Left Redmond around 10.30am and arrived at the trailhead close to noon. The ferry traffic was very light today and we didn't have any problems with traffic. The weather was cloudy which must have kept folks away because the trail wasn't too busy. We hiked from the trailhead along the beach past the lake for about an extra 3/4 mile, since the tide was low. We returned and continued up on the ridge back to the trailhead and a tasty meal. Total distance was a leisurely 5 miles, and we finished close to 4.00pm. Trail was in excellent condition. Steep in some areas, particularly going up the cliff on the return. We saw several rabbits, a deer, and a snake that slithered across the trail before I could identify it. All in all a great hike, with beautiful scenery, on a fantastic day.

This Whidbey Island hike is a nice option for a sunny winter day when you'd like to stay out in the open and enjoy some great views. It took about 1.5 hours to drive there from Seattle including the ferry. Our five year old happily walked the whole (3.5 or 3.0 mile?)loop, and we carried the 14 month old in the pack. I held kiddo's hand on a couple of parts of the bluff trail where it traverses steep open slopes. He loved the short sand slide at the bottom near the beach. It appears that this trail has been re-built and is now more switchbacked and less steep. We added variety to the return walk on the beach by cutting over to the trail along the lagoon. This avoided an area of slightly slippery footing on the beach, too. Tide was pretty high. Lots of others out enjoying this spot. We felt we had picked just the right thing to do on a sunny winter day.

The Ebey's landing loop was gorgeous as usual, although the trail is too short. The kids, who were bickering a bit in the car, immediately perked up and we decided to do the trip in the opposite order from usual--beach first. Found three small agates, and a very orange crab shell. The wildflower display is currently dominated by a pretty purple vetch, accented by roses, brodeia, and catchfly. Showers were forecast, however there was a negligible amount of precipitation.

One of these days I should learn how to snowshoe, but for now most of the mountains are closed to me. So a fantastically beautiful day for a trip to the coast! The 3.5 mile Ebey's Landing loop (turn west on Ebey Rd from Coupeville) on Whidbey Island provides a stunning outing in any weather, with views spanning the Sound through a hundred and eighty degrees. Dramatic stormy seas and skies, a wide expanse of mirror-like blue, it just can't look bad whatever the weather. The day didn't clear up as much as predicted, but the mist gave way to thin, hazy sun and rippling lines of high cloud. I do the loop climbing up the bluff from the car park, along the top of the cliffs and down beyond Perego's Lagoon to return via the beach. I imagine doing the reverse loop would make a hard climb up to the bluff on slippery sand - that's a steep section of trail. At this time of year, there are many visiting waterbirds off the beach at Ebey's Landing, mostly various species of ducks and grebes, with a few waders around Perego's Lagoon. Between the wildlife and the huge accumulations of driftwood, there's never a lack of something to grab the eye on the walk back along the beach to the parking area. Loops are always good for increased interest, and this is a quick hike that can be easily fitted in on a short winter day even when you have to take the ferry! More pictures at http://eelpi.livejournal.com/30103.html#cutid1

What a perfect day! Early low cloud clearing to almost unbroken skies, with bald eagles and northern harriers soaring over the cliffs. A cool breeze off the Sound on the clifftops, but I wasn't going to complain about that. Spring has very definitely arrived on Whidbey Island. Butterflies, bees, wildflowers and birdsong everywhere, and sadly also some flies starting to congregate in the sun on the sandy trail. I followed the loop trail up the bluff, then inland to Sunnyside Cemetary, before going back to the cliffs over Perego's Lagoon and down to the beach for the trip back to the car park as the tide receded. This loop has it all - the farmland above the cliffs has all the meadow birds currently competing for fence-posts to sing from, the cliffs have the raptors, and the sea and lagoon have the ducks and waders. The mixture of rich, arable soil and sandy bluffs gives the same contrast of plant life, and the views are outstanding in every direction. The driftwood all along the lagoon and beach provides dramatic features for photos. On top of all that, the beauty of a loop hike that almost everyone takes in the same direction is that even though there may be a few people around, you rarely meet them. The illusion of isolation on a busy trail. The basic loop is 3.5 miles with a 250 foot climb up the cliffs, but with the side trip to Sunnyside and some general beachy wandering, I made it a 7.2 mile day.