Even during the gray months of a Whidbey Island winter, many people still find enjoyment in the outdoors and continue to hike, hunt, bicycle, walk and run the island’s extensive trail systems.
These distinct user groups, however, need to continually remain aware of other users and the precautions and courtesy necessary to maintain clean and safe trails, even during the “slower” outdoor season.
Elaine Woods, who runs Whidbey Walks and who offers series of outdoor fitness classes, said Island County has many different trail user groups.
“Unlike counties in highly urbanized areas, Whidbey does not have a separate trail system for joggers, another for bicyclists and another for horses. It is therefore incumbent upon the various user groups to get along with each other,” she said.
“Folks who walk their dogs are aware that an approaching horse may be skittish. People riding dirt bikes need to be aware of elderly walkers. Trail courtesy becomes a necessity.”
Woods said her experiences on island trails, concerning trail sharing, have gone well. She said people heel their dogs for horses, and bikers are careful of not splashing hikers as they pass each other.
“We use them and we get along. We don’t have to push the other users off the path, and I think it is to our credit,” she said.
Woods said her most vivid example of the variety of people who enjoy using trails is when she was hiking with a group led by a Buddhist monk on private monastery property. The group became disoriented but finally they saw a man, and the monk approached him for directions. As the group drew closer, they saw that the stranger was hunting. As it turned out, the group had left the monastery property. The hunter knew the forest and the trails, however, and shortly after, he and the monk were walking side by side discussing the paths to lead them back to the monastery.
She said this is her vignette she tells to illustrate the variety of trail user groups.
Hikers and trails
Coupeville residents, Ruth and Andy Nielsen enjoy the island’s trails for hiking and geocaching, which is searching for hidden objects on using a GPS device. Ruth Nielsen said for her, trail sharing has given them no problems. She did say, however, mountain bikes sometimes startle her because of the speed and silence they approach with. In her experiences hiking on Island trails, Nielsen said people with dogs have always acted with respect and considerations of others apprehensions. She has rarely ever seen a horse and rider on the trails and, in her experience, bicyclists have always shown courtesy and several times have stopped to chat or ask about the trails further up.
Her only trail share concerns have to do with hunting season, and when it is safe to walk the trails or off trails. She said a hunting schedule, however, would take care of that. And other that these concern, she said she is pleased to have so many trails and acres to hike and geocache through with so few worries.
Horses and trails
Coupeville residents Vickie McCreless and her husband, John McCreless, own and run Trail’s End Equine Learning Center in Coupeville. Often, the couple take their equestrian students riding on local trails that they must share with hikers and bikers, as well as other horses.
“I’ve been using the trails on Whidbey Island for almost 30 years,” Vickie McCreless said. “We actually have never had any trouble with bikers or hikers.”
She said for years they have not run into anything negative concerning trail sharing, not even rudeness between the different interest groups of trail users.
“Most of the bikers are really great. They pull right over for us,” she said.
When trails are shared by participants of differing sports or activities, sometimes sacrifices must be made and precautions taken because of the types of activities taking place on the trails or surrounding areas.
During hunting season, McCreless said she and her husband don’t take students out on the trails, but they still go trail riding themselves. She said when they ride during hunting season, they are sure to use the proper precautions, such as wearing bright colors and talking while they ride, so hunters can see and hear them.
She said even if she doesn’t particularly like a sport, she still feels those who do enjoy it should have the same access to the trails as she has, with the exception of sports that would rip the trails up, such as motorbikes and quads. She said she thinks it is important to have these trails open to whoever wants to enjoy them, and that trail users should practice courtesy and tolerance when using the trails.
“Whether we like the sport or not, we must be willing to share,” she said. “I would hate to see them get rid of horses due to the manure, so I have tolerance . . . and we try to clean up as best we can around the horse trailers.”
Bicyclists and trails
Oak Harbor resident Dave Harrington, chairman of Island County Trail Council, said he enjoys the island’s trails for bicycling, but he said all the trails owned by Island County are multi-use trails.
As far as bicyclists are concerned with trail use, Harrington said they are supposed to yield to every other user group.
He said the trail council members have worked on gathering information, advice and trail etiquette for trail users, which they will post on two kiosks. Council members will place one kiosk on the main trail head of Kettles Trails and the other one further down in Kettles Trails. For now, however, bicyclists can go to the Web site for International Mountain Bicycling Association for trail etiquette and information. He said at the least, bicyclists should remember to use only trails open for bikes, yield to other trail users and carry out what they brought in.
Harrington said for the most part, island trail users do a good job when it comes to trail consideration and care.
He said many times it is clubs or groups connected to a particular user group, such as equestrian or cyclists, that maintain the trails.
“All of the user groups have very good people associated with them,” he said. “They are very responsible.”
