I thought of many titles for this blog as I went for my second hike today on the stunning island of Sucia….”A Week In The San Juans”, “Closing In On Canada”….. but the chipmunk thought kept coming back to me as I reveled in the beautiful hiking.
My friend Linda, from SV Bright Angel, once commented as we prepared to leave New Zealand for Fiji that she couldn’t wait to get back to the tropics where she could reunite with her inner mermaid. That thought has always stuck with me. And I thought about it today as I hiked along Echo Bay looking down on Charisma.
No Charisma, but still lovely.
Hikes in lovely wooded areas feed my soul…like Linda’s mermaid. Only I knew it wasn’t a mermaid in my case. I finally decided it must be my inner chipmunk that was being channeled. Chipmunks always make me remember growing up in the Rocky Mountains and catching a chipmunk with my brother, Gerald. We were 9 and 10 and very determined. And we won. We caught the cute little chipmunk….only to bring him back to Denver where he deftly escaped.
Pacific Madrone
The Pacific Northwest is so very different than the South Pacific. The water is a different set of blues…but stunning shades of blues to greys. Unlike the South Pacific that has so much teal and turquoise. And the shoreline here is so rugged! I love seeing the eagles and blue herons roosting in the tall trees. I am amused by the geese and their gosling broods.
Grove of Aspens, what a surprise!
I am blessed with a husband who appreciates this love of hiking. I overhear him in discussions with locals questioning them on the best places to go. He always says that one of the big requirements is that there must be access to hiking. Boy did he hit the jackpot on Sucia Island. Lucky me.
The best part of sharing this with you, our readers is that for most of you it is someplace you can get to. You don’t need to fly thousands of miles to the South Pacific to experience this area. The San Juans are stunning. And I am told that the scenery is only going to get better as we head further north…well, there are Orcas to see….wow!
Charisma anchored in Echo Bay.
Maybe that inner Chipmunk in you relates to escaping back to nature from captivity. Of course, there is also the cuteness factor. 🙂
I think you are going to have to do at least three sailing books now. A South Pacific Adventures book, a North To Alaska Adventures one, and A Handbook For Adventure Sailors.
Blue skies