Ebey's Landing, 3/14/09, 5 miles, 250 elevation
Finally the day came when Michael and I were to lead our mentored hike for the Mountaineers. But as the weekend approached the weather forecast got worse. We were expecting high winds and rain for the morning of our hike. Our group began to dwindle until there were just two on the list the night before our adventure. I learned several years ago that you never cancel a trip because you don't know what will happen. And it's a good thing we didn't.
Rain may have been falling in Seattle when we left, but the grey skies held off their threat of a deluge until after our hike. The wind however was stiff and cold as we started up the bluff. We all bundled up as we set off for our little journey.
Ebey's Landing is a hike full of history and we detoured to view a piece of that history - an old blockhouse used in the Indian Wars of the 1850's. The settlers would take refuge in these smallish structures. They would fire rifles through holes in the thick walls at their attackers. When the attack was over, the settlers would return to their homes - one of which is replicated nearby.
We continued our hike along the bluff and once past the ridge the wind died down so we were able to enjoy our walk much better. Without the wind freezing our exposed skin, we could stop every now and then to admire the view - and notice a cactus or two just below us on the bluff. Yes, you read that right, cactus. There are several cacti making their home in the sandy soils of the Ebey's Landing trail. It's quite a sight.
Once we hit the beach the wind had again picked up - no longer blocked by the ridge. So our walk trek back to the cars was quick - just so we could get ourselves out of the cold. It wasn't until our drive back to Seattle that the rains started falling. Like I said, you don't always know how a day will turn out.
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