Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Olympic Coast Hike Summary Day 5

For reasons beyond my control, I could not do a solo trip this year. In order to continue to put out a Hike with Me book this year, I’m going to use the coast hike. These entries will be shorter than normal, because the full story will be published this winter.


I cowboy camped. I have proof.
Faking sleep? Yes. But that is how I slept.
A whale was beached here a few years ago. Now, just the bones remain.
An Ambrose added for scale. 
I got better at spotting treeline campsites. Of course, some of them were pretty obvious in retrospect.
Buoys in tree? Check. Swing? check. Probability of campsite: High. 
I asked Ambrose to take pictures of me going up and coming down the required headland trail.
This is one of the few shots that doesn't include his fingers. 
We found a good spot to wait out the tide. A fresh water trickle and plenty of driftwood to sit on.
Trust me, this is a good flow of fresh water. 
When we passed the spot where we had lunch on the first day, I knew we weren't going to make it to the Chilean Memorial before the sun set. 
While Ambrose climbed down, I took pictures from our former lunch spot. 
And so we traversed Cape Johnson in the dark. There was no headland to avoid the rocks. Our headlamps guided us and we didn't get to bed before 11 p.m.
The sun has gone to bed, but we have more to do before we could.



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Olympic Coast Hike Summary Day 4

For reasons beyond my control, I could not do a solo trip this year. In order to continue to put out a Hike with Me book this year, I’m going to use the coast hike. These entries will be shorter than normal, because the full story will be published this winter.



Farewell, Cape Alava!
We left the campsite in the morning mists and began our journey back to Rialto Beach.

Headland trail through Wedding Rocks. 
Though the tide was low, we took the headland trail through Wedding Rocks.

Headland trails are fun!
I really dig the headland trails, especially when they have ropes.

Sand Point headland trail. 
Not all the headland trails involved climbing. The one across Sand Point was totally flat, and well marked.

Cute!
We saw otters running out of the ocean. This may be the cutest thing.

Ready for its close-up.
Of course, then this deer let us get within 10 feet and didn't spook.

Starfish!
And then Ambrose found me a starfish. This was a day of much cuteness.

Me in the ocean, and Ambrose's finger.
I frolicked in the ocean at Yellow Bank.

The view from bed. 
We cowboy camped that night above the beach. Best view ever? Quite possibly.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Olympic Coast Hike Summary Day 3

For reasons beyond my control, I could not do a solo trip this year. In order to continue to put out a Hike with Me book this year, I’m going to use the coast hike. These entries will be shorter than normal, because the full story will be published this winter.



Good morning, mist. 
This was the fastest that I've ever gotten up and gotten packed. A dry camp is a powerful motivator.

Bucket included.
We found water!

A nice little camp. 
It was time to take a day of rest and allow ourselves to enjoy the beach.

Listen closely, and hear the chorus of sea lions: arw? arw? arw? arw?


I did a day hike, so, technically, I went farther than Ambrose did.
A view I didn't share with Ambrose. 

The Osett Memorial. 

The day passed in watching the tides and seeing the sun set into the ocean.
Watching the sun set. 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Olympic Coast Hike Summary Day 2

For reasons beyond my control, I could not do a solo trip this year. In order to continue to put out a Hike with Me book this year, I’m going to use the coast hike. These entries will be shorter than normal, because the full story will be published this winter.



The Norwegian Memorial
We started the second day with the roughest portion of whole trail. Rocks, rocks and more rocks.

Still two trekking poles...
Ambrose broke his trekking pole, but didn't break his leg.

More rocks.
We chose to stop at the party platform to wait out the tide.

Chillin' on the buoy swing.
After the tide receded, another short rocky section gave way to a long sandy beach.

Stealth deer.
Hunting for water we instead found this huge fish carcass.

It was smelly.

A second night of dry camping - this time with only just enough water for dinner.

Second ever ocean sunset. 




Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Olympic Coast Hike Summary Day 1

For reasons beyond my control, I could not do a solo trip this year. In order to continue to put out a Hike with Me book this year, I’m going to use the coast hike. These entries will be shorter than normal, because the full story will be published this winter.



On the first day of our coast hike, Ambrose and I hiked from Rialto Beach to the Norwegian Memorial.


Along the way, we began to learn about the ocean, and how tides would affect our hiking lives on this trip.



We enjoyed delicious smoked salmon and a long period of contemplation when the tides bottled us up on the rocks for about five hours.



It was strange to come upon people towards the end of our hiking day, people who were clearly day hiking, wearing jeans and not carrying packs. Children flying kites along the beach.



The memorial was a nice place to camp, full of solitude and with an excellent view for my first sunset over the ocean.