Summer Solstice, 2022. Literally, the day the “sun stands still”, and yet we know it is just the moment it changes direction, the earth moving on in its tilted voyage around the sun. But on this day, we celebrate the sun, its fullness in spending a long day with us. It is now summer. Kath and I celebrated Solstice by hiking to Lighthouse Point, as did dozens, maybe hundreds of others. One never knows what will be found on a hike. Today emphasized that point, many times, in many ways. This day was calm, cloudy but clearing, and warming. Elsie the elephant seal had just arrived at Bowman Bay after molting for several weeks near our place in Anacortes. People arrived in cars, with dogs or kayaks or picnic baskets or hiking poles or long-lensed cameras, ready to venture forth and enjoy the magic of the day. We passed clumps of people of all sorts, kids and the elderly, strong marchers with packs, and slow strollers with canes. We walked onto the sandy beach between Bowman Bay and Lighthouse Point. There in the sand, in artistic handwriting, “Stephanie” had created a lengthy pledge of affirmations and commitments to herself, spoken to the world on this first day of summer. I am beautiful I am kind I am strong I will not Give up I will stand tall I will love myself I will care for myself I will be kind to others I will always be true to myself I have the power to be strong And rich In money and love I will only manifest goodness What I create becomes reality I am in charge of my happiness Nearby we found a drawing of immense beauty and size, an intricate work of art, inspiring in its grandeur – and as temporary as the tide, sketched in the sand as the waters receded. We followed the trail onto Lighthouse Point, past a curious chickaree, past roses blooming forth while they can along the side of the trail, the sunshine splashing greens and golds in the trees and sparkling on the waters of the south cove. I am always joyful, playful, and inspired by the interplay of water and tides and grassy headlands and woodlands here. We scrambled up the small point, and spelunked the tiny cave in the cove. The trail leads west toward the lightbulb at Lighthouse Point. Gentle breezes flowed over the meadow and through our minds. We clambered down to the beach below Lighthouse Point, using roots for handholds going down and back up; then entered the high walls of salal along the headland, exploring the many fingers that jut out toward Deception Island. On the northwest corner we lay in a field of mosses and grasses, watching waves caress the islets of Bowman Bay and Rosario Head beyond. The Olympics lay shrouded in clouds while we bathed in the glorious sunlight of summer. We rested, having slowly sauntered and scrambled for nearly two hours to get here. The tide now rested too, slack, catching its breath before returning to flood back over the beaches. We walked back, listening to orange-crowned warblers, white-crowned sparrows, and the haunting Swainsons songs. The deep woods echoed silence. Soon we emerged onto the beach to wander past the artwork and inspirational words again. The waters of the sea lapped gently, rising inexorably to eventually erase the dreamworks and create a new canvas for tomorrow. The universe renews her palette minute by minute, day by day, year by year, as visitors such as us come and go, come and go. Flowers become seeds and wait for fall. Elsie will soon head south to Hawai’i. The trees too stand firm, standing still in our eyes, but in their time rising and then falling as the centuries go by. And so we live our lives, stories written in the sand. jack Directions: from the Deception Pass bridge, drive north on Highway 20 a half mile. Turn left on Rosario Road, and then an immediate left onto Bowman Bay Road. The trail starts at the south end of Bowman Bay.
By bus: the nearest service is to the bus stop just north of Cornet Bay Road on Whidbey Island, about a mile south of the Deception Pass bridge. By bike: Highway 20 and Rosario Road are hilly, busy and narrow, but they can lead you to Bowman Bay. Mobility: the beginning of the trail is flat and graveled. It soon climbs a rocky bluff on a rough and rocky trail. At low tide the bluff can by bypassed by walking the sandy and gravelly beach southward. The trail on Lighthouse Point (Reservation Head) varies in terrain, sometimes steep, rocky or filled with roots, in other places easier going. Permits: A Discover Pass or other valid pass is required.
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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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