I thought I’d be doing the epic Shipwreck Coast when I hit this milestone. A group of us fool hikers had a shuttle company lined up for a thru hike, plus the weather was looking decent and the tides seemed to be in our favor…then I called the ranger peeps to ask about permits. She simply said, “You don’t know what we have going on here, do you?”
Apparently the tides were not just too high, but “king” high. I still don’t understand why the tide table I was looking at had it so wrong, but now I understand you really can’t depend on just one source. The ranger did say it looked like things would calm down by the time we did our hike, but when she described the current situation of “waves crashing into the parking lot,” it was an easy decision to try for the 20 miles between Ozette and Rialto another day.
But it sure is hard not to hike when you are amped up for adventure. When the weekend weather did in fact turn out to be beautiful, our group of gals HAD to come up with a plan B. “Epic” was out of the picture – but maybe we could still get some beach walking in.
The stretch between Ebey State Park and Joseph Whidbey Park fit the bill perfectly. Not only would we get our seashore fix, but I could also check off eight more miles of PNT trail. (Putting me now at 103.3 
) With our group of four locals, it was easy to take two cars so we wouldn’t have to double back – so we dropped the first car off at Joseph Whidbey Park (never heard of it? Me either…it’s really not much more than a small parking lot with access to the beach) then piled in the other car and headed to Ebey to start our mini adventure.
I’ll confess…I didn’t even check the tides. I suppose my confidence had been shot, and I figured if the beach looked too thin, we could just explore around Ebey instead. Thankfully Julie had a clearer mind and checked for us, and it was a real relief to know the tide was indeed going out. This stretch has very few “escape routes,” and there are parts you really don’t want to get stuck on with a rising tide. So be smart like Julie!
It may not have been epic, but the day was still perfect – filled with sun and laughter and even a seal! If there is anything this group has a talent for, it’s silly pictures and joking around. We all decided this poor tree (victimized by erosion and barely hanging on by a few roots) would make a great “if 2020 were a tree” meme.
Though when I posted what I thought was a hysterical post on our beloved PNW Facebook page, I got more than one “Oh no! Has it really fallen? So sad!” comments…along with a slightly more threatening “quit fibbing” warning. Clearly, not everyone is skilled at humor.
No worries though, because my little tribe IS skilled at humor. Whatever adventures lie ahead with these gals – along with the challenges that are sure to arise as part of it – I’m confident they will be faced with some comedy. Happy (silly and joy filled) trails!!
AND DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY BOOK!!! Search "Kelly Beane" on Amazon...but only if you don't take yourself too seriously, because my book is supposed to be funny. If you can't laught at "the tree of barely hanging on," you for sure won't like my book.
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