tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78549319411693981722024-03-19T05:07:33.980-07:00Bob's Pacific Beach HouseBob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-33662303444467083052010-08-28T23:14:00.000-07:002010-08-28T23:39:35.464-07:00Kayaking on Lake Wynoochee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxR8vgQKXNo_nsxKjTu5v1YTczBjyj-UmrJuYshyphenhyphensNTL9IFWbx2OjPlAYz-_DwpsD9PqpM-ISB8ldcUB-QCRNwqhMVTbJxeofp3MzU_gOHtXyD0XB94CQPsiYE15_S7jqVFyKWStY7FOr/s1600/100_5981.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxR8vgQKXNo_nsxKjTu5v1YTczBjyj-UmrJuYshyphenhyphensNTL9IFWbx2OjPlAYz-_DwpsD9PqpM-ISB8ldcUB-QCRNwqhMVTbJxeofp3MzU_gOHtXyD0XB94CQPsiYE15_S7jqVFyKWStY7FOr/s400/100_5981.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510711867331771522" /></a>Lake Wynoochee was the last attraction in Grays Harbor county that I had been wanting to visit. I spotted it on the map and had been thinking about it for three years. What held me back was wondering about the conditions of the roads, which are dirt roads for many miles. This turned out to be no problem at all - at least during summer. The dirt roads were well-maintained without a single pothole. We approached from the west over the Donkey Creek Road near Humptulips, WA, which is paved half of the way. When we reached the lake, I could see that a paving project was underway from the southerly direction towards Montesano, so this lake will be more accessible in future.<div><br /></div><div>There is no development at Lake Wynoochee. You will only find the dam that forms the lake and a fine campground. Not a single building stands along the shore (leaving out the dam) - just forested hills all around. The campground has a nice day use area with picnic tables, a beach, a swimming area with floating platform, and a boat launch. There are no other services here: no food, no gasoline. You must bring everything you need with you.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought I would see a view of the Olympic peaks from the lake, but the hills blocked the view. The hills were pretty enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a quick swim and picnic, we launched our kayaks: Austin in the single and James and I in the double. It had been chilly at the coast where we set out, but it was warm this day at the lake. A breeze kept us comfortable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Austin led the way: across the lake, into a dead end cove we thought might be a river, north up the far shore to a point where we landed for a rest. This turned out to be a primitive campground with a couple families. On the whole lake this day we saw maybe six other boats and at most 12 families. And this is an enormous lake.</div><div><br /></div><div>We played along the shore for a while. James likes chucking rocks whenever we find any body of water. We watched a tiny frog jumping around the pebbles, and then we noticed that there were dozens of these frogs all around. They must have been newly hatched babies.</div><div><br /></div><div>We were running late on time, or we might have explored further north. I've read that a river enters the lake at the north end and two miles beyond that is a bowl waterfall - one of the few west of the Cascade mountains. That will give us a goal for next time.</div><div><br /></div><div>We recrossed the lake with the setting sun in our eyes, found relief at mid lake where the hills blocked the sun, and enjoyed the premature twilight cast by the hills. We watched the sunlight march up the hills on the opposite shore and cast beautiful patterns of shadows and light.</div><div><br /></div><div>The dam is also worth a quick stop - you reach it just before the campground. From the bridge in front of the dam you can look down on Wynoochee canyon, which must have been a sight when the water flowed freely. Just beyond the bridge is a nice visitor's center with a good view of the dam, photos of its construction, and the best restroom in the area.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next time we'll come better prepared with more food, water toys, and an earlier start. Perhaps we'll kayak to the end of the lake and hike to the waterfall.</div><div><br /></div><div>See photos, videos, and related links at:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.northbeachvacation.com/lake_wynoochee.html">Lake Wynoochee on NorthBeachVacation.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Kelly</div><div><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com">BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</a></div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-42782964872161711932010-07-24T01:11:00.000-07:002010-07-24T01:37:02.272-07:00Kayaking on Lake Quinault<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvUlfpr_6L80MA5fBuzRwfBusxH6Nw6inKXKYtyAtcZqLyjmEwf-Ax2UPjh61NM8BEUrvpVoROwJSsRyGPQsC6yMWy8nx0Mt0n7lgqYxqPaGU58RSLsPIIHF1QGA-x768yN6elJQcSxn0/s1600/100_5880.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvUlfpr_6L80MA5fBuzRwfBusxH6Nw6inKXKYtyAtcZqLyjmEwf-Ax2UPjh61NM8BEUrvpVoROwJSsRyGPQsC6yMWy8nx0Mt0n7lgqYxqPaGU58RSLsPIIHF1QGA-x768yN6elJQcSxn0/s400/100_5880.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497383101800503666" /></a><div>We finally got a chance to kayak on Lake Quinault. I've hauled my kayak out there before in the off-season, only to learn that the Quinault Tribe only permits boating of any kind on the lake between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This does make Lake Quinault probably the most serene and undisturbed large lake in the state in the off-season.</div><div><br /></div><div>We launched from the Willaby Creek Campground on the South Shore Road near highway 101. The campground has a day use area with free parking, picnic tables, a beach, and a boat launch.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our route took us along the south shore, passed the Lake Quinault Lodge, passed the Rain Forest Resort Village, and then to find the mouth of the Upper Quinault River. The river mouth turned out to be quite a ways from the Rain Forest Resort and the last sign of civilization. We ended up about as far from Willaby Creek as you could get.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had observed just the week before from the mountain road that takes you passed Higley Peak that the river breaks up into several channels and forms a river delta. We stopped at the first channel we came to - the southernmost. Far before the river entrance we hit a bank of mud that extends 100 feet out into the lake. The water here was maybe four inches deep - not enough for our double kayak with two people. A single kayak should have been able to navigate up the river. In clambering through the mud to reach the bank, I found myself sinking a foot or two here and there, but generally the area seemed to be safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>We walked a bit up the river. There was no very firm ground to walk on anywhere - just mud or very crumbly sand. We noticed the tracks of a deer in the mud. Lots of birds were active. It was a pretty spot with the forest growing along the river banks, the lake behind, and the mountains above.</div><div><br /></div><div>We didn't stay long, since in the meantime, the wind had picked up and was blowing strongly against us. We set a course directly across the middle of the lake towards the campground. It would probably have been safer to follow along the shore and try to avoid the wind. Out in the middle of the lake we caught a few waves that broke over the kayak and dumped a little water inside. If the wind had picked up any more, I would have steered us for the nearest shore. However, passed the middle of the lake, the waves were not so active. We were sitting in an inch or two of water by the time we reached the campground.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=582501568803%3A79841709&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee">Photo Album</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69TaRkLnh-s">Video of Kayaking on Lake Quinault</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_20cKkiuBY">Video of Upper Quinault River Mouth</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qWITIMOyLE">Video of Upper Quinault River Branch</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzgUO52l_D8">Video of Lake Quinault Paddling Against the Wind</a></div><div><br /></div><div>by Bob Kelly</div><div><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com">Bob's Pacific Beach House</a></div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-50199969228055995392010-07-10T22:42:00.000-07:002010-07-10T22:53:09.097-07:00Return to the Pony Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb38yyD5_rEiqHLFgoMnZ4dpEO54sDMSCs3DA8g_p_QU8B3HQN-nyelQHYTgMRmFmbrSAUIY5_SwVQ8GpECfp_GX_MQWy3MMKJsCCoKDNdvfZ1XQHTYiQVyxTUkdTgQ02m0Lfvt9FKGu6a/s1600/100_5649.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb38yyD5_rEiqHLFgoMnZ4dpEO54sDMSCs3DA8g_p_QU8B3HQN-nyelQHYTgMRmFmbrSAUIY5_SwVQ8GpECfp_GX_MQWy3MMKJsCCoKDNdvfZ1XQHTYiQVyxTUkdTgQ02m0Lfvt9FKGu6a/s400/100_5649.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492520442338420546" /></a>Austin and I returned to the Pony Bridge - this time bringing his twin brother Konrad along. This was an unusually hot day for the area in the mid 80s. It was up in the 90s back in the Seattle area. When we returned to our Pacific Beach house, we found a thick fog that kept the temperature cool and reached only one mile inland. Often it is the case in the summer, that if you are experiencing cool weather directly on the ocean, you can travel just a bit inland to Lake Quinault and enjoy a sunny day.<div><br /></div><div>This time we took some videos at the Pony Bridge:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85iDGOoEZHE">Pony Bridge Narrative</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCAo1x5S1ec">View from the Pony Bridge</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI-ck1oSZnU">Playing in the Upper Quinault River</a></div><div><br /></div><div>by Bob Kelly</div><div><a href="http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-71641452892635490692010-07-03T21:46:00.001-07:002010-07-03T22:24:59.611-07:00Hike to the Pony Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVh5sfYXA4Yr3E4wDPYT60ZV3_8xgDR1Ik5nCW6H4lnLoHHtszwo_hkCYlxsLG_Mkdv7qJWHHu9mBgVNxi5YKEA5ZwL_y5m-mOrwuXCm2WUQnMl3_RV0chdfT8F703y1eFq8WppAvtZMW/s1600/100_5137.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVh5sfYXA4Yr3E4wDPYT60ZV3_8xgDR1Ik5nCW6H4lnLoHHtszwo_hkCYlxsLG_Mkdv7qJWHHu9mBgVNxi5YKEA5ZwL_y5m-mOrwuXCm2WUQnMl3_RV0chdfT8F703y1eFq8WppAvtZMW/s400/100_5137.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489908207763069266" /></a>I have a new favorite hike in the Lake Quinault area: the Pony Bridge. The Pony Bridge spans a narrow canyon where the East Fork Quinault River is forced through a narrow channel between giant rocks. The water rushes through here as fast as I've ever seen water move. It's an exhilirating sight, which the photos can't fully convey, since you are missing the sound and the movement. You must go visit yourself!<div><br /></div><div>You reach the trail by driving down the South Shore Road to its very end - 19 miles from highway 101. You'll pass the Graves Creek campground just before the trailhead. We picked up two Evergreen College students along the road at Quinault who needed a 12 mile ride to the campground. They had arrived by bus and we came along at just the right moment for them. They were planning a one week camping trip in that remote spot. The drive beyond Lake Quinault and along the Upper Quinault River was very beautiful: both the deep green mossy forest all around us and the rushing river on our left.</div><div><br /></div><div>We dropped off our hitchhikers and reached the trailhead. The trail starts at a bridge over Graves Creek, which is itself a beautiful spot. If you didn't want to hike, just a drive to this point and the view from this bridge would be worthwhile.</div><div><br /></div><div>The hike to the Pony Bridge is two and a half miles long. It lies along a longer 11 mile trail to the Enchanted Valley in the middle of the Olympic National Park, which I read is one of the special places on the Earth. We passed several backpackers who were returning from there. Our portion of the trail rose steadily for 2 miles; however, the climb is gradual - not too strenuous. At the top of this climb is an ancient, rotting picnic table, which was mentioned in the guidebook. Up to this point the trail used to be a road. You could see where the park service had strewn logs and debris to narrow the trail to a normal track, encouraging native vegetation to grow.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the old picnic table the trail climbs down towards the bridge. You get a glimpse first of some rocks carved by the river when the water level is high. The guidebook said you could sun yourself here on a the rare sunny and warm today. This day was not so warm. Also, there's no obvious trail down to these rocks. You would have to struggle through a lot of undergrowth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly beyond this viewpoint we reached the bridge. The whole scene on every side here was breathtaking. Downstream the river raced through a narrow canyon bordered by steep rock walls. Every crevasse on these rocks was taken over by an opportunistic fern. Looking upstream was a wider view of the river issuing out of the forest and careening against the solid rocks. The sound and the drama of the place heightened the experience. We climbed down some steep rocks to a small beach at the riverside. The water in the middle of the channel seemed like it was rushing by at 60mph. If you fell in, there would be no hope for you.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the other side of the bridge we followed the river down an informal trail for further views of the canyon. Altogether, I think we spent an hour around the bridge.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm getting old. A five mile round trip hike is about the limit of what I can handle. When we reached that grassy meadow on the way back, I flopped on the ground and had a long rest.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the drive back towards Quinault we were lucky to come across several Roosevelt Elk.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=722757997803%3A1151481005&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee">Photo Album</a></div><div><br /></div><div>by Bob Kelly</div><div><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/">Bob's Pacific Beach House</a></div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-89978760110150534412010-05-24T23:03:00.000-07:002010-05-25T00:31:23.962-07:00Long Beach: Furthest Practical Day Trip to the South from Pacific Beach<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcUq0qJ866LU7kDXhTlLoz5M1mkki_7MXbZtcJ3qtNpRqIda8evKIM1W-UchAUp_atY5u8-pw45tWTJcp6QDDOUms7B8zUTjVYFF7TGrWiVsJpA8glF5Jcl9gLdR19DfztOYNco4D5Jmn/s1600/100_4877.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcUq0qJ866LU7kDXhTlLoz5M1mkki_7MXbZtcJ3qtNpRqIda8evKIM1W-UchAUp_atY5u8-pw45tWTJcp6QDDOUms7B8zUTjVYFF7TGrWiVsJpA8glF5Jcl9gLdR19DfztOYNco4D5Jmn/s400/100_4877.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475085479262459458" /></a>5/5/2010 - Long Beach<br /><div>On a previous trip, I had explored the furthest practical day trip to the north of my Pacific Beach house. That brought you after exactly 100 miles to the parking lot of the Hoh Rain Forest. So, on this trip, I wanted to see how far you could get to the south in a day. I found that a drive of 105 miles would bring me to the base of the Long Beach peninsula at Seaview. That puts about 2/3rds of the Washington Pacific coast within reach of my house.<div><br /></div><div>And what a pretty drive this was. You follow highway 101 to the south from Aberdeen, across the Chehalis River, past Cosmopolis, and up into a terrain of rolling hills. Up the first big hill you climb is a tremendous view back down the Chehalis Valley. If the day had been more clear, I think you could have seen the Olympics and Mount Rainier from this viewpoint.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, you pass through an area of forested rolling hills and sparse habitation. Considerable logging goes on in these hills. At length, you arrive at the town on Raymond on the Willapa River. Raymond holds some historical interest with two museums and a historic theater. If you need gas or food, this is your last chance for a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>Immediately south of Raymond is South Bend, the county seat of Pacific county. This town has a magnificent courthouse built in 1910 with extensive stained glass. Apparently, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties were competing to build the most opulent courthouse around the same time (see the courthouse in Montesano).</div><div><br /></div><div>At South Bend the road reaches Willapa Bay and follows the eastern shore of the bay for the rest of the drive. Willapa Bay - like Grays Harbor - is mostly filled with mud, so you will either be looking at vast mud fields or a vast expanse of water, and you wouldn't suspect the water is only a couple inches deep. The view here is very pretty with a few islands (a couple inches higher than the mud) in the bay and the forested hills all around you.</div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at the Long Beach peninsula without a plan. I simply drove to the nearest beach access, which turned out to be the community of Seaview. The beach looks very much like our North Beach: wide endless sands. We asked each other why we had driven so far to trade one beach for another. We learned here that the Long Beach peninsula is better organized than our Grays Harbor county beaches. An asphalt bike/pedestrian connects all the communities, running behind the beach through the beach dune grass. Restrooms, benches, and interpretive signs are provided all along the way. We walked north on the beach from Seaview to Long Beach, and then back along the path. At Long Beach they had the skeleton of a grey whale that had washed up nearby in the year 2000. Unfortunately, they left this skeleton open to the elements, so it is considerably decayed. The museum at Westport demonstrates the better way to display a whale skeleton - outdoors, but covered and behind glass.</div><div><br /></div><div>Again, not having a plan, we had a look at a map of the area that was posted near the parking lot. There were many attractions we didn't have time for, so we decided to concentrate on Cape Disappointment State Park with its two lighthouses. This cape is a small mountain sitting at the base on the peninsula and at the mouth of the great Columbia River. I think I missed the main entrance to the park, and we ended up on a pretty road giving us views of the Columbia. We noticed that the vegetation looked very different from what we were used to up north. We thought it had a vaguely tropical look to it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lost in the park by this time, I followed a sign to the North Jetty. They have three jetties in this area: at the base of the peninsula where we now found ourselves, and two that bracket the Columbia river mouth. As soon as we parked by the jetty, I realized that we had stumbled across one of the iconic views of Washington state that I had seen before on calendars: the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse standing out on a promontory along a steep, rocky shoreline. This is the picture I show up above at the top of this page.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, we drove around and found the trail to this Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The lighthouse is closed, but the views here are tremendous: down on the Columbia and south to Oregon, out to the ocean, and north along that pretty coastline. Here you can see the Lewis and Clark interpretive center that also sits on the cliff's edge and must have a great ocean view. We didn't have time for the interpretive center - we saved something for next time. Instead, we hurried along to the North Head lighthouse in another area of the park. This lighthouse is reached by a short, level trail. It passes by two lightkeeper houses that are available for rent as vacation rentals. One had been recently remodeled and the other was under scaffolding.</div><div><br /></div><div>The trail passes through a pretty, windswept forest and then comes out to an open bluff with wide views of the ocean and coastline. Below us to the south were the North Jetty and an undeveloped beach behind it. We met some ladies from Oregon here and they pointed out Tillamook Rock offshore from Tillamook, Oregon. This rock was just barely visible as a tiny pimple on the surface of the ocean. If she was right about this, we were seeing a rock 50 miles away. A little further along we reached the North Head Lighthouse. Again, this lighthouse was closed, but picturesque. The views all around were tremendous of the ocean and rocky coastline to the north.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's all we had time for. We didn't want to drive home in the dark, so we hurried on home and enjoyed the sunset at Pacific Beach.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=265944656803%3A1842769798&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee">Photo Album</a></div><div><br /></div><div>by Bob Kelly</div><div>http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</div><div><br /></div></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-58025153617862365942010-04-06T16:54:00.000-07:002010-04-06T18:12:51.475-07:00Makah Indian Nation and Cape Flattery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQLCrZ6VQGOy4-vTlWu87CtJs7qDe8MLVCw-VO_YOh1W8RzAlBSMzKPTrUfLJsN3SsmQFkiMIi51ho77lIAtMwf402j2ry8pnaLrB5DBsp187c7ZJ1UBPKDNNBdloBJvXMAdwLqYEQYUY/s1600/100_4284.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQLCrZ6VQGOy4-vTlWu87CtJs7qDe8MLVCw-VO_YOh1W8RzAlBSMzKPTrUfLJsN3SsmQFkiMIi51ho77lIAtMwf402j2ry8pnaLrB5DBsp187c7ZJ1UBPKDNNBdloBJvXMAdwLqYEQYUY/s400/100_4284.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457179825075582946" /></a>I was out at the beach house with my son, Austin, mid week in late March 2010. I was newly self-employed and Austin was newly homeschooled (or "unschooled"), so we are both available to fit in impromptu trips. We decided to return home around the north end of the Olympic peninsula to catch some new sights. The weather did not look promising and the weather report was not favorable, but we knew we could at least visit the Makah Indian Museum as an indoor activity.<div><br /></div><div>We set out just after 11am (we are not early risers). We stopped at the Quinault Fish Hatchery on the Moclips Highway, since a guide there had told us the salmon run from October through March. It turns out that they run through March in other areas, but only through December on the Quinault River system. We'll have to visit again later in the year. We passed Lake Quinault, but did not give it any time, since we have visited there many times. After a little over an hour, we reached Queets at the north end of the Quinault Indian Nation - its second city after Taholah. We drove briefly through the "town" past the general store, but quickly saw that it was a depressing, run-down place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after Queets, highway 101 reaches the coast in the Kalaloch area, which is within the Olympic National Park. We stopped by one of the southern beaches reached by a path through the forest. The spruce trees here near the beach are misshapen with burrs or tumors that grow into huge oval balls in the middle of the trunks. The trail lead to a pretty stream, up and over a big pile of driftwood, and then you notice that the stream runs out through the bottom of the wood pile and out of the sand.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next stop was the Big Cedar just beyond the Kalaloch Lodge. This looks similar in age and decrepitude to the Quinault Big Cedar with a hollow trunk you can walk into to. The Quinault Big Cedar looked to have more life to it than this mostly dead Kalaloch Big Cedar. It's a very short walk from the parking lot, so it's worth a stop if you are in the area.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just beyond we arrived at Ruby Beach, and here the sun broke out nicely. We ended up with a much nicer day than forecast. We visited Ruby Beach about a year before and it was interesting to see how the ocean and creek had changed the landscape: the creek had moved to the nearer side of a big rock and a big, memorable pile of bright, red cedar logs had been cleared away.</div><div><br /></div><div>By now we decided we had better pick a destination for the day and begin to skip some sights. We passed by the entrance to the Hoh Rain Forest and the road to Rialto Beach - we'll save those for a future trip. When we reach Forks, the skies let loose with a tremendous rain shower. We briefly lost hope for the rest of the day. As we drove through the town we looked for signs of the Twilight craze from the road. There's an enormous store named Twilight Dazzle. However, another Twilight storefront was boarded up. Not much else was to be seen without getting out of the car into the rain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, we made for the Makah Indian Nation, which is quite a ways off of highway 101. It's about an one hour drive to Neah Bay from Sappho. I would have visited here many years before with my wife, but I had forgotten how pretty it was. The area is hillier than what we had come through from the south, and the hills are of course covered in a beautiful green forest. Passed Clallam Bay (another spot I would like to spend more time in future - an old man at a rock shop once told me you can find "agates as big as eggs" on the beach here), the road reaches the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The road is very windy and you make slow progress, but the view is great. There are even a couple impressive seastack rocks off this northern coast.</div><div><br /></div><div>By 3pm we reached the Makah Museum. For such an out of the way place, this is really a world class museum. The heart of the collection comes from a village at Ozette that was partially buried by a mudslide caused by the year 1700 earthquake (estimated at 9.0 on the Richter scale). The Makahs have had a continuous culture on this northwest corner of the Olympic peninsula for hundreds of years. Some things that impressed me were the wide variety of specialized tools made from wood, bark, and rock. The Makah had four standardized sizes of canoes with a complement of tools from a fishing canoe for a single person up to an eight seater for whale hunting. They used the cedar tree for many purposes: tools, baskets, ropes, canoes, and even clothing. They would strip the cedar bark off the tree, soak it, pound on it until it was soft, and then they could make a kind of fabric out of it. They also raised dogs, collected their loose fur, and made clothing out of that. I imagine the dog fur was more comfortable than the cedar bark.</div><div><br /></div><div>After an hour at the museum, we hurried along to Cape Flattery. Since my first visit to this area, the road had been paved and the trail much improved (boardwalks instead of mud pits). We hit a perfect two hour sunbreak on our hike out to the cape (a 3/4 mile walk).</div><div><br /></div><div>The view at the end of the trail is tremendous. One of the special places you must visit during your lifetime (we have so many of those in Washington state!). The Makah have made four viewpoints standing on the cliff's edge 200-300 feet above the water. To the southwest are many offshore rocks and small islands and deeply eroded bays in the mainland - all topped by a cedar forest. Austin thought it looked like the floating islands in the movie Avatar. Directly northwest lies the barren Tatoosh Island with a lighthouse. To the northeast you can see into several sea caves being dug out at the base of the cliffs. You begin to wonder what is directly below you? Are you standing on a thin layer of soil suspended over the swirling waves churning through a sea cave?</div><div><br /></div><div>We made one more stop to the south of Cape Flattery at Hobuck Beach on Makah Bay. This was a beautiful, sandy beach with interesting tide pools and rock formations. The rocks were stood up on end like waffles and were all pitted with holes an inch across. I poked into one of the holes that I thought was just filled with dirt and the thing moved!, startling me. It was an anemone, filling up the hole. Perhaps they excavate holes over time into the rock? Other holes were filled up with barnacles and mussel shells.</div><div><br /></div><div>We left the beach at 6pm. We drove into Port Angeles on gasoline fumes and filled up, heading for the ferry at Kingston. We were passing many interesting sights in the dark, but we'll have to make many more visits to cover the whole area. We arrived home at about 11pm, so that made for a very full day.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.makah.com/mcrchome.html">Makah Museum</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=171917964803%3A1152914044&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee">Photo Album</a></div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-18757278775601719072010-03-12T17:59:00.000-08:002010-04-02T18:25:38.501-07:00Walking south from Taholah until the beach disappears<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_WxbRAC7OP9NH__AHkE9lpZx6hh_XtyqlNToyKFDvRrwKtUXJSoO83ydxDzmGYjZE843KmzhpQ8lwx11aHc4ZPI39auuuDT3w6sOMTexE_HtoJKduAQmLM2kgxvZJCF5PPq1zDGXxOFQ/s1600-h/DSC_3995.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_WxbRAC7OP9NH__AHkE9lpZx6hh_XtyqlNToyKFDvRrwKtUXJSoO83ydxDzmGYjZE843KmzhpQ8lwx11aHc4ZPI39auuuDT3w6sOMTexE_HtoJKduAQmLM2kgxvZJCF5PPq1zDGXxOFQ/s320/DSC_3995.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447933588010211122" /></a>My goal this day was to walk south from Taholah along the beach as far as possible towards Point Grenville. This photo shows the end point of the beach hike. You can see Point Grenville from the north side, but you are stopped from approaching further because the waves here are beating against the cliff. It looks like it would be possible to get around that nearest point on a low tide. This was a fairly high tide.<div><br /></div><div>This was an amazingly beautiful and interesting hike. First of all, we had the beach almost to ourselves - just a few people out near the town and some teens hanging out near another beach entrance road. Secondly, the terrain is very interesting. Down around Copalis Beach, Pacific Beach, and Moclips the cliffs look permanent - like they haven't changed in years. Here south of Taholah, huge chunks of the cliffs have fallen off. In fact, in some places there is a constant stream of sand and small rocks running down, and you get the idea that the massive cliff above you is not so stable. A couple times I moved the kids along quicker or told them to walk nearer to the waves.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next most exciting thing we encountered on this walk was a dead seal. I startled an eagle as I approached and it flew off in a hurry. The eagle had eaten out the eyes and was working on the brain next. On the return walk we noticed two bald eagles waiting patiently on the top of a dead tree - 200 feet up the cliff and another 200 feet up the tree. They were waiting for us to pass so they could get back to their meal.</div><div><br /></div><div>The weather was marvelous - sunny and near 60 degrees in the first week of March (3/6/2010). We walked about four miles round trip, which is quite arduous over beach sand. We returned to the town after five hours accompanied by a beautiful sunset.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=420502964803%3A1646688473&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee">Photo Album</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Bob</div><div>http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-79396157487633205282009-06-10T17:39:00.000-07:002009-06-10T18:00:39.261-07:00Copalis Ghost Forest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEeP3ix-K7M-5IJ_mATpBuIl2AzYCHIqbOgdeu4kJTSkxlKsptsipkjEElXFtf7ENEe20iptFm2__kaF5WiaebtnCXnGouTGB9LzTkE8Cu0rV5rk7utVVfiHR7YOnVWUYpM7OBcAZyB7l/s1600-h/Copalis+Ghost+Forest.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEeP3ix-K7M-5IJ_mATpBuIl2AzYCHIqbOgdeu4kJTSkxlKsptsipkjEElXFtf7ENEe20iptFm2__kaF5WiaebtnCXnGouTGB9LzTkE8Cu0rV5rk7utVVfiHR7YOnVWUYpM7OBcAZyB7l/s320/Copalis+Ghost+Forest.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345865158235612754" /></a>Thanks to Don Trapnell and Dave Agner for informing me about the Copalis Ghost Forest. I had commented on these extensive stands of dead trees along the Copalis River in my earlier post about kayaking on the river. These trees were once mighty cedars and spruces killed by a massive earthquake in the year 1700 (estimated at 9 points on the Richter scale) that caused the land to drop and saltwater to reach the forest.<div><br /></div><div>The Friends of the Copalis River Committee of the North Beach Community Improvement Association is planning a small festival on July 25, 2009 along the river and some future improvements (kayak launch, nature trail). The Copalis Ghost Forest, it turns out, is one of the finest examples of its sort in the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>http://www.nbcia.org/projects/projects.shtml</div><div>http://www.nwnature.net/earthscope/copalis.htm</div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-88475723724547980832009-06-10T12:54:00.001-07:002009-06-10T13:01:04.958-07:00We Saw a Whale!Finally, after all these years of hearing about whales along the coast, we catch sight of one (sort of). This was late in the afternoon on Sunday, June 7, 2009. We drove down the beach from the Roosevelt Beach Road to the Iron Springs area. We had been painting the deck all day, so I wanted to let the kids have some beach time before driving home. We brought our bicycles on this trip and rode around.<div><br /></div><div>Suddenly, a fisherman standing out in the surf started yelling excitedly and pointing out onto the ocean. Once I paid attention to him, I saw a cloud of spray above the waves, which must have been the exhaled breath of a whale. For a fraction of a second after that, I think I saw a fin. My wife watched the scene longer and saw several exhaled breaths.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was perhaps a straggling Pacific Grey whale from the spring migration. It must have been small, since it seemed to be fairly near the shore.</div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-1934793685393986082009-04-11T04:36:00.000-07:002009-04-11T05:25:17.830-07:00Kayaking on the Copalis River (Upstream)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQcOYC-Bg6dVZLA7BHz8xFO024x0n-wXJ7f6rTwUgUl3_TbXJhAFlHcCn1U45okhh6ZOqQw5q08crDr75-dAw3k-0h3aXqrQgZOvqeaR5BDimhcP1EgsIKGwMhFIW0RyE9_-JYOR_x9yx/s1600-h/100_3791.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQcOYC-Bg6dVZLA7BHz8xFO024x0n-wXJ7f6rTwUgUl3_TbXJhAFlHcCn1U45okhh6ZOqQw5q08crDr75-dAw3k-0h3aXqrQgZOvqeaR5BDimhcP1EgsIKGwMhFIW0RyE9_-JYOR_x9yx/s320/100_3791.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323397415759937346" /></a>We had planned to kayak on Lake Quinault this day and drove all the way out there, but learned from the lady at the Rain Forest Resort that all boating on the lake was prohibited until April 25th. Boating on Lake Quinault is regulated by the Quinault tribe. The two campgrounds with boat ramps were also closed. It was frustrating that I didn't find this information anywhere online. It was a shame, since the lake was especially beautiful this day with glass calm water.<div><br /></div><div>Since the weather was iffy, we decided to look for a kayaking destination close to home (Pacific Beach), in case the rain let loose. We ended up at the Copalis River. The weather improved throughout the day, so the rain was no problem. We launched from an empty lot in the middle of town with a little beach across from the abandoned hardware store. There isn't much "town" left in Copalis Beach. Most businesses in the area are located in Pacific Beach. At the end of our trip I scouted out and found another launch point in the Griffiths-Priday Ocean Beach Park off of Copalis Beach. If you drive all the way to the "road closed" sign, the river is just beyond. You can launch here and park nearby.</div><div><br /></div><div>We headed upstream from the town away from the beach. We passed under the highway 109 bridge, past a few riverside cabins, and then we quickly reached a wild, roadless country. For a mile or so the banks of the river are occupied by wide mats of grass and skeletons of dead trees. The forest stands at some distance from the river. Perhaps salt water has reached up this far on a high tide and killed any trees. What appeared to be an island was covered by this matted grass with tall dead trees dominating the landscape - we named it the Island of Dead Trees. Beyond the island, the next landmark is the Bridge To and From Nowhere: a series of posts standing in the river that evidently once supported a bridge, but there is no sign of human activity on either side of the river. Evidently, it was part of some old logging operation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually, the forest closes in on the river, the river narrows, and you start to run out of room to maneuver. We struggled past a clump of fallen trees and branches, only to be stopped a little further ahead by a tree that blocked the entire river. I think we traveled about 2 miles inland in total.</div><div><br /></div><div>We saw a little bit of wildlife: two river otters and lots of ducks. The ducks were very skittish and didn't let us approach closely at all. Duck hunters must be active in the area?</div><div><br /></div><div>We had planned to return to our starting point and continue on down to the beach and land near Copalis Rock. But the wind had kicked up on our return journey downriver and we were cold and tired as we reached the car. We'll save the downriver route for another trip.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=snaroin.38k36tnb&x=0&y=1hc7lh&localeid=en_US">Photo Album</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</a></div><div>(Great ocean view, short walk to beach, 3 king beds, kayaks available to guests)</div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-20098379087267176762009-04-10T22:03:00.000-07:002009-04-10T22:25:07.327-07:00Whalewatching at WestportMonday, April 6, 2009 we drove one hour from Pacific Beach to Westport for whalewatching. The weather was unusally warm and sunny for early April. Besides the weather, one thing after another went wrong this day. First, we sat down at the One Eyed Crab for a meal. The weather had brought a moderate crowd out, but the restaurant couldn't cope. They only had one waitress and one cook on duty. We realized that we would miss our boat, if we waited, so we left the restaurant, hurried on down to the ticket office, and found a greasy spoon nearby where we could get a hamburger.<div><br /></div><div>Our boat was the Lucky Pierre. You don't choose a boat, but rather a central ticket office assigns you to one. We had two boats going out at the same time for the 2:00pm cruise. As we were boarding, my son and I realized that we had left the camera's memory chip at home in his computer: no photos on this trip and thus no photo on this blog entry.</div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed the first 25 minutes of the trip immensely. The harbor was full of wildlife: big sea lions and lots of birds. The weather was clear and we could see the entire Olympic mountain range to the north. A giant sand bank lies just below the surface across the harbor mouth, and this causes 20 foot waves to suddenly well up all around the boat. These waves are big enough that you see the boat climb up the wave, coast down the other side, and then it reaches a trough between two waves with nothing else in sight - just like in the movies! It was an awesome sight.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that's when my tummy went all funny. I sat down for the next half hour, but pretty soon I had to deposit my greasy hamburger in the ocean. In total I ran to the side of the boat four times, heaving up bile once my stomach had emptied itself. After this, I spent much of the next 3 hours lying down.</div><div><br /></div><div>The boat cruised up to the reliable "whale hole" - just offshore from the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino. Here plankton well up from the deep and the whales stop to feed. All the boats in the area keep in radio contact and cooperate over locating whales. But today we were out of luck. Somebody saw a single whale spout blow, but no whale was in sight by the time we reached the spot. We cruised slowly back towards Wesport, hoping a whale would put in an appearance, but it never happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>On this return trip my family were all freezing to death. We had underdressed for the occasion due to the nice weather. Out on the ocean you always need long pants and a heavy coat.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of my kids got sick like me, but the other people on the boat were fine. I've read that missing the whales like we did is very unusual. Perhaps I'll take a dramamine and try this trip again in future with a functioning camera.</div><div><br /></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796736045181597034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-61871159226481584702009-04-06T06:04:00.001-07:002009-04-07T01:04:50.969-07:00Kayaking on Duck Lake, Ocean Shores<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J3iogdNcF12zcUndxpIVtslhkAsMXOm0vvGd6tv-qn-ROsEYwLQwN0LfBsNIBnOY5I9Aom9R3TT_CQPl_1JJCM0ib8nqAzyumiYVtINzwa1CQQiqVcdGVkgIm_CfOpkN5ecMilzyhfQ/s1600-h/100_3550.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321563973004959058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J3iogdNcF12zcUndxpIVtslhkAsMXOm0vvGd6tv-qn-ROsEYwLQwN0LfBsNIBnOY5I9Aom9R3TT_CQPl_1JJCM0ib8nqAzyumiYVtINzwa1CQQiqVcdGVkgIm_CfOpkN5ecMilzyhfQ/s320/100_3550.JPG" /></a>On this day, April 5, 2009, we had unseasonably warm weather in the 70s - about 35 degrees warmer than just a few days before. We headed down from our beach house at Pacific Beach to North Bay Park on Duck Lake in Ocean Shores. This little park packs in lots of attractive features: boat ramp on the lake, fishing dock, playground, basketball court, tennis court, group picnic pavillion, baseball field, and a view of the Olympics and Grays Harbor across the nearby municipal airport. <div><br /></div><div>We sent out twins, Austin and Konrad - age 14, out on their first kayak trip together. Austin sat in the back, controlling the rudder. He started them out going in circles for a while, until our shouted instructions set him straight. Then they headed off south down the lake and disappeared around a bend. They were gone for an hour and a half - a little bit worrisome.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, my wife, Elizabeth, our little boy, James - age 5, and myself enjoyed a picnic, played in the park, walked over to the airport for the view, and watched a family on the fishing dock catch one big trout after another. The park and boat ramp were uncrowded. Few people were expecting such nice weather at the beginning of April. We watched one family launch a brand new motorboat, while a retired couple launched brand new kayaks from Costco.</div><div><br /></div><div>At length, the twins returned. I noticed that Austin had been holding his paddle upside-down the whole time. They had a great time, exploring two segments of the lake, passing under a bridge, through a canal, and around an island. They were very hungry.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, James and I launched. We headed the opposite direction to the north and took the camera along. We passed under two bridges with cars driving above us, a short canal, and explored two segments of the lake. We reached the northernmost extent of the lake. Vacation homes lined the shore all around the lake. We saw several birds, including a group that looked like ducks, but with longer, slender necks (loons?). They looked well adapted for fishing. We spotted a raccoon that followed us along the shore and kept an eye on us.</div><div><br /></div><div>James had a kid size paddle, but didn't take much interest in paddling. He talked during most of the trip about what we were seeing or what we would do afterwards. I thought he was bored, but he says that he liked kayaking.</div><div> </div><div>See photo album:</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/pictures.html">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com/pictures.html</a></div><div> </div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-70998409977034464982009-02-23T23:13:00.001-08:002009-02-24T00:01:12.200-08:00Bob vs. Wild: Grays Harbor Mud Flat Adventure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw1g74uvGFWoRNTud_76BZiZ0GEE9Imt7PC45IMKo-xSpgSm8NGDW5c-2_rbe7XSe6TW5i_bGSqYTjPNRzJ6VW4UkHHT02zzZ788zifss-hT1IfGmrKe8PwIGe9uNMSMS-G9igrm_Hac/s1600-h/100_3148.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw1g74uvGFWoRNTud_76BZiZ0GEE9Imt7PC45IMKo-xSpgSm8NGDW5c-2_rbe7XSe6TW5i_bGSqYTjPNRzJ6VW4UkHHT02zzZ788zifss-hT1IfGmrKe8PwIGe9uNMSMS-G9igrm_Hac/s320/100_3148.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306258956987396498" /></a>You've heard of Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel? I had one of those experiences today. I launched my kayak on the Humptulips River - follow the "Public Fishing" sign. I paddled down the river about a mile. Where the trees gave out I thought I had reached the bay, but I was still enclosed by banks on either side. Away from the trees, the wind picked up and I had to fight against the wind and waves. I sheltered for a while under the west bank that rose a few feet over my head. At the end of the river, I landed on a small island for a rest - a standing rest. There was nowhere to sit. At least I could rest my arms and shoulders.<div><br /></div><div>My next goal was to reach a rock standing out in the middle of the bay. I noticed all around me that stumps and fallen trees were stranded all around the bay. It appeared that much of the bay was quite shallow. After another long stretch of paddling, I found my way blocked by a large, exposed mud flat. Seagulls wandered here and there poking at the mud. The mud flat extended as far as I could see to my right and left, so this rock was going to be unreachable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, I paddled in the direction of Ocean Shores, where a promising sunbreak was developing. Indeed, the sun did break out and lit up the bay nicely. The birds suddenly became more active in the sunlight, with flocks of small birds flying past at great speed just inches above the water. I paddled towards the sun and enjoyed the view as long as I dared - until I judged that I had better turn around to reach my starting point before dark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Heading back to the river, I had the wind at my back and waves pushing me along at great speed. I was making tremendous progress. Then all of a sudden, the waves disappeared and I found myself stuck on a mud flat. There was only about one inch of water beneath me - the kayak needs about three inches to float. I tried to make some forward progress by pushing my paddle against the mud, but this was extremely tiring and progress was very slow. I decided that I had better hop out of the boat and walk, towing the kayak by hand; otherwise, I would sit there on the mud flat in the dark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Walking on the mud flat was frightening at first, since I didn't know how good the footing would be or whether there might be sinkholes. A couple times I jump back into the kayak and tried pushing myself along, but that way forward was hopeless. At length, it became clear that even my one inch of water had drained away. I was high and dry. The mud was firmer now, so I trudged on, looking for my river.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had seen a historical navigation map of Grays Harbor several weeks before. The harbor is almost completely filled up with mud, except for some narrow channels where rivers or streams flush the mud out. I had to find the channel made by the Humptulips River. Fortunately, there was a white house near the water's edge standing out near the river entrance. I trudged in that direction, sticking to the higher ground. Luckily, kayaks are fairly easy to drag through mud. After a very long walk with my arms about to drop off my body, I spotted the river channel. That gave me encouragement and I finished up the mud journey, reaching the river just as the sun was setting.</div><div><br /></div><div>It felt heavenly to be on open water again. I felt like a fish who had reached his native element. I had another mile or mile and a half to paddle back to the boat ramp. The going was very slow at first, since the tide was still rushing out of the channel. But this seemed to stop and equalize and I started to make faster progress. I took a last photo, looking back towards the harbor with the first star appearing in the sky. It was very dark when I approached the boat ramp. From the sound of cars on highway 109 I knew I was close. However, I had trouble distinguishing fallen trees from the ramp.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sight of my car at the end of the journey was quite a relief. Of course, I had been imagining for the past two hours what would happen if the car had been stolen.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, the moral of the story: check the tide tables before venturing out on Grays Harbor. Time your visit with a rising tide.</div><div><br /></div><div>See my photo album:</div><div>http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=snaroin.70n06mc3&x=0&y=-apjzdh&localeid=en_US<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</div><div><br /></div></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-34722601424548065042008-12-28T06:08:00.001-08:002008-12-28T06:25:34.002-08:00Announcing New Website: NwVacationSpots.com<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB96g4QUJ4sgjNUmul8reMW3Vuev9oVzFXSYXhxRkvUZSmhJe7BNJnx3pbPh4xsaqhSCCRxg2D3WXpXDcjcR-AIKmkmxiO0GICuvoOXqxof8Da6MpEi5YSHIxsYGyohI79xtPmMdrYJok/s1600-h/nw_vacation_spots.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284843003805400674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 183px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB96g4QUJ4sgjNUmul8reMW3Vuev9oVzFXSYXhxRkvUZSmhJe7BNJnx3pbPh4xsaqhSCCRxg2D3WXpXDcjcR-AIKmkmxiO0GICuvoOXqxof8Da6MpEi5YSHIxsYGyohI79xtPmMdrYJok/s320/nw_vacation_spots.JPG" border="0" /></a> I've started up a little family business, NwVacationSpots.com. My twin, 14-year-old sons and I are going through 8 years of digital vacation photos, making travel articles about them that we post on NwVacationSpots.com. This section of the website is meant to attract visitors off of search engines and eventually make the site a well-known destination for travel information about the Northwest. We'll orient our travels over the next few years towards gathering new photos for the website. For example, I love Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee - my favorite garden in the Northwest after Butchart, but I only have one old, grainy photo of it. We'll have to go back.<br /><br />NwVacationSpots.com has two more components. It offers free listings to Northwest vacation rental owners. We then post a daily ad on Craigslist.org, rotating among our listed properties and the nearest metropolitan area. This is the principal draw of visitors to the site currently.<br /><br />Lastly, the main point of the site for us is to promote our new vacation rental marketing service. This grew out of an arrangement we made with an owner in Moclips, WA on my NorthBeachVacation.com site. He was impressed with the marketing and advertising efforts I had made for my own house (BobsPacificBeachHouse.com), and asked how I might help him. Between his busy travel and work schedule, he hasn't had time to effectively update and promote his vacation rental website. We agreed that in exchange for a free weekend visit to his house (when it wasn't booked anyway) and 10% of rental income we generate, we would do the following:<br /><br />1. Take new photos. We came away with 210 good photos. We also made these available to the owner, who is replacing some photos in his advertising.<br />2. Put up a new website (MoclipsCliffHouse.com). This is entirely separate from his current website. Our 10% fee only applies to leads we generate.<br />3. Post daily Craigslist ads promoting the new website.<br /><br />We are starting this effort in the off-season and during a recession, but we have generated four leads and one New Year's booking in the first six weeks of operation. We figured that there must be more owners out there who need the same assistance. The program is explained in detail here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nwvacationspots.com/">http://www.NwVacationSpots.com</a>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-32092846427712883012008-11-30T12:59:00.000-08:002008-11-30T13:12:54.482-08:00Grays Harbor County Courthouse in Montesano<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrrLeREz2_c4C3cbfzFcMG2SIF-KLsXmrWVWfu3JR4UXW8trVn1esfvLDseBKCUyidUUHFZXf5Xm-R_7Ho9NSAWaogJLfj-HNy4e0sw4sMNwWZ21jqPxNSlciPsRCF-q2N94oAyz5tf8/s1600-h/100_1755.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274561177449497346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrrLeREz2_c4C3cbfzFcMG2SIF-KLsXmrWVWfu3JR4UXW8trVn1esfvLDseBKCUyidUUHFZXf5Xm-R_7Ho9NSAWaogJLfj-HNy4e0sw4sMNwWZ21jqPxNSlciPsRCF-q2N94oAyz5tf8/s320/100_1755.jpg" border="0" /></a>We returned to the Grays Harbor County Courthouse in Montesano on a Monday before Thanksgiving in order to turn in our passport applications. We had tried to apply for passports the year before at the Bellevue Main Post Office, but the line ran out the door. At this courthouse we strode right up to the county clerk's desk (room 203) without any waiting. It was such a pleasure.<br /><div></div><br /><div>The other reason I planned this visit was to take a look inside of the building. My younger son and I had driven by on a weekend visit to Lake Sylvia State Park, when the building was closed. I had read that there were murals inside. Indeed, the interior of the courthouse is very lovely. The major murals are found inside the front entrance: a scene of Captain Gray landing to meet a party of Indians on Grays Harbor and a Governor signing a treaty at Cosmpolis with another group of Indians. The core of the building is taken up by three rising tiers of wide stairwells. The interior is richly decorated in marble, mosaic tile, brass light fixtures, and fine woodwork. From the second and third levels you can view the ceiling frescoes inside the dome with allegorical female figures of justice, prosperity, and others.</div><br /><div></div><div>I asked the clerk whether tours are ever given of the building, but she didn't know of any. Still, you are free to wander about during public hours. She recommended attending a trial - always open to the public - because the courtrooms are also beautifully decorated.</div><br /><div>More about Montensano:</div><div><a href="http://www.northbeachvacation.com/montesano_and_lake_sylvia.html">http://www.northbeachvacation.com/montesano_and_lake_sylvia.html</a></div><div> </div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-47742120267415533452008-11-30T10:36:00.000-08:002008-11-30T11:13:58.870-08:00New partnership: MoclipsCliffHouse.com<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXvwCoYt5edq3Nz1K9Nczkcizf3rq3lkvIgQk7w5bxEDo6MakULR1crP0ECRUApO3rcJlnbSzhT884g3XACOx0EOalkNbyO42eYjff2JMje3txAsBa6dS9_4cRv07H_P36Auhe2M8AQQ/s1600-h/best+wide+angle+of+view.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274530352052405250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXvwCoYt5edq3Nz1K9Nczkcizf3rq3lkvIgQk7w5bxEDo6MakULR1crP0ECRUApO3rcJlnbSzhT884g3XACOx0EOalkNbyO42eYjff2JMje3txAsBa6dS9_4cRv07H_P36Auhe2M8AQQ/s320/best+wide+angle+of+view.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>We agreed recently to help out the owner of the Ocean Cliff vacation rental house in Moclips with marketing. In exchange for taking new pictures of the house, putting up a new website, and promoting it on Craigslist.org and elsewhere, we were allowed to stay in the house for free one weekend and we'll get a 10% booking fee for any reservations we generate. The owner lacks the time to market the house on his own very effectively.</div><div></div><br /><div>I'm teaching my teenage sons how to build the website and post ads on Craigslist. If this first relationship goes well, we may offer it more widely as a little family business. We'll offer the service to homes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia that we could reach in an extended weekend.</div><div></div><br /><div>The Ocean Cliff house in Moclips sits on a magnificent two acre site. Through a few windswept trees at the cliff's edge, you have an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean and the wide sands of Sunset Beach below. The owners have landscaped the backyard beautifully with a cliffside deck and benches and a masonry fire pit. The fire pit becomes the communal focus of the house as we gathered there each evening.</div><div></div><br /><div>The house has five bedrooms: 3 up and 2 down. The two floors can be rented separately or else the whole house together. Each floor provides 1,300 square feet of space to spread out in. The highlights of the interior are the two king size beds in each master, the luxurious tiled bathrooms, the modern full kitchens, and the marvellous ocean view from nearly every room.</div><br /><div></div><div>Beach access is found by a short walk nearby: either down the stairs at the Ocean Crest Resort to the north or the Analyde Gap Road to the south. You can also drive down this road and park or drive on the beach.</div><br /><div>Here's the new website we are working on:</div><div><a href="http://www.moclipscliffhouse.com/">http://www.MoclipsCliffHouse.com</a></div><div> </div><div>Here's the owner's original website:</div><div><a href="http://www.oceancliff.us/">http://www.OceanCliff.us</a></div><div> </div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-14417339300368724652008-11-30T06:27:00.000-08:002008-11-30T06:37:47.347-08:00Point Grenville at Low Tide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUMRNkduNEXHeMDb4PIcFmTT95HuLd7Mpyda1QOBz1xSJ0HMibt6kqoMLvvOCzV25G0R6vj-tR25OlSWAkQ2ICd-9ryk7LV55qYJnrlmrB42Ap91eA9hVt03_tJnkrPfjC7Z5T_XKdeg/s1600-h/100_1524.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274457659368058786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUMRNkduNEXHeMDb4PIcFmTT95HuLd7Mpyda1QOBz1xSJ0HMibt6kqoMLvvOCzV25G0R6vj-tR25OlSWAkQ2ICd-9ryk7LV55qYJnrlmrB42Ap91eA9hVt03_tJnkrPfjC7Z5T_XKdeg/s320/100_1524.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>I returned to Point Grenville on 11/23/2008, bringing my family along to see the place. I had visited alone the previous April. We arrived at low tide, which made for a different experience. An extensive field of low rocks and tidepools were revealed that were covered up on my last visit. We saw hundreds of starfish in every crevasse and clinging to the bottom of the rocks. This rock with the arch shown above was the limit of what you could see to the north at high tide. Now, we could walk out beyond it, skipping from rock to rock.</p><p>New pictures:</p><p><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=snaroin.9i0imlqj&x=0&y=fu1dmv&localeid=en_US">http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=snaroin.9i0imlqj&x=0&y=fu1dmv&localeid=en_US</a></p><p>More about the beach house:</p><p><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com</a></p>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-6018256123491588262008-11-30T00:05:00.000-08:002008-11-30T00:25:31.659-08:00New partnership: OlympicCircleTour.com<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2sDvZ7wLRC0hQItPDGYsiGps5DA-a1xJb2geCy3Fo4DYekz1XBzFyoYtp6Rigi5P5iVP2YdWp2RyausmJkdXTEcFInEslBBH9Hl9rNN28p41p-Bro4TN7QbWSnna1nhibG3SUgywT40/s1600-h/logcabin.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274363100818479746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2sDvZ7wLRC0hQItPDGYsiGps5DA-a1xJb2geCy3Fo4DYekz1XBzFyoYtp6Rigi5P5iVP2YdWp2RyausmJkdXTEcFInEslBBH9Hl9rNN28p41p-Bro4TN7QbWSnna1nhibG3SUgywT40/s320/logcabin.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div>Bob's Pacific Beach House has partnered with two other luxury beach houses around the Olympic peninsula: the Rialto Beach House in the northwest corner and Triton Cove Beach Home on Hood Canal. We offer a 10% discount when two or more homes are booked together. The idea is that these homes can be booked together as a package to cover all the sights of the peninsula and Olympic National Park. If any particular house is booked, we have a list of alternates and will help you plan your trip.</div><div></div><br /><div>The outstanding features of each house are:</div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Triton Cove Beach Home</strong></div><div>Located directly on the water with a big deck and hot tub looming over the beach. State park's boat ramp located immediately adjacent to the property. Collect your dinner right off the beach at low tide or out of Hood Canal with a crab pot.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Rialto Beach House</strong></div><div>Gorgeous log home located just three miles from famed Rialto Beach. The house sits on ten acres directly on the Quillayute River. The nearby Rich Wine Bar is a great spot for fishing and its unobstructed view of Mount Olympus. Gather in the evenings around the fire pit.</div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bob's Pacific Beach House</strong></div><div>Set on a bluff with wide view of the ocean. Half mile walk or drive to the beach. Driving, bike riding, and evening bonfires allowed on the beach. Seven miles to incredible volcanic reef and seastack rocks at Point Grenville. Half an hour to Lake Qunault.</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.olympiccircletour.com/">http://www.OlympicCircleTour.com</a></div><div> </div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-4355684148878895722008-09-24T17:47:00.000-07:002008-09-24T22:08:41.250-07:00Montesano and Lake Sylvia State Park<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FIHaFw_iJxXAwI6iAYkkv_3Cdf1NNM9UZ81ILjjafsFvX5KpefywibJg74ftY2d9eIySMLnRV6pgPDBYsVtuhUjM7jmV5m-t5_uQykkOWoeQoq2PA8Q-lacGz-WOfFj2GxmSGw2TG48/s1600-h/100_0190.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249755857665303618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FIHaFw_iJxXAwI6iAYkkv_3Cdf1NNM9UZ81ILjjafsFvX5KpefywibJg74ftY2d9eIySMLnRV6pgPDBYsVtuhUjM7jmV5m-t5_uQykkOWoeQoq2PA8Q-lacGz-WOfFj2GxmSGw2TG48/s320/100_0190.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>My little boy and I needed a break from the drive home between Aberdeen and Elma, so I pulled off the highway and followed a sign to Lake Sylvia State Park. It turned out to be a delightful park. A bridge crosses the lake and brings you to a lakeside picnic area and playground. The playground attracted several families on a sunny Sunday afternoon in September. My little boy enjoyed playing with all the other kids. The park has a campground, two boat launches for human-powered boats, and three trails heading off into the woods. We saw canoes and a fisherman out on the lake.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Next, we drove around the city of Montesano and stopped outside the historic courthouse. Montesano is the county seat of Grays Harbor. The courthouse is a lovely old building. I've read that there are murals inside, depicting the discovery of the harbor by Captain Gray. Nearby are historic neighborhoods with many old, attractive houses.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>See more pictures at:</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/pictures.html">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com/pictures.html</a><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-58111452353967119172008-09-16T20:38:00.000-07:002008-09-16T20:50:32.512-07:00Sunset Visit to Copalis Rock at an Extreme Low Tide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGo0Wbc25GgBvWZb0Y7dRvF6ngFybIeietzXkPGj0nx8s9XtEEenjZaEnErr5o7sJohl-YcIxJ5VzS_MaapcILP4LvrMPgjC8qin4M7LabAjgPzHlRqiZqAxjqQN36wMkTECaw3xKuDso/s1600-h/100_0066.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246830783837649458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGo0Wbc25GgBvWZb0Y7dRvF6ngFybIeietzXkPGj0nx8s9XtEEenjZaEnErr5o7sJohl-YcIxJ5VzS_MaapcILP4LvrMPgjC8qin4M7LabAjgPzHlRqiZqAxjqQN36wMkTECaw3xKuDso/s320/100_0066.jpg" border="0" /></a> At sunset just before heading home to the Seattle area, we stopped by Copalis Rock. This is located four miles south of Pacific Beach by road, and another three miles south driving down the beach. There's a stream one mile north of the rock, but today it was low enough to drive across.<br /><br />We arrived at the rock both at sunset and at an extreme low tide. On my last visit, the water kept me a few hundred feet away. This evening we could walk right up and touch the rock. The first thing you notice that close is that the rock is really a collection of about four rocks - perhaps more if you could see around the other side. There are also a few sizeable rocks further out on the ocean, which are perhaps mostly submerged by a higher tide.<br /><br />The lower ten feet of Copalis Rock - the part that is normally submerged - is covered in big purple and orange starfish, tightly closed anenomes, and mussel shells. This coast doesn't have any tidal pools that I'm aware of, so the low tide is a special opportunity to see these animals.<br /><br />I'll post more pictures here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/pictures.html">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com/pictures.html</a>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-87481371474864653542008-09-01T17:23:00.001-07:002008-09-01T17:31:10.285-07:00NorthBeachVacation.comA group of vacation rental owners along the North Beach (Pacific Beach and Moclips) have gotten together for some cooperative marketing. The new website describes every attraction we can think of that you can drive to from this area (between Westport and the Hoh Rain Forest). We are contemplating a public open house this autumn and a quarterly newsletter.<br /><br />So far we have had fun visiting each other's houses, getting to know each other, and trading stories.<br /><br />Give it a look!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.northbeachvacation.com/">http://www.NorthBeachVacation.com</a>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-34682416631976305552008-08-31T23:16:00.000-07:002008-08-31T23:37:35.895-07:00Four Parents Escape to Westport<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CRM7UUhaaQHhutNsFuFOjG-kIHyITlCsEXu5X2RAwTDn8aa-DDhVZqnKmjsFY4CZd5F4SUgtjb8sGh3IsvDMZ5QI3yWIh3nnj9K-pOhgl6eeFfAasCfZWWeY0hQLEgS7wKbWXzELzaI/s1600-h/100_9098.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240933563781963362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CRM7UUhaaQHhutNsFuFOjG-kIHyITlCsEXu5X2RAwTDn8aa-DDhVZqnKmjsFY4CZd5F4SUgtjb8sGh3IsvDMZ5QI3yWIh3nnj9K-pOhgl6eeFfAasCfZWWeY0hQLEgS7wKbWXzELzaI/s320/100_9098.jpg" border="0" /></a>This day we four parents left our kids (six of them ages 5 to 18) at the beach house, and escaped for a day trip to Westport. The day was rainy, so we needed a place with a couple indoor attractions. The drive from Pacific Beach to Westport via Aberdeen lasts about one hour.<br /><br />We started at the Grays Harbor lighthouse - the tallest in Washington state. I've written about the lighthouse before, so I'll just mention a few things. We had a different docent than the time before, so I learned a few different facts. One thing of note is that the 135 step iron spiral staircase is freestanding - not bolted to the building. It does rest on a few ledges built out of the walls, but otherwise it supports itself by several braces propped against the inside of the building. Iron and concrete expand and contract at different rates, so any bolts drilled into the walls would have pulled loose over time.<br /><br />From the lighthouse we hurried over to the maritime museum before closing time. Three attractions here made this visit very worthwhile: the main building itself, the former coastguard station, is very beautiful; two whale skeletons are displayed outside; and a neighboring building is devoted to the Fresnel lens (pictured above) from the Destruction Island lighthouse. The lens, when they turn it on so that it rotates and shines light out from the inside, is a surpassingly beautiful sight. Destruction Island is otherwise inaccessible to tourists, so it is fortunate that the lens was moved here.<br /><br />Next, we went for a walk through the town in a light drizzle. Across the street was the marina, where some boats were selling freshly caught fish (tuna, in this case). We stopped at the One Eyed Crab for some wonderful seafood and clam chowder. Next, we bought saltwater taffy at Granny Hazel's candy store. They offer 50 flavors of saltwater taffy. We located the aquarium, but a sign on the door said that the pumps had failed and the attraction was closed indefinitely. We ended our stroll at the blue observation tower at the north end of town. We spotted several surfers in the cold water below us. The waves were pretty active, so some of them were managing to catch a good wave.<br /><br />I'll post more pictures here:<br /><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/pictures.html">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com/pictures.html</a>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-49903452100530616442008-08-31T09:46:00.001-07:002008-08-31T10:04:09.934-07:00The Big Spruce on Lake Quinault's South Shore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG36RSJ_kqw_p3iNOq4PHOwBBs0dW1NzUsUIp-JZT4yoJm5VGsT_c29zEM_IPg6hLufAgQUTq7ltcqjTnbsfV0Cx1uIiohVT8JS3SzfojVpPIyLhOshg0Z4IJo8mfQNUycnX3QJMPsuk/s1600-h/100_9003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240724689328067090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG36RSJ_kqw_p3iNOq4PHOwBBs0dW1NzUsUIp-JZT4yoJm5VGsT_c29zEM_IPg6hLufAgQUTq7ltcqjTnbsfV0Cx1uIiohVT8JS3SzfojVpPIyLhOshg0Z4IJo8mfQNUycnX3QJMPsuk/s320/100_9003.jpg" border="0" /></a> The amazing Big Spruce is found along Lake Quinault's South Shore Road adjacent to the Rain Forest Resort Village. A sign on the road identifies the spot and parking if provided for about 10 cars. A short quarter mile trail brings you through some bushes, over a stream, and up to the tree. The tree is said to be 1,000 years old and reaches a height of 191 feet.<br /><br />Nearby you can spy a nice view of Lake Quinault on the resort's grounds. We meander over there to enjoy the view and the beach.Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-44754063450942900032008-08-31T09:01:00.000-07:002008-08-31T09:30:43.459-07:00Return to Higley Peak<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptuS89oRt4dHXar9dhHiX8mNXHuwqsfSsShHRsvWEmlH3e6E58bDL04PSjqocdrZuitaufKqwnVJ9NA913c7QOYICGB7GIOBO4YJEyKmmlXulU0qrDqWDEMNTkKLGZjOFl__GCyC1A5g/s1600-h/100_8826.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240713229009201730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptuS89oRt4dHXar9dhHiX8mNXHuwqsfSsShHRsvWEmlH3e6E58bDL04PSjqocdrZuitaufKqwnVJ9NA913c7QOYICGB7GIOBO4YJEyKmmlXulU0qrDqWDEMNTkKLGZjOFl__GCyC1A5g/s320/100_8826.jpg" border="0" /></a> We returned to Higley Peak on August 25, 2008. If you recall, we had visited there at the end of June, but snow on the road blocked access by our car. We trudged on several miles in the snow, but never found the trail to the peak.<br /><br />This time the snow was all gone and the road had been cleared of fallen trees, so we drove right on up. We stopped at a clearing where the road widens out and you have a view of a green valley to the north and a beautiful stand of moss-covered trees to the south dropping away down a steep hillside. This was the furthest point we reached on the June visit. And lo and behold! I found the trail at this point. It is found on the hill to the southwest. The entrance to the trail is overgrown. A sign marking the entrance has fallen down. A few tens of yards into the trail is another sign that identifies the trail for certain.<br /><br />So we proceeded up the trail. The trail is narrow and almost disappears in a couple spots. Below you the hillside drops away very steeply. The trail climbs steadily and wraps perhaps 3/4 of the way around the peak - rather than switching back and forth. You pass a gigantic rock formation about mid way. As you wind around the mountain, you are bound to catch the side facing the sun, and this lights up the forest beautifully.<br /><br />After half a mile, you reach the peak. There is a little clearing at the peak. Some posts and concrete blocks indicate that something was once constructed here, but it is gone now. Now, my interest in Higley Peak originated from the idea that we would get a view of Lake Quinault. The peak hovers over the middle of the lake's north shore. Unfortunately, some young trees have grown up and almost completely blocked the view. You just get a narrow glimpse through some branches.<br /><br />Back down at the base of the trail, we drove another three miles up the road beyond the peak. At the 12.5 mile mark we were rewarded with a great view (pictured above). Here you can see the upper Quinault River emptying into the eastern end of the lake with the mountains of the Colonel Bob Wilderness looming over the scene. The road continues further, but we turned back at this point.<br /><br />So here are the complete instructions for finding Higley Peak:<br />1. Turn onto Prairie Creek Road from Highway 101. This road is found about 1 mile west of where the highway bends to the west near the lake's North Shore Road. Prairie Creek Road is a dirt road, but well-maintained (in August, at least).<br />2. On the lower part of the road, you will encounter two forks in the road. Bear to the right at each of them. The first fork is unmarked. The second fork has a sign for Higley Peak. There is sort of a third fork, where the road straight ahead is very faint, but it is pretty clear that the main road veers to the left up the first switchback.<br />3. At the 9.5 mile mark, you have reached the peak. Before this point, a hillside on your right had been restricting your view in that direction. At the base of the trail, the road opens up into a clearing with views to either side. A very pretty stand of trees laden with moss are to be seen towards the lake side to the south. Up ahead the road drops away (for about the next mile). Once you have identified the spot, you can find the trailhead to your southwest, hidden by the undergrowth against the hillside. Once you pass that initial undergrowth, the trail is easy to follow.<br />4. Continue another 3 miles along the road to the 12.5 mile mark for the best view - a view of the eastern end of the lake and the river valley.<br /><br />You can find my complete picture album here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/pictures.html">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com/pictures.html</a>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7854931941169398172.post-82206476591538003652008-08-26T04:18:00.000-07:002008-08-31T23:16:31.777-07:00Early Morning Bike Ride on the Beach to Moclips<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaAji3fppJvQBlzYzokduP82VLMK-iZDGMriQ6ffs8GqgKlYnWTUP6E0cZcKznh0IxNZ53Ngla9P9rAQFVx66T861gPPL6EXJb4ooL1d0kc5JszYlMsRzwo_Cd3XBsHEAu2-Hyzz_JfY/s1600-h/100_8723.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238785012864332786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaAji3fppJvQBlzYzokduP82VLMK-iZDGMriQ6ffs8GqgKlYnWTUP6E0cZcKznh0IxNZ53Ngla9P9rAQFVx66T861gPPL6EXJb4ooL1d0kc5JszYlMsRzwo_Cd3XBsHEAu2-Hyzz_JfY/s320/100_8723.jpg" border="0" /></a> First of all, you may wonder if bike riding works on the beach. I wondered that too, but then I looked at some old pictures of my youngest boy on the beach, and one picture showed a family with bikes in the background. So I resolved to try it.<br /><br />There is a strip of hard, flat sand just above the waterline. If you stay in that strip, the ride feels just like riding on asphalt. If you stray too close to the water or too high on the beach, the sand gets soft and the ride becomes arduous.<br /><br />On this ride, I entered the beach down the Analyde Gap Road at the north end of Pacific Beach and rode north towards Moclips as far as I could go. The interesting things to see along this ride were: the sun rising above the cliff and obscured by the clouds, a mixture of seagulls and crows on the beach, the many beach houses in Moclips, and a flock of sandpipers dodging in and out of the surf.<br /><br />After two miles, I reached the Moclips River, which runs too wide and deep to cross. Here the sand grew soft, so I parked the bike and walked along the river. Across the river the cliffside is completely undeveloped - compared to Moclips where it is lined with houses. Dozens of old, decaying posts are set in the river and the nearby beach. It looked like this may once have been a bridge across the river. Nearby I found a boundary marker for the Quinault Indian Nation. The reservation evidently extends a bit south of the river. You ordinarily need a beach pass to visit the QIN beaches, but I don't suppose anybody enforces that rule here.<br /><br />More pictures found at:<br /><a href="http://www.bobspacificbeachhouse.com/pictures.html">http://www.BobsPacificBeachHouse.com/pictures.html</a>Bob Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07475971192534654365noreply@blogger.com0