Deception Pass State Park
5/13/06-5/14/06
As I mentioned in the entry for my Wallace Falls trip, we had to camp at a State Park since the forest service campgrounds didn’t open until Memorial Day. I send Morgan a link to the State Parks website to choose a campground of the three I was looking at (Bay View, Rasar, or Deception Pass). Deception Pass was his choice. I’d camped there many times before, mostly as a kid, and it was the first place Callie and Scott had ever gone camping.
The drive up was pretty quick (quicker for me than for Morgan) and the weather was beautiful. The ranger shack, being empty of prospective campers, indicated that there were plenty of sites open. Wrong! The volunteer working there told us that almost all of the sites were full. She gave us a map with the open ones highlighted and we went on out way. The way in-person reservations are done was this: You check with the ranger shack for available sites, drive around and see that all the sites are taken, find an available one, put your crap in it, drive back to the ranger and reserve it. We splurged by reserving two adjacent sites, one of which had water and power. We didn’t need water and power but isn’t it the American way to buy and not need? Isn’t that what all those vets fought and died for and why we celebrate Memorial Day? And why we don’t open up campgrounds until Memorial Day, so we’ll appreciate those heroes even more? Plus the two sites put us a little farther from our neighbors in the next campstall.

Morgan and I drove to a store right outside the entrance to the park and loaded up with firewood, beer, and pops for Callie and Scott. In order to fit in, Morgan purchased beer cozies or something like that. They are these little foam containers that you slide your beer can into to keep it cold or protect your hand or something. Mine said “Your village called. They’re missing their idiot.” I think we bought three cords of wood and two packages of kindling and put them right on the leather seat. If only that wood knew what it was in for!
We all took a walk along Cranberry Lake toward the sound. Rock, beer cans and madrona trees lined the edge of the lake. Morgan and Emily’s dog, Jack, swam in the water and freaked out whenever he saw a stick in anyone’s hand. Morgan said not to pick up or throw sticks, so I picked one up and threw it.
The beach was semi-crowded, but the tide was out pretty far, and this made for a bigger beach. Rocks and tidepools remained stranded in the beach and we climbed around, looking for sea life and pretty rocks.
Scott got a look from a group of girls on our walk back to camp. I know people prowl nightclubs looking for a mate, but hadn’t really thought of these crowded campgrounds as a “scene.”
Back at the camp. Fire is started. Scott, who has camped a LOT, had a difficult time building the fire. He kept stacking the logs horizontally, not allowing for much oxygen. I sprayed the wood with fire water and it magically started up! I don’t know if he saw me, but felt proud of himself. Shhh!
Dinner consisted of steaks that were too rare for Emily’s taste, corn that had been thrown right on the coals, beans, and hot dogs. I broke out the little wine glasses from the picnic set I’d found next to Jes’ dumpster, and poured some Beaujolais. I think we may have had some Cab with the steaks, but don’t remember now.
Most of the rest of the night, we sat by the fire and drank beer. Well, Morgan, Emily, and I did.
Since it had been about a year since we used it, we intentionally brought the huge, 8 or 10 man tent so it would feel useful. It sucked setting it up.
I slept okay, but woke up with a headache and sore throat. As I put my clothes on, I noticed that Scott wasn’t there. He must have got up early and was poking around outside. Nope, he was asleep outside. His nice sleeping bag was plopped in the dust next to the fire ring. I woke him up and he told me that I was snoring so loud that he moved outside. Then he noticed Morgan was snoring too. He couldn’t win!
Breakfast consisted of bacon, spam, you know. The same stuff we usually have. I want to make pancakes too, but suck at it. Or my stove sucks at cooking them. I started a fire and pretty soon, everyone woke up. The food was all in foil next to the fire to keep it warm. My belly was full before they were even up!
One last trip to the beach before heading back home. Callie and Scott argued, crying ensued, and hastened my decision to leave. This time, we drove through Mt. Vernon to get to the freeway.