Over the hills, not too far away

Published 5:00 pm Saturday, October 21, 2006

Alice and Dave Shorett’s new book leads

you on a brisk walk (or 21) around the island.

To put it most simply, Dave and Alice Shorett like to walk.

Over ridges and swales. Around bends. In the company of feathery foliage and through the swapping of seasons, when emerald leaves overhead turn to parched paper crackling underfoot.

Across 24 years of island living and countless miles of mud, stone, gravel and grit have their footprints been laid.

Now, with their new book “Walks on Bainbridge,” the Schoretts hope to stir the soles of locals and visitors alike by bringing attention to some of Bainbridge Island’s best strolls.

“I’m hoping people will read this and get out and walk,” Dave Shorett said. “And by spending time in the island’s green spaces, hopefully more people will appreciate them and be reminded that we need to preserve what’s here.”

In an event co-sponsored by the library and the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, the Shoretts will present a slideshow and sign copies of the book from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the library.

All proceeds from the book – both at the event and in the future – will go to the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting local beaches, forests, wetlands and farmland.

The self-published, 80-page book highlights 21 different walks spanning various types of terrain and includes maps, descriptions, distances and directions for each. The walks vary in distance from one to 10 miles and many of them are loops.

The Shoretts snapped the bulk of the book’s photos – the rest came courtesy of Ron Williamson, who leads popular organized walks of his own – which offer a glimpse at the tree-lined trails and open vistas available to those who take the time to lace up their hiking boots.

But the best way to see them, the Schoretts said, is to hit the trails.

The couple began their own local explorations nearly 25 years ago when they moved to Bainbridge.

Dave, a lawyer, and Alice, who owns a mediation business in Seattle, made it a habit to spend a few hours each week walking together or with friends across the island landscape.

Over the years they’ve discovered several enjoyable routes, often through curiosity and, in some cases, by accident.

“We may have done some gentle trespassing,” Dave grinned, while recalling past sojourns down unexplored trails. “But to this day we still find trails we’ve never seen, which is exciting.”

Knowing that such trails exist – often unbeknownst to most islanders – led them to write the book. Though just released, the project has been percolating for the past eight years.

They considered releasing it earlier, but because they knew many parcels would change hands as the city acquired land under the $8 million open space bond, they decided to wait.

While there are plenty of hiking books out there, the Shoretts say that until now none have focused exclusively on the hills and dales of Bainbridge.

The walks are divided into the north, central and south regions of the island. Highlights in the north include a trek through the “jungles” of Manzanita.

“Be sure to stay on the trail,” the book warns, referring to one particularly boggy section of the hike. “This is the thickest of thickets: skunk cabbage, swampy ground, big old mossy trees and bushes, sunlight seldom reaching the ground. If there truly is a bear living on Bainbridge, bet on it living down here somewhere.”

Walks in the central region include a 2.3- mile loop through the Murden Cove and Rolling Bay neighborhoods that offers views of Seattle and Puget Sound.

“Look for signs marking a 200-foot stretch of public beach,” the book says. “Native Americans are said to have swarmed the bay at times, harvesting shellfish and fishing seasonally. The road was shored up through a Works Progress Administration project in 1938, which installed 680 feet of log bulkhead.”

Highlights on the south end include Gazzam Lake and a 4.2-mile jaunt from Fort Ward State Park to Pritchard Park.

All of the walks include advice on parking and highlight noteworthy sites and historical landmarks along the way.

It is with a nod to that history that the Shoretts decided to donate to the Land Trust proceeds from the book.

Karen Molinari, executive director of the Land Trust, said she’s grateful for the help.

“We feel like this book totally supports our mission to preserve and increase access to all of the beautiful resources that Bainbridge Island has to offer,” Molinari said. “The Shorrets are great people. It’s really nice of them to do this.”

Aside from preserving green spaces, the Shoretts also would like to see more trail connections, most notably in the Grand Forest. By encouraging people to tread the island’s trails, they’re trying to help blaze a path toward both goals.

“Bainbridge Island is at a point where it’s still possible to acquire additional (park) land,” Alice said.

Dave, a park district board member, agreed. He’s even developed his own mantra about why preservation should be a priority:

“It’s the only thing you can do now that you can’t do later.”

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Dave and Alice Shorett will sign copies of their book “Walks on Bainbridge,” 4-6 p.m. Sunday at the library. The book costs $12.95 and is available for purchase at Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bay Hay & Feed, the Chamber of Commerce and Bainbridge Island Land Trust offices, and other local retailers. All proceeds go to the Land Trust.