St. Patrick’s Day brings a jolly occasion of fun and merriment as we wear an outfit or sprig of green to honor Irish traditions and culture. But in a world beset with the invasion of a sovereign nation, and by ever-increasing climate change, the wearing of the green takes on a deeper meaning. I was thinking ahead to March 17 as Kath and I parked at Rotary Park in Anacortes. Our goal was to hike to the top of Cap Sante via the east-side trail, one that is seldom visited yet full of life, history, and meditative views. The day bloomed with sunshine and a hint of warmth. We hiked through the disk golf course and then through serene neighborhoods to a trailhead that enters the northeast side of Cap Sante Park. A woodpecker drummed a rhythm on a dead snag. Indian Plum leaves glowed in emerald green, backlit by the sun. Soon we came to what used to be called “Marine Stadium”, an amphitheater of seating built into the hillside in the early 1920s to allow hundreds of people to watch tribal canoe races, motorboat parades, and other special marine events. Some of the rows of seats remain, along with the view eastward. We sat on the concrete benches, thinking back on how our world has changed since then, while the land and waters remain. A fully laden oil tanker waited at anchor for its turn to unload its petroleum. As we sat on a nearby rocky outcrop, an eagle floated above us. The birdsong of a Bewick’s wren graced us with joy. Continuing up the east side of Cap Sante, we climbed a rock stairway, nearly a hundred years old, padded now in glistening green mosses. Above the stairway, a tree caught our attention. I know, here we are in a deep forest; why this tree? It stood out because it was huge, for one thing, and lying on the sloping ground for twenty feet, then bending to rise straight upward toward the sunlight above. Then we passed another ancient tree climbing a rocky slope, twisting northward, then aiming skyward with its massive trunk. Life finds a way. Amid the challenges these trees have faced, they adapted and did what they could. Soon we came out onto the roadway, close to the parking lot at the top, nearly full of cars on this glorious Sunday morning. Anacortes and the refinery lay below, as marine traffic came and went out of the harbor. Steam trails rose from the refinery, bending northward in the breeze. Photographers stood on the southern rocks capturing the views with their phones. Some people ate lunches in their cars or sat on the grass, listening to music. Smiles greeted us everywhere as we wandered along the bluff. The ballad “The Wearing of the Green” commemorates an Irish uprising, shortly after our American Revolution, against restrictive British rule in Ireland. I began to see the phrase in a new way. Spring is nearly here. Our planet and our world are suffering, though life continues to find a way. We are called to join a revolution that honors all life. “Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift. “Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” -- Robin Wall Kimmerer Kath and I headed down the west-side trail and back home, reminded of that sacred bond, blessed by the joy and hope of spring, and rededicated to the wearing of the green today and every day. jack Directions: Take Commercial Avenue in Anacortes north to 4th Street. To get to Rotary Park, turn right (east) on 4th and then right again on T Avenue. At T and 6th angle left and go to the end of the road to park at Rotary Park. Cap Sante Park lies east and south of here.
To get to the parking area at the top of Cap Sante, go east on 4th street but don’t turn right until you get to V Avenue. Turn right and follow this to its southern end at the top of Cap Sante, where there is parking for about 10 cars. To find the southern trailhead for the east-side trail, look for the 25 mph sign just north of the parking lot. The trail starts near that. To get to the northern trailhead to the east-side trail, turn left off V Avenue at 5th street. Go one block, then turn right on the dead end street. The trail starts on the far left side of the dead end. Note, however, there is no parking here! Find a way to get here on foot. By Bus: Skagit Transit serves downtown Anacortes. From here you must use alternative transportation to get to Rotary Park or Cap Sante Park (see directions above). By Bike: Downtown Anacortes has good bike lanes, and is relatively flat. The route to Rotary Park is flat and scenic. The climb to the top of Cap Sante takes some pedal power, however! Accessibility: Rotary Park has a paved trail that follows the shoreline to a pavilion a quarter mile away. The east-side trail, however, have numerous obstacles, rough stairways, roots, rocks, and other challenges.
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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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