A week of paradise

Is there a more majestic sight than that of a pair of bald eagles, gliding silently directly overhead in a crisp, clear baby-blue sky?

I'm halfway through a Friday morning run, at the Land's End turnaround at the end of Outward Bound Road -- as far as you go on the trail before it yields to untamed grass and rock outcroppings looking out to Georgia Strait. I remove my earbuds and first soak up the sounds of expertly camouflaged songbirds in the trees and bushes around me.

Then I peer up above the treeline and spend the next few minutes watching these magnificent birds, with their unmistakable snow-white heads and thick bodies, dipping above and below each other as they do a series of tight circles.

It's a signature moment, just me and these birds, about a mile from the shore of Eagle Lake on Orcas Island.

Two days earlier, Lori and I had another signature moment, when we set out to hike part of the Turtleback Mountain trail. We entered from the north trailhead, just off Crow Valley Road, with Otto on a leash and a picnic lunch in my backpack. We were on the trail for four hours -- a 5-mile roundtrip that took us mostly up on a gently curving trail and gave us the opportunity to take three short detours to points offering breathtaking vistas, including Crow Valley and Waldron Island (both pictured here).

All of this is due to a partnership of conservation organizations, including the San Juan Preservation Trust, The Trust for Public Land and the San Juan County Land Bank, that raised $18.5 million to buy nearly 1,600 acres of undeveloped land.

Astoundingly, we were the only ones on the trail. We could fantasize for a moment and pretend this was our private slice of heaven. But, the truth be told, it's an experience we've had more than once, whether it's hiking at Obstruction Pass State Park near Olga or (while it was still open to the public) hiking at Madrona Point near Eastsound.

We hadn't been on the island since last August. As always, we left feeling emotionally cleansed and physically refreshed. What more could we ask for from a vacation getaway? We are so blessed...

Photo of Turtleback Mountain: San Juan Preservation Trust