On the Way to Cape Flattery

The long drive along the coast to Cape Flattery takes you by some beautiful scenery.  This is Pillar Point and we were amazed how far out the normal tide flow could go.  This creates a great tidal zone for clamming, and










Crabbing!

Here a couple of young guys who worked for Washington Fish & Wildlife showed off their mornings catch.  Three hours of walking the mudflats and they had 4 Dungeoness crabs. 








Farther down the road you find the little fishing village of Seiku (seek-you).  It comes alive in July and August when the salmon run comes through this entry to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.






We had to stretch our legs and walk the docks to see who was bringing in fish.  We did see one really nice King salmon - probably 20 pounds.  Only fish for the day's trip, apparently (don't ever ask what the 'cost per pound' is:).  Wanted to show this very typical fishing boat: all marine aluminum, lots of power and protection against the weather - but not much space.  Saw one ( used) for sale - at only $81,000!!  Probably they last a long time and they are obviously very seaworthy.  Our whale-watching tour boat was just a larger version of this.

Going to the Beach - NW style

 Ava got all excited about seeing a beach - Beach 2 by name - right on the Pacific coast after our rain forest hikes.

Well, it was another hike.  On an Indian reservation with minimal improvements the trail went up, then down, then up again over a ridge.
As you can see it was an old-growth forest full of fern and moss and really dark and dank - but beautiful.



Then you break out of the trees and see - an amazing rocky, log-strewn, wide flat beach.

Not like our So Tx beach, to be sure but there were a lots of beachwalkers and even a few hardy souls who had set up a beach camp.

Wanna try this beach, Dennis, for your next beach camp?





 As you can see from the logs strewn about and the wave-chewed promontory this is no beach for the faint-hearted, or a winter campout - when most of their storms toss these logs up against the bluff.

Does it look a bit cool and wintery?  It was - and this is in mid-July!







One of my best pics ever.

Ava is sending her greetings to you all from this special beach - one about as far north and west as you can go and actually find one to walk on in the 'lower 48'!

OPNP - Hoh Rain Forest

 Around on the 'wet side' - facing the Pacific - is a vast stretch of rain forest.  This area gets up to 13' (right, Feet!) of precipitation a year.  This is one of the largest Sitka Spruce trees in the world.  You really feel small - and temporary- walking in these old-growth forests.










Under the enormous Spruce, Hemlock, Cedar, Fir and Maple are ferns and mosses of every type.  Nothing that grows is harvested here in the NP, and nothing that falls is wasted by nature.  Many of the young trees were found growing out of the fallen ones.  Only the strongest survive some of the winter storms they get here.

A Ranger shared that recent tests of the trees with radioactive isotopes proved that within 24 hrs moisture and nutrient could be absorbed by leaves on one tree and transferred by roots to trees a hundred yards away!  (Maybe the movie Avatar was on to something?!!)


The rapid and unfettered growth - and the way trees too close together are absorbed into one - makes for really eye-catching shapes.

My eye is always caught by this particular shape:)














Ava thought this looked like Ent Gary.

I wasn't so sure - I tend to wear my hair shorter now,

Olympic Peninsula - Port Angeles

The last weekend of June we arrived at View Vista Park - and it was well named. Only five RV sites, the rest being exceptionally well-manicured mobile homes - and yards!









Did I mention the vistas we viewed?  This is what we looked at downhill, and down-mountain, from our RV site.  That's the Strait of Juan de Fuca that separates us from Vancouver, BC, Canada.


This strait connects directly to the Pacific, varies from 5 to 20 miles wide and is the 'weather-maker' for these coastal towns.  Always cool, often foggy and always beautiful.





Two of the north entrances to OP National Park are almost in Port Angeles (PA to the locals) and this one popular: Hurricane Ridge.  17 miles of winding mountain road to almost 8,000ft elevation and what spectacular views of this vast park to the south.  Here we are looking at the heart of the Olympic mountain range.  Snow covered all year due to the ocean moisture, high elevations and daytime temps that seldom reach 70 degrees.




When you look north you have snow at your feet, PA on the coast, the Strait and Vancouver Island in the distance.  On really clear days you see Mt Baker with it's massive mantle of snow.

Everywhere we drove - and its a massive place to try to see- the views were jaw-dropping.  I never tired of it.

Making our way West on the Oregon Trail

  We left Tetons and travelled west to south central Idaho where we parked for a couple of days to recoup.  On Saturday we met our new good friends from last summer, Leonard and Denise. They are using their Forest Ranger skills as they volunteer  in the Sawtooth National  Forest. We talked and laughed and agreed it was amazing that we were able to plan an enjoyable lunch visit in the middle of Idaho.  We find in them kindred spirits for mountains, RVing and enjoying the great outdoors.

The next day Ava and I worshipped in Jerome, Idaho in a log cabin church that Sojourners helped build almost 20 years ago!
 I had to include this photo taken at a Rest Area somewhere in Idaho.  Seems the Snake river we followed through the Tetons and across Idaho was the exact route taken by those hardy souls on the Oregon Trail.  Ava was reading a diary of that trip and we could match up our ease to their incredible hardship through many of the same mountains, passes, rivers and fords.  You can see it goes through SW Wyoming and across southern Idaho up into NE Oregon.  There we left it and crossed the Columbia River into Washington.




Following  the Yakima River we camped below the pass leading through the Cascades and marvelled at the abundance of cherry orchards, apples, peahces and pears - as well as scores of vineyards.  These cherries were "pick all you want for a $1 a bag!




Our campground was on a "working ranch" - and I wondered at the stock I was seeing - all bulls!

Then I found out the rancher leased his pasture out to a man who provided bulls for Bull Riding in Rodeos!  If I was even thinking about crossing the fences that thought was now banished!

Next stop - the NW Washington coast!

More from 2 NPs+2GFriends

I just had to include this scruffy old fellow.  We had seen lots of bison, some on the road near the truck (bison jam) but this guy was right up next to the parking lot, just outside the pole fence.  So, of course, John had to get real close for a picture.  I was sure that fence was no protection at all but John said all was perfectly safe. 

Later, as he looked closely at his photo, he realized that even thought the bull's head never rasied, his eyes were cut to the right and up - looking directly at the camera - and John!


We saw a few elk - these boys were still running together and in full velvet but they are a handsome bunch.










Can you believe we got Karen to say 'yes' to a raft trip on the Snake River.  Of course, I neglected to tell her that our take-out point was named Deadman's Bar.  She started out apprehensive but soon was enjoying the uneventful trip as much as we all did.







The Snake river through the Grand Tetons is an easy float trip and offers unparalleled views of my favorite mountains.  I am inclined to say when folks ask "what was your best camping spot" - I say "it's hard to beat the Grand Tetons".

Two great parks with two great friends

 We couldn't miss the chance to see Yellowstone and Grand Tetons through John and Karen's eyes so we made a long one-day haul from Hamilton to just outside the west entrance to Yellowstone.  The next morning we traveled thru Yellowstone and got side-by-side campsites at Colter Bay campground in Grand Tetons NP. 





The following day we drove to one of our very favorite places: Artist's Point - the grand canyon of the Yellowstone.

It was a pefect day to see an amazing cataract.











This is the everyday view you get of the Tetons from almost anywhere in the park. 

I never tire of it.

This scene Ava captured early one morning looking across Jackson Lake.





Finding a clear view of a moose is what everyone wants and most never find.  To our delight we found this proud guy and Ava got many great pictures of him.  He put on a show and we were an admiriing and grateful audience.