Deception Pass State Park

A monthly newsletter for the park’s friends and neighbors

The 2014 annual joint openhouse for the Deception Pass ParkFoundation and the State Park gotsome toes tapping before themeeting even started, thanks to thewelcoming music of the PennCove Poachers, an acoustic bit ofgospel and folk music provided byboard member Matt Klope andothers in his band.

Getting down to business, themeeting had presentations byFoundation president LizMerriman, sharing the renewedmission of the Foundation for

“Resource protection througheducation”.

Foundation member RickColombo talked about all theactivities and projects that theFoundation has supported the pastcouple of years.

And member Brian Shellyshowed the biggest projectcurrently stuck in permittingstages, a covered stage for theamphitheater near West Beach.

Park Manager Jack Hartt gavean illustrated talk about the stateof the state park, and recappedmany of the adventures,misadventures, and variousprojects underway in the park.

In that presentation, dedicatedbeach naturalist SammyeKempbell presented a wonderfulflower bouquet to Julian and JeanLee to thank them for their hardwork in insulating and sheet-rocking the new interpreter officeat the Rosario restroom.

Amid all the talking, severaldoor prizes were presented tolucky attendees. These included

two sets of tickets for two for akayak trip with AnacortesKayak Tours out of BowmanBay. Thank you Eric and MeganSchorr, owners of AnacortesKayak Tours!

Mary Jo Adams ofPeriwinkle Press also donated aset of plant and animalidentification cards to one of ouraudience members. Thank youMary Jo!http://shop.orcanetwork.org/prod

uct_p/janmjdeceptionpassguide.htm

The Foundation provided animpressive array of drinks andhors d'oeuvres, almost a full meal.

And park manager Jack Harttgot into the swing of things beforethe meeting started, picking up anextra guitar and singing along!

Annual Park Meeting Gets Toes Tapping

2

Are you ready for the fourthannual First Day Hike atDeception Pass?

This year's hike begins andends at Pass Lake, with optionsfor two different distances. Theshorter route follows the lakeshore to the meadow at the northend of the lake ("Jack's house", asneighbors call it).

The Deception Pass ParkFoundation will be there withrefreshments, and the meadowand orchards will be there for yourenjoyment of the scenery and yourexperience of a seldom-seen,history-filled corner of the park. Itis a bout a 3/4 mile hike each way,with one small mound to climband descend along the route.

For those who wish to gofarther and see more, we will thenleave the park residence, descendinto Naked Man Valley to thenorth, and climb up the next ridgeto the Ginnett Overlook, offering

even more views into seldom-seenpark land. This additional stretchis about a mile each direction.with an elevation gain of about100 feet (about 30 meters) eachway.

For a park nearly surroundedby saltwater, this hike will seenone of it.AmeriCorps interpreterCarly Rhodes will lead the shorterhike, and I will lead the longerhike beyond. We start at 10 a.m.,and return when yourlegs and attention spandesire. (You do nothave to stay with thepack!)

Pets are welcomeif friendly with otherpeople and on a leash.Dress for the weatherand terrain. A porta-potty will be availableat my house, and thereis a restroom at the

Pass Lake parking lot as well.I hope you can join us for

these hikes! Get the new yearstarted with an adventure andpleasant exercise among friends.

Read neighbor Dave Wenning’sblog description of the hike at:

http://www.fidalgoweather.net/2014/11/a-preview-of-first-day-2015-hill.html

First Day Hike, 2015Fourth Annual!

Yes, hard to believe, with iceforming on the lake in places, butPass Lake is currently at thewarning stage because of toxiccyanobacteria, the so-called blue-green algae.

The toxin that closed CranberryLake this past summer wasanatoxin-a, which affects thenervous system. Pass Lake has a different toxin,

called microcystins, which affectthe liver.

The levels are above thecautionary line, but not highenough to close the lakecompletely.

We ask that any users notingest any lake water, and keep itfrom contacting your skin. Keepchildren and pets away. SkagitCounty is testing frequently tomonitor the levels.

Toxic Algae in Pass Lake–In December!

3

By Carly Rhodes AmeriCorps Interpretive Intern

Thanksgiving has come andgone. It is now December andtime for a new holiday but, beforewe throw away our thanksgivingspirit with the rest of the uneatenturkey, take a second to thinkabout what you were thankful forthis year.

One on my list is DeceptionPass. So, this Thanksgiving Idecided to spend my morningenjoying one of the many things Iam thankful for.

I journeyed over to BowmanBay midmorning on Thanksgiving.It was peaceful, only a few othercars in the parking lot. I wasexpecting rain but, pleasantlysurprised it had stopped.

I walked alongside the beach.There were a few people takingpictures on the dock and a fewothers launching a boat into thewater. I walked up to the woodenbridge that leads to Lighthouseand Lottie Point trails. That iswhere I began my hike.

The first part of theLighthouse point trail is uphill. Itis not long and it is not toodaunting. Once at the top there is

a great view of Rosario. I keptalong the path; to my right was abeautiful view of the water and onthe left there were madrone treesweaved through out the trail.

After the short time on theelevated path, I followed the traildown to one of my favorite partsof the hike. I exited the forest andI was on the beach between thetwo bays. It was high tide. Iwalked between the small spacebetween the high waters and tallgrasses.

I enjoy this part of this hikethe most when I am between thetwo bays. It is like a breath offresh air exiting the forest andwalking along the beach. I walkedfurther, took a final look aroundthen moved on to the next phaseof the hike.

What I love about this trail isthat it has many layers to it. Itgoes from beach, to forest, toalmost a new island with its ownterrain, views, and forests. Iwalked through the trees and Inoticed pops of yellow in thegreenery.

I then came to an opening.There were a few boulders thenwater, and then the bridge. I stopfor a moment to admire. I thoughthow thankful I am to be in such a

beautiful place.I walked

further andapproachedanother clearing.I went to the edgewhich has thebest view of thebridge. I looked

out at the bridge and to my left Isaw a heron. It was perched on arock in the water. It did not movemore than an inch the whole timeI was there.

I snapped a few pictures of the

bird and the bridge when I heard anoise. It was a squawking noise Ihad never heard before. I lookedto my right, and between the rocksI saw a seal. It was swimmingalong on its back. I watchedexcitedly. One, because I hadnever seen one so close up beforeand two, if you read my lastCurrent article you know I justlearned all about them. The sealthen dove underwater and swamaway. The hike was really shapingup to be one of my best.

I kept walking looking at theamazing views and deep greenwaters. Off in the distance I sawthe green “lighthouse”. Althoughthe lighthouse itself is not much ofa sight to see its surroundings aremore than enough. I walked

Lighthouse Point

Seeing it with Fresh Eyes

4

further, looking out to the watersand taking in all there was to seeon the beautiful day.

The trail continues back intothe forest. It goes from opennessand views to narrow trails coveredby trees. It is green and fresh. Thetrees are laced with lichenscreating a magical experience as Iwalked through.

There was still plenty to see;from the cedar trees, giant ferns,to the many slugs slowly movingalong the trail.

I exited the heavily woodedpart of the trail to find that the sunwas coming out. The beautifulmorning had just become evenmore beautiful.

What a great start it was to myday. As I approached the end ofmy hike, I think more and morehow lucky I am to be in such awonderful place.

I had a wonderful time on myThanksgiving hike. I was in one ofmy favorite places, on one of myfavorite trails.

Walking by myself gave metime to think and reflect on all Iam thankful for.

As we enter further intoDecember let us not forget thethings we were thankful for thisThanksgiving. It is not only once ayear we can show ourappreciation for what we arethankful for.

Whether it is going on a hikeor spending time with a loved one,it’s the little things that count.

AmeriCorps: In exchange for volunteer work in thecommunity, students receive $5,000 credit for college.An IBM study shows that for every dollar invested inAmeriCorps, the return is between $1.60 and $2.60.

The link below leads to a paperthat showed that a virus was in-volved in the massive outbreakthat has killed millions of sea stars(including more than 20 differentspecies) along the west coast ofNorth America since June of 2013.

Interestingly, the same viruswas found in museum specimensof sea stars collected 72 years ago,suggesting that a mutation in thevirus (as has been seen with close-ly related viruses) could have trig-gered the outbreak.

Work is continuing to betterunderstand the other factors in-volved in this outbreak and howthis massive loss of predators willreshape the marine ecosystem.

Find a link to the full paper,published in the Proceedings ofthe National Academy of Sciences,plus videos and images from theoutbreak, at

http://www.seadocsociety.org/sea-star-wasting-disease/

Photo by Jan Kocian

Sea StarWasting Disease

5

Park Area Winter Closures:� North Beach gate� Cranberry Campground (all)� Bowman Bay Campground� Rosario parking lot and restroom� Hilltop restroom (north end at

West Beach)

Cranberry Lake Fishing:A total of just under 30,000

rainbow trout were added toCranberry Lake this past month, wellover four times what is usually addedto the lake by the Department of Fishand Wildlife. And they raised thedaily limit from 5 to 10, making agreat opportunity for fishing folks ofall ages to catch their breakfast.These fish are in the 10 to 12 inch(25- 30 cm.) range, a nice size toenjoy. Get them before thecormorants.

Rosario restroom doors:Two of the large, heavy doors at

the new Rosario restroom are gone.They were swelling up in the moistmarine air, and not closing as theyshould. As they are still underwarranty, the contractor has removedtwo of them to work on the doorsback at their shops. They will returnwhen they are fixed, and the otherswill then be refurbished as well, intime for our March 1 opening.

Bowman water lines:You may have seen the mess we

have made at Bowman. It's going toget worse. The ground at BowmanBay is ripped up in places. We arelooking for leaks in our water linesthere. For the past year, we havenoticed more water being used thanexpected, telling us that we have aleak. Our explorations have revealedthat there is more than one leak, butthat the leaks are elusive, very

elusive, disappearing into the soilbefore they show us where they are.

Because the water line is old andfailing, we have decided to justreplace the entire line, from the southend of Bowman to near the CCCInterpretive Center. A funding grantfrom our region office will pay forthe majority of the cost of the newline. The mess you see will growbigger as we dig out the old and putin the new.

Restoration of Park Beaches:Plans continue to become finalized

for three significant changes to ourshorelines in the next few months.

Cornet Bay shoreline: Phase 2 willbegin in the next few months as wework to restore the west end ofCornet Bay, northeast of the marina,similar to the work that was done infront of the restroom area there.

Cornet Bay moorage docks: Grantmoney will hopefully replace theaging floats and pier with a fish- andeelgrass-friendly configuration thatalso expands moorage

Cornet Bay Thunderbird dock: thepier southwest of the public docksjoins the beach with a boulder-strewnchunk of riprap. This may bereplaced with a connection morefavorable to forage fish and beachdrift if funding can be found.

Bowman Bay: SEPA and JARPAare being submitted for a proposal toremove the riprap there and restorethe beach to match the rest ofBowman Bay!

West Beach restroom:Be aware that this winter, the

concession building at the south endof West Beach is open for your use.The restroom near the north end,called Hilltop, is closed for the winter.We hope the concession restroom,being closer to Cranberry Lake and

more accessible and visible to ourvisitors, will make life easier.

Current projects underway:� Cornet Bay Retreat Center

bunkhouse repairs� Cornet Bay Retreat Center

infirmary and cook cabinmodernization

� Cornet Bay Retreat Center boys'cabins updates

� Cranberry Campground entranceimprovements

� Bowman Bay gate installation� Bowman Bay waterline

replacement� Kukutali residential gutter

installation� Kiket Island cabin removal� Equipment servicing� Paint shop renovation� Kukutali Interpretive planning

Deception Pass State Park Staff:

Jack Hartt, Park ManagerRick Blank, Assistant ManagerJim Aggergaard, RangerRick Colombo, Park AideDoug DeYoung, Park AideTodd Harris, Senior Park AideJeri Lancaster, Office Asst.Mark Lunz, MaintenanceCarly Rhodes, Interpretive InternBill Ruh, Senior Park AideBen Shook, RangerJason Stapert, RangerJohn Whittet, RangerMarvin Wold, Maintenance

Quick Park Status Updates

6

Two big races are coming up next weekend at Deception Pass State Park, one by water, the other by land.

The annual 25k and 50k Rainshadow Running races start the weekend. Yes, 16 and 32 mile races in thepark, one on Saturday the 13th and the other on Sunday the 14th. Both start at West Beach early in themorning.

Come cheer them on!

http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/deception-pass-50k.htmlhttp://www.rainshadowrunning.com/deception-pass-25k.html

The other race event next weekend is the ninth annual Deception Pass Dash. Kayakers and paddle-boarders race from Bowman Bay, out to Deception Island, into the pass and around Strawberry Island, thenback to Deception Island and Bowman Bay to finish.

This year's race is on Sunday the 14th. The six-mile race begins at 8:40 to catch the tides. Come early tosee this spectacular challenge.http://outdooradventurecenter.com/adventure/deception-pass-dash-2014/

Deception Pass Dash

It’s 8th year…

Rainshadow Runs Coming Next Weekend

25k and 50k Routes

7

2015 State Parks

Free Days:January 1 – (Thursday) New Year’s Day and State Parks’ First Day HikesJanuary 18 and 19 – (Sunday and Monday) Martin Luther King Jr. DayMarch 19 – (Thursday) Washington State Parks’ 102nd birthdayApril 4 – (Saturday) A springtime free SaturdayApril 22 – (Wednesday) Earth DayMay 10 – (Sunday) A springtime free SundayJune 6 – (Saturday) National Trails DayJune 13 – (Saturday) National Get Outdoors DayAugust 25 – (Tuesday) National Park Service’s  99th  birthdaySeptember 26 – (Saturday) National Public Lands DayNovember 11 – (Wednesday) Veterans Day

Or, volunteer 24 hours in a calendar year and receive a free Discover Pass!

Or, buy a Discover Pass from us and all the parks are free to you every dayof the year!

I have hiked every trail inthe park, and most of the areaswhere there are no trails.

There is one place in thepark I had never hiked. It is asmall area, and it is close toseveral roads. I have seen on1930-era maps of the park thatthe CCC had planned to use thisarea, but I never knew for what.

Now I know.By looking at this picture,

do you know? It was built bythe Rosario camp of the CCC.The Cornet Bay camp had onealso.

A hint: The Rosario campwas located on leased groundnear Rosario Beach, so theybuilt this here instead.

It stands about four feethigh, and has what looks like aroad bed leading up to it, with aparking area right next to it.

It is no longer in very goodcondition, obviously, andcertainly not useable, nor wouldwe want to use such a thinganymore. Still, it is fascinating to seethis long-forgotten piece ofpark history still standing.

As part of the contract torestore the Cornet Bay shorelinetwo years ago, the SkagitFisheries Enhancement Grouppromised to continue to monitorand service the new plantings forthree years.

They were back again acouple weeks ago, weeding and

planting and providing finishingtouches to the growing naturalbeach environment.

Thank you so much SFEG forthis dedication and hard work byso many volunteers and staff.

www.skagitfisheries.org/

SFEG Improves Cornet Bay

What?? Where?

8

Twenty thousand years agomammoths roamed a tundraecosystem that stretched fromFrance to China. Could thatecosystem be restored? Could ithelp us fight climate change?

Dr. Andy Bunn, Ph.D, Dept.of Environmental Sciences,Western Washington University,has spent more than a decaderesearching the rapid changes inthe Arctic and the complexrelationship between climate andvegetation.

Come and learn more abouthis findings.

January 9th, 7-8:30p.m.,Northwest Educational ServiceDist. Building, 1601 R Ave.,Anacortes.

Lectures are free and open tothe public. Sponsored by Friendsof Skagit Beaches

http://skagitbeaches.org.For more information contact:

Matt Kerschbaum,cherrytree21@comcast.net.

Backyard (and other) birdwatchers in the PacificNorthwest can now enter their bird observations intoeBird Northwest ( www.ebird.org/nw ), a newlylaunched regional system of information sharingabout birds.

Your entries help Washington Department ofFish and Wildlife (WDFW) and other wildlifebiologists better understand bird species locations,population densities, seasonal movement patterns,and conservation needs.

Your entries and those of fellow localbirdwatchers also help each other learn where birdsare, and are not, in real time.

This regional portal of the Cornell Laboratory ofOrnithology’s international eBird program issponsored by WDFW, U.S. Fish and WildlifeService Region 1 (Pacific), the Klamath Bird

Observatory, and other local conservation partners.eBird Northwest contributes to nation-wide birdconservation priorities outlined by the NorthAmerican Bird Conservation Initiative (http://www.nabci-us.org/ ).

Check http://ebird.org/content/nw/ regularlythrough the holidays to find updated birding hotspots to plan your outings with family and friends,and of course where you can participate in the Dec.14 – Jan. 5 Christmas Bird Counts (or see how thosecounts went after the fact!)

A Citizen Science Committee is working withpartners to develop relevant, local projects that arealso linked or hosted through eBirdNorthwest. These projects address specific dataneeds and encourage participants to contribute datathat will inform conservation.

Help us all learn more about local birds with “eBird”

9

How does the state budgetprocess work?

The next few months bringmuch anxiety and interest to yourstate park staff. The state budgetwill be finalized sometime thiscoming spring, determining ourpark's plans and servicecapabilities for the next two years,Our budget cycle starts July 1 ofodd-numbered years and runs toJune 30 two years later. This iscalled a biennium.

Here are the key dates toprepare the 2015-2017 budget:

o Summer and Fall, 2014: Staffprepare proposed budgets forthe parks and for capitaldevelopment needs

o December 2014: TheGovernor's office publishestwo budgets. One is a status-quo budget, with no newrevenue, but meetingprioritized needs. The otherconsiders additional revenueto meet other needs of thestate.

o January to April: The Houseand Senate meet to create

their own budgets.Sometimes this actually getsdone by April. Two years agoit wasn't finalized until June30, the day before our stategovernment would have shutdown.

There are several budgets,actually – one for operations, onefor capital development, and onefor transportation issues. Theoperations budget determines theability of state parks to providestaff and maintain the facilities.

In 2007-09, State Parks had a$150 million budget, out of a statebudget of about $71 billion.About $100 million of that wasfrom state taxes, or about 1.4% ofthe state budget.

Last year, State Parksreceived about $10 million instead,a cut of about 90%! That 90% cutis partially off-set by the DiscoverPass. And because the DiscoverPass brought in less than planned,we lost an additional $10 millionin funding.

We are now down to beingabout 0.1% of the overall state

budget. That is about a tenth of apenny for every dollar the statespends.

This year, our agency isasking for a little more than thatso that we can keep parks openand provide the levels of servicethat we believe each park shouldbe able to provide.

However, the legislature istasked with increasing funding foreducation due to the McClearylawsuit and the new classroom-size initiative, requiring about $2billion more dollars. The state isalso facing a deficit of perhapsthat same amount. Our state parkbudget is a drop in the bucketcompared to these numbers, butevery drop counts in keeping thebucket full, or wherever themetaphor should be.

So, watch with us as ourelected officials try to meet all ofthe needs of our communities andcitizens over the next few months.

State Budget Process 101How much will State Parks receive?

"What the climate needs to avoid collapse is a contraction inhumanity's use of resources. What our economic model demands toavoid collapse is unfettered expansion. Only one of these sets of rulescan be changed, and it's not the laws of nature."

~ Naomi Klein

10

This monthly update is sent to folkswho have expressed an interest inkeeping in touch with what ishappening or in the planning stages atDeception Pass State Park.

We are grateful to have youwelcome us into your inbox.

If you are not interested in receivingthese monthly updates, please reply tothis message and let me know. We haveno intention of sending emails that youdo not wish to receive.

If you wish to communicate atanytime with me or other park staff,please email, call, or visit us. This park isyour park.

Park ManagerDeception Pass State Park41020 State Route 20Oak Harbor, WA 98277360-675-3767 ext. 26jack.hartt@parks.wa.gov ©

This is a wonderful time of the year to me. Not necessarily for hikingin shirtsleeves, having a picnic, or sunbathing. Swimming in a lake isdefinitely out for me right now.

My hikes are done between rainstorms if I can, and my kayak trips areplanned with wind and fetch in mind. Either way, I am bundled upbeyond the point of recognition because I’m a wimp in cold weather.

Although the days may be short, gray, and chilly, the evenings arefilled with a crackling fire, warm drinks, and good remembrances offamily and friends. My heart is warmed daily by the kindnesses I witnessas people share of their time, their talents, their resources, and even theirwords of encouragement.

Our annual State Park open house is a case in point. A half dozenFoundation members provided a feast of food for guests to enjoy. Acouple dozen neighbors gathered with us to share their time andencouragement about the directions the park and the Foundation aretaking, and to give vocal and physical support to us all. And another half-dozen or more members of the Penn Cove Poachers (really?) blessed uswith mirth and rhythm and tunes to warm up the evening.

At this time, as we all focus on Thankfulness and Giving, I want toexpress my whole-hearted thankfulness for each of you, for all you havedone to make my life and this park richer and stronger.

And I want to give to you all my whole-hearted wish for a joyousseason of celebration, and look forward to being with you all in thecoming years as well.

Each day is a gift we can share. Thank you for sharing your days withme and with the park.