosario. It’s a meaningful place and week for us. To begin with, this is where we first met, this very same hike. The parking lot sits on land that used to be an alder wetland, the backshore to the beaches of Bowman Bay, once home to a diversity of wildlife. During the Forties the Department of Fisheries filled it in to raise salmon and other marine fishes -- an ironic twist, right? Do the wildlife remember their ancestral home? We walked north past the CCC museum, shelter, and campground. In the Thirties the CCC harvested local trees and gathered rocks to build the shelter, ranger house, and parking areas. Their intent was to build facilities that complemented the landscape, that blended in naturally. They succeeded with quintessential features of the park. I glanced over at the campground. One of my life touchstones sits there. It’s the campsite where my family tented when I was three, where I looked at fish tanks during the day, listened to stories around a campfire in the evening, and slept to the lullaby of lapping waves at night -- fundamentals indelibly stamped upon me. Kath and I hiked up the steep hill toward Rosario. People streamed by. One group of women stopped Kath and said, “We need you”! They were on a scavenger hunt, and needed a stranger, a blue coat, and a dog. Kath provided all three! Sunlight glistened on the water and a blue kayak; madrone trees glowed as hikers passed by; oyster catchers chattered as they landed on a tiny rock island below us. On that first hike together, we had heard oyster catchers here; I had asked Kath then if she knew what they were just from the sound. She did! Today we hiked on, finding a middle-aged couple sitting on the bench not far from Rosario. A family had donated the bench years ago. Their daughter had loved this place; she died from cancer at the age of 18. Their gift became one of their touchstones. We dropped down to the promontory jutting out into Bowman Bay just east of Rosario. It was here that I proposed to Kath a year ago this week. She said yes! -- after some deliberation on her part, and for me a few missed heartbeats! This point will always be one of our touchstones, of course. Coming in to Rosario, gaggles of people wandered everywhere on this holiday weekend. This was once home for local tribes. Home -- the beaches and marine waters at their doorstep, the uplands with cedar shelters and homefires burning, where families gathered, children played, and where their ancestors still reside. It still is their home, with KoKwalAlWoot a reminder to us all as she stands firmly planted in the earth, sharing her story to any who will listen. After a potty break, it was time to head back, having unwrapped some of the stories we carry, and celebrating others we find along the trail, where countless touchstones reside on sacred ground. Directions: From Highway 20 just north of the Deception Pass bridge, turn onto Rosario Road and take an immediate left onto Bowman Bay Road. Park in either of the parking lots available and follow the trail north (to the right).
By bus: There is no nearby bus service to this area. By bike: Rosario Road is narrow and hilly, but with far less traffic than Highway 20. Mobility: The trail is graveled, flat and wide at Bowman Bay, but becomes steep and rough as it heads to Rosario.
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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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