500-50-5

My goal for 2014 was to hike 500 miles for my 50th birthday year. Over Thanksgiving weekend I realized that I would need to hike 60 miles to hit my goal and I started to try to hike on a more consistent basis. I did well the first week with 14.5 miles but then the rain storms descended and the days shortened and school got busy and it took 2 weeks to get another 16 miles. Once Christmas vacation started I began to hike longer hikes. My trail of choice was the Pacific Northwest Trail. I wanted to finish up all the sections that I'd never done on Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands, which meant I'd be doing a lot of road walking. 

My first Christmas hike I went from the Anacortes Community Forest Land to Deception Pass State Park. It was a cold and rainy day and I did an 8 mile stretch which included a road walk along Sharpe Road.

Two tall trees near trail 247

Trail 247 in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands

A rock climbing wall on Mt. Erie

View  of the lake and ocean from trail 247

The road walk begins near this quaint little store

From the Lake Erie Grocery I continued up Sharpe Road. It had some great views, funky signs and art.

Mt. Erie

Metal coyote howls a welcome

The Garage Mahal. Ha ha ha!!

An ancient sewing machine decorates this auto body shop sign

Eventually I turned onto Ginnett Road from Sharpe Road and then plunged into the forest lands near Pass Lake. Once I got to Pass Lake I took a brief break at the picnic table and then continued on to cross Deception Pass Bridge.

Cool rock formation in Naked Man Valley

Several large blow downs impede my progress

Deception Pass Bridge ahead

Several day later I picked up where I left off at Deception Pass Bridge. I took the Perimeter Trail, cut through the Environmental Learning Center Camp, road walked to Cornet Bay and then took the trail around Hoypus Point, popping out at Angler's Haven Road. It was another rainy cold gray day and 4.5 miles.

Cornet Bay Marina

December 29th I picked up the trail at Angler's Haven Road and headed to Oak Harbor. I left the dog at home since I was doing 8.5 miles of road walking. Fortunately it was a clear cold and sunny day. The views for much of the walk were fabulous. 

High tide has turned Ala Spit into an island. Mt. Baker in distance

One of the best parts was Dike Road. It had fabulous views and I discovered a wild bird and fish preserve there that I never knew existed.

Mt. Baker at Dugually Bay

Facing west towards NAS Whidbey

A preserve? I didn't know this was here!

From Dike Road I continued up the hill to Taylor Road.

A totem pole sign welcomes you to a scenic neighborhood

From here the road turned resolutely towards Oak Harbor. I began to hear the jets from NAS Whidbey and the views declined as the trash along the road increased.

Grassy shoulders make this walk easier on the feet

Quintessential North Whidbey. Patriotic flag, a carved eagle and support for OLF.

Taylor turned into Fakkema Road and then I was on busy Highway 20. My hike ended near the two jets that welcome you to Oak Harbor.

Generally I'm not a procrastinator. I like to get things done early but December 31st I still had several miles to go to hit my 500 mile goal. I had one final road walk section from the jets at Ault Field Road and Highway 20 to Joseph Whidbey State Park. I parked my car at Joseph Whidbey State Park and my husband, John, dropped me at the jets. It was a bitterly cold 23 degree morning and at 7:45 am the sun's first rays were beginning to break through the early twilight.

I walked briskly along, regretting that I'd forgotten to put on my long johns beneath my pants. My rain skirt kept me a little warmer and I snugged my Marmot beanie firmly over my ears. Even walking quickly I could feel the cold oozing in.

Ault Field Road has a nice wide shoulder which is fortunate since this road has a lot of traffic. It goes past the main entrance to Naval Air Station Whidbey and many of the people driving past me wore blue Navy fatigue uniforms.

Looking back towards NAS Whidbey with Mt. Baker

It took a good hour before I began to warm up. In the distance I could hear the roar of jet engines from NAS Whidbey as I turned down the road past a golf course and continued on to Joseph Whidbey State Park. I entered the park and headed down to where I had parked my car. 

Entrance to Joseph Whidbey State Park

Beach at Joseph Whidbey State Park

I drove back where I had walked to see my final mileage and I was surprised to see it was exactly five miles. My final section of the PNT on Whidbey on the final day of 2014 to hit my 500 mile goal for my 50th birthday was a perfect 5 miles. Just Perfect!