BEACON ROCK — Sunlight sparkled through the trees at Beacon Rock State Park Tuesday morning, a promising sign for the hike — and year — ahead.
A group of about 30 hikers gathered at the foot of the 848-foot monolith to take part in a free First Day Hike on New Year’s Day, an annual tradition for Washington State Parks aimed at encouraging people to start the year outdoors. State parks departments around the nation participate.
In 2018, 1,167 people participated in a First Day Hike in Washington, with about 2,408 miles covered. This year, there were more than three dozen hikes planned at 34 parks across the state.
“It just seems to get more popular each year,” Washington State Parks spokeswoman Toni Weyman Droscher said. “I think it gives people a deeper appreciation.”
While many people around the state were likely nursing hangovers, this intrepid crowd spent about two hours winding around Beacon Rock’s 52 switchbacks to be rewarded with views of the Columbia River.
Allison and Frank Lim, a Vancouver couple, brought their 4-year-old daughter Anna and 6-year-old son Lucas along for the trip. There was a bit of whining, Allison Lim acknowledged — though that can be forgiven for kids that age — but she said you’ve got to start building a love of the outdoors when your kids are still young.
“We thought it would be a great way to start the year,” Allison Lim said. “Get outside and enjoy God’s creation.”
And for the more fitness-focused, the short but steep trek is a good baseline to start the year off. Carl and Tanya Cecka, another Vancouver couple, hope to climb Machu Picchu sometime this summer, a hike that can take as long as four days to do the full Inca Trail.
But the pair took plenty of rests along the way, and, pausing at the top, decided they have a lot of work to go before checking that hike off the bucket list.
“After today?” Carl Cecka said when asked about his New Year’s resolution. “Get back in shape.”
Washington State Parks offers several free days throughout the year when a Discover Pass is not required to visit. The next free day is Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On all other days, a $10 day pass or $30 annual pass is required to park your vehicle.
