Ancient Lakes
Recently I was watching a gear review video on YouTube. I don’t remember what they were reviewing but I remember where they were doing their review; Ancient Lakes. I had never seen or even heard about this area of Washington, and did some quick calling to my buddies. They weren’t familiar with the area either. That’s all it took for me to pull maps and start making plans to visit the area.
Ancient Lakes is a cluster of three small lakes nestled at the head of a flat bottomed, cliff ringed valley called a coulee in these parts of Washington. The Ancient Lakes coulee is carved into the orchard-covered Quincy plateau and faces west, toward the Columbia River. This area is a great example of a recessional-cataract canyon. Potholes Coulee caught the attention of J Harlen Bretz in the early 20th century, which led to his “outrageous hypothesis” of Ice Age flooding; a very controversial theory during his time, but one that proved to be correct!
Support
Our mission is a labor of love, but it does come with overhead. If you’d like to support our efforts we’d certainly appreciate it. Currently, we’re actively participating in the following field research:
- COASST Beached Bird Surveys
- Wild and Scenic River Project
Thank you.
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Ancient Lakes is a cluster of three small lakes nestled at the head of Potholes Coulee; a flat bottomed, cliff ringed valley.
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One of the best things about volunteering for citizen-science projects is the opportunity to spend time in some truly breathtaking places. And with fall just around the corner, it's an especially beautiful time to be outdoors. There's nothing quite like watching the leaves change colors and feeling that fresh autumn breeze on your face. It's a great way to connect with nature and make a difference at the same time.
Our only tide window to conduct this month’s #COASST bird survey was just before sunset. Not only did we have the beach to ourselves, but we were rewarded with this view when we rounded the point. Had to pause the survey and just enjoy the view and tranquility.
We're spending the weekend exploring the 'Great Bend' of Hood Canal. We found a nice private campground to base out of. This is just one of the many views to be found on North Shore Drive.
Taking a brief pause to appreciate the beautiful sunset on the Long Beach Peninsula.
I recently went hiking in the Olympic Peninsula forests and stumbled upon this beautiful waterfall. It was such a serene and peaceful spot, and I felt so lucky to have found it. There are so many hidden gems to discover when exploring the great outdoors!
With the hot weather we've endured, I'm looking forward to Fall and the dramatic weather. Here's a sunset over North Head Lighthouse.
After a short hike along Murhut Creek, which originates from a narrow basin on the south side of the lower Duckabush River valley, we arrived at the lower half of Murhut Falls. The falls consist of two sections with a combined height of 153 feet, although only the lower half was visible from our vantage point.
I haven't had the opportunity to take a stroll around Waughop Lake lately, yet I couldn't help but notice the abundant greenery that now adorns the trails.
During our recent camping trip on the Washington coast with friends, we took a bike ride to Cape Disappointment State Park. We came across the Northhead Lighthouse, but unfortunately, it was closed at the time due to an ongoing cliff rescue operation.
Spent an incredible day immersed in nature's wonders with my adventurous partner, Theresa! 🌿🌈 We hiked along the majestic Chehalis River, mesmerized by its crystal-clear waters and lush surroundings. And then, we stumbled upon the magnificent Rainbow Falls waterfall, its cascading waters painting the landscape with vibrant colors! 🏞️💦 Moments like these remind us of the pure magic that awaits when we embrace the great outdoors.
Looking forward to this sunny weekend getaway at Rainbow Falls State Park Exploring the stunning beauty of nature and immersing ourselves in the serenity of the namesake waterfall.
On a sunny day at the beach, the four of us enjoyed riding our bikes along the shoreline, feeling the sun's warmth on our skin. We laughed and chatted as we pedaled, the refreshing sea breeze accompanying us. Eventually, we reached the breathtaking Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, where we paused to take in the stunning view of the sparkling ocean and rugged cliffs. It was a perfect moment of friendship and natural beauty.
I had to stay close to home this weekend, but the Lakewood Summerfest was fun. Hot air balloons lit the venue.
We recently adopted a new #COASST beach for our beaches bird surveys. You can find more articles and photographs in the link above. #YourShotPhotographer #conquernorthwest #nextstop24traveler
A trail leading through the coastal forest on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Read the latest article about our new #COASST beach. Link in the description.
Looking at the turnaround point to our new survey beach, which lies just to the west of Murdock Beach.
Potholes State Park
This year it’s hard to get short notice camping reservations as I’m sure everyone has noticed, but we did luck out and found a spot over at Potholes State Park which is only about a 45-minute drive from Ancient Lakes. We camped here once before when the temperatures had been a blistering 105 in the shade. Can’t say we enjoyed it much that time, but this time of year we had cold nights, and pleasant day temps this go-around and did enjoy the campsite.
We left early in the morning for Ancient Lakes and as we pulled in the parking lot it looked like we were going to have the place much to ourselves. However, before we could even gear up the parking lot started filling up with arrivals. There are so many trails that spider web off the parking area that we rarely saw but a handful of fellow hikers once on the trail.
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The only exception to this was the waterfall at the head of Ancient Lakes. This seemed to be the main attraction and it looked like a tour bus had ejected its payload at its base. As such we contented ourselves with the view from across the lake.
The real treat and view were when we decided to hike up to the south rim of the coulee. The topo map should have a saddle that would give us a view of the neighboring Dusty Lake. Not only did that prove to be the case but the views from the rim top back over Ancient Lake were spectacular.
We did get lucky with our timing. The desert flowers were in bloom, and there was an incredible number of birds in the area. And I’m happy to say that the one animal that I kept seeing a warning about — rattlesnakes, didn’t make an appearance at all. We’re already making plans for a return visit in the fall.
