Tom and Marty's excellent adventure: Pair beat feet from one end of Whidbey to the other

Marty Behr and Tom McCabe went on “a journey of discovery” from one end of Whidbey Island to the other.

It took them a year.

They walked.

“I’d call it ambling,” said Behr, 65, of Langley. “We took photos, chatted, met people along the way.”

It started as a New Year’s resolution for 2008, “to stay in shape and really discover our island home,” Behr said.

McCabe, 60, also of Langley, took a little persuading.

“I told Marty I don’t do resolutions,” he said. “I told him I didn’t have time for this. But I thought about it. Then I called and asked him if he wanted to be Lewis or Clark.”

The plan was to walk from Possession Point at the southern tip of the island to the Deception Pass Bridge at the north end.

They walked one day a month for eight months, averaging about 10 miles a day, taking time off during the summer for travel.

Zig-zagging to avoid Highway 525 and Highway 20, they walked on quiet country roads, across farms and forests (asking permission when crossing private land), on beaches and along state and county park trails.

They started out using two cars to solve the logistical problems, but when they reached Greenbank, they turned to Island Transit.

“The bus system is really extensive,” Behr said. “We had to do a little extra hiking to get back to the bus stop, but we didn’t have to deal with cars and really reduced our carbon footprint.

“We fell in love with Whidbey all over again,” he said, “for its natural beauty and for its interesting and warm people.”

“It was a wonderful adventure,” agreed McCabe, who has lived on the island for three years. “And

I got to know Marty a lot better.”

Their first day’s hike was on Jan. 23, 2008 from Possession Point along the country roads on the southern tip of the island, and overland through the brambles from Ewing Road to Pioneer Park.

That first day was the toughest. Besides the steep grade up from Possession Point, there was that battle through the blackberry vines.

“It took us two and a half hours to go a half-mile,” Behr said. “We started thinking maybe we should stick to the roads. But we didn’t. We were committed. And we never thought of giving up.”

Their easiest days were usually the strolls along the beaches, including one near Ault Field that turned out to be part of a Navy firing range.

“That was one of our more cautious walks,” Behr said.

Their last day’s hike was on Dec. 7 from Jones Road past Ala Spit, and along the Hoypus Hill and Coronet Bay trails in Deception Pass State Park to the bridge.

Some friends met them at the bridge, where they popped the cork on a bottle of champagne, then headed for Coupeville for some Thai food.

“We had really good luck with weather,” Behr said. “Lots of clear and cold days, with green fields and forests and mountain vistas. The setting was extraordinary.

“We weren’t in a hurry, and we took the time to talk with wonderful folks along the way, including storekeepers, farmers, hermits and pioneers,” he said.

One of those pioneers was Larry Thie, 96, who has farmed on Ebey Prairie for more than 50 years, Behr said.

“He pointed to the Olympics and said he hiked every trail in those mountains,” he said.

“It wasn’t just the natural beauty,” he said of the island walk, “but the interesting people you meet along the way.”

Behr, who is semi-retired from the travel business, said he has been a “mega-walker” since he left his hometown of Chicago in his 20s. He has lived on South Whidbey for 18 years.

McCabe, who spent 30 years as a firefighter in California, said he has always been in good shape and active, until he injured his foot a couple of years ago.

“By the end of each walk, I was really in pain,” he said. “But I went out and did it anyway. Today, I think I could walk without it hurting at all.”

Behr said that he, like many South End residents, had a knee-jerk prejudice against anything north of Coupeville.

“This gave us a new appreciation for the whole island,” he said. “You get a completely different perspective when you walk.”

Behr and McCabe say they might make the trek in the opposite direction, but not this year. Behr has his eye on other adventures.

“I’d like to walk around Mount Rainier,” he said. “It’s a big walk - 103 miles, 20,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. We’re thinking about it. We’ll have to work up to it.”

“I’m in,” McCabe said. “but if he starts talking about Mount Everest, I may have to think hard about that.”

Behr said that what he’d really like to do is retrace the route of the explorers Lewis and Clark. That expedition, from 1803 to 1806 and headed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, was the first American overland expedition to the Pacific Coast and back.

“But that’s just a fantasy at this point,” he said with a sigh.

As for the trans-Whidbey expedition, Behr and McCabe recommend it heartily.

“It’s been a great thing for our friendship,” Behr said.

“It’s really important to get moving and do things,” McCabe said.

Roy Jacobson can be reached at 221-5300 or rjacobson@southwhidbeyrecord.com.

Contact South Whidbey Record Reporter Roy Jacobson at rjacobson@southwhidbeyrecord.com or 360-221-5300.

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