Friends of Lopez Hill

-- "The mission of the Friends of Lopez Hill is to protect the 400 acres on Lopez Island known as Lopez Hill, and to preserve and keep it in public ownership for present and future generations."  

There is a place that holds great physical and spiritual meaning for me. A place that at first seemed just a simple trail through the woods, but with time became a source of a great gift. The gift of freedoms that cannot be experienced elsewhere. This place is Lopez Hill and I feel greatly honored to have such a vibrant earthly kingdom near my home. For me it has and will always be a passage to the homes of friends, the perfect playground, and a place to let my imagination run wild with others who share the joy of it. It represents a place where my early friendships were forged and where they are still sustained today.

It appeared so huge, a world in and of itself, and that is what it eventually became. Winding trails crisscrossed through tall cedars, dark moss crept slowly across boulders sunken into the ground, and the sound of birds serenaded sweetly. Even at a young age I felt no discomfort in crossing this seemingly vast expanse of woods, because it held no danger in my eyes. In my previous urban home I would have never dreamed of feeling this way, but the forest seemed to almost beckon comfortingly towards me. At first I would still meet friends half way across and as we traveled to one house or the other we would end up stopping often, to play among the trees. It felt so right to be in this place where anything was possible. It seemed like our own world that was set aside just for us and us alone, for on most occasions it was empty save for a few quiet passersby’s. We would enter the hill leaving all other feelings outside and as we left we took something with us. The sense that we had passed through a place where time was no more than some ill-conceived notion. It changed, but only in imperceptible ways. We came often, fighting battles with unseen enemies, allying forces with surrounding trees, and building fortresses upon outcroppings of stone. Sticks became swords, and the things around us were beings full of life. This forested hill became the stark contrast to the acres of open grass field that was my home. This altogether reinforced the impression of two places that although very close, were completely different, almost a world apart.

Yet we could not always be in this place we held so close. There was a life that had to be lived and expectations to be met, as well as the season’s constant change. As spring turned to summer the vibrant, wet greens turned to drier earthy tones. Ferns wilted and became crackling shells. With summer to late fall and winter came a dampness and cold. No sound pervaded the silence of it and it seemed empty for all the birds were gone. It was not until spring that the gates of our safe haven opened, and the plants began to grow back in full force. The ferns rose up again next to the skeletons of their predecessors, small wild flowers blossomed at the sides of the trail, and the air smelled of life and purity. The cycles of nature played out right before our young minds, as trees would fall and crumble into dark soil as they were eaten by insects. I became familiar with every part along the trail and would often venture away from it, losing myself among the beds of cool moss.

Today I still go there, although perhaps now it is in a different way. It is an escape from everything else, somewhere to go to simply exist and coexist with nature. I am astounded everyday by the little perfections in nature and what they can teach us. What I can only hope is that people find places like this, somewhere they can find themselves, and hold it close to them. That these places have been set aside from our developing world is a blessing to all of us and hopefully they will continue to stay that way. The most important thing that I have found about this place is the joy of wandering away, getting lost in the forest where you are simply "you" and there is no duty or expectation to trouble the soul. In many places in the world this is not possible or unsafe, but here one can experience a freedom that is lost in your normal happenings in the day. It’s a retreat that can help you regain what you need to move forward in life, a calming energy that subdues whatever hardship you may be experiencing. I want places like this to survive through the ages so that my children and their children's children can walk among the same trees that I have.

Lopez Hill is currently owned by the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR is looking to divest itself of the properties it owns in San Juan County. “Friends of Lopez Hill” are currently working to preserve this precious resource for public use.