Day 3
4.7 miles, 702ft gain/678ft loss.
The first thing we notice after getting up, is the fact that the guys that came in late last night, are now camped a mere 15 feet away, which garners puzzled looks from Greg and I. That is, until we really take a look around…The tides just happen to be extreme these last few days, and boy was it! The tide came all the way up to our driftwood windbreak, against the leading edge of the log, and as we look down the beach to where they originally pitched their tent, it was obvious that sometime during the middle of the night, they got wet. That must have been a rude awakening!
Puzzle solved, we set to prepping and eating breakfast, then pack to get a good start to make sure that we don’t miss our appointed meeting with our ride back to the truck.
“…look like frozen waves cast in stone …”
The tide is out once again, and the beach is wide and sand covered, so we make good time to the trailhead up to the parking lot, at 2 miles up the beach. But, we notice some interesting rock formations that bear exploring before going overland, so cameras in hand, we walk out and around the point of rocks called “rock reef” on the TOPO map. Neat spires and formations of rock that almost look like frozen waves cast in stone sit among flat rocks covered in seaweed, making for some tricky footing if not careful. We spend a little time taking pictures, and peering into the tide pools, where there are lots of starfish and Sea anemones. Once we reach the trailhead back up the hill, we encounter a group of people gingerly picking their way down the hill, so we wait for them at one of the switchbacks up. They’re hanging on to the rope that someone has tied to a tree at the top of the slope, and coming down the trail with lots of trepidation. Greg and I can only glance at each other, for this section of trail would really only need the rope if the trail was muddy and wet. Not really that steep. As she gets near us, she says, “I didn’t know I was going to need my rappelling gear”.
“…Uh, well, this rope here is tame in comparison…”
By the time the 3rd person in their party passed, I couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you headed?” She replied, “Oh, we’re going to Lake Ozette!” Hmmm….Again, I couldn’t help myself, and blurted out, “Uh, well, this rope here is tame in comparison to what awaits you further on…” And, needless to say, I got the look. I just shrugged my shoulders, and moved on.
Which garnered another response, “Well, no problem, we can make it!” I’m sure you will, but I just felt a little fair warning to be in order, since the rope here was hardly necessary…
Nearing the top, we ran into a huge group of kids heading down, and Greg and I waited patiently for oh, say…30 seconds, then it was time to find a way around the mass of youngsters heading downhill. Once on top, the trail became wide and flat all the way back to the parking lot, where we plopped down to wait for our ride, supplied by All Points charters and tours. A great alternative to driving two cars over to park one at either end. For this trip, it cost us $160 for the ride back, a bit expensive for two, but this price covers up to 6 weary travelers. On the way back, our driver regaled us with stories both local, and out of state, which made the long drive interesting.
A great way to start the season and it’s definitely worth the experience to travel the north coast of Washington, for this is truly some of the most beautiful the Washington coast has to offer.