Olympic National Park Coast 2018 Day 4

This was the day we were to make it to Shi Shi Beach. This was the day when we would go farther than we ever had before in order to make it. Ambrose and I knew that we had both improved our fitness levels and that this time, with the experience of ocean hiking we would make it - barring an uncrossable Ozette River.

Good morning, Cape Alava!

Another misty morning as we made our way to the river crossing at low tide. 

It was a good time to cross the river; no more than knee high on me and the tide almost completely out. 

The river's guardian.

Then it got a little rough.

And we decided to stop on the rocks to wait out the tide. 

This was my view while we waited out the tide. Note my patent pending sock drying method on the right. Nothing really dries out there, but the sunshine did help.

We continued around the rocks as soon as we could. Bill asked what would happen if we started early. The question confused me. What would happen? We would stop and wait at a new place instead of the current place, of course.

View from one of the required headland trails on the way to Shi Shi (there are several). 

We made it to Shi Shi! And before nightfall. 

For the first night on this trip, I stayed up to watch the sunset. 

We camped on the beach since all the non-beach camping spots were taken. We had our fingers crossed about the high tide. It was definitely a good thing that the next day was a rest day.

Olympic National Park Coast 2018 Day 3

We started from Norwegian Memorial and went on to the hardest five miles of the coast, full of rocks and seaweed covered rocks, and wet rocks, and more rocks. There was time to press on when we reached Yellow Bank, but we chose to wait out the tide up at the platform. The sun came out as we waited and then we made our way through the hole tunnel, cut through Sand Point and made our way over to Cape Alava for the night. 

Good misty morning Olympic Coast!

I had no idea there were raccoon living on the beach. Glad we have bear canisters to protect our food.

Some of the many rocks between Norwegian and Yellow Bank.

The woodpecker pecked silently in the damp wood.

Ambrose and Bill navigating yet more rocks with a side of seaweed.

The platform now has a hammock! I call it an improvement over the swings.

Ambrose heading up the tunnel.

Yeah. That's a bear. Right above the white tree stump.

We were going to walk around Wedding Rocks, but then Ambrose decided we should climb up. Bill got sassy.

Deer chilling at Cape Alava. There were some grouse hanging around too, but we only saw them once we were camped and I didn't have the camera handy.

Olympic National Park Coast 2018 Day 2

We got up at 4 am to start the second day to try and maximize our travel time around low tide. That was maybe a little too early, especially on an overcast day. Bill got his first taste of hiking over rocky coast, including areas where the options for footing were slick, wet rocks or seaweed covered, wet rocks. 

Low tide was spent in a tiny alcove around a cove from the Chilean Memorial, and, eventually, the sun did come out and help us dry out our gear that was still wet from the rain. 

After lunch, we continued on through a few more rocky points, a short, roped overland trail and some wonderful sandy beaches before reaching the night's stop, Norwegian Memorial. Since we camped at the memorial itself, rather than the creek, we had the whole place to ourselves. We did, however, fill up at the creek this time when we passed it.

Yeah, maybe we could have woken up a bit later.

Ah, the slick, wet rocks.

And their buddies, the seaweed covered, wet rocks.

Decent walking surface near Chilean Memorial.

Cozy alcove from which to watch the tide rise.

Seals lying out in the sun. They look like sashimi to me.

Lovely little waterfall.

Ambrose and his new pack going up the overland trail rope.

Ambrose getting water at Norwegian Creek.

The Norwegian Memorial campsite.

Olympic National Park Coast 2018 Day 1

On July 9th, after lunch in Forks, we parked at Rialto Beach and headed out onto the coast. This would be day one of nine. My pack weighed about 43 pounds, and the men's packs weren't much lighter. Except maybe for Ambrose's. See, he found a loophole in our usual packing strategy. Typically, he carries most of our shared food and I carry our shared gear (tent and cook kit). This time, we split the food equally, but didn't split the gear!

The afternoon was cloudy and couldn't decided if it wanted to drizzle, mist or rain. We got some of each of those on that day, though it never turned into a soaking downpour. After a hike about a mile and a half out, we found a spot to camp and settled in to watch the tide roll in. 

Ambrose at the start of the trail.

Ellen Creek looks like it experienced a washout in the years since we were here last. 

Ambrose walking through Hole in the Wall.

Ambrose and Bill navigating some relatively easy rocks. 

Ambrose watching the tide roll in during a break in the rain - okay, it was still kind of drizzling. 

Looking back at Hole in the Wall from our first night's camp. 

Spartan Plan!

After backpacking season has ended, in late September or early October, depending on when I get that last segment of the ICT done, I am going to start training for my next Spartan Race.

I am going to purchase a personal training session or two and use it to get a series of exercises that I can do on my own on a regular basis to train my upper body. Preferably a three day a week kind of thing with accessory work and skill specific stuff like I did for pull ups. I'll do my best to do three days a week of that until I start tapering in June.

In January, when there's a New Year's sale, I'll purchase my race.

Once the race is purchased, and I'm committed to it, I'll start dropping in to the local obstacle course training gym once a month. They have a Saturday obstacle course race session, and I'm hoping that getting experience on various apparatuses will help me gain the confidence to do them on the Spartan Race. Once a month, because that stuff ain't cheap.

So I'll have my strength sessions and obstacle sessions through June. Continuing with Crossfit, of course, for general fitness.

And I will go back to that course and I will ring one of those damn cowbells.