Deception Pass is a gem year round, but especially in the spring. While most other trails in the state are covered in snow, or at least a heavy coating of mud, wildflowers are blooming, and if you're lucky, the sun is shining. For the April Alpine Trails Book Club hike, we were definitely lucky! While it was overcast and chilly at the trailhead, we warmed up quickly climbing from the beach to the bluff underneath the Deception Pass bridge. We chose to follow the Goose Rock perimeter trail before climbing up to the summit, gently following the waters edge through vibrant green forest. As we emerged from the trees to a rocky trail bluff above Coronet Bay the sun broke through the clouds, and we began to notice early wildflowers scattered over the rocks. 

Once we reached the summit trail and began to climb, our group became quiet and focused on our goal. Thankfully the steep section of trail was short since the summit we climbed toward is only 484 feet. Soon we had reached the top, where we found a flat rocky spot to sit in the sunshine. We discussed the book over chocolate chip cookies and hot genmaicha tea - a Japanese variety with popped rice. After our surprise snow storm last month at Lily Lake, I was determined to be prepared with something warm to drink, and while reading A Tale For the Time Being, I found myself frequently craving this particular tea. Overlooking Puget Sound, we shared theories on the mysterious ending of the novel. 

A Tale For the Time Being is a book that lingers in your mind, altering your perception of the world. After reading the book, one passage in particular sticks with me.

Life is fleeting. Don't waste a single moment of your precious life. Wake up now! And now! And now!

With so many ways to waste time these days, I find it so easy to lose hours just poking at my phone, or binge watching the same TV show for the tenth time. Sipping tea in the warm sunlight, surrounded by friends, I feel fully present. 

Goose Rock | 4.3 Miles Hiked | 484 feet elevation gained

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