Island Retreat

On an early weekday morning, I woke before sunrise to check for any sign of lambing. It’s been a quiet, cold winter. Snow has continued her white cloaking in the night. By dawn, a fresh dusting alights on every surface. Still, spring bird song echos softly from a red berried holly. Chickadees begin flitting in and out of the twin-berry shrubs. Then a puffed out robin lands in the Pacific crabapple tree, gleaning some of the dry berries at first light. Steel grey skies echoed the mute hard cold at the tip of each finger as I broke ice. The ritual of slow awakening on a molecular level; stepping into the cold, catching the weight of a full bucket without slipping. Balance practice first thing in the morning. I stretch on the way to the barn. Each glove holds enough warmth to keep feeling in the hands. Cracking each trough, filling thirst; heavily pregnant ewes sipping greedily. I wanted some hot chocolate.

Finishing feeding time, topping off all the waters, then closing up the hay and latching the grain room, I put eyes on the geese- I’ve got to get their nesting area improvements done, they are getting ready to brood up. Not today, today I am getting away to a temperate island adventure. This is why I live here; temperate ecology for long term survival. The farmstead is located in The Central Cascade foothills, which do get a little to a lot of snow in winter, for a few weeks. and in rare cases a month or two at most. We’ve been in a winter wonderland, and I was feeling a call to shores just below our Cascades in The Puget Sound and Salish Sea. In less than an hour, a local friend and I were on the ferry and on our way to Whidbey Island.

Standing in the sun on glacial sediment from The Cordilleran Ice Sheet. We look out at The Strait of Juan de Fuca, flanked by The Olympic Mountains and Peninsula on the left (southwest) and Vancouver Island on the right (northwest). Fort Ebey State Park offers beach front access from nearby parking. It’s a great place to land when arriving, allowing us to dust off the transition and sink into shore and salt time. The color and shape of cobbles littering the ground mesmerize the eye with geologic time. Tectonic uplift and volcanic activity also contribute to the unique geological diversity of The Pacific Northwest. We watched a number of sea birds straining through the tide feasting in abundant ocean larders. There were seals playing in the surf, and gulls calling above. After a while of observing, listening, and being still, we saw what we thought might be sea otters floating on their backs a few hundred feet from shore. What a complete transition from the snowy foothills where I had started my journey earlier that morning. Now, the sun was up and we were off to explore the island on an unusual sunny winter day.

We continued to sit near the ocean shore, enjoying some breakfast and sipping the hot coco I’d made for the trip. As the warm sun hit our backs, we shared memories of the island and out last visit there together, then we watched other people begin to arrive at this easy access beach front in the state park. A pair of adolescent bald eagles were soaring in and out of the trees near us, chirping and landing together in a series of vocal whistles and acrobatic flights through the forest and over the beach. Ducks dove away as the large birds circled above. Their imposing brown bodies blended into the gnarled tops of a windblown Douglas fir tree where they perched and watched the sea birds. We packed up and headed north to a unique geological site near Deception Pass. Rosario point is a special place, where you can observe ribbon chert. One of the only places you can find this formation in the state of Washington. I was eager to witness this rock myself, and, as we stepped out onto bare ocean rock, I quickly located the chert formations and eagerly took these photos to share.

Nick Zentner, our own amazing local Washington State University geology professor, gives this informative talk on site at the ribbon chert formations. It’s a pilgrimage for some people, and I’m lucky to live within a few hours of its charming face. The point has a wonderful loop trail, which can be a scramble up in a few places if you want to get to all the view points, but there is an easy walk in and out access trail for those looking for an easier time. A winter mid week trip is ideal, try for a sunny clear day so you can see everything. The views of surrounding mountain ranges and island crags feels vast, yet remote. There were people around, but you could still find little private spots to take in the ocean and put your hands into smooth pebble beaches. There are plenty of coves and other longer trail systems within the park to explore.

We’d chosen to go to the far end of the island and slowly work our way back to the ferry by the end of the day. Deception Pass can be a mob scene, but today, other than a little road work (thank you infrastructure upkeep and the people who do that hard and dangerous work), we had parking wherever we went and had private trails and beaches most of the time. It was beautiful, and warm enough to be comfortable outside. The islands are always micro climates with sun catch, making the beaches warm and inviting, though the water is still frigidly cold. We were not there to swim, but the dog had some fun in the surf fetching beach wood sticks. There is an easy trail from the parking lot down to the dramatic pass, where it’s so narrow, the tide rips back and forth through the narrow opening, creating splendid drama across the water.

We climbed around on the rocky outcroppings and enjoyed witnessing the tide’s change. After a good time on North Beach and some rock hopping in Mac’s Cove, we climbed back up to the trail head and began a hike around Goose Rock Point. The trails were well marked at the starting point, but we began to question our direction a few forks in, sticking to the shore and edging around the outside edge of the small peak. There were several shore access points, but we were moving with intention, and eventually found signs that did point the way home- over the top of the point, so we had an unexpected climb up and out at the end of our hike. There was no real fear of getting lost, but we did not want to end up on a trail taking us further and further away from where we had parked.

Granted, I had taken a picture of the map before we headed out, but forgot about it when we were in the thick of things. All was well in the end, and we got an unexpected view form the top of Goose Rock. This park has a lot of space to explore, and the trails are not miles and miles, so even if you take a wrong turn, you’ll eventually hit a major road and know where you are. There are also great camping sites for when the weather is a little warmer. Again, in high summer, this place is a mob scene, so plan a trip to visit in early spring or late fall if you want to camp. The area is full of opportunities to explore, enjoy island time, see unique rock formations, and still get home that same day. We planned to have dinner in old town Oak Harbor, which was splendid. The old town is further east from the main road and strip mall hub near the Naval Air Station- which does fly a lot of jets earlier in the day. By late afternoon, things had quieted back down, and we enjoyed our hike around Goose Rock without disruption.

After a fine meal at a local Irish Pub, we climbed back into the truck and headed towards the ferry. On our way back, we took a moment to drive back to the coast to watch the sun set. It was a magnificent site from the west shore of Whidbey Island looking out to the Olympic Mountains. We’d had a full and fun day on the island, far from snow and ice at home. In just a few hours, we had escaped to warmer wilds and beach front fun. Now it was time to pack up and head back to the farm. I love living in such a dynamic place here in Western Washington. From mountains to sound, there is access to snowy peaks or temperate beaches even in the darkest winter months. My spirits are recharged in just a day trip to coastal relaxation. What a wonderful place to call home.