Deer Gangs

The deer in Moran State Park, and indeed all of Orcas Island, are very well behaved. As I drove the roads, they stayed on the side of the road. Rarely did they walk in front of my car or stand dumb-founded as my car approached.

Not like the deer in the Methow Valley. There’s something wrong with those deer.

As you drive along highway 20 from the North Cascades, you will see a sign that gives the number of deer killed in car collisions. Some years it’s a very high number.

I’ve wondered as I’ve driven past that sign, “wouldn’t all the dumb deer be killed by now?” With the high deaths of deer deaths of dumb deer meandering in the middle of the road (I’ve seen them do that along the highway). At some point, only the smart deer who know how to stay off the road would survive and teach their young to do the same. One would think, right?

A few years ago I found the answer – Deer Gangs. Adolescent deer hang out together by the side of the road daring each other to walk in front of cars.

Now hear me out.

A few years ago I was spending some time in the Methow. A few friends and I rented a cabin where you turned off the main road near a blind curve. And it was a blind curve, not only did it turned but as it turned it dropped down a hill.

One evening as I was headed back to the cabin, I slowed down to turn onto the dirt road when I noticed a group of deer hanging out in the blind of the curve. One started into the road as I came near but then backed away and went back to the small group of deer. It was if they were daring each other to walk in front of cars.

“Hey Jeff. Here comes a car. Walk out there and see what happens to this one.”

I could almost see cigarette butts hanging from their mouths and tattoos on their arms.

Not the Moran deer. They were more like “How do you do? I’m sure you’ll enjoy the view from the top. We certainly do. Carry on.”

The Moran deer were far more courteous.

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.