Long time no post! I've been busy studying for my national board exam, which I just completed yesterday. (I have to wait a week and a half to find out if I passed, though.)
I haven't had much time for hiking, but a few weeks ago I did manage to make it up
Goose Rock in Deception Pass State Park. I also hiked along North Beach.
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| View from the Summit |
I went on a sunny June weekend. It was cloudy when I left Bellingham, but the skies were blue by the time I reached Anacortes. The park was fairly full, too, though I still managed to find parking by North Beach.
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| Playing troll under the bridge |
Of course I brought my hiking buddy with me!
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| Hiking Buddy |
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| Scenic meadow at the top |
Apparently, the person with the "Zombie Stryke" backpack with purple fuzzy handcuffs is the perfect person to ask for directions, as I was regularly stopped by people wanting to know how to reach the summit.
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| Yes, the handcuffs are STILL on the hiking pack |
Most of the people asking were approaching the summit from the perimeter trail, which if you ask me is the WRONG direction to go.
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| Lots of wildflowers! |
Taking the perimeter trail first means you have to climb up a narrower, rockier, steeper route to the top. It is a lovely trail to take; I prefer to take it on the descent though.
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| Cornet Bay as seen from the perimeter trail |
When we finished our Goose Rock loop, we hiked along North Beach, which offers some nice views of Deception Pass Bridge. I took the beach to the amphitheater and to West Beach. By then, I was running out of steam and my ankle was sore, so I headed back. (My original idea was to hike along West Beach as well.)
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| Pooch enjoying the sand |
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| Views of the bridge |
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| Taking the trail above the beach back |
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| North Beach Panorama |
At the amphitheater, a park ranger was either setting up or taking down a presentation. She had a trailer with a large whale skull and some whale ribs.
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| Not sure if real or plastic, though. |
At West Beach, the sand is sandier and the view opens up to a bigger ocean. There's a dune trail to the south. There's also a huge parking lot here, though on the weekend even it was mostly full.
I've been recovering from a stubborn ankle injury, and the walk along North Beach exacerbated it. Fortunately it seemed to recover faster than it had on hikes in the past. As it heals, and with my exam behind me, I'm hoping for more hikes in the future!
