Whidbey Island and Coupeville
As so often happens when it comes to history which is taught in western civilizations, the local population is overlooked and minimized. Whidbey Island is no exception.
Whidbey Island is credited with its discovery in 1790 by the Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimper and Gonzalo López de Haro on the Princesa Real. Captain George Vancouver fully explored the island in 1792. In May of that year, Royal Navy officers and members of Vancouver’s expedition, Joseph Whidbey (master of HMS Discovery) and Peter Puget (a lieutenant on the ship) began to map and explore the areas of what would later be named Puget Sound. After Whidbey circumnavigated the island in June 1792, Vancouver named the island in his honor. By that time, Vancouver had claimed the area for Britain.
Of course, the island had long been inhabited by the local Native American Tribes of the Lower Skagit, Swinomish, Suquamish, and Snohomish. These were peaceful groups who lived off the sea and land, with fishing, harvesting nuts, berries and roots, which they preserved over the winter.
Our particular invasion began when we rolled our RAD Power bikes up the gangway of the M/V Kennewick and onto the island. It was a beautiful sunny day despite the morning forecast for rain. Just one of those flukes of the microclimates that are prevalent n the Pacific Northwest.
We turned our bikes north and started peddling our way through the open fields and pastures toward Coupeville, a small community on the south shore of Penn Cove. After short peddle we found a place on the waterfront to lock our bikes and explore some of the shops that border the cove.
This historic downtown is small but full of boutique shops and restaurants. This community was originally settled in the 1850’ by sea captains and farmers. Coupeville was named for sea captain Thomas Coupe, who arrived on Puget Sound on the bark Success. Scouting the area, Coupe settled at Penn Cove in 1852. His wife, Maria, and their family joined him there in 1853 and Captain Coupe worked as a coastal trader, sailing both the Success and the Jeff Davis, the first revenue cutter on Puget Sound (part of the armed maritime law enforcement service).
It’s a place where you can still see many of the historic homes and buildings and well worth the visit. We thoroughly enjoyed our explorations by bike.
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Chief Chetzemoka
I’ve been coming to Fort Worden State Park for just about as long as I’ve lived here in the PNW. And I’ve noticed the old dinghy placed on the dunes opposite the lower campground as well, but it wasn’t until this trip that I took the time to actually look up the unusual name painted across the bow. This really is a case where history can be hidden right under your nose!
Turns out the boat is named for a local S’Klallam Chief. He was forty years old when the first white settlers arrived at Port Townsend. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs recognized Chetzemoka as chief of the S’Klallam in 1854, holding him responsible for the “good behavior” of his people. At Point No Point, in 1855, Chief Chetzemoka signed a treaty giving up all S’Klallam land in exchange for retaining the right to fish, hunt and gather in the S’Klallam usual and accustomed areas. Such treaties, pushed by Governor Isaac Stevens and largely misunderstood by the Indians, provoked the Indian Wars in 1855-56.
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Looking down on our campground from atop Tower Rock. It's a straight 2000' straight drop from here.
Driving up to Mosquito Meadows I noticed a dark shadow and gap just off the forest road. This small but picturesque waterfall on Pinto Creek was the reward for pulling off to investigate.
We had spent the afternoon looking up at 2000’ Tower Rock from our camp. We decided to hike to the summit for sunset. Here’s the view from up top.
Heading out to Gifford Pinchot National Forest to explore a few new areas.
After a week of sitting on the shoreline waiting for the weather on Augustine Island and her volcano, we finally had our chance to paddle over to the mainland. Fortune smiled at us that day!
A kayaker making his way across Coldwater Lake with the crater of Mt. St. Helens in the background.
On May 16, 1898, the North Head Lighthouse was put into service as the primary navigation aid at the mouth of the Columbia River and still stands as a sentinel overlooking this treacherous body of water, the confluence between the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
This root was near our campsite. I was intrigued because it looks like an entire forest wrapped around it.
Mt. St. Helens seen from Windy Ridge.
Cispus River with Tower Rock in the background. Our camp was locate on the banks of the river.
River bank of the Cispus River inside the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Headed back to Mt. St. Helens for the weekend. Hoping to visit some of our favorite places as well as discover new ones.
Buck Creek is one of the many waterways that feed the Suiattle River. We spotted this view during our last Wild and Scenic Rivers fieldwork.
During our recent Wild and Scenic River Survey we had the opportunity to do a bit of exploring. Here's Buck Creek which drains into the Suiattle River.
Theresa taking a sample for the Wild and Scenic Rivers project with Adventure Scientist. We'll be heading out to the Suiattle River this weekend for another round of data.
Looking out over Crescent Bay from Tongue Point. We recently experienced the lowest tides in a decade here in Washington.
During these wars, a number of S’Klallam held a secret meeting to decide whether or not to kill the whites in Port Townsend. The S’Klallam deliberated for nine days, during which Chetzemoka sent a daily signal of “danger.” On the tenth day, the message from Signal Rock was, in essence, “danger is passed.” The S’Klallam had given up their purpose. Chetzemoka was considered a hero by the white population and from that point on was immortalized by them.
Ferries, parks, streets, and benches now bear his name….and a weather-worn dinghy on the beach of Point Wilson.
