Wednesday, August 31, 2011

WA -– Naches River Valley, 23-30 August 2011

 

Map picture

 

It was time for a fishing trip and we couldn’t go too far from the house (waiting for the bank to approve the short sale) so we headed up Highway 410 over Chinook Pass and into the Naches River valley.  The area is filled with clear mountain streams rumored to have decent trout fishing.  Our angling success was hit and miss, but we enjoyed the heck out of exploring the streams and the area.

 

Naches1 - 23 Aug 2011

Our little home dwarfed by Mount Rainier, peeking out from behind the clouds.

Our first target was the Little Naches Campground about 20 miles down from the pass.  We tried to squeeze into a camp slot, but after a few attempts and reminders of the horror of getting stuck between trees in Montana, we headed back upstream to the Pleasant Valley Campground on the American River.  It was tight getting settled into Pleasant Valley, but we pulled it off and got a sweet spot.  We had no hook-ups, just power from our solar panels and 65 gallons of fresh water in our tanks.  There was no cell phone signal and zero chance for TV.  Thankfully we got one country music station on the radio…we were “out there”.  After being tucked under the shade of the trees for three days, our solar system struggled, but we were very content.

We thoroughly fished the American River both upstream and downstream of the campground and got skunked.  Where were the gullible mountain trout we were seeking?!?  We did see a few dozen Chinook Salmon that were spawning and laying eggs after their long swim from the Pacific, up the Columbia River, making a left turn up the Yakima, and another left turn up the Naches River.  It just amazes us how these fish trek 450 miles through several dams and up 3,400 feet in elevation.  We tried not to disturb them so they could complete their mission and pass on their robust genes to the next generation of Chinooks.

Naches20 - 28 Aug 2011   

Wednesday morning we awoke to the start of a splendid day.  The few campers that had shared the area with us the night before were packing up and leaving.  We had the entire campground to ourselves for almost 36 hours with only the sound of the rushing river!   We joked about “owning” our river-side retreat.  Our little dog was able to run free and we could prance around the woods naked or go skinny dipping… if we wanted to…  Just two other camp slots were filled by the third evening but we still felt like we had our own private sanctuary.  By Friday evening, the campground was full.  We dream about the upcoming “off season” and the opportunity of having other secluded places all to ourselves.

Naches2 - 23 Aug 2011

Late on that quiet afternoon we drove back down to fish the Little Naches River.  I ended up getting 4 or 5 rainbow trout and 2 cutthroat trout, 3-7 inches long.  They were beautiful fish that recklessly smacked a grasshopper fly.  Ah, gullible trout are so much fun!

On day three we planned to hike up to Fife Ridge, but couldn’t find the trailhead.  Instead we had a leisurely 2 mile stroll through the woods on horse trails.  There was still plenty of the day left, so we decided to do a bike ride.  We rode over 25 miles and nearly 1,000 feet up the Bumping River road to Bumping Lake.  The road followed the river and allowed us to scope out potential fishing holes.  The lake was really pretty and begged for us to come back with the kayaks.

Naches - ride - 25 Aug 2011    Naches3 - 23 Aug 2011

After a quick break from the bike ride, we grabbed the fishing gear and headed back to the Bumping River.  We chose a good spot and worked our way up river.  Arleen caught a 6 inch rainbow trout.  I hooked a couple, but didn’t land them.  We had trouble crossing the swift river, but managed to stay on our feet by locking arm in arm.  The Bumping River had a few gullible trout in it, but surely, we could find more.

Naches21 - 28 Aug 2011

On our last full day at Pleasant Valley, we decided to drive up to Chinook pass and hike to the Dewey Lakes.  Mount Rainier was out in all his glory.  Like many things that massive and majestic, pictures don’t do it justice.  The hike ended up being 7 miles and part of it was a loop around Naches Peak.  On the east side of the loop there was quite a bit of snow and meadows filled with lush grass and “spring” flowers.  When we got up to the saddle, we were treated to an amazing view of the lakes below us.  About 45 minutes later I was standing in the cold water of Little Dewey Lake and catching brightly colored brook trout left and right…a gullible trout mother load!  Arleen tried her luck on Big Dewey Lake and caught the largest trout of the day…a seven inch “monster”.  The grasshopper fly was totaled after getting nailed by 30 or so trout!  What an awesome day…

Naches - hike - 26 Aug 2011    Naches4 - 23 Aug 2011

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Naches7 - 23 Aug 2011

On day number five we moved 20 miles down the valley to “Squaw Rock RV Park”.  We were glad to have electricity and get out of “conserve” mode with water and waste, but we still didn’t have a cell signal or TV.  We backed the trailer to within a few feet of the river bank and were very happy with our new home.  Arleen did the laundry and we both tried to stay cool in the 90F heat.  We drove roughly 15 miles further down the valley to the town of Naches to eat some good food, restock supplies, and fill the truck with go-juice.  We lingered at the restaurant to take advantage of the good 3G cell signal and catch up on emails and make phone calls.  By the time we got back to the campground the temperature had cooled and there was a river out the back door that supposedly had trout in it.  I fished until the sun went down and got skunked.  Moving, setting up, doing laundry, going to “town” to resupply and find a good cell signal, and fishing as the goes down is a typical day in our new life…outstanding!

Naches9 - 28 Aug 2011    Naches19 - 28 Aug 2011

I fished the river behind the trailer shortly after the sun came up the next morning and got nothing.  Maybe somebody lied about the trout?!?  Later that afternoon we went to “Boulder Cave” ( http://www.nachesvalleychamber.com/info/bouldercave.html ).  A short 3/4 mile hike ends at a cave with a small stream running through it.  We “canyoneered” down the stream with towering cliff walls on both sides.  Arleen’s route selection was sometimes questionable, but she managed to stay on her feet and only got a small cut…a good day for her!!  We stopped at “Gold Creek Station” for food on the way back.  I had honey bbq ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and Arleen had beer battered prawns and garlic mashed potatoes.  We were both very pleased and topped it off with fresh blackberry cobbler…yum yum!

Naches10 - 28 Aug 2011    Naches11 - 28 Aug 2011

Naches12 - 28 Aug 2011    Naches13 - 28 Aug 2011

Naches18 - 29 Aug 2011    Naches17 - 29 Aug 2011    Naches16 - 29 Aug 2011

It’s no wonder that Arleen manages to damage herself all of the time!

(She is climbing over the tree in the upper left corner. The pictures are in order.)

On our final full day in the Naches River Valley, we got up early (~6:00am) and headed up the valley to fish the Little Naches River.  The fish didn’t cooperate…I only managed to catch one small rainbow trout.  On our way back to the trailer we stopped at Boulder Cave and nearly had the area to ourselves unlike the zoo it was the day before (a Sunday).  We lingered in the cave with our headlamps and enjoyed the cool cave air.  Later that evening I gave the Naches River in our back yard another shot to prove that it had fish in it.  Sure enough, it does!  I caught about 10 fish and had a few others on the line.  Most were 4-6 inch rainbow and cutthroat trout, but I also caught an 8 or 9 inch mountain whitefish and the real “monster” of the trip…a 20 inch, 4 or 5 pound bull trout.  It was a tough battle while standing in the swift current and using an ultra-light rod with four pound test line.  I briefly admired the endangered fish and then sent it back to rule its section of river.

Naches25 - 29 Aug 2011    Naches26 - 29 Aug 2011

      View from the back window of the trailer                      Fishing the Naches River in our “back yard”

We really enjoyed the Naches River Valley.  My favorite stream was the Little Naches.  It was just the right size, had plenty of room to cast flies, interesting water to fish around every bend, and willing trout.  There are lots of hiking trails around Chinook Pass and in the valley.  There are a couple side roads that are good for cycling, though I’d avoid busy Highway 410 which has minimal shoulders most of its route.

Lesson learned:  We discovered the limits of our solar system.  On day three in full shade at Pleasant Valley, our batteries struggled by evening.  If the batteries weren’t fully charged, we wouldn’t be able to get the slides in for departure.  The solution…hook up to the truck.  We let the truck’s engine charge the batteries for 30 minutes the morning we left.  That provided enough juice to charge the batteries and get the slides in.  This simple solution will get us through short winter days, shady camp sites, and dreary weather.

Naches14 - 30 Aug 2011

Our view at Chinook Pass on the way back to the house… a little freaky when being pushed downhill on a curvy road by a heavy trailer!

We plan to be at the house for about a week.  With any luck, the bank will ok the short sale of our house and we will hit the road for good.  We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.  An extra special thanks to our neighbors, John and Cindy, for looking after the house.  John…I love you man!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

WA -– Port Angeles, 14-19 August 2011

 

Map picture

 

The Strait of Juan de Fuca, Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge, Port Angeles, Joyce, Sequim, Victoria Canada…five days isn’t enough to explore this area!

We stayed at the Elwha Dam RV Park just outside of Port Angeles. This is our kind of place. It’s quiet with easy access to a lot of things to do and has full hook ups for a reasonable price. We had good wi-fi but trees prevented us from getting TV which we were too busy to miss.

Our bodies needed a break after six straight days of exercise and they got one day off on the travel day. We expected to take it easy the following day due to soggy weather, but the weather guy blew the forecast and it was beautiful so we had to get out. We headed up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic NP. This is the only alpine region accessible in the park by car. It’s a 17 mile drive that climbs steadily from about sea level to 5200 feet. As you near the top you round a bend and are blown away by some of the best scenery in the US: a 180 degree view of rugged alpine peaks that average 6,000-8,000 feet. Don’t let those heights fool you. Remember that these mountains start at sea level. They are very impressive!

We did two hikes.  The first hike was only about a 1/2 mile that went up and around the visitor center.  Arleen made a snow angel in mid-August!  The second hike was nearly 4 miles up to Hurricane Hill.  The flowers were peaking and we saw deer and a marmot.  We sat at the top for awhile to have some snacks, take pictures, and admire the amazing scene.

Elwha Dam1 - 15 Aug 2011

Elwha Dam - hike1 - 15 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam - hike2 - 15 Aug 2011

Elwha Dam2 - 15 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam4 - 15 Aug 2011

We road our bikes on day two. Our goal was to ride from the campground to Joyce, WA and then to Lake Crescent. It would have been a roughly 30 mile ride. The first 9 miles were on Highway 112. The shoulder varied from decent to very narrow. There was steady traffic that included huge semis and trucks towing trailers. Shortly after a truck and trailer zoomed by us at 50 or 60mph less than a foot away, I said screw this, and we detoured down to “Freshwater Bay”. The road down to the bay beat the hell out of riding on the highway and we were rewarded with a view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This area is part of the “Whale Trail” where the huge critters are often seen.

Elwha Dam - ride1 - 16 Aug 2011

We still wanted to see Lake Crescent so we loaded the bikes in the truck and drove to Joyce. From Joyce, it was about 5 miles over the hills to the lake on a smooth, windy road with very little traffic…perfect! The ride started with about 3 miles of climbing. There’s nothing like a slow, steady grind to get the legs and lungs working! We relaxed at Lake Crescent for a while. I got in the water to cool off and pose for pictures. We really enjoyed this ride.

Elwha Dam - ride2 - 16 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam11 - 16 Aug 2011

We got back around 5:30pm and Arleen made big salads and an excellent pork loin.  The sky was a brilliant blue with very few clouds and the sun didn’t go down for another two hours so we went back up to Hurricane Ridge to catch the sunset. The peaks behind us basked in an alpine glow and the sky out west treated us to faint oranges and yellows. Mount Olympus was so clear it seemed like we could take a leisurely walk to its 8,000 foot peak across the valley. Vancouver Island loomed large to the north beyond patchy sea fog sitting over the Strait. It was glorious!

To summarize what we did to our bodies this day: biked 24 miles with almost 2,000 feet of climbing and hiked one mile which included a few hundred feet of uphill.

Elwha Dam - hike - 16 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam14 - 16 Aug 2011

Elwha Dam12 - 16 Aug 2011   

We woke up the next day a little stiff, but ready for another hike.  We headed up to Obstruction Point in Olympic NP.  The dirt road included about 7 miles of very narrow, very rough, very windy, very steep, white knuckle driving with a drop off that would certainly mean plunging hundreds of feet to our demise.  Thankfully we only had to squeeze past 2 or 3 cars each way.  We hiked 5 miles up to Elk Mountain and were rewarded with amazing views of Vancouver Island, Victoria BC, Port Angeles, Sequim, the two spits, Mount Baker, and the high peaks of the Olympics.  We walked about 3/4 mile along the ridge line with a great view on either side…my favorite kind of hiking. 

Elwha Dam - hike - 17 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam15 - 17 Aug 2011

                                                                                           See the trail?  We’re headed up there!

Elwha Dam20 - 17 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam16 - 17 Aug 2011

Arleen let me ride my bike back down the mountain!!  I started at the Hurricane Ridge visitor center and hauled ass down 17 miles of smooth, curvy pavement dropping almost 5,000 feet.  I averaged just under 30mph and peaked at 42mph…FREAKIN SWEET!!

Elwha Dam - ride - 17 Aug 2011

Why didn’t Arleen ride her bike down the mountain you ask?  See the end of this post for the answer…

After loading my bike in the truck and letting the adrenalin rush subside, we headed down to the City Pier in Port Angeles.  We got fresh vegetables at the Famer’s Market and strolled around the pier.

Elwha Dam19 - 17 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam18 - 17 Aug 2011

     We were there! That’s the ridge line we hiked.

Arleen here…The next day we road our bikes 45 miles from the Ediz Hook in Port Angeles to the Dungeness Spit near Sequim on the “Olympic Discovery Trail”                                          ( http://www.olympicdiscoverytrail.com ).  This trail rates close to one of the best rides ever.  The majority of it was paved and ran through rural areas away from roads and traffic.  The first four miles run along the Port Angeles shore line.  There were just a few short steep sections near creek crossings otherwise it was a fairly level trail that we had practically to ourselves.

Elwha Dam - ride - 18 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam21 - 18 Aug 2011

                                                                                   See the Dungeness Spit in the background?

After pedaling 45 miles and burning a couple of thousand calories, we were more than a little hungry and so as soon as we finished, we walked over to The Kokopelli Grill                           ( http://www.kokopelli-grill.com/ ) in downtown Port Angeles.  The Grill features made-from-scratch native southwestern food with northwest flare.  We started by sharing a bowl of smoked salmon chowder, which is one of our favorite foods and this was some the best we have ever sampled.  Shawn had a crab-stuffed chilli relleno with steak medallions.  It was a little spicy even for him but full of flavor!  I had a Polenta Frut De Mer that was served on a green chili cake – very unique and delicious.  We really enjoyed it and give Kokopelli five stars.

Here are a few more pictures of the scenery and critters we saw…

Elwha Dam7 - 15 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam6 - 15 Aug 2011

Elwha Dam9 - 15 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam8 - 15 Aug 2011

Elwha Dam5 - 15 Aug 2011    Elwha Dam17 - 17 Aug 2011

Sadly we didn’t see any elk, cougars, or Big Foot.  Maybe next time…

So why didn’t Arleen ride her bike down the mountain?

Somebody had to drive the truck!  The real answer:  Because she loves me.  It was her suggestion because she knew I’d enjoy the hell out of it.  Arleen is the greatest wife in the world!  I love you babe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Critters