Last Saturday I caught the Route 1 bus to the Coupeville Ferry and went for a walk at Keystone Spit. I walked past a few houses, and on to the old road that runs just off the beach the length of the Spit. It’s pitted and gravelly and difficult to drive, but flat and easy to walk. Interpretive signs tell how the Spit was plotted for development in the 1890s. Those plans fell through. Again, in the 1970s a couple of model homes were built with a plan to build 200 more. But the community fought long and hard for this stretch of beach, and in the end, prevailed. Now Keystone Spit is open to the public as part of Fort Casey State Park. I worked for the State Park in the late 1980s when the model homes were torched by the Fire Department for practice. We watched the blaze take hold and put an end to those plans to develop the Spit. But every ending is a new beginning. Now Keystone Spit, on the Pacific Flyway, offers nesting sites and a rest stop to over 230 species of birds. It's an official Important Bird Area monitored almost daily by Whidbey Audubon. In recent years the Whidbey Camano Land Trust secured 423 acres on the north and east side of Crockett Lake as a preserve. Now most of the lake shore is closed to hunting. Stop here even briefly and you could see shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds. In summer you could even see White Pelicans. On my walk I watched Cormorants, Buffleheads, Scoters, Mallards, Eagles, Red Tail Hawks and Great Blue Herons. If I’d brought binoculars, or a spotting scope, I might have seen much more. The observation deck is often occupied by serious bird watchers. As I walked the 1.7 miles from one end to the other, what struck me was the human creativity on display. People don’t come here just to walk. There’s an amazing mass of materials and driftwood huts had been constructed all down the beach. Stick animals guarded the bird houses on Crockett Lake. Picnic sites were set up with log benches and tables. With a south facing beach, even in the cool months there’s warmth from the sun, though there is often a brisk wind, too. At the east end of the spit I saw a few divers entering the water rocking with the waves. Clearly, the key to Keystone is much more than walking. As I headed back, I came upon a couple collecting plastics from the driftwood. I looked down around my feet and noticed the assorted shapes and colors, like so much detritus. Stinger Anderson, the WSU Extension Community Beach Litter Volunteer Coordinator, leads regular clean-up efforts here. You can join him at the east end of Keystone Spit on March 25, 1:30-3:30, or on the west end of Keystone Spit on March 26, 1:30-3:30. He’ll bring the bags and gloves. You just need to dress for the weather. If you can make it, let him know. Email: [email protected] or call his Office: (360) 639-6060 or Cell: (360) 941-3171. Or get more information here: extension.wsu.edu/island/nrs/beachlitter/ Maribeth Directions:
Take the Route 1 bus on Saturday or the Route 6 bus on weekdays to the Coupeville Ferry and walk east along the beach to Keystone Spit. Or drive from South Whidbey on Highway 525 north, or from North Whidbey south, and follow the signs toward the Coupeville Ferry. Keystone Spit is just east of the ferry landing. Bring a Discover Pass to park on the old road in the middle of the Spit, or park at the east end at Driftwood Park where the road makes a 90 degree turn.
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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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