Tuesday, August 9, 2011

WANDERING THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA – PT. TOWNSEND TO CHIMACUM TO SEQUIM

Lupine and Indian PaintbrushHere on the Olympic Peninsula, at 11:50 am, it is foggy/overcast and 56 degrees.  That might seem like heaven to those of you anywhere east and south of us, suffering through your long hot summer – but I’m ready for some sunshine!

More than most years, this summer has made me aware of how important sunshine is to my well being.  Early on, we left Eugene to head east to find sunshine (and fell in love with Joseph, Oregon).  Since we’ve come back across the Cascades to western Washington, our days have been cool and most often cloudy or wet.  Sunny days (especially the four glorious days in Port Townsend) have been at a premium, and have filled me with energy.

When we left Point Hudson RV Park (click here to read our review) in Port Townsend, we moved less than ten miles, to COHO Evergreen Park, the Escapee co-op park in Chimacum, Washington.   Many of our traveling friends were there; it was nice to catch up over a potluck dinner and a happy hour.  Two days later, we moved another 30 miles to the Elks Lodge in Sequim (click here to read our review), looking forward to revisiting a couple of our favorite hikes.

Our ridgetop trailIt was a sunny afternoon in Sequim when we arrived, set up camp, and took off in the Jeep for the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.  We looked forward to hiking the Dungeness Spit, a long tongue of land sticking out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca between the U.S. and Canada (click here to see a great photo).  Instead, we smacked into a cold, wet, bank of heavy fog.  That was it for me – I knew I was ready to leave the Olympic Peninsula in search of sunshine! 

We turned around and headed home, making plans to head south after one last day in Sequim - August 8th, which happened to be our 10 year wedding anniversary.  Though it was cold and gloomy when we woke, the Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge webcam show glorious sunshine and snowcapped mountains above the fog bank, so off we went.  What a great way to celebrate!

A few of the trails high up on Hurricane Ridge were still closed by snow, but the sunshine was abundant and we hiked a ridgeline trail in short-sleeved shirts.  Wildflowers were thick and lush; glaciers sparkled on the Olympic range.  We felt completely energized.

Snow at Hurrican RidgeBack at the Elks – sunny! – we visited with Dave and Diane, a couple we met during our first year of travel, then went home to a crockpot full of posole, a Mexican stew we both love (click here for the recipe I use).  It was a good way to end our day, and a good end (for now) to our travels in northwest Washington. 

I’m writing this as we travel Hwy 101 south.  It is now 12:20; we’ve left the gloomy fog behind us and the temperature soared up to 70 degrees!  :)  We have beautiful blue water to our left, thick green forest to our right.  We’re planning to overnight in Kelso for two nights, with a hike on Mt. St. Helens on the agenda for tomorrow.   Then we off to Oregon, visiting our friends in Canby where the temperature is forecast to be in the mid-80’s.  I’ll try not to complain.  :)

16 comments:

  1. well as you say so long to the Western Washington area..we bid you a fond farewell..thanks for the great ride through the area we know so well!..sorry the weather didn't co-operate!..I am still wondering where our summer weather is?..have a safe trip down the 101..enjoy the views..they are spectacular!!

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  2. oh..forgot!...happy anniversary!!!!

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  3. OK, I don't see the recipe for posole on your sidebar...did I miss it? Love to try out your recipe for it.

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  4. Happy Anniversary to you two love birds. We've had some beautiful weather here in MT this week but it has been hot here most of the summer. Sorry you had such lousy weather in WA. Hopefully the sun will stay out for you.

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  5. Happy Anniversary!!! Love that hike on Hurricane Ridge, have been there above the fog as well. Like you, I need sunshine, which is why I live on the EAST side of those wet mountains on the Pacific Northwest. We will be home mid month, so be sure to get in touch for your kayak time if possible

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  6. Happy Anniversary to you both...love the blog pics...looked warm even though it was chilly...we've had no summer weather here on the east coast of Canada yet to speak of and its almost the middle of August...rain rain rain...but we don't let it dampen our spirits...we still out and about...travel safe...

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  7. and I forgot too...new there was something else I wanted to say...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU BOTH!!!

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  8. Happy Anniversary, you two! Congrats on ten wonderful years!

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  9. Bobbie, for some reason, I thought I had posted it before - but I guess not. I added a link in the post, and also put it in the recipe archive.

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  10. Happy Anniversary you two - you guys are so great together, why, you're almost a damn near perfect couple!

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  11. Hey, we're passing each other. We went to Mt. St. Helens today and are parked with a bunch of our WIN friends at Toutle School which you'll probably drive right by. I'd love to meet you. You'll see about 20 rigs parked in a field. Ron and I are in the Winnebago Sightseer closest to the open gate. If our little Saturn is next to the rig, we're there. Please stop.

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  12. Travel safely, enjoy the scenery and Happy Anniversary!

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  13. I MIGHT BE WRONG BUT YOU ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION IF THE BLUE OCEAN
    IS ON YOUR LEFT AND TREES ON YOUR RIGHT. OR LET ODEL NAVIGATE.

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  14. Sounds lovely. Enjoy the sunshine!

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  15. Anon: Ha, ha! Up around Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula, the are som many little inlets, straits, and canals, you never know WHERE you'll see blue water. Salty, but not the ocean.

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  16. Happy Anniversary, you two..and I loved that picture of Mt. St. Helens..What a crater that thing blew, eh?? Enjoy your trip there..Den and I went there 10 years after the eruption and there was still sooooo much devastation in it's wake. It scares me to thing what Mt. Rainier could do if she decided to "blow off some steam"...

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