A wilderness hike in our backyard? A trail with great views and adventure around nearly every turn? I circumnavigated Whistle Lake this week and felt like I had been on a trail deep in the Cascades. I chose a gray afternoon with skies threatening to dampen my body if not my spirits. First, I was surprised to see that most of the road leading to Whistle Lake has now been paved for nearby residences. Only the last quarter mile or so is still dirt and potholes. After parking, I took Trail 20, a three-quarter mile dirt road overshadowed by towering firs and cedars, with an outhouse halfway to the lake. Then I took the west shore trail, Trail 204, which offers peeks at the lake from shoreline bedrock every few hundred feet. My goal was to keep turning left to stay as close to the lake as possible. The trail curves around to the west, with some viewpoint trails leading off the main trail to get to the lake’s edge. Then you must go north, away from the lake, to get around the far west wetland, turning left and following trail 21 west then turning left again on trail 22. After a quarter mile I turned left yet again, this time on trail 205, which ignores the lake somewhat but offers denser woods, more challenging terrain, and fascinating diversity. And a deep quiet. And a growing darkness. Evening was approaching, and the clouds were lowering. Trail 205 skirts the edge of Toot Swamp, a wetland with a memorable name, and leads to a wooden bridge crossing the small stream draining Whistle Lake southward. This looks like an old dam feature. Then the trail climbs eastward. A short trail leads north to the cliffs on the south side of Whistle Lake. Trail 205 becomes a writhing dragon, climbing, descending, squeezing through rocks, going north, going south, before it finally turns hard left to follow the eastern shore and heads back to the trailhead. I bolstered my strength with the remainder of a dark chocolate candy bar a friend had given me, and powered on. An owl glided silently over my head, a ghost in the gathering darkness. A light sprinkle began to splatter the lake. More vistas and access points along the lake opened up until I reached the popular northern shoreline, now silent in the dusk of evening. I walked back to the parking lot in the dark, a satisfying exploration of more than three miles of our backyard wilderness. jack Directions: Go south from the Commercial Avenue roundabout. Take a left at the T onto Fidalgo Avenue, left again on Hillcrest at the stop sign, and then right onto Whistle Lake Road. Follow the signs a couple miles. The road turns left at a small intersection. Follow that now-paved road until you see the sign for Whistle Lake leading down a dirt road to your right. You're almost there!
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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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