June 28th, 2003
Majestic Mt. Erie
It’s beautiful, regardless of season, but spring and summer are especially inviting when it comes to a visit to Mt. Erie. I’m partial to sunrise or sunset, when the sun acts as a spotlight on the mountain’s rugged features. This Saturday morning visit yielded a brief visit with Russ Salmon, a friend working for the city Parks and Recreation Department. Then there was Gregg Juergens of Lynnwood, on the island for a rock climbing adventure with three others. Gregg worked a couple of years at the IPC cannery in Anacortes and was eager to share this area and its natural splendor with his teen-aged daughter, Melissa.
Memorial to accident victim
Most climbers on the mountain walk past a memorial to Jonathan Leland Glass, who died in a fall on August 26, 1992. An inscription on the memorial reads in part: “Friend, as you enjoy this mountain, this world, your life, remember that one slip may have permanent consequences.” There are sweeping views of the surrounding area from two railed vantage points, accessible by walkway and stairs. Standing sentinel over the parking area at the mountain top is a marvelous sculpture of an osprey, or “seahawk,” carved by Guemes Island artist Phillip McCracken.