More Wandering 2022

18 May 2022, Wednesday

This will be a summer of state parks (mostly,) as they are friendlier to travelers with dogs than national parks. We will be traveling with Lucy, our 16 year old Australian cattle dog mix. Our first trip of the year is to Moran State Park on Orcas Island. We’ve reserved site 2 at the south end of Cascade lake. I’m hoping late May will give us a better shot at a less soggy trip than last year’s April trip to Deception Pass State Park. S, K, and A will be joining us for the first 3 or 4 four nights (depending on whether or not they can reserve a ferry spot for the return trip on Sunday.) (I strongly recommend making round trip ferry reservations to and from the island well in advance, especially if traveling out near the weekend or back on a Sunday.) 

Wednesday’s weather does not look very promising. It rains Tuesday night, and there are gale warnings up. We are booked on the 10:35 am ferry from Anacortes. Our drive to the ferry goes smoothly, and we are treated to a brilliant rainbow as we near our turnoff for the terminal. As we await the arrival of the ferry we (all five of us) share an apple pie for breakfast. Our departure is delayed by a half hour, possibly due to the weather. Finally we are boarded and on our way. The wind is strong. There are whitecaps on the water with occasional big spray over our bow. After a scheduled stop at Lopez Island we finish the brief final leg to Orcas Island. It’s an afternoon of beautiful sunshine – and very strong blustery winds from the north. 

Our campsite is at the south end of Cascade Lake so we feel the full force of the gale, but at least if our tents blow away, they’ll blow onto land and not into the water! O, S, and I wrestle with the wind-blown dome tent, carefully staking everything down as we go. Once the tent is up, O and S try to set up a tarp on the north side of our picnic table as a wind block. I help K get the inside of the dome tent arranged while also keeping an eye on A. We try to get the excited two year old to settle down for a nap, but she is having none of it.

O and I work on setting up Wglwof in the gale while S continues to wrestle with the tarp. All of a sudden, the thin lines on the tarp snap in the wind. S restrings the corners with stronger cord. O and I finally get our tent arranged as well.

Dinner, warmed on the stove behind the tarp (which provides a modicum of protection) is peanut butter spaghetti. By the time supper and dishes are done we are all pretty cold. Poor Lucy is shivering despite her puffy green vest. We call it a night at 8 pm and seek refuge in our tents. Lucy curls up on her sleeping pad and is asleep before I finish putting an extra blanket over her. Soon O and I are asleep as well. 

19 May 2022, Thursday

O and I are up at 6. The temperature is in the 40’s but it feels much warmer than last evening’s 50’s as the wind has calmed. It’s a beautiful sun-filled morning. The rest of our party are up at 7 and ready for coffee (milk for A) and a quiche warmed in our frittata pans. Breakfast is delicious. We aren’t moving very fast with a toddler and two dogs. A helps take Zephy for a walk and then supervises Lucy as she tries out her new cot.

We depart for East Sound by mid-morning. Here we buy some sandwiches for a picnic lunch near beautiful Mountain Lake. We had planned to drive up Constitution Mountain today, but the road is closed for construction. We’ll try again tomorrow.

We drop S and A off at camp as it’s A’s nap time. The rest of us seek out the Hoppin Island Brewery where we acquire a growler of amber ale. Back at camp A is still sleeping. O and I read and then warm K’s homemade hominy stew for dinner. Once dishes are done and stowed S, K and A go off for a hike. O and I stay behind to enjoy the lake. It’s warm enough to try playing my fiddle. Apparently this is a good way to meet people. A camper from a few sites down wanders over to chat and find out how long I’ve been playing. He’s from Idaho and has been exploring this area.

S, K, and A return from their short hike up to Sunrise Rock from which they spied an osprey. I play a few more tunes on my fiddle, (S forgot his.) He gives me a few tips on using my wrist more when I bow. Ruthie, my teacher over the past 6 months, has been working with me on the same thing, so his advice is welcome.

As I sit here journalling I am enjoying beautiful birdsong: robins, white-crowned sparrows, juncos, and some songs I don’t know. The birds are very tame, hopping around on the picnic table as I write. Time to take Lucy for the final walk of the day so we can tuck her in before she gets chilled again. 

20 May 2022, Friday

A has been very excited at the prospect of blueberry pancakes. Today is the day! O and I actually prefer to make one very large and thick blueberry pancake in our frittata pan and then divide it amongst the four of us. A goes from one of us to another to see whose breakfast tastes better (and has the most blueberries!) The pancake is delicious, especially with lots of maple syrup. S manages to get a bit of hammock time before we proceed with the day’s adventures.

After breakfast we head into East Sound again and purchase sandwiches from Brown Bear Bakery for another picnic lunch, this time on top of Constitution Mountain. The road is open today. We see that the reason for yesterday’s road closure is a short stretch where a steep supporting bank is washing out. This section is under repair and only one lane is open. Luckily, it’s well-marked and cars take turns driving through. . . although there is only 1 car coming down as we drive up. They flash their headlights at us to invite us to go first – which we do.

Up top, the view is a classic San Juan Island vista. We can see Anacortes and Bellingham. We enjoy our picnic and the depression brownies K baked for our trip. After lunch everyone, except me, climbs up to the top of the tower. I stay below with Zephy and Lucy. When the rest of the crew returns, A takes my hand and leads me to the tower stairs. She is now my tour guide. K accompanies us as A leads me upward. At each step she says, “up, up, up. . .” Once up top she is a bit perturbed that we have to wait to climb the last few steps until the people in the small viewing area come down. We check out the vista and then A leads K and me “down, down, down. . .”

We return to camp. O and I set off to climb to Sunrise Rock while A and family nap. The hike up is a bit steep, but the round trip is less than a mile. O does quite well with his new knee!

After our supper of a cobbled together “chicken” (actually chicken flavored veggie crumbles) stew, we clean up and then hike clockwise around Cascade Lake. Part way around O turns back. His knee has had enough exercise for the day. The rest of us continue to a small footbridge drenched in sunshine. Here we pause for photos and then follow O back to camp. It’s getting late and we’re ready to turn in. 

We had two great bird sightings today. I saw a piliated woodpecker in the campground very close to the road. I watched as he pecked on an old tree. His head was a striking red in the afternoon sun, and he didn’t seem at all concerned that I was so near. The second bird sighting was on our walk around the lake. We could hear an osprey calling above us, but could not see it through the trees. All of a sudden the bird dove for a fish just offshore of where we were standing. The bird missed the fish, but we were thrilled to have seen it dive.

21 May 2022, Saturday

Breakfast is potato cakes with smoked salmon. Yum! After clean-up S, K, and A are ready to try canoeing.

O and I stay behind to watch the dogs as they are not allowed in the rental canoes. O and I spend the time relaxing and reading. A bit later, our paddlers stop by the campsite to say hello. A seems to be enjoying herself – “paddling,” trailing her hands in the water and just enjoying the view.

After lunch it’s nap time again. Meanwhile, O, Lucy and I set off on a hike to Cascade Falls. It’s just over two miles from our campsite, not difficult, but with plenty of ups and downs. O does very well on this hike as well – slow, but steady.

Dinner is chili. K and S enjoy hammock time as dinner is warmed.

After checking on Mommy’s hammock, A decides to climb in with Daddy. As they wrassel in the hammock the bottom suddenly rips apart! Luckily the hammock is not very far off the ground. No one is injured and we all have a good laugh – although A seems very surprised at first. We come to the conclusion that lightweight hammocks are not meant for active toddlers.

A also discovers this evening that playing in pine needles is at least as good as playing in a sand box.

Before retiring, S checks the Sunday ferry schedule. The only reservation he could get yesterday was for the 7:30 pm ferry. That would have gotten them home very late Sunday night. Happily there are now 3:15 pm reservations available – a much better option. S makes a new reservation. 

22 May 2022, Sunday

Grits for breakfast. Most of the morning is taken up with packing S, K, and A’s gear. A and K wander over to the picnic shelter where A has a good time pretending to make cake in the oven.

Around noon we return to East Sound. Lunch is shared ice cream sundaes and milkshakes. S&K purchase a sandwich for dinner on the ferry. A gets to burn off some energy at the very cool playground in town while we sit with Zephy and Lucy and watch. We see a few more Cardigan corgies and many people stop by to admire Zephy, who is loving all the attention.

Once S, K, and A depart, O and I (and Lucy) head to Obstruction Pass State park near Olga. We do a 2+ mile loop hike through the park. It’s a beautiful walk. On the height above the beach are 10 walk-in campsites complete with picnic tables, fire rings and composting toilet. Looks like a great place for a short and easy “backpack” trip. In the distance we can see two ferries approaching Orcas Island. One of them is probably S and K’s transport back to Anacortes.

Back at camp we have pasta, cannellini beans and sausage crumbles in vodka sauce. It’s pretty tasty! Our new neighbors are a couple from British Columbia and their elderly bull dog. I catch up a bit on fiddle practice and journalling and then turn in. 

23 May 2022, Monday

It’s quiet around here without S, K, and A. The morning is cloudy and cool. Breakfast is 1/2 of a yogurt each, oatmeal, and toast with blueberry jam. After clean-up we drive to Olga just to see what’s there. . . Not much. Other than houses. We return to East Sound to get more yogurt for the next two days’ breakfast and to check the weather report while we have cell reception. The forecast is for clouds this morning followed by a sprinkle around 12 or 1 and then sunshine.

Back at camp we snack on hummus and crackers, fortify Lucy with a “sausage” snack and then head out to circumnavigate Cascade Lake. It starts raining as soon as we begin our hike, right on schedule. But soon the rain stops and the sun shines brightly. We proceed in a counterclockwise direction because I expect the prettier section of the hike will be on the side of the lake away from the road. The first part of the hike takes us into the woods and part way up the slope on the other side of Olga Road. It’s a nice walk through the trees. At the boat rental and picnic area we descend and cross the road to return to the lake shore. From this point we have nice views of the lake as we proceed. We stop for an M&O selfie on the footbridge and soon arrive back at camp. 2.7 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. O is getting faster on his new knee!

Back at camp we prepare an early dinner while Lucy snoozes on her raised cot. K thought cots would be a good idea for the dogs. They keep them out of the mud in rainy weather. In any case, Lucy takes to her cot very well. It’s a comfy, warm spot from which she can observe all of camp’s goings on. After dinner I enjoy some hammock time as the afternoon sun bathes the lake and shoreline in gold. Then – time again for fiddling, reading, walking Lucy and bed.

24 May 2022, Tuesday

This morning, as I head off to the restroom, another camper approaches and asks if I was the one playing the violin last night. I answer yes. He tells me he really enjoyed the music and found it very soothing! I thank him. It’s nice to know someone (other than O) enjoys my playing! Breakfast today is chocolate themed – chocolate pancakes with a chopped up chocolate bar and cherries mixed in, chocolate yogurt and coffee. I realize, after glancing at the date on my phone, that today is our anniversary. So I guess all the chocolate is appropriate.

After breakfast O and I, and Lucy, of course, head back to Mountain Lake. We plan on hiking part way around the lake and then turning back as O is not sure he’s ready for a 4 mile hike (actually 3.9 miles – close enough.) It’s a cloudy day with temperatures in the mid-50’s, nice hiking weather. The trail is well-graded and mostly smooth going with few roots and rocks. We make such good progress that we complete the trail around the lake in 2 hours and 15 minutes. O is feeling good, as is his knee.

We return to camp and take our time striking the tent and the tarp. There’s a chance of rain tonight and, at the moment, everything is nice and dry. We stow the tent in the van and set up the deck for sleeping. Just as we finish we notice raindrops out on the lake. Good timing! We still manage to prepare and eat our dinner outside. It’s not raining hard, and the trees are providing pretty good protection from the rain. By the time we finish dinner and clean up, the rain has stopped.

Another evening of fiddling, journalling, reading and chatting with our neighbors. Our morning tomorrow will be much more relaxed as our packing is already done. We need to be at the ferry terminal by 11:30. 

25 May 2022, Wednesday

Departure and ferry ride back to Anacortes are uneventful. O and I agree that Moran State Park is an excellent place for a family vacation. It was quiet (of course, this was the last week before Memorial Day weekend when summer season really gets into full swing) with plenty of fun activities for a family: nice campsites and facilities, family friendly hiking trails, and beautiful lakes for fishing, swimming and paddling.