The ground was like a wet sponge as I entered the woods and walked between the columns of a great cathedral. And like a church, it was hushed, except for the drip, drip, drip of last night’s rain still falling from the canopy high above. It had rained all week culminating in the most intense storm of the season. Streaks of lightning slashed between dark clouds. The ominous rumble of thunder and curtains of windswept rain pelted the pavement on my drive home. My wipers frantically tried to clear the windshield as I slowed to a crawl. The wind howled and the tall trees around my house swayed in a wild dance that kept up all night. Finally, the storm passed and the day dawned cloudy and calm.
It had been awhile since I’d visited Saratoga Woods. I took the Indian Pipe Trail straight up the hill toward the old runway along the ridge top. Very little light penetrates this enchanted forest. Huge stumps stand silently watching. Tree trunks form weird shapes. The storm had toppled snags that lay broken across the trail. It began to drizzle, and soon a steady rain settled in. I withdrew my umbrella from my pack.
At the top of the hill I came to a T, turned left and soon found myself by a rusty piece of machinery, a memorable landmark. Instead of turning right on the old runway, long, straight, and flat, I went across it to follow the parallel track. This narrow path requires more attention, stepping over roots and logs, around twists and turns. Eventually, I came to the trail to the rock, the glacial erratic, as big as a house. Salal and huckleberry shimmered in the rain. The ferns on top held diamonds at the end of each frond. This rock was brought here by glaciers 10,000 years ago. As I walked around it, alone in the rain, thinking about all that it might have seen, an old story came to mind.
There once was a humble stone cutter. He toiled each day in the hot sun. One day a royal procession came by. The emperor was carried in a curtained chair down the road surrounded by his attendants. The stone cutter bowed as they passed and watched the procession disappear into the distance. “I wish I were the emperor,” he sighed. Then lo and behold, he became the emperor! He was carried for miles in his curtained chair. All his countrymen bowed as he passed. But he realized how hot and stuffy it was in his curtained chair. He looked up at the sun and said, “I wish I were the sun.” And lo and behold, he became the sun! He radiated mercilessly down upon the people below. Crops dried up, watering holes turned to cracked mud. Then a rain cloud came between him and the earth. The shade cooled the people. The rain refreshed them and restored their crops. The sun cursed the rain cloud. “I want to be a rain cloud!” he shouted, and lo and behold, he became a rain cloud! He poured down on the people, flooding the rivers, sweeping away homes and bridges. He was delighted with his new found power. Then he saw something unmoving, in the middle of the torrent. A stone. No amount of water seemed to move it. The rain cloud said, “I want to be a stone.” And lo and behold, he became a stone. He was at last content, through drought and floods, and many passing emperors, he was unbothered by it all. For centuries he stood undisturbed. Until one day, he felt a small but persistent tapping. A stone cutter.
It left me wondering, “What is power and where does it come from?”
After my hike, on my way home, I had to detour around a crew working on the power lines.
Thanks to the persistent efforts of Save the Woods on Saratoga, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Island County Parks for preserving this property along with the neighboring Putney Woods Trails.
For a map click here.
Directions
Directions: From Highway 525 in Bayview, turn north at the light on Bayview Road and drive 3.6 miles to Langley. Turn left just after Saint Hubert’s Church on De Bruyen Avenue and left again at the next corner on Saratoga Road. Drive 2.5 miles to the parking area on the left.
By Bus and Bike: The closest bus stop is in Langley, 2.5 miles away. Saratoga Road is hilly and has no shoulder but it lightly traveled. If walking or riding a bike on the road, please wear something bright and use your lights.
Mobility: There are several trails in Saratoga Woods. The Indian Pipe Trail is smooth as it climbs the hill and the runway is flat. The trail to the big rock is narrow and slopes with roots and rocks.
Republished with permission. Read the original article.