Westward Ho! Part 2

Many heeded the call born out of an ideology that owning land would lead to independence and virtue which in turn would make the nation strong and through “Manifest Destiny” it was an American’s obligation to take to the edge of the continent our great experiment in liberty. Young men and old, women and children all migrated west across the great plains to the fabled riches of the west with dreams of farms, ranches, timber, minerals, and a chance for freedom to choose their own destiny. It was a dream worth dying for.

One-thousand settlers journeyed out from Missouri in 1843 to start the great migration of Euro-Americans heading west to find their small piece of freedom. Each year after, more wagon trains took the 4-6 month journey across the plains surviving illness, hunger, drought, and the violent storms of the American plains. Their journey took them through raging rivers and over treacherous mountain ranges to California and the Oregon Territory. Between 1841 and 1856, more than 350,000 settlers made their way to the west coast. Those early settlers were often alone in the wilderness, carving a homestead out of the thick forests of the Pacific Northwest and south into California. Their closest neighbors could be more than a day’s ride away or, more likely, they were the native Americans whose lands Euro-Americans settled upon.

This is a road trip that explores the experiences of these early settlers in the Pacific Northwest.

As settlers moved into the area, they were met by forests thick and vibrant with life. Douglas-firs and Western Red Cedars towering overhead with an understory of thick Salal and Sword Fern could give a person used to the more open forests of the east claustrophobia. And the consistent rains that nourish the plant life could give the most joyous person melancholy. That rich fertile land would make for a rich fertile farm. The timber from these massive trees would make millionaires out of paupers. Soon the land was tilled and planted. Homes and barns sprang up and the forest was kept at bay.

Just a few miles from I-5 is one of the few remaining stands of low land old growth forest in Washington at Lewis and Clark State Park. In an effort to preserve old growth forests, these 600 acres was set aside from development and continues to teach us about the Pacific Northwest forest ecosystem before settlers began to tame the wilderness. With over 5 miles of hiking trails and 8 miles of multi-use trails, there’s no shortage of opportunity to explore. I enjoy spending time on the Trail of the Deer and the Old Growth Forest Trail. Check out my tips on photographing forests.

Just a few miles from Lewis and Clark State Park stands a small unpretentious cabin, a replica of the home of John R. and Matilda Jackson. The original Jackson house is thought to have been the 1^st Euro-American structure built north of the Columbia River. John called the farm The Highlands and together he and Matilda raised 7 children in their modest home. They would soon come to find that on the frontier, a home isn’t just a home. The Highlands would become a way station along the Cowlitz Road between Oregon City and Olympia, a post office, hotel, tavern, grocery store and courthouse. John himself was more than a husband, father and farmer – he became a sheriff, assessor, tax collector, territory representative and a justice of the peace. To make civilization work in the wilderness, one had to wear many hats.

The park is small but with plenty of opportunity to photograph the cabin among the trees. Look for the small details of the building materials – while the cabin is a reconstruction of the original building, much of the techniques and materials represent what was used in the 1840’s to 1850’s. Tours of the cabin can be arranged in advance by calling 360-864-2643.

Our last park looks at how fervently migrants believed in their dreams and the lengths they would go to fulfill them. This story starts with a young man and his excitement over his family and their religious followers’ decision to move to the fertile lands of the Willapa Hills in what is now SW Washington. Willie hoped to drive one of the oxen teams across the prairie and worked so hard he gained the respect of the rest of the group and was awarded the lead oxen team. Sadly just a few weeks before departure, Willie became ill and died. But no one wanted to leave Willie behind, so his father built a casket lined with lead, filled it with alcohol and Willie’s corpse, placed the casket in the lead wagon and traveled across the plains into the Oregon Territory. Once they arrived at this place that Willie dreamt of living, they finally laid him to rest.

Willie’s actual gravesite is inaccessible, but a wayside along the highway tells his story – and the story of the thousands of migrants who believed that their destiny could be written in the promise of land in the frontier of a young nation writing its own destiny.

Directions from I-5 north or south: (mileages are approximate)

To Lewis and Clark State Park: Take exit 68, highway 12 E, and turn east. In 3 miles, turn right onto Jackson Highway. In 2 miles, enter Lewis and Clark State Park. The day use area will be on your right and the parking area here is seasonally closed. On your left is the Environmental Learning Center and the multi-use trails.

To Jackson House State Park Heritage Site: Head back to highway 12 along the Jackson Highway. In 2 miles the park will be on your right. (You passed the cabin on your way to Lewis and Clark State Park).

To Willie Keil’s Grave State Park: Head back to highway 12 and turn left towards I-5. Merge onto I-5 northbound. Take exit 77, highway 6, west toward Pe Ell. Continue west on highway 6 for 23 miles. Look for the pull-out with the interpretive sign on your left.

River of Eagles

Pack a picnic and get an early start, for our Nation’s national symbol is at the heart of this trip to the Skagit Valley. At just 46 miles from start to finish you’ll have plenty of time to stop at all the way-sides to look for Bald Eagles. You can find eagles here anytime of the year, but your best bet to photograph these gorgeous raptors is between the end of November to the beginning of March so make sure you bundle up and bring your longest lens.

Bald Eagles migrate into the Skagit River Valley during the winter to feed on spawning salmon battling their way upstream to end their life cycle and nourish another. The eagle numbers are so great here that the towns in the Skagit Valley host an Eagle Festival every year and wildlife spotters help tourists identify and understand these great raptors. That’s one of the reasons I love this trip – all the little waysides that will get you close enough to really watch eagles roost and hunt or scavenge.

Our first stop on this trip is on Padilla Bay not too far from the mouth of the Skagit River at a little park named Bay View State Park. Padilla Bay and its mud flats filled with tasty bird treats (insects and small marine life) are well known in birding circles. While looking for eagles roosting high in the trees, keep an eye out for wintering water birds in the bay or Great Blue Herons perched on the shore. Just north of the park is the Breazeale Padilla Bay Interpretive Center. Swing by to learn more about the role the area plays in the healthy eco-system.

Thirty miles east along the Skagit River, just off highway 20, is Rasar State Park. Perfectly situated along a stretch of wide shallow water, eagles love to roost in the trees looking for the perfect salmon to snack on and screech at each other. From the parking lot, hike down through a meadow with views of Sauk Mountain and listen for the high-pitched screechy call in the trees above. Once you get to the river, walk easterly and look up. Eagles enjoy roosting in the leaf-bare alders here – better fish viewing for them and better bird viewing for you.

As your morning winds down, hop back in your car to drive another 16 miles east on highway 20 to Rockport State Park. While there isn’t river access from this park, the thick old growth forest aides in keeping the river healthy so salmon and Bald Eagles return every year. Check the calendar for one of the ranger led walks through the forest ecosystem to learn more about the interconnectedness of the forest, river, salmon, and eagles.

If you want to continue your adventure, keep heading east on highway 20 through the towns of Rockport and Marblemount. There are several stops along the way with opportunities to photograph eagles. The first is in Rockport at the Howard Miller Steelhead Park where you will find an eagle interpretive center and can take part in interpretive walks. Further along the road at milepost 101, a small park has open views to allow for eagle viewing. And in Marblemount, head across the river to the boat access where you can walk a trail leading down river a bit and eagles watching from trees. 

Directions from Mount Vernon (mileages are approximate):

To Bay View State Park: In Mount Vernon, follow highway 536 through town to the junction with highway 20 in 7 miles. Head west on highway 20. In 2 miles turn north onto Bay View Edison Rd and drive 1.5 miles to the park. The entrance is one your right then you’ll need to take an immediate left into the to drive under the road to the day use area and the shoreline. The Padilla Bay Education Center is just a half mile up the road from the park.

To Rasar State Park: Drive back into the town of Bay View then head east on Josh Wilson Rd. Stay on this road for 8 miles to the junction with I-5. Head north on I-5 for a mile then take the exit to Cook Rd. Follow Cook Rd through 2 round-abouts. The first one, take the second exit. The second one, take the third exit, this will have you driving on highway 20 eastbound. Follow highway 20 for 15.5 miles to Lusk Rd and turn right. Turn left onto Cape Horn Rd and in 1 mile you come to the park. On the left is the group camp area and the right is the campground and day use area with the trail along the river.

To Rockport State Park: Head back to Cape Horn Rd and turn right (east) then turn left onto Russell Rd. This will take you back to highway 20. Continue east on highway 20 for 13.5 miles. Access to the park is on the north side of the highway, but the park spans the highway.

Rhodie-Trip

I like to think of the more archaic definition of truss when I look at the bunches of flowers heaped upon the wide dark green leaves of the rhododendron. That definition describes bundles. You see, the bundles of flowers of the rhododendron are called trusses. It is quite fitting. There’s another definition of truss that comes to mind when I see the pink ruffled blossoms in the forest. This one speaks of being elaborately dressed, in fancy costume. I imagine a teenager heading to her first prom - all arms and legs as she bursts into the room. At once gangly and elegant, growing into the woman she will become. She laughs as she dances in her pink dress, ruffles shivering in the breeze. My heart can’t help but be lifted by her joyous nature.

Washington State’s official flower, the pacific rhododendron, invites our hearts to dance in the stately halls of the cedar, hemlock & douglas-fir forest. Unlike the dense wall-like shrubs of their domestic relatives found in almost every yard in the Pacific Northwest, the wild Rhodies branches stretch through the forest mid-story in search of light between the great conifers. All Rhodies thrive in shaded areas with dappled light, which is why you will sometimes see wild Rhododendrons sometime 20 or more feet tall. The flowers of the Pacific Rhododendron are a soft pink that are in stark contrast to the rough browns of the trees that give them a backdrop. Because of this contrast, many photographers choose compositions with a single blossom or a truss against the trunk of a tree.

To see these beauties up close and close to home, visit four state parks on the northern Olympic Peninsula during their peak season of late April through early June. You will easily understand why the natives of Puget Sound decorated their long houses with these otherwise unusable plants. The only creature that seems to like nibbling on Rhodendrons is the mountain beaver - and my goat Butterfly who could not stay out of my mother’s rhodies even though the made her very, very ill. The light pink flowers can brighten any dull room and amongst the trees they sparkle with a shimmer of joy.

Our first stop on this road trip is Old Fort Townsend State Park near Port Townsend. Once a remote lonely army outpost on the edge of the continent, Old Fort Townsend has once again been reclaimed by the forest. A few old foundations, the old cemetery plot and a tower used to dissect torpedoes are all that remain. A thriving Pacific Northwest forest has reclaimed most of the property, replacing the century old memories with Douglas-Fir, Salal, Sword Ferns and Rhododendron. Walk along the Madrona Trail past the torpedo x-ray tower to connect with the Rhododendron Trail. You will find Rhododendrons peaking at you from behind trees. Be sure to look up as you go, many of the bushes here can be mistaken for trees.

Next travel a short distance to Anderson Lake State Park. While the lake has suffered from a toxic algae bloom and is unsafe to swim in, it is still very pretty spot to sit and contemplate the resilience of nature. Life still swarms along the edges of the lake where reeds and water lilies grow. But to see the pink flowering bushes, you’ll need to travel just a short distance from the lakeshore. Several trails interconnect and encircle the lake adding to the leisurely pace of the park. The best one to see the Rhododendrons and converse with them as they reach out to you along your walk would be the Anderson Trail – approximately 1 ½ miles around the lake. It’s tempting to pick a few flowers to take home, they’re so close to the trail, but please leave them be for others to enjoy including bouncing bumble bees.

Head out to Highway 101 and towards the town of Sequim to our next Rhodie filled park. Miller Peninsula is one of the newer parks for the Washington State Parks Commission and is still considered an undeveloped property. Several volunteer groups, including the Washington Trails Association, have been busy improving the trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders and in recent years a paved parking lot with outhouse and horse ramp have been added. While I have seen wild Rhododendron in all parts of the park, for more intimate views of Rhodies hike along the short parking lot loop trail. You will see pink even before you lock your car and by the end of your walk you will feel as if the joyous pink flowers are your best friends.

We have time for one last park is on this little road trip - Sequim Bay State Park. This little park is known for being a fisherman and birding park but the flowers are not to be missed. You really don’t even need to walk far. Park at the upper parking lot just inside the park gate and walk along the road through the campground. Better yet, walk or bike along the Olympic Discovery trail where Rhodies line the way as if cheering you on to a perfect day.

Directions from Port Townsend (29 miles between parks):

To Old Fort Townsend - Head south on Highway 20 to Old Fort Townsend Rd and turn left. Follow to the park – trail access is along the road and past the ranger’s quarters near the RV camping area.

To Anderson Lake – Drive back to Highway 20 on Old Fort Townsend Rd and turn left. In 1.5 miles you’ll come to a junction with Highway 19, veer left onto Highway 19. Follow this for 4 miles to Anderson Lake Rd and turn right. The park will be on your right in 2 miles.

To Miller Peninsula – Leave Anderson Lake State Park and turn right, this will take you back to Highway 20. Once there turn left and follow until you reach Highway 101. Turn right towards Sequim and Port Angeles, drive another 8 miles to Diamond Point Rd and turn right. The parking lot is on your left about a mile down the road.

To Sequim Bay – Return to Highway 101 by Diamond Point Rd and turn right. Drive 5 ½ miles to the park located on your right.