Winter Walk on the Island

The island is a great place, though not everyone’s cup of tea. All the beaches are private. There are no parks save for the land trust preserves. There are no wet marinas and only one boat ramp available for public use (for an annual fee as it is privately owned). Lots of people can’t stand an island which is good. Because real islanders like it a lot. Of course, like any recent arrival we want to keep the island the way it was just before we showed up to help screw it up. If you like bucolic, the island is for you. Today’s walk was a three miler, north to the island’s tip, thence down the west side, stopping for a chat with my island golf partner who was putting out his garbage, then on to the yurt beach where we had a short break. Participating in the walk were myself  (behind the camera) Linda and our friend Marie.  After our break on the very unusual Chuckanut sandstone rocks we entered the woods trying to pick up the trail which was obscured with branches, leaves and snow smashed ferns. I took point and managed not to get us lost in the forest of alder, cedar, maple and Douglas fir. We headed south along the spine of this long, narrow island finally intersecting the horse trail which merged into an old logging road, then through the thickets on the west side of Richard’s mountain, past the recharge area and wetlands, past the cedar grove and back onto Blizard Road. We saw a varied thrush, an eagle, a blue heron, golden crowned kinglets and an old barn. More photos in slide show format  here if you are curious. (The reference to the film Five Easy Pieces is because some of that Jack Nicholson movie was supposedly filmed here on the island).