Striped Peak & A Bird Day

Is it a blessing or a curse to have more to write about than time to write it? I’ve never been a proponent of the “glorification of busy,” and these past few weeks have been just a tad fuller than we prefer. The good news is that, save for the necessary appointments and maintenance-type things, they’ve been full of happy choices, unless you count enough sleep. Ha.

Before my show went into Tech Week, which we knew would be frenzied, we used our last free Friday to take a hike up Striped Peak. It is nearby, has a nice distance with just enough up and down, and though it was a near-perfect weather day, we didn’t start encountering many others until we were on the return half of the loop.

Striped Peak lies within the Salt Creek Recreation Area, where we have been several times, mostly for the outstanding tidepooling. We’d been on a short portion of the Striped Peak trail before, and that was when I slipped in the mud and jammed my heinie muscle. With warm, dry conditions, we had no such worries this time out.

The trail is mostly shaded, making all the more reason to hit it in the shoulder seasons when the campground fills up, and the trails become packed. There are nicely maintained benches along the way and even a rustic picnic table overlooking the strait.

Hikers can choose a few different routes to form a loop. We chose the Bunker Ridge connector, which took us past the old WWII bunkers high on the ridge. Though never needed for battle, the abandoned bunkers are always creepy, stretching back into complete darkness with a chilly breeze emanating from their depths. We did not venture into them this time.

It was windy when we reached the top, but once we circled around to the leeward side of the peak, where there was a lovely bench overlooking the water, we were safely out of the wind. The sun was warm, and the hillside was dotted with wildflowers. We had our snack there, and were reluctant to leave, so much were we enjoying the beautiful peacefulness.

As the name suggests, the trail is a steady but easy climb to the top, making the return a mostly gentle downward ramble. There is once rocky section where the trail becomes single-file and stair-like, but by no means too difficult. TBG spotted a rare “quadrillium,” a four-leafed and -petaled trillium.

It was a much-needed calm before the storm, and as the hiking season opens up before us, we are penciling in plans (mostly me) and making some exciting preparations (mostly TBG) to get us further afield soon.

On my last free Sunday for a while, I scooped up my neighbor/friend/fellow bird enthusiast, Melissa, and we started off in town at a local park to see if we could spot one of the Bullock’s Orioles that has made a return appearance there. These birds are native here in the breeding season, though not in large numbers or widespread geographical areas. True to the Cornell/Audubon description of where to look for them, we found them easily in the cottonwood trees, their preferred foraging site. This bird was not a lifer for me, but it was for Melissa, who is relatively new to the PNW. It’s always such fun to be with anyone who’s getting to check off new birds on their Lifer List.

Our next stop, which for some odd reason I thought was closer to home, was actually in Chimacum, a 30-minute drive away. When we realized that, we looked at one another and said, “Let’s do it!” and we texted the fellas, hit a coffee shop drive-thru, and headed out. My plan was to check out Short’s Farm, a location that continually comes up on the e-bird rare bird sightings notification, but which I was not at all sure was accessible to the public, especially on a Sunday. We needn’t have worried because as we arrived we could see that other birders were afoot and there was even a small signed parking area just for them, reminiscent of the welcoming birding areas at private residences in southern Arizona. With several more lifers added to Melissa’s list, she directed us to the very nearby Finnriver Cidery, which blew me away with its charm and facilities. We ordered up delicious kombucha on tap, one of my favorite things in the whole world, and had a delightful time sipping, chatting, and broadening our friendship.

We will be back for all of the above.