The drive is short but not exactly direct. On roads that hug the coastline, you don’t usually go straight from point A to point B. As we wind along on this autumn afternoon, we catch glimpses of rich blue water sparkling under the sun. All along the shore are gnarly Pacific madronas (Arbutus menziesii) with their orange-red bark and waxy evergreen leaves. They are the dominant plant along the shoreline and this is the first time I have seen these great trees in all their glory. We’re on Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juan Islands group clustered together in the Salish Sea between the Straits of Georgia to the north and Juan de Fuca to the south. Having just driven off the ferry from the mainland, we’re on our way to a trail. We’ll be there soon but in the meantime I’m glad to be in the passenger seat and not worried about watching the road.