Deception Pass

By week's end, the sun was finally winning the battle with the clouds and had eventually emerged victorious in La Conner. Deception pass was on the itinerary and with this weather it beakened with avengence.

When we arrived I realized that we couldn’t have asked for a better day. Walking across the 1930’s bridge we could look down at the swirling tides that move at a pace one can easily understand how it was once mistaken for a river. The cars zip by at alarming rates and yet nothing could distract us from the beauty that was a full 360 degrees around us. Surround above and below.

We took a hike to Goose Rock Summit and enjoyed the view of San Juans. The fragrance of the forest transported me to sheer happiness as I laid perched above the meadows. A mere glimpse of the many colors that sprang forth with life and light to brighten the darkest of Northwest winter sufferers. As we sat up at the summit we could see forest, island, sound, naval base, and numerous power lines. Nature and civilisation collide in abundant distorted beauty.

A steep hike down one side took us to a cove where we could observe great blue herons fishing for lunch in a fierce competition. The heron stood so still in the water looking for a fish to swim by. This heron was patient and calm knowing that he will get his dinner. Then a heron flies in to take his fishing spot and he spreads his wings rising above and taking of with his snack. As we rounded the perimeter towards the solitude of the wilderness begins to sink in.

The hike ends in mossy fungal fashion, such a difference from the meadows and woods of the summit. We decide to cross the bridge one more time and enjoy the view. It is at this point that I notice how fantastic the zoom on my camera as I begin to zoom in on the beach strollers below. Then a boat passes under with waving pasengers and we are reminded, "A three-hour tour." We race to the bottom of the hill to catch a boat tour of Deception Pass.

Our tour guide is a young man who appears to be in his early 20s and truly in love with this area. He knows his material and actually presents it in a way that any tourist can enjoy. We see bald eagle nests, pirate islands, peregrine falcons, great blue herons, harbor seals, harbor porpoise, and numerous shore birds. We speed into Rosario Straight the liquid highway to Canada. The strait’s air has a tangible crispness and free quality that no land can give. There was a sense of peace as we sat watched a bald eagle perched high on a tree being reminded that through care, initiative, and cooperation we have brought these birds back from near extinction. As I took picture after picture I captured this majestic bald eagle and I zoomed in as far I felt I was peering directly into the bald eagle‘s eye. I couldn’t help but notice he was keeping a close eye us.

At one point on this boat tour we approached the rocky high cliffed shore to take a gander at the remnants of a mining cave, turned jail, that is now protected peregrine falcon breeding habitat. As we floated around and tried to take in the life around us, we soon were reminded of the depth of life in our surround far exceeded the depth of our perception. A great blue heron stood still scanning the water looking for a snack, an otter chowed down on the high protein sea weed, and a peregrine falcon soared above calling it warning call. Small shore birds hopped from the crustiest of crustacean treat. The bridge above us bustled with homespun technical feats. Tree grew from stumps which grew from stones.

The only deception at Deception Pass is that one thinks a day is enough. But alas I think I could wonder around these shores, hills, trails, and waters for quite a while. Ahh… splendid life.