点评:My wife and I discovered this gem of a hike while on a day trip to La Conner, and it was the perfect compliment to an afternoon of browsing shops in town. The trailhead is just a quick 10 minute drive across the Rainbow Bridge from downtown La Conner, through Swinomish tribal lands. The small parking lot at the trailhead was nearly full when we arrived just before 6:30pm on a Friday evening, enjoying a gorgeous spring evening and the late sunlight that we are fortunate to have in Washington.
After a short downhill walk on an access road, we reached the tidal flats and crossed it on a sandy path between piles of driftwood and beaches on either side. We spotted two herons on the shore as we ascended into the forest of Kiket Island. At the three-way fork a hundred yards or so up the incline, we took the right branch through a lovely coastal forest of cedars and firs, on a well-maintained trail through underbrush of ferns and salad. This was an easy amble up short stretches of hilly terrain suitable for all levels.
Toward the east end of the island, there is a great overview with a bench facing the water with views of the Salish Sea towards Deception Pass. We paused a few minutes on the bench to admire the view and listen to the chirps of birds around us. A short while later, we descended to the flat recreation area at the end of the trail, which had a large picnic shelter and clean restroom. There are several signs in this area that describe the life of the Native Peoples and the importance of this area to them. Take a couple of minutes and read them, as a small token of respect for accessing their lands.
Before heading back, we took the short trail to Flagstaff Point on the far side of the island and explored the southern rocky beach (the northern beach and top of the small butte are not open for access). We spied a lone oystercatcher at the westerly end and gave it a wide berth as we admired the gorgeous views across the water to Skagit Island, Deception Pass, and Whidbey Island. While walking back to the western trailhead along the rocky shore, I indulged my inner child and flipped a few barnacle-encrusted rocks over and delighted at the crabs scurrying underneath before gently replacing the rock.
We took the rightmost path back through the island, dodging a few muddy spots, which offered views to the Sound through the trees to the south. It was approaching magic hour and the shadows were lengthening when we emerged from the forest and left the island to recross the short spit. Our heron sentinels were gone, but we had each other's company for the short uphill walk back to our car. It was just shy of 8pm when we left the parking lot, which had emptied out by then. We changed out of our hiking shoes and headed back into La Conner for a wonderful dinner where we chatted about this incredible local find, adding it to our list of experiences to enjoy when we return.
翻译:我和我的妻子在去拉康纳 (La Conner) 的一日游中发现了这个徒步旅行的瑰宝,这是对下午在镇上浏览商店的完美赞美。从拉康纳市中心穿过彩虹桥,穿过 Swinomish 部落土地,只需 10 分钟车程即可到达小道起点。当我们在周五晚上 6:30 之前到达时,步道起点的小型停车场几乎已满,享受着美丽的春夜和我们有幸在华盛顿拥有的晚霞。
在一条通道上走了一小段下坡路后,我们到达了潮滩,并在两边成堆的浮木和海滩之间的沙路上穿过它。当我们登上基凯特岛的森林时,我们在岸上发现了两只苍鹭。在斜坡上一百码左右的三岔路口,我们从右边的分支穿过一片美丽的雪松和冷杉沿海森林,沿着一条维护良好的小径穿过蕨类植物和沙拉的灌木丛。这是适合所有级别的短距离丘陵地形的轻松漫步。
在岛的东端,有一张面朝水面的长凳,可以俯瞰萨利希海 (Salish Sea) 和欺骗隘口 (Deception Pass) 的美景。我们在长椅上停了几分钟,欣赏风景,聆听周围鸟儿的鸣叫。不久之后,我们下到小径尽头的平坦休闲区,那里有一个大型野餐棚和干净的洗手间。该地区有几个标志,描述了土著人民的生活以及该地区对他们的重要性。花几分钟时间阅读它们,以此作为对进入他们土地的尊重的小小象征。
在回程之前,我们沿着小路走到了岛另一边的弗拉格斯塔夫角,探索了南部的岩石海滩(北部海滩和小山丘的顶部不开放进入)。我们在西端发现了一只孤独的蛎鹬,在我们欣赏水对面斯卡吉特岛、欺骗海峡和惠德比岛的壮丽景色时,我们敬而远之。沿着多岩石的海岸走回西部步道的起点时,我放纵了内心的童心,将几块布满藤壶的岩石翻了过来,看着螃蟹在下面奔跑,然后轻轻地放回了岩石,我感到很高兴。
我们走最右边的路穿过小岛,避开了几个泥泞的地方,从那里可以看到南面树林中的海峡。当我们走出森林离开小岛重新穿越短沙嘴时,已经接近神奇的时刻,阴影正在拉长。我们的苍鹭哨兵不见了,但我们有彼此的陪伴,可以走一小段上坡路回到我们的车上。离开停车场时已近晚上8点,那时停车场已经空无一人。我们换下登山鞋,回到拉康纳享用了一顿美妙的晚餐,我们聊了聊这个令人难以置信的当地发现,并将其添加到我们返回时享受的体验列表中。