On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

After a breakfast of omelet and pancakes at the Elwha campground in Olympic National Park, in the northwest portion of Washington State, we took off down the road to the Elwha Ranger Station to get our first stamp of the day. It was all of about one mile down the road. But alas, no ranger at the office. It was locked! We drove down to the next campground to check it out, then went back to the ranger station, and still no one on duty. There was a little house just up the hill and there was a car in front, so Fred offered to go up and knock on the door. Wilma didn’t want to impose, but Fred won, and did manage to rouse a ranger who was willing to come open up so we could get our stamps. As it turned out, he said it was a good trade off because he was very interested in our Bigfoot campers, and spent quite a bit of time talking about them and looking around in them. Before leaving we mentioned we were going to Hurricane Ridge, and he told us about a short cut to keep us out of the road construction. He was really great, and we didn’t even get his name.

Off we went, and we really appreciated his directing us that way. We stopped at several viewpoints on the way up. The one just before the tunnels lets you look out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was very clear, and we could see forever. Mt. Baker off to the east, Victoria B.C. across the strait, the Dungeness Spit, and lots of water. It was absolutely gorgeous.  Continuing on up the hill, we soon came to lots and lots of wildflowers along the road. Friend Tom, you would have loved it. They were everywhere: Blue, purple, yellow, white, red. Lots of different ones.  It was so pretty.

Rounding the bend at the top was breathtaking. The whole range of mountains clear as could be right in front of you. Deer grazing just a few feet away. Lots and lots of people enjoying the beautiful day.

We got our stamps at the VC and Fred and Barney climbed to the top of the viewpoint while Betty and Wilma waited below.

Can you see betty and Wilma down there?

Here's a closeup of them.

Some of the wild flowers on the hillside.

The deer are not very afraid of us.

Heading back down the hill, we stopped again at the Olympic National Park VC to have lunch at one of their picnic tables, and then headed out to Lake Crescent. The lake is beautiful, and had a few little white caps on it. We stopped at the Storm King Ranger Station for another stamp, and again at the Lake Crescent Lodge where there is a stamp at the registration booth. The wind along there had come up a bit, with whitecaps and waves lapping the shore.

We then checked out the campground at the end of the lake, but moved on. We wanted to get down the Sol Duck road to be in place for a stamp at the ranger station in the morning. The girl at the entrance station said that ranger station isn’t open this summer. What a bummer! But she had two stamps for us and let us know there were only six spots available in the campground. So we turned around and headed on down 101 to the Klahowya Forest Service campground where we are now set up for the night.

Barney could start a fire by rubbing
two icicles together!

Wilma's roughing it!

Fred says we have absolutely no signal on the Mifi, to post this, but Wilma turned it on and we are getting a little, so here goes.  Good night all.