The People You Meet

Several years ago I sat in on a talk given by National Park Historian Alfred Runte while at Mt Rainier National Park. He spoke of the treasures that our National Parks are for us – not only do they protect our wilderness, our history and our culture. They are meeting places of the world where we can meet people from other cultures and share in the experience we might not have otherwise shared. Our National Parks have the ability to bring people together.

I was reminded of his talk recently while on a trip to the San Juan Islands to visit a couple of Washington State Parks and the San Juan Islands National Historical Park.

I first met John and Louise, a retired couple who now live on San Juan Island near Friday Harbor. We met while walking around the prairie at American Camp of San Juan Island NHP. John built the white picket fence surrounding the old parade grounds. He had worked for both the park service and forest service in his time and Louise had built the reputation of always ready for adventure. We chatted about the park, bicycling and what views could be seen on the loop trail I had chosen. It saddened me to part with them but as I watched them walk along the trail, I smiled at having met them.

Later in camp, I met Rainier and his wife who had decided to go on a road trip with their Prius and, wanting to save money, were experimenting with sleeping in the back of the car. They slept very well (it was the larger Prius). They had travelled from California to Washington visiting friends and family along the way. She informed me that her daughter runs the Driftwood Inn in Yachats, Oregon – so if you’re ever in town I understand all of the food is made from scratch including the bread.

It was just a chance meeting with Marly while we walked to get water in Moran State Park. She and her friend had hiked in Obstruction Point Park that day while I spent some time at the top of Mt Constitution. She asked about the view as they were headed up the next day. Of course it had been a wonderful view and at sunset the clouds parted enough for Mt Baker to show herself. And in the last light of the day the clouds took on a look of pink cotton candy clinging to the mountains slopes. The next morning, she gave me a packet of dried vanilla leaf because my story of the cotton candy clouds touched her so.

To end my solitary week, I spent the weekend at the Mountaineers Lodge at Mt Baker for an artist and photo retreat. A bit of a shock to my system when I am surrounded by 60 people who are all creative in some way. There was Erwin whose photography I’ve admired for some time. Brooke whose abstract plein-air paintings and exuberance sparked my imagination. Watercolor masters from Canada and plein-air painters from Washington shared their work all weekend.

And finally Nancy who we both realized may know the same Marcia and we laughed at the small world and our interconnectedness. A community where we didn’t know existed.