Kirk and I took a quick break to do a new loop for us at Trillium Community Forest in South Whidbey Island, using 5 trails to do it. Fall is perfect for hikes (though coming next month is the start of hunting closures so keep that in mind).
The trail map has been updated again – and be sure to grab it before you go online and download it. While I get solid phone service/bandwidth, doesn’t mean everyone will (and we run on T-Mobile) The south end of the island is notorious for dropping and dead zones. Kirk and I started on Bounty trail, out of the trailhead on Bounty Loop, off of Mutiny Bay Road, which is just off of Hwy 525, north of Freeland.
If coming from the north end of the island, take a right onto Mutiny Bay Rd, then a right onto Bounty Loop, which is the first road you will encounter to the right. If you miss it, you can turn onto the second entrance to Bounty Loop. There is a large parking lot, vehicles only, no trailers. Bounty Loop is a quiet place, full of homestead sites, and enough feral domestic rabbits for a lifetime (they are gorgeous black ones).
Bounty trail is paved for the first part, as it is part of the Level Loop, which is an accessible trail for all. At the first junction with Level, stay straight ahead. The next section was prettied up this summer, with water bars and tons of gravel put in. It was also widened. No more mud bogs and stinging nettles in the trail. At the next junction (with Crossroads Trail) stay to the right-ish.
Bounty Trail goes through a pretty open forest of old alder trees in the first half, and the trail goes quickly.
Part of Bounty Trail though crosses private property and is much more dense, and hasn’t been thinned properly. It leaves a very narrow trail, and the forest is dark and overgrown.
The trail pops out into light where it ends, at Dragonfly Glade Trail. We took a left onto the trail, and it heads uphill, cutting ever so slowly up the ridge of Trillium.
This section holds water much of the year, and has wetlands. The old logging road has quickly grown into a sheltered single track trail, lined with grass.
The trail pops out onto Patrick’s Way (Mainline Trail), where there is a large opening. We headed to the left, and downhill a bit.
At Peaceful Firs, we took a left onto it. Warning: the trail marker sign is covered from this direction (it’s on the right side of the road) by a bush. Peaceful Firs is a great single track trail, built like a trail, rather than a logging road. It heads down quickly, and pops out at Crossroads trail. Take a left onto Crossroads, then at the next junction, a right back onto Bounty Trail and then out.
A quick couple miles trip, just enough elevation gain and loss to get a workout in, and back to work!
~Sarah