I hiked the loop at Whistle Lake. It was serene, but not interesting. I headed for Deception Pass and hiked the Goose Rock Perimeter and Summit trails, which are very interesting. The wildflowers are blooming in abundance. Today's beauties include Paintbrush, Camas, Vetch, Stonecrop, Coralroot, Orange Honeysuckle, Cow's Clover, Wild Roses, and Wild Rhodies. The views of Puget Sound and the Olympics from Goose Rock Summit are stunning. And the view of Baker from the Perimeter trail is great as well. There were many people at Deception Pass, but only a few hikers on the trail. That's just the way I like it.

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat... A nice short hike to a great view of the Sound and Olympics. The road is closed just past the entrance station to the park, so a short road walk is necessary to reach the trailhead. We walked all the way around the peremiter trail and then took the short switchbacks up to the top of the rock. The top rocks are a bit slick be careful if hiking with kids. On the way back we hiked down to the beach, watched ducks and seals in the water, then walked back to the car. Nice outing and no one else there. You will need a Discover pass or stop and pay 10 $ at the entrance. It was manned.

This is where you want to bring your out of state friends and relatives, which is why we went. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the scenery, though we didn't do much hiking. To read about it and see pictures, go to my blog http://kellbell-whywouldanyonereadthis.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-i-call-this-hike.html

We started our hike at the West Beach TH and in about 1 mile came to the Deception Pass Bridge. Here we went left on the perimeter trail following Craig Romano's route as described in Day Hiking Central Cascades. We were unable to start at the North Beach TH as he suggested as the road was gated for the winter. The beautiful sunny day brought out many hikers! Wildflowers seen were red flowering currant, yellow desert parsley, one red paintbrush, and small-flowered blue-eyed Mary. It was sad to see all the graffiti on the madrona bark!

Yet another great winter hike at Deception Pass. The weather was excellent, as were the views. Begin and end the hike beneath the Deception Pass Bridge on the Whidbey side. Follow the well-signed perimeter trail and take one of several marked trails to the summit where there are outstanding views of the North Cascades and Puget Sound. The trails are in excellent condition with very few hikers. There were already signs of spring with wild roses beginning to blossom.