Circumnavigating Whidbey Island

My friend from our days together as library employees Rabbitt Betzner invited me to join her on one of the regular Monday circumnavigation walks she does with a group of friendly women. I was one of 32 women who walked the 3-mile trek along the northeast shore of Whidbey between Grasso Lagoon and Monroe Landing.

The tide was at -2 and the beach littered with opened clam and mussel shells, crab bodies, and occasional moon jellies, the most common jellies that swim in the Salish Sea. They can evaporate within a couple of hours while lying on the beach since they are 98% water. They’re alive if they’ve kept their circular shape while still on shore, and take care touching them, even if they’re beached, because they can sting.

Midway through the 3-mile walk the women gathered around a 3-foot wine red Lion’s mane jelly lying near the low-tide water line. I hoped it would survive until the tide rose enough to return it to the water.

Along the way, I spoke with Gaye, who has walked with this all women’s group the past three years and has completed 45 of the 48 walks circumnavigating Whidbey’s perimeter.

“My favorite hikes were the navy beaches and my least favorite was a beach that had a lot of trash we picked up,” she said.

The group’s organizers secure permission ahead of time from beach property owners such as the navy and private homeowners when accessing non-public shorelines.

I  sat on a log during a quick break talking with Pam Muncie, a much-loved teacher at South Whidbey Elementary. She retired last June after 40 years of teaching. Friends suggested she join this circumnavigation amblers’ group of women and Pam became part of the group during its winter walks in Whidbey Island’s interior. Good to see her again.

I walked for a while with nature photographer Jan Ledbetter. We talked for a while about her joy of seeing the natural world through her camera. She mentioned seeing a White Pelican and a fisherman in close proximity recently. We reminisced about our mutual friend and writer, the late Dan Pedersen, who enjoyed sitting on a bench watching frogs in the bog at the Earth Sanctuary. 

At the end of the 3-mile walk, one of the group’s women named Ellen was honored. She walked under a salute of raised hiking sticks by women gathered on either side, cheering her completion of all 48 hikes. She said it took her 11 years to complete.

Hiking groups on/near Whidbey:

• Anacortes Hiking Group 
• Ladies of the Beach — closed to new members for now
• Meet Feet
• Pacific Northwest Singles Adventurers
• Whidbey Audubon Society
• Whidbey Island Hikers
• Whidbey Island – Hiking, summer, snowshoeing going off island winter
• Whidbey Island Hiking with Kids
• Whidbey SUP, Kayak, Hiking/Biking, Watersports and Outdoor enthusiasts
• Whidbey Women Social Connection

Outside Whidbey–for a complete list visit Washington Trails Association. Below are a sampling of hiking groups:

• American Alpine Club Northwest
• Evergreen State Walking Club
• Evergreen Trail Run
• Inter-Mountain Alpine Club
• Miles Hike Club
• Military Wild Washington
• Mountain Loop Highway Hikers & Backpackers
• Never Stop Moving
• Northwest Trail Runs
• Queer People of Color–QPOC 
• TrailBliss
• Trail Mixed Collective
• Washington Outdoor Women
• Washington Sierra Club