Getting to know Katherine | What makes San Juan County home?

||| FROM KATHERINE BRIANT INGMAN for SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL |||

We moved to Lopez in 2014 after Joe landed a job at Spencer Spit State Park. I must admit, I was hesitant at first. I wasn’t sure how life on Lopez would mix with my plans to go to grad school or pursue career opportunities I was excited about. But Lopez altered the course of my life. I was overcome by the island’s caring, grounded, and connected community. 

We quickly became part of the fabric of this place. Neighbors sharing fresh-caught crab and home-grown veggies and genuinely wanting to know how each other was doing. Our small businesses are essential hubs for connection. While working at Vortex Café and Isabel’s Espresso, I had the chance to meet just about everyone. Island institutions like these care deeply about nourishing their neighbors and creating spaces where everyone belongs. 

I also fell in love with our county’s public lands, open spaces, and waterways. I cherish Shark Reef Sanctuary on Lopez, where picnics with friends and family are a long-time tradition. We take visitors to Shark Reef, walking the trails we love and which Joe now works hard to sustain as Park Manager. 

Joe and I were engaged on top of Turtleback! Last weekend, while on Orcas for the Family Tides Farm & Northwest Indian College Fall Festival, I took that same hike. It will forever be a special place for our family. Learning more about its history and how people have lived and managed this land for generations is to discover even more love and appreciation for its presence in the islands. 

If we’re not hiking or picnicking, we’re fishing off the south end of San Juan, catching crab and prawns, or cooking up fresh-caught lingcod to share with our friends. A few days ago, I hitched a ride to Waldron on the mail boat, hearing first-hand from our neighbors there about what it takes to live well on islands not served by state ferries.

Lopez has brought new life to activities I’ve loved since childhood, like running and playing pickleball. I’ve had the time of my life coaching high school track and field the last few years. The Lopez Lobos have a strong team full of students who have high hopes for their futures and love to be outdoors. 

Spending time with our island’s young people reminds me how much we need each other, to understand and learn from each other and to pay attention to our impact. Investing in our schools and our children is investing in our collective future, and it takes all of us together. 

Adult recreation groups are also essential to life on Lopez. More than a game of tennis or pickleball, it’s time spent together, moving our bodies and building strength, and that’s why I keep playing. I’ve never laughed so hard as I do when I’m on the court.

To learn more about me, visit katherinebryantingman.com/