As the new year approaches, it’s a great time for runners to consider signing up for something new. And if you haven’t tried the Whidbey Island Half Marathon, you should. The date for the 2015 race is set for Sunday, April 19, 2015 which is about the time of year that the weather begins to …
Author Archives: ggsmith42
Trail Running (or Hiking) at Dugualla State Park
Even those who have lived on Whidbey Island for years might not know about Dugualla State Park, part of Deception Pass State Park. Of the seven sites listed on the Deception Pass Park Foundation web site, which include: Goose Rock, The Bridge, Cranberry Lake, West Beach, Rosario Beach and Tide Pools, Pass Lake, North Beach, Hoypus …
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Deception Pass Bridge
According to a December 6, 2014, article in the Whidbey News Times, Deception Pass State Park still most-visited state park; 2014 a record year, a whopping 2.7 million persons visited the park this year! Those who did, at most traversed, and at least photographed (likely both) the Deception Pass Bridge. In the parking lot at the south …
Deception Pass Half Marathon 2015 and 2014
This year the Deception Pass Half Marathon, part of the Bellingham Trail Series, was held on Sunday, June 6. Two hundred and twenty persons participated. That’s nearly 100 more than the year before. Except for a couple of organizational snafus, the course and race experience were about the same as last year. While in search …
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Spectating Deception Pass Dash 2014
After days of rain that caused even us locals to complain, Whidbey Islanders woke to clear blue skies and calm seas, perfect weather for today’s Deception Pass Dash. Crossing the Deception Pass Bridge, the visibility was excellent. The Olympic Mountains were visible, so I stopped to get a shot. Although I knew that the parking …
Oak Harbor Library Photo Display
Eyes wide open: because I live in a small town, in January and February of 2015, I had the chance to display some of the nature photographs I’ve taken during the 10 years I’d lived on north Whidbey Island at the Oak Harbor Library. When I started trail running in 2011, I started spending a …
Trail Running (or Hiking) at Deception Pass State Park Goose Rock and North Beach trails
On June 1, 2014, I ran my first trail half marathon, the Deception Pass Half, part of the Bellingham Trail Series. My GPS watch clocked it at not quite 13.1 miles worth of paved roadway, trails and bridges (twice each across Deception Pass and Canoe Pass) with a climb (to the summit of Goose Rock) …
Book Snob’s Five Favorite Reads on Running
Until a few years ago, I hadn’t read many books that I’d even bother to recommend about running. That all changed when I found and fell in love with, Born to Run, which opened my eyes to a new view about running, in general, and an affinity for minimalist shoes (I drew the line at …
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Hiking (or Trail Running) Lottie Point Loop Trail
Last week I hiked Lottie Point Loop Trail at Deception Pass State Park but couldn’t decide whether or not it was worth the walk because thick fog obscured the view in every direction. This morning as I (almost) passed by, I decided to stop and see what it was like on a clear day. I …
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Hiking (or Trail Running) Lighthouse Point Trail
After the morning low clouds burned off on Sunday, we had a spectacularly sunny day. Unfortunately, I was not the only one who noticed. In addition, because it happened to be Oyster Run 2014 weekend, there were plenty of bikers around as well. I decided to hike Lighthouse Point Trail at Deception Pass State Park …
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