What a beautiful night. The sun doesn’t set till close to 10pm and wow, what a sunset we had! The fog lifted and that allowed the sun to dance across the sea. Bright orange and red with hues of pink and blue, as far as I could see from the comfort of my tent. I typically sleep with my vestibule open and for some reason I woke at 2am. The Big Dipper was right at eye level, along with every star and galaxy the eye could see. I exited my tent and there she was, the Milky Way in living color. Let alone there’s no WiFi or Cellular out here on the Wild Western Coast but evidentially there’s no light pollution either. What a gift to experience all of the Lord’s majesty!

Then I went back to sleep and didn’t wake till the one bird started singing. Just a happy song that the new day had dawned. Sally and I needed to start early today being we had a crazy 2’ Tide Restriction at Diamond Point. It was bittersweet packing up, as this would be our last day hiking together this year. We left early and hit the trail.

Our first bit of business was maneuvering over the countless logs on the beach. Then we headed back up the switchbacks, no ladders or ropes yet! The forest was cold and damp, with some patches of mud and roots. At times the roots are welcomed as they provide steps up and down over mucky parts of the PNT. We had quite a few logs that we had to crawl under, some we tried to get over, and once in awhile there were trees that completely blocked the trail. We bushwhacked around the big logs, but then, I wouldn’t had wanted it any other way.

This Overland Trail was the longest of the PNT so far. Maybe 3-1/2 to 4 miles as it serpentined through the forest, along the cliff and hundreds of feet above the shoreline. It took us a couple of hours before we saw our way down. There were wooden planks with a rope dangling, along with a chain for maneuvering over a large granite rock and finally another set of ropes that led perpendicular to the beach below. Hold on and do what these legs are designed to do!

Back on the Beach with the the biggest obstacle to come. Diamond Point is the last challenge. Dave our neighbor from Toleak told us to take it slow, leave with plenty of lea-way to time the lowest tide and watch your step. I had been praying all morning for the Lord to give me strength and steady legs to climb these last boulders. Both Sally and I were a bit weary from the week of bouldering, climbing ropes, scaling ladders and now we had just one more test to complete. We headed to the last Headlands and did what we’ve been doing for the past week, climb some more!

From this picture, the fog had come back in, it was wet and cool, and the tide was right up to the Headland. We had another hour before the tide would be somewhat ideal. The suggestion is 2’ or less and at 1130, we would have a 2.4’ tide. Pretty darn close to the restrictions. It’s all about the timing. When we hit the first Headland, the rock was concrete-like which i believe is called sedimentary. The good thing about this is your foot sticks much better to it than the slippery algae rocks that we’ve walked on prior.

I was so focused on where to place my foot and what line I was planning to take. The tide was still high and waves were crashing right next to us. I tried my best to find dry rocks to hop to and fro, or just climb over. We made it through the first Boulder field and still had more than a mile of bouldering to go. It was painstakingly slow but the slowness assured that we both would make it without any major mishaps. We came around the point, and the waves were much too high to scale the boulders. I saw a route that I was sure we could squeeze through. Sally looked at me and wasn’t too keen. We slid under the boulder and Sally dropped her pack. She pushed and squeezed and sucked in all that she had. Then realizing she couldn’t slide through, she pushed herself up and was able to wiggle her thighs through, and made it. I lifted her pack above my head and she pulled it up and over the boulder, and we did the same with mine. Then it was my turn. I tried to turn sideways, to slide through and all I could think about was Aaron Ralston’s story “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.” He got pinned in a slot canyon and after one week of trying to free himself, he resorted to cutting his arm off. For reals!

I was not going to fit through this slot. So at that point, Sally said just push yourself up and I’ll pull you over the boulder. Sounds like a plausible plan but I still needed to scale about 6-7’ of rock that I wasn’t sure how I would do it. I looked around for a foot hold and after a minute or two, which felt like an hour, I found a rock ledge that I could reach, push up and Sally proceeded to pull me up onto the ledge. I collapsed atop the boulder and thanked God for a super strong friend who has come to my rescue. Then we were off again for more fun!

Easy to smile now but the game was not done yet! We had another few miles to go, but the worse part was finished. I can say I had never been so happy to walk on a sandy pebble filled beach before. Even with the steps sinking into the sand, I was on flat ground. We headed towards the mouth of the Hoh River, looking for the trail back to my car. The entire time we have been following the PNT, there was not a single Trail Sign or Marker indicating we were on the correct ribbon of sand or dirt. I saw two Bald Eagles guarding the south end of the beach with piles of driftwood. I looked at my FarOut App and sure enough, those Eagles were my sign. I summoned Sally that we had past the trail, and we climbed up and over our final driftwood pile of this hike. We walked a bit north, followed the lagoon and ended up on the correct side of the river. Perfect.

Back in the forest, I saw a patch of Three-Leaf clovers. I picked one and put it on my pack, symbolizing the good luck I had on the trail. In the past eight days, I had not taken a single fall. Oops, and down I went on the softest little patch of moss, of the trail to this point. I had to laugh as the Lord reminded me, Sweetheart it wasn’t luck that got you this far. It was Me! I protected you and kept you safe from the first step you took. How my amazing God keeps me humble and reminds me that it’s His grace, love and protection that allows me to do what I do. Thank you Jesus. Falls: 1

What a great adventure we had. I’m not sure how many encounters we had with wildlife on this journey, but it was a lot! From small to large, raccoons and bunnies, deer and snakes, seals and whales, otters and urchins, and really big Bear prints and a possible cat print too. We had incredible weather from brilliant sunshine to fog-filled days, ladders, ropes and chains, boulders, rocks and sandy beaches, forests that had trees that reached the sky to tide pools filled with starfish. The Pacific Northeast is still untamed, wild and free from civilization and without WiFi. I never had cell service, which was quite refreshing. Children played on the beach, groups laughed and shared stories, and we were all better because of it. It was truly amazing to share this with you and to spend time with one of my dearest friends, Sally. I hope that you have an opportunity to see this rugged coastline for yourself, to experience her beauty and her wrath, and to just sit and hear the ocean sing! Until the next great adventure, thank you for coming along.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It was cold last night. I actually slept in my pile pullover which indeed kept me warm. Today was a bit of a lazy day as we had little miles, a good chunk of beach walking with one Overland Trail.

No matter how low the tides are, there are certain headlands that are impassable. Today we had one of those. It’s a “No Name Point“ but from all the comments, the Goodman Trail was our only option. We walked close to a mile on the beach and started seeing footprints leading to the bluff. The fog was so dense there really was no other way of knowing where the ropes were dangling. Sometimes they will have a Black & Red Disk hanging which denotes tide restrictions, while other times we’ll notice buoys hanging near the trail. Today it was just a rope hanging along a muddy slippery mess of a trail.

Sally, as always took the lead. I appreciate her doing that as it gives me comfort watching her climb like a Gazelle. And so we headed up the Overland Trail to the lush green rain forest. Today there weren’t any ladders, just huge hemp rope with knots tied onto it for better gripping and pulling. I’m not sure what steep angle this is that we are climbing but I’d guess around 60-70% grade. Pretty much straight up. There would be no way I could climb it without a rope, that’s for sure, especially with my Water Shoes! This continued for about a mile or so, ropes, then hiking then ropes again…Over and over till we made it to the forest floor, which is 250-300’ above Sea Level.

This is the second longest Overland Trail, close to three miles. It meanders back and forth, through the trees and the deep woods. If there is such a thing as Sasquash, this would definitely be his residence. As we crested the top, there was a brilliant sun rays that was shining through the tall trees. Talk about the hand of God teaching through and touching us, welcoming us to His Cathedral!

About half way through our morning obstacle course, we dropped down to Goodman Creek with a nice flowing waterfall. We walked over to inspect it and heard some odd noise in the brush. As we headed back to our packs, a Ranger was be bopping through the woods, with her heavy duty shears and an enormous pack. Maya was the first Ranger we have seen on the trail. She asked for our permit, how we were storing our food ( right answer is Bear Canister, which we both have) and how our hike was going? She couldn’t have been more than 25 years old. She told us that as of today, there is a Fire Ban in place. No more campfires except designated Campgrounds with steel rings. That makes perfect sense as in California, you can rarely have campfires. She gave us some insight on the upcoming hiking days venturing south. Then she went on her merry way.

We did the same, bouncing down the trail, wiggling up and over, down and under some unwanted trail magic per se. There are a few places along the trail that could use some extra clearing but for the most part, the trail is up to snuff. A couple more climbing ropes before we started our steep descent.

I have to say that going downhill with ropes is much more enjoyable for me, than going up. Sally is the opposite. When one person is using the rope, you always wait till they get off. First of all, you don’t want one to fall on top of the other climber, and two, you need to have all that energy a rope can give you. No slack, no one else tugging or messing with your business until you have completed your climb. It was once again, a super steep descent, and tough to see where you’re going and where your foot will end up, without looking behind.

This PNT is much more than I had anticipated. But it sure is fun and gives us plenty of upper body workout, leg building, grip strength, along with butts of steel and ankles of titanium! Tons of fun. Around 1030, two hours later, we lowered back down onto the beach, gave each other a High Five, and skipped down the beach.

Another Beach Walk to camp with tons of Sea Urchins, Starfish, Anemones and Man of war jelly fish stranded on the beach. We didn’t have much ground to cover which was a good thing since we kept stopping to hang out in the tide pools and get a closer peek at all the barnacle covered rocks. One time I step a little too close to the rock I was inspecting and started sinking. I’m not sure if this is what they call quicksand or not, but Sally grabbed me before I was completely sucked down into the abyss. Well, maybe a bit dramatic but makes for a great story!

As we rounded the cove, we saw a pair of Bald Eagles and heard the small eagles, if there’s such a thing, chirping for food. Mamma and Papa were flying around the rock looking for meals to feed their babies. The next cove had a couple of Red Billed Puffins, or something similar to that. With their long beaks, they were pecking at each little crevice and gobbling up tiny morsels. Just love this marine biology class with so many creatures on display.

We arrived at Mosquito Creek, and I’m certainly not impressed with its name! So far, so good. No mosquitos flying or landing or biting. The creek is about the largest fresh water that we’ve seen at the beach so far. It flows through a canyon and enters the ocean providing clean water and a great place to bathe. Even with my shower two days ago, I look like and smell like Pig Pen.

We walked along the beach, went up the Zig-Zag trail as Dave calls it, in search for a proper campsite. After scouting the bluff, we decided to head back down to the beach where it’s much warmer. Even with the fog, the sun breaks through and warms your body on the beach. Up on the bluff, the trees are so thick, it’s just bloody cold and damp. We pitched our tents and Sally came up with a brilliant design on securing her tent. She went looking for long narrow pieces of driftwood and laid them horizontal to her tent. Then instead of staking her stakes in the sand, which doesn’t work, she tied her guide lines around the driftwood. Pretty dang smart woman.

Another darn good day out on the Wild Coast of Northern Washington. We have a couple of days left before venturing home but definitely enjoying these last moments out here. Sally’s planning to return with her Girl Pack, probably next summer. It’s such a unique experience and place to wander and feel at peace. Typically I’m not an ocean dweller, but this place may just change my mind. How can you not fall in love with such a remote and wild area like this? Oh, just in case you were wondering, snake count: 4.

This morning as we were walking through the rain forest, and Sally recited Lamentations, the Lords mercy’s are new every morning. It was such a great reminder that we do have a new day everyday, to make things right, to start something new or just to restart. Think about that, each day beckons something new. What a great reminder. God, thank you that I don’t have to regret the past or worry about tomorrow. You have it all under your care so all I need to do is live for today!

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.””
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh the noises of a Private Campground. We had a nice enough campsite, but the road was too close, and I thought Fourth of July was over?! Somewhere fairly close they must not have received the memo because I could hear pop-pop until close to midnight. Am I a fuddy duddy or just getting too old for this kind of stuff. Anyhow, two Benadryl’s later, I finally fell asleep.

Sally was hoping to score us an Uber to get back to the trail. I was quite surprised that they even had that service up here in the Twilight Zone, but to no avail, there was not a driver anywhere. So I checked out from the Campsite and started talking to Tom and Amy from Connecticut. They have a super cool Dodge Jayco Conversion Van and we’re happy to share all things Van Life with me. My hubby George would have been all excited about this machine. It is completely outfitted for their travel needs; biking, hiking, backpacking and touring. They’ve been traveling for over a month now and the only thing Tom would like to change is to add beefier tires. They do some off-roading and that could help out when the forest roads get messy. Outside of that, they love their home on wheels. After talking for awhile, Sally & I loaded our packs in their van and went for a drive to the Trailhead. Thanks Tom and Amy for the ride and definitely plan to check out Lake Crescent.

We were back on the trail close to 10am which was perfect for the tide schedule. Our low tide would occur around 1130am and we had one particular headland that was tide restricted. The three or so mile trail back to the beach was stunning. It was definitely rain forest with ferns, moss, big growth trees and fallen nursing trees that Mother Nature reused for newer plants, flowers and trees. There was hardly any sound in the forest. So deadly quiet with an occasional bird whistling or a branch breaking from some critter running from limb to limb. The ground is like sponge, soft and bouncy underfoot. Sally commented it was her favorite section of the trek so far.

We finally arrived at the Third Beach which was littered with huge driftwood logs, and a flowing creek to cross. Once through our obstacle course, we landed on a sandy beach. The sky was covered in a blanket of clouds and misty fog along the seaside cliffs. It is much different on the South Side of Quillaute River. We had a short section of beach before the first headland at Taylor Point. Decision time. Take the beach and climb boulders or attempt the Overland Trail. I knew Sally wanted to go back in the forest and it was time for me to embrace the ladders and rope climbing. So Overland Trail we went.

It started with a fairly steep ladder climb. It is actually wood planks attached to heavy gauge cable and moves from side to side as you climb. I’m not sure why they construct it this way but I’m sure it has something to do with the yearly mud slides and erosion of the cliffs. This way the cable and wood can move as the mountain changes. I’m not an Engineer but that’s all I could figure. There’s a rope on the side, which can be used for extra help as you reach the top. It’s pretty darn steep. After finishing the first rung of 43 ladder steps, yes I counted them, I was relieved that was over. But no, this went on for a good 200-300’. Every time I thought we were at the top, there was another set of ladders. After 15 minutes or so we made it to the bluff and looked down on the beach. Buns of Steel, here I come!

Once on the bluff, we walked in the forest for quite a bit of time. I must agree with Sally, this is pretty darn spectacular. There was no one else but the two of us on the trail. Well there were lots of bananas slugs, but no other humans. The trail was well maintained so neither of us used our hiking poles. The trees were hundreds of feet tall, the trunks were too big to wrap our arms around, even if there were more of us! I felt like a Hobbit as I was so small in this giant forest. Finally the sound of the crashing ocean returned as I started heading down. More steps but well placed steps, and no more ladders. I probably climbed 300-350 rungs of ladders and came down about 150 stairs. What a great warm-up for today!

Back on the beach, we rounded the bend and there was Giants Graveyard. Where do they come up with these names? There was another option; climb the cliff, pulling yourself up by using nothing but a rope. I decided to take my chances with boulder hopping. I’ve gotten pretty proficient with that in the past week. We walked the beached for a quarter mile before starting our bouldering exercise of the day. I’m starting to think I’m preparing for Ninja Warrior but I’d never make the time cut. Sally, on the other hand, could definitely achieve the fastest time.

The interesting part of this section is the boulders have barnacles on them. Griddy, tacky rough sandpaper like substance on the rocks. This is great for attaching your feet to because the sole of your shoes have something to grip onto. Not so good if you are trying to squeeze through a boulder or two, and scrap your leg against it. One thing I didn’t do this hike was wear a skirt. I knew I’d have lots of climbing do, and a skirt wasn’t practical. I am wearing pants but they only cover my knees. I should’ve worn full pants, like Sally, so the lower part of my legs would be covered. Live and learn!

We made it through the boulders and landed just north of Strawberry Peak. There were tons more tide pools with starfish and sea urchins. Gosh it’s hard to make any headway when you stop to ooh and awe at every living sea creature. But we do and somehow, someway, we still get to camp before long. We found more driftwood and stopped for lunch. There was a huge group of girls backpacking. They decided to stop and have lunch right where we were. As we are watching them, they began praying. The leader is asking them questions, and with their heads bowed and eyes closed, one by one they raise their hands. I have my suspicions of what was being asked of the girls but I know whatever it was, God was smiling. It was a pretty special lunch.

With only a couple more miles to go, we packed up and headed south. The rest of the afternoon was gloriously wonderful beach walking at its finest. Nice firm sand that helped us cover miles quickly. We saw more Bald Eagles, a pair sitting on a rock, and a pair of Grey Herons. The cove we settled in is just north of Toleak Point. It’s pristine and all the campsites are stealthy and hidden in the trees. We found our home for the evening which is one of the bestest of the hike. Not sure if that’s a proper word bestest, but you know what I mean.

Once hunkered down, we walked about a half a mile to the creek to get our drinking water replenished. We rounded the cove and popped over on another huge beach with tons of people, camped with chairs, board games, frisbees, tents side by side for the stretch of the entire beach. We got our water and bolted back to our quiet side of the cove. To each their own. Some people like camping with all their possessions and others like laying in the sand on a Z-Pad. I’m the latter. Now I can relax, maybe take a nap and listen to the sound of the waves lull me to sleep.

As I explore this region more and more, I am reminded of the blessing given to Joseph. He was blessed with fertile land, flowing streams and the sun and moon. Like the land that Joseph controlled, this wild coastline has such abundant life and treasures. I can only imagine that the Lord has created this for all of us to see, and be blessed with.

“May the Lord bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield”

Best made plans of Mice & Men. Or something like that. When I planned this trek, I sent the spreadsheet to Sally with Leg 1 and Leg 2 Food Supply’s. Somehow, someway, I left out one full day of rations. Sally brought it to my intention that we had two more nights on the beach, but only one more day of food! Oops, she was right and so we adjusted our planned beach day at Hole-in-the-Wall and continued on and out at Three Rivers Resort & Campground.

After waking, packing and eating, our journey over the pile of rocks began. I don’t know why I didn’t anticipate such a large portion of this hike was going to be climbing big ole rocks, but today we had options. As we left the campsite, and walked the beach, there were two young men ahead of us. They started heading to the cliff side, and sure as poop on a stick, there was a rope dangling from 30’ above. It was pretty much straight up the side of the cliff and Sally looked at me and asked, what do you want to do? Do you want to pull yourself up the side of the mountain, not knowing the exit strategy on the way back down to the beach, or do you want to Boulder? I hummed and hawed and chose what I have been doing for the past five days, and went towards the rocks.

It was a pretty long pile of rocks, big rocks like the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, with some smaller ones the size of a motor scooter. It took close to an hour to get through the pile and we had much more of that ahead.

In retrospect, knowing what I know now, I still would’ve come here. It’s beautiful and wild, with changing tides and majestic rocks, trees and yes, boulders. The miles we are covering is slight, 7-8, sometimes 10 miles a day like today, but the amount of effort is twice that, if not more. We went around 3-4 headlands which means rock piles or boulders that jet out into the sea. It truly is God’s wrath at its best. Sally and I were talking that we have not seen a single boat, yet there are two Memorial Beaches, Norwegian and Chilean that are named for a reason. I’m not a boater or a sailor, but if I was, I’d stay clear of this place. There’s no safe place to bring your boat in. Even kayaking, I’ve done my fair share of that, and no-way, I wouldn’t kayak here either. There just too many rocks that would beat you up!

As we came around the last headland, we saw another Bald Eagle sitting on top of one of the small rocks by the breakers. Maybe his eye sight is failing and it’s easier for him to catch his dinner from a lower perch. A couple were sitting on a couple of large boulders and asked where we were coming from? We shared the story of starting in Cave Alava and planning to stay here at Hole-in-the-Wall but we were short on food. Plans change and we’re headed out.

Once we reached the circus called Hole-in-the-Wall, we looked at each other and were grateful that we didn’t stay here. There were hundreds of people walking around, checking tide pools, and taking photos. This is a pretty cool place especially with the tide out. We were talking to a solo hiker checking out the sea urchins and crabs when I spotted a raccoon hunting for some tasty critter out on the volcanic tide pools. Smart little guy and he must be successful being he had quite a waddle to his step. There was a graceful Crane walking through the kelp beds also in search of something to munch. Within a minute, he snatched up a crab or fish, gulped it down and off he went, searching for more.

This area of Olympic NP has so much for day visitors with the countless trails, endless beaches and Hoh Rain Forest. Today, half of Washington was making their way to the same, not so peaceful beach, that Sally and I had planned to camp at. We are a bit of snobs when it comes to backpacking and in our view, the point of getting out on the trail includes removing ourselves from the hoards of people. So we were happy that our home for the night was away from all that!

But you still can’t take away the incredible awe of the rocks here. We hung out for a bit, talking with the neighbors and answering questions like how long have you been out, or where did you start? But Sally had a gal ask her how much farther? Sally answered with two more days. The gal look bewildered and asked again, the hole in the rock is two days away? Oh no, it’s right around the corner. But I can’t see it? You will. Be patient grasshopper. Keep your eyes open and follow the crowds!

We walked through the hole and met the rest of hikers. There were gaggles of people heading in to get their glimpse of this iconic hole. Even another Bald Eagle came to admire it. But what impressed me more than that was the group of kids coming in to spend the night. They were carrying ice chests, tents still in unwrapped bags, sleeping bags in their arms, and a 12-pack of White Claws, a full-on pillow (so jealous) along with various other items. It reinforced again, that we made a darn good choice in leaving. At Rialto Beach, we made a hard left and road walked. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed walking the road like I did today.

After a mile or so, a car pulls over and asks if we want a ride? Without even looking up, I say heck yes! Then he laughed and said, I could be a killer! You never even looked at me. I explained that we have both been with killers and see, we’re still alive. For you readers who know me and Sally, you will understand that what I said was in fact, true. So we jumped in their car and went to Three Rivers Resort & Campground. I had reserved a campsite ahead of time and they were holding onto our food for Leg 2.

So just to clarify, this is not a thru-hike and I do not need to take every step. So accepting a ride, is well inside the parameters. We arrived intact and got our food, campsite and quarters for the showers and laundry. Then we headed to the Twilight Burger Shack for lunch. Unbeknownst to me, Twilight Books were based on this area. They have posters and memorabilia with the characters from the movie. There’s even a meter that warns you how much Vampire activity is in the area. Today it was at the Dangerous Level. Oh my word, we are safer on the beach! After eating, showering and laundry, we settled in for a campfire. Sally has carried fire starter from day one and she was bound and determined to build a fire. And so she did.

To finish the night off, I had brought face masks. Now hear me out. We’ve been on the beach for five days. The hygiene is not the greatest, no baths, no showers and some sand, grit and pebbles. So a Face Mask is the most proper way to hydrate and clean your skin. It’s a thing that I love to do when I’m out in the woods. Now we are ready to sign off and get some rest, because come tomorrow, we will be back to bouldering.

One last thought. This morning, I read our Daily Devotional and it was all about the abundant grace of God. It really comes down to the fact that our Lord plans and places people in our life that will provide His grace. As we were walking the beach, actually climbing boulders, there was this sweet couple that I talked to. I had no idea that they had planned to pick Sally and I up, if they saw us walking the road. God placed that gesture on their heart and they followed through with it. The grace of God. It can be a simple ride, a meal shared, a visit to the hospital to see a friend or family or countless other acts of compassion. That’s what He does without us even knowing it. Thank you Lord for who you are, and how you bless me with your abundance of grace.

“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I thought we were going to have rain last night. The wind picked up, blew in a front of clouds and after three drops of rain fell on my tent, it abruptly ended. Now that’s a perfect storm in my book. No rain but it definitely cooled down. This is about the laziest backpacking I’ve been on in some time. Up and out at a quarter past eight. I’m liking this new way of doing things!

The morning walk was the nicest yet. We had another minus tide so there was plenty of beach walking. Sally talked with a guide yesterday who warned her to be especially careful at the first Headlands. If the tide is up, you have to take the Overland Trail. But don’t worry, there’s a rope. A rope? For what? To help pull yourself straight up the cliff side. Well I’m quite content walking the beach and not pulling myself up any rope,with my backpack. And so we walked.

There was another huge rock with one proud Bald Eagle guarding the sea. He turned his neck, almost like an owl, looked straight at us without any needless movement. He was so regal, staring out at the sea, like a lighthouse waiting to guide his mate home. Or maybe just looking for a meal, but maybe just maybe, his bride is soaring above and he’s keeping watch. What an incredible bird.

We walked to the Headland which was standing on wet sand but no water. There were numerous starfish attached to the rock in vivid colors of orange, purple and brown. The sea urchins were making a meal of crabs and snails, filling up until they were content. It was like walking through the Monterey Bay Aquarium without a fee and outdoors. I was intrigued by how each little creature has some unique purpose and balance in this ecosystem. How God created every last one of these sea anemones, and different versions of snails, conks, crabs and fish. It blows my mind that us humans are so complex yet can only live on land. And these tiny creatures are just as much intent on doing what they do, with or without the sea water. When the tide goes out, they are exposed to light, to air and that can be for hours at a time. They adapt to whatever the tide does, and changes within. It just boggles my mind.

Once we circumnavigated the rock, there was a section that had some water, and I had to get my feet wet. It was well worth it, getting my feet wet, just to witness that little piece of marine life. Honestly, I don’t mind submerging but Sally has waterproof Trail runners, and she does not want to get her shoes wet. So she walked on water, jumped from one rock to another and escaped the wrath of the sea.

And then the games began. Around the headlands was a rocky beach for the next 3-4 miles. Or at least that’s what it seemed like. I could see the next Headland and planned a path that would keep me from bouldering any longer than possible. I told Sally I was going a different route and she watched me as I submerged up to my knees. She took the boulders. I followed the seabeds that had grasses, small fish and other seaweed looking stuff floating. The shells were alive. Hermit Crabs be-bopping along, fish narrowly missing this Alcatraz walking through their neighborhood. The sand was soft under the water and not slippery as I expected. I periodically popped out of the water onto a spit of sand, and then back in the water. It gained me some distance ahead of Sally as she had to negotiate all the big boulders and rocks, but she kept her shoes pristine and dry.

I finally emerged from my water garden and back on the boulders. It went on for most the morning, boulders, rocks, and some crunching of live seaweed underfoot. It crunches when you step on it. Almost like bubble wrap. We finally came to a rocky cove and took a collective sigh. The miles are short but the stress level, at least for me, is a bit high. I feel like I’m watching every single placement of my feet with caution, making sure I don’t slip or fall or twist or snap or do something I can’t get out of. Before we left, at Cave Alava Trailhead, there was a Search & Rescue SAR Shack. On the door it read, “Be careful out in the wilderness. If you need us, it will take a long time for us to reach you.” Those words have been my motto for this trek. Don’t call SAR! I had listened to a podcast on my way here about the men and women who volunteer for SAR. My friends Curt & Atsuko have dedicated their lives to this group of foot pounders who get called out night or day, during dinner or on their way somewhere, and they drop everything to save a strangers life. It’s a true calling and takes an extra specially trained person to do what they do. I’m glad there are people like that, but I surely don’t want to be that person who needs their help! So I walk purposely, every step is planned. Well, most of the time. Let’s be honest!

After our little snack break, we continued on. Sally had looked at the map and we only had one mile to go. That’s music to my ears, even if we have to walk on boulders. The last headland had a bit of water, so we sidestepped as much as we could. There were plenty of crabs swimming in these tiny tide pools. We have been so lucky with the tides and being we came right after a new moon, it’s been definitely in our favor. We came around the final point and saw our cove, Chilean Memorial Beach. It boasts that many sea otters reside here, and with all the kelp beds, I imagine we will spot a few.

The cove is small but has a sandy beach. There were three young students sunbathing with camp chairs relaxing on the beach. We talked briefly looking for sites and asked where the Privy was? The FarOut App stated that there are sites on the way up to the privy. Sally looked at the buoys and found a Buoy marked Privy, but wasn’t biting. I walked down the beach and found a spot above high water mark, tucked into the trees with two relatively flat tent sites. I think this is home for the night.

The plus about this place is the fresh water is directly south of us and an easy walk. A Spring is flowing from above the beach on the hilltop and the water is cold and clearish. Not brackish like some of the water we’ve captured, but not crystal clear either. Just clearish! We set up camp and I pulled out my stash of Italian Salami and Manchebo Cheese, along with dried Jackfruit. It was delicious, in the sense that we had little choice. If we were daring, we could try a little sea kelp or grass with it, but we both passed.

After a few minutes of getting all my stuff placed in my new home, I took my mat and went to the beach. Not much of a walk, being I’m already here but I found a shady spot to read. Then after reading, I Kelly Baraga, took a nap. That is not my thing but it seemed like the most appropriate way to spend this lazy afternoon. Like I said earlier, I think I could get used to this kind of hiking.

So I was thinking of all these creatures we have seen. Big and little, majestic and fragile, furry and rough around the edges, yet God created them all. Just as we are designed, I have a lot of respect for God’s ways. I know that He created us in His image and has plans for all of us. But why do we all look so different? Some are tall and bold, others are short and frumpy, some are old and gray, while others are young and pretty. So why is this what we see? The Lord says that we are not to look at the outside, but to see the inside. To really know someone is to know their heart. Sally and I have been friends for twenty years. We see each other maybe once a year to backpack together. She is fifteen years younger than me and in much better shape. She takes on boulders like she owns them. I call her my Gazelle. She’s long and lean and can do things I only wish I could do. I’m more like a tank. Strong and sturdy, slow and somewhat-steady but she always is going to wait for me. So why does she keep coming backpacking with me? I think because we know each other’s heart. And that’s what Gods sees when we are together. He laughs at our differences but marvels at our similarities. He knows that whenever we are together that we glorify Him. And that just makes Him smile. So next time when you look in the mirror, look inside and see your heart. Because in the end, that’s all that really matters to our Lord. And that’s what’s truly important to the rest of us.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Those waves crashing all night long is a game changer. No need for Melatonin or CBD Gummies. Just lay your head down and sleep like a baby. This morning I had oatmeal with my coffee. I’m not a big fan of oatmeal but this was a new packet with freeze dried blueberries and sounded good when I was purchasing it at REI. But after all, it’s just oatmeal and I can take it or leave it. After eating, I went to our lookout and checked for the seal. It appears he went back to the sea to live another day. I’m so glad.

We were hiking the beach just past 8am and the tide was out. There’s bright green grasses that are probably a version of sea kelp. Light weight and slimy to walk on. We made it around the first point, another Headlands. It’s just another rock scramble, reminiscent of the AT.

Once around N. Headlands, I imagined we’d be back walking on sandy beaches drinking margaritas. Think again. The guidebook mentioned we’d have miles of rocks and boulders, and they weren’t exaggerating. For the entire morning, we were climbing boulders, walking through rock fields, and when you get tired of that, you can always walk through tide pools that are just as treacherous. The most interesting part of the morning was Crab City. Every step you take, there are tiny and not so tiny crabs walking, scurrying and sliding away from us giants. They are so funny because they believe they’re hiding from us. I wanted so badly to see them, know where they were, so I didn’t crush their little crab house on their backs.

As Sally approached a poor unsuspecting crab, she must’ve scared the little guy. He slid into a tide pool and got gobbled up by a sea urchin. Nature at its best, or worse, however you tend to view it. I guess that sums up life on the Wild West coast.

Then to make matters worse, Sally was ahead again, and must have startled this big fat raccoon. Evidently he didn’t hear me coming around the bend, as he was be-lining right towards me. This guy definitely hasn’t missed any meals. He sees me, shakes his head in disgust and heads up the boulder, far away from my route of climbing.

For no less than three hours, we scrambled, climbed, rock hopped and just dreamed of sandy beaches. I thought I had seen one up ahead but as we approached, it was filled with flat rocks that covered up any facsimile of sand. Finally after our longest and toughest climb of the morning, a full on put your poles away and hang onto anything that looks solid, we arrived at, yes you guessed it, a rocky cove. It was close to noon and we had covered a whopping four miles in a little more than three hours! That’s some slow miles. We decided to stop and eat something, and prayed for some easier terrain ahead.

After fueling, we walked around the cove, over a large fallen tree and two deer were walking directly towards me. I stopped to see how close they would come. Sally was right behind me and they looked, looked again and kept walking. They have zero fear of us and can walk on the rocky beach like they were made for it! Well, I think they are, made for walking on rocky soil, gravelly dirt, sides of mountains and about anything else you throw at them. Me, well I’m still looking for that sandy beach with Tiki Huts and Cold Beer!

One last headlands to conquer and that utopia called Cedar Banks should be in view. Just before we made it, there was another sighting of a Bald Eagle. He was perched atop a rocky point looking for his daily provision of fish or crab or whatever tasty morsel he could scoop from the sea. We made it around the slippery green slime without incident and arrived at our beautiful beach. And boy oh boy, was I ready!

Cedar Creek was flowing but not the spring water we had yesterday. But still it was fresh and usable. Sally and I split up in search of landing zones. The beach is low with a rocky incline that leads to campsites. I looked a bit and found a site next to the creek but was quite windy and unprotected. Sally wasn’t impressed and continued her search southbound on the beach. About 2-3 football fields down the beach, up a rocky embankment, she found the sweetest little campsite.

We set up, did some housecleaning, searched for bathroom possibilities and I started blogging. The sun is brilliant with a good breeze, the waves crashing and the beach is full on sand! This is my little slice of paradise. Oh, and it comes with a resident raccoon. As I was writing this, she came over to inspect me. How do I know it’s a she? She’s much smaller than the raccoon from earlier today. He was most definitely a he raccoon.

Before long, a fog bank started pouring in. It was the first time on this journey that the fog hovered over our campsite. Most days we could see it on the horizon but never approaching our camp. Well sounds like an early night and maybe I’ll sleep a bit earlier. The beauty of backpacking, no really jobs to do but get from point A to Point B, build a house, make dinner and look for water. Here on the beach, you may wonder, where is the water coming from? We all know you can’t drink saltwater and I have no way of desalinizing the water. But you know what? There are springs flowing from the sides of the hills. Where you would least suspect, a creek is bubbling up from nothing. That just blows my mind and that’s how our God works. Nothing too complicated for Him to create. Thank you Lord for the drinking and most of all, the living waters of life.

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

First night of sleep in my tent for quite awhile. I think my last time in “The One” was September 2023 on the AT. I’m not counting Snow-camping being I slept in my friend’s tent. But there is something magical about staking out your favorite one and sleeping inside its clean mesh lines. Yes, I agree. I’m a bit off kilter but you people who backpack can agree. It is extra special!

Based on the incredible miles we hiked today, our decision to sleep in well past our typical wake-up time is understood. Honestly there is even a sounder reason for this and it’s based on the Tides. We experience two High Tides and two Low Tides daily. Our low or sometimes minus tide occurs around 9am. Based on the -1.5 minus tide at 9:03am, we decided to head out later this morning.

We had breakfast with our coffee and sat watching Mother Nature wake up. Yesterday evening, Sally had her first oh-crap moment when a snake slithered past her open tent. She looked around trying to ward off the deadly beast of a snake from certainly making its way into her sleeping bag and pad. A reasonable and accommodating new home for the night, so I thought. Luckily it hurried along and went back into the forested area that it came from. In the morning no snakes slithered by, but we were greeted by two Mama Deers and two fawns. They obviously are not worried about us hikers and stayed feet from us, eating their curds and whey. Well more like grasses and leaves. Before long, a large rabbit hops over beside me and as he gets comfortable, a large Raven flys in the middle of this Wild Kingdom moment and lands on the ground. This is some kind of wonderful! After gawking at this sight for a bit, I pack up and scratch my head, where in the world have I landed?

Our beach looks so different during a minus tide. There are rock islands about a quarter mile off shore, that yesterday would’ve been a definite swim. This morning, if you can walk over kelp beds, slippery rocks, slick algae and navigating crabs and such creatures, you could walk to the island. We chose to walk south on the beach, less crowded with slippery things.

It’s not your typical SoCal beach with sandy beaches, endless surf and umbrellas in the sand. It’s much more rugged with polished rocks, thick spongy kelp and seaweed and just enough sand to make you yearn for more. All of the comments on FarOut mention rocky encounters of another kind. It was slow going and I was glad we had all day to hike six long miles!

We got into our stride and Sally moved up to take the lead. No surprise there. I meandered and talked to the other hikers as Sally looked for beach treasures along the shore. I had taken a picture without realizing I had captured a Bald Eagle. As I talked to the trio who were showing me the Bear Tracks on the beach, they asked if I saw the massive Bald Eagle on top of the rock. No, where is he? They pointed out the magnificent bird, still perched, still searching for his feast for the day. Go figure, another sign that God is showing me all that He has placed ahead.

I caught up with Sally and pleaded for a break. Much like my Union Walkers of Spain, I was now the one protesting for a needed rest period! We found a spot at Sand Point, sat down in the shade of many lichen covered trees and devoured our much needed fuel. Okay, I’ve only hiked three miles but it’s taken close to two hours and I was ready. We admired the beach we had conquered, and wondered when we would find real beach, with soft sand and lapping waves? Ask and you shall receive. We stood up and exited our protected little slice of paradise, cut the corner on Sand Point and popped out onto a sandy beach cove that went on for at least a mile.

It was so unexpected, walking on a truly sandy beach. The waves were breaking far from us as the tide was still out. We walked along the beach for a good period of time, watching mirages evaporate in the sun razes. It was as if we were walking on water. But as soon as it appeared, quickly it would disappear. All that was left behind was a glimmer of water over the wet sand. The waves were groaning, I’ve never heard that before. Sally mentioned it this morning, how loud the surf sounded when it broke. Then I heard it with my own ears, a sound like a freight train shooting across the water. So eerie, yet so strong, at the same time. Such a wild and wonderful place we are exploring.

Up ahead was a Red Warning. I was thinking it was red because they didn’t want campers sleeping there but it was an advisory to not pass if the tide was above 5’. Oops, I checked the Tide Table and sure enough, it was on its way to Five Feet. Well of course Kelly, this is your Motto. What was suppose to be easy peasy has now turned into a rock scramble! Headlands is a rock that jettisons out along the coast. We hit it just right. There was a bit of a scramble up and over a handful of times, but nothing life-threatening. I’m glad we did it before the tide got much higher because there would be a couple of areas that would surely be impassable, without submerging. Both Sally and I were able to time the waves and barely got our shoes wet. Well they are called “Water Shoes” for a reason.

Once around the Headland, Yellow Banks was visible. It’s a protected cove with the first bit of fresh water we’ve seen since Cape Alava. We dropped our packs and filled up with fresh spring water that was good, clear and cold. Then we went scouting for sites. I stayed on the beach looking for buoys what typically indicates probable campsites. Sally had read on the FarOut App that there were sites up above on a ridge that overlooked the beach. She headed up Scary Mountain, while I kept scouring the beach. Gosh, I love hiking with Sally. She does all the technical stuff and I take the easy route. We both met back and she looked like Scary Mountain lived up to my bestowed name. After explaining the ropes and slipperier snot that she climbed in search of a possible campsite, she was relieved that I found something on ground level. Thank goodness. We grabbed our gear and walked to our new home. It was in the trees, a bit damp and tight for two tents. After having lunch, I told Sally I hadn’t checked any further south, if she wanted to see if there was another, more proper spot. I finished my lunch and she found a bigger site just a few minutes later. And off we went.

Ended up it was equipped with a hammock. Sally went to take a swing and down went the hammock with Sally in it. First Turtle of the trip! We set up our tents and chilled on this private beach, that as of now, appears we have it to ourselves! Now I’ll just wait for another whale sighting.

We built our new homes and Sally reclined to read her book. I headed to the beach and went into the water. Washington water is much colder than NorCal. But it felt great on my feet, knees and thighs. And that’s as far as I could mustard. Then I rinsed out and baked in the glorious sunshine.

Dinner was Beef Pasta with Bread and Butter. I packed in some dehydrated Margarita Mix and Sally had some Nectar of the Gods. As I was finishing up dinner, I had my awe-crap moment as two slugs had landed on my bag of bread! Thank goodness it was protected because them Banana Slugs aren’t carrying that home. I shoed them off, packed up my food and hoped forage better evening. Sally wanted to head down to get more water, as I cleaned up and put my food away. A few minutes later, she was back.

I can’t get water! Why can’t you get water Sally? There a seal laying on the beach. Okay, is he an Elephant Seal? No but I’ve heard accounts of seals attacking people. You should come with me. Okay, but I’ve never heard of a seal lunging at a hiker. We head back down to the creek, and sure as you know what, there’s a seal between the creek and us. Hmm, he doesn’t look too furious! In fact he isn’t moving much at all. We decided it was safe to proceed and I inspected the seal a bit closer. He’s alive but barely. He is tagged with a Green Flipper Tag J839. Quin and I had just toured the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito and they told us typically seals are tagged if they have been rescued and released. This guy was in trouble before. With our expert seal training not, we determined he was just one old seal and needed to rest on the beach. We left him alone and gathered Sally’s water.

So today’s count: 4 Deer-2 Female and 2 Fawns, a large Rabbit, Bald Eagle, and a an old Seal. That’s not too bad for a day on the beach. As I sit here, I wonder what God is up to? Why am I here and what does He need to teach me?

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After a bit of a hiatus from backpacking, I am back on the trail. This is a place I have never hiked before besides a day trip many moons ago. Olympic National Park is on the Olympic Peninsula of northern Washington and tucked away from civilization. The Hoh Indian Tribe still resides here, placing gill nets, living off the land and offering a few secluded trails on the beach that you can walk. It’s so much different than hiking in the mountains, desserts or valleys. The breeze is always an added bonus, the temperature is a perfect 60-70 and the sun is shining. It truly is a place untouched by mankind and offers scenery that is, well just brilliant.

My friend Sally met me yesterday at Kalaloch Lodge where we got reacquainted and talked about our next week of backpacking on the beach. I hiked the West Coast Trail in 2006, almost twenty years ago. This is much different than our hikes of the past. Typically Sally and I do things that get our heart rate up, climbing tens of thousands of feet and walking long, arduous miles. This backpacking trip will be none of that. We will follow the tidal charts and comb the beaches for sand dollars, beach glass and sea urchins. And if we are lucky, spot a whale! We can only hope.

After packing up our food and libations, we drove the 100 plus miles, parking my car at Oil City Trailhead TH, our planned exit point, driving to Forks to deposit our second leg of food, then off to Cave Alava TH. Following the Google GPS navigation we headed down a logging road for, let’s say close to an hour, and stopped abruptly at a locked gate. There was no way around, no other options but to turn around and regroup. After getting out my ONP Map, should’ve done that first, we found a long way around route to our desired trailhead, Cave Alava. Close to two plus hours later, we arrived, and only a half-hour behind schedule.

We had lunch, a tasty IPA Beer that my friends Rob and Patty bestowed on me, and we were ready to hit the trail. There were tons of people at the TH with only ten campsites up for grabs. I assumed hikers had come out for the day, were out on a weeklong excursion like Sally and I planned, or we would be scavenging for a place to pitch our tents. Needless to say, there were plenty of sites to go around.

The PNWT is a fairly new route that extends from Glacier NP to Olympic NP. It is close to 1250 miles and hugs the border between US and Canada. It’s quite rugged, has much route finding and is about as primitive as any trail I have hiked. But this small section that we are headed to is splendid.

The first 3.4 miles is basically boardwalks with steps, some gravel but mostly old wooden planks that are slowly degrading. Don’t get me wrong, most of it is in pretty darn good shape but you just need to be weary of the few boards that have rotted or have returned to nature. The trees are thick, covered in moss and lichen and reach the sky upward. There is plenty of ferns, soft leaves and greenery everywhere.

We passed a few hikers on their way out who talked of brackish water, and slow moving streams with little water. Dang we have an ocean full of water but nothing much to drink. The walk in was nice, nothing too difficult but enough to get me feeling like I was back where my heart sings and the Lord blesses me. Oh how I love to backpack.

Before long we reached the coast. The sun was shining and the tide was up. We actually reached high tide just as we landed on the surf. This is good because it shows you where and where not to place your tent. Sally found us a nice home in the trees, just above the high tide mark and we settled. Then we walked some more.

The beach here to the north of us forms a point. There’s big rock islands just off the shoreline, barking seals across from us on another island and a few sea lions playing in the surf. We headed back to have dinner. On the menu was Bison, Biscuits and Gravy with a huge loaf of homemade Sourdough Bread and Creamy Butter. Patty also blessed Sally and I with huge two pound round of tasty incredible hunk of sesame seeded bread. Thanks Patty!

Once we had dinner, we walked back out as the tide was turning and experienced a minus tide. Rocks that we hadn’t seen before were exposed, tidal pools were abound and as Sally walked back to the Cape Alava Point, she saw her first whales migrating north. One of the hikers pointed out the water spurts and then the big whale broke out of the water and breached just enough to make everyone’s day complete! Now that’s a fine first day!

As I go to sleep, I thank my lucky stars that I have a husband who promotes my joy and passion to get outside. And the fact that I have faithful and God-fearing friends that accompany me. With the miles that we will embark upon next week, it will not be tough, yet it will not be in vain. This walk will be slow, little distance covered but will cause me to pause and ponder this moment. I know that my Lord has created me to pursue this purpose, to love his splendor and creation, and to see this through His eyes.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV