Braving the Steep Climb and the Sharp Thorns

The best blackberries .

Isn’t that where you always find the largest clumps of ripe blackberries, plump and smug at the top of the bush, higher than you could possibly reach without jumping? And you can’t jump unless you want to get tangled in their evil thorn-studded branches.

“Ouch!” My seven-year-old grandson, visiting from the East Coast, is picking blackberries for the first time.

“Watch out for the thorns,” I say.

He frowns at the little red mark on his perfect child’s skin.

Instead of sympathizing—It’s such a small wound—I tell him something about a knight who must fight a dragon in order to rescue the fair maiden.

He’s not impressed. Maybe I should have used Star Wars imagery or Thor or Iron Man. He elects to hold the bowl for me and point out ripe berries that are within reach.

There’s something to be said for the low-hanging fruit.

The best views.

When you’re hiking, the best views always seem to be at the top of the mountain or hill. The fact that you’ve earned the view by scrambling up a steep trail makes it all the sweeter.

On the steep trail behind Roche Harbor, my little grandson (and his very fit parents) left me in the dust. Last time I’d climbed that hill to look down on the old abandoned quarries, the trail wasn’t nearly as steep. I’m sure it wasn’t. Also the quarries were filled with water then. Not so this year of the hot, rainless summer.

Before we started hiking, I’d prudently stashed my oversized iPhone6 in the trunk of the car. So, sorry, no photos from the lookout.

Here are some photos from the gentler trail we hiked the following day at English Camp. (also on San Juan Island)

Madronas

The most unusual sights.

If you want to view whales and orcas, you don’t have to brave thorns or climb steep trails. But unless you’re extremely lucky and catch a glimpse of an orca from a ferry deck, you’ll need to shell out some money for a whale-watching trip or a cruise to Alaska.

Everything special costs in one way or the other.

The ferry arrives as we head out.

After our little hike, we cleaned up and drove to Friday Harbor for a whale-watching cruise. At 2:00 pm sharp, our boat left the dock and set out to find some orcas (also known as killer whales). The captain and his crew were familiar with the orcas’ habits, especially those of the J, K, and L pods, and other whale watchers shared sightings with them.

Nevertheless, the ocean is big, and the orcas swim where they will. Our wildlife guides advised us to think positive thoughts as we cruised down to the south end of San Juan Island and out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

And yes, it worked. Ahead of us was the surest sign of the presence of orcas: other whale-watching boats. (In case you’re concerned about the wellbeing of the orcas, there are rules for watching them. All boats must stay 200 yards away and 400 yards out of their path.)

Along with other enthusiastic whale-watchers, we crowded the deck and adjusted our binoculars. And the orcas put on a show for us, circling and breaching, blowing and slapping their tails. At one point, they seemed to be attacking (and eating?) a Harbor Porpoise—a sure sign they weren’t from J, K, or L pods. Hmm. They must have been Transient Orcas.

Eventually they swam away and we turned around, pausing near a tiny island to watch enormous male Steller Sea Lions soak up the sun and fight and bark. Another very special sight.