Kirk and I signed the paperwork the other week, and Ford Motor Company bought back my EV plugin car. It was rather jarring, as I had had it for five years. It got the equivalent of up to 72 mpg, was an excellent vehicle for hiking, and was affordable to drive. But, it had a fatal flaw that the company wasn’t sure they could fix. Without admitting it was a lemon, they repurchased it. We had been told not to charge it or park in a garage, which took away many of the positive aspects of the car. Fire rarely sounds like a good idea.
Saying goodbye to the car.
It took me back to the last time we were a single-vehicle family living in an urban setting. I mainly went car-free for two years. However, it was easy when we had a rail-to-trail that cut across town behind our house. I could walk out and walk or bike—and connect to other trails in the region.The boys were still young then, and often they rode in a bike trailer that was converted to a “stroller” when they got tired (and it was great to carry gear in as well, no backpack needed!).
We only bought a car again after moving to the island and realizing I needed a car again, as the boy’s school then was a 20-mile round trip drive 2x a day.
Where we live now is rural. The main road is a two-lane state highway, which isn’t safe for walking, much less biking. I can access the village we are 2 miles from by walking back roads and using the transit system (which has a walk to get to). But, taking the boys with me, much less the dogs, is a real safety hazard. So we must plan our trips carefully and think out all the aspects. Living in town did have some advantages for sure.
It’s not that I don’t have a vehicle. Rather, the cost got to me. Driving 60 miles cost me nearly $15. That hits home hard. That is a lot of work to pay for hiking. If I want to drive to the far north end of the island, it is 80 miles round-trip. How many hikes can I truly fund till it is unsustainable?
Taking the vehicle off the island means the other person has no car. It’s always something to think about.
As the atmospheric river storm finally wound down yesterday and the high winds stopped, we put on our hiking shoes and walked.
Yes, I live near a land trust with many hiking trails, and they are free to use. Walking there adds to the mileage, which isn’t bad, as the hike we did is very short. It adds about a mile to the hike to do the road part.
Could this hike be done with our local Island Transit? Yes, it could. In fact, you can cross the Trillium Ridge, come out on Smuggler Cove Road, and catch the bus back to your starting point. Island Transit is fee-free. Just get on and ride!
It does take planning, though. Depending on the time of the day, the island’s main route (Route 1) goes on both Highway 525 and as well wraps around South Whidbey State Park on Smuggler Cove/Bush Point Roads. It’s about half a mile down Mutiny Bay Road from the 525 route and 1.3 miles or so from Bush Point. You’d have to consult the route times to figure out how to do this one car-free. I’d, of course, make it a whole day and hike plenty if I was doing this.
The walk starts along Mutiny Bay Road, on the south end of Whidbey Island. While the road is 45 mph, it doesn’t see a lot of traffic – and you can see it coming. It has shoulders and grassy areas for stepping off it is a dump truck. But in general, this road is considered to be pedestrian friendly.
Turning onto Bounty Loop (north end). This is a very quiet road, of well-spaced older homes. Even with a trailhead, it is never busy.
The trailhead for the Trillium Community Forest on Bounty Loop. This location has a paved parking lot with ample ADA handicap-accessible spots (half the parking lot), as it is home to Level Loop, which is a ADA trail. See here for a map of the entire forest. See here for directions to this trailhead.
The Level Loop was built around when we moved here, in 2018. The first half is paved, and yes, it is level. It has just a bit down the trail a garbage can and dog bags.
This half of the trail is fully accessible.
At the only trail junction, it goes to a hard pack. It is mostly accessible. Depending on the person, they might or might not need assistance. It is not truly level either after here.
Looking back.
The hard-pack trail is wide and doesn’t have roots or rocks, though. However, after a good storm, as we have had the past three days, it was littered with branches. We moved a number off the trail.
Early Salmonberry formation. The mosquitoes were also waking up, which encouraged us all to walk a bit faster.
Banana Slug loving the rainy weather we have had.
It was a good day to be out, even as a few rain sprinkles fell on us at the end. We got outside, got in a nice walk, the dog was tired after and we went car free. This one was easy. We shall see how it works this summer, and how exhausting it can be.
~Sarah