All park programs have been canceled, including guided snowshoe walks at Hurricane Ridge. Hurricane Ridge Road will remain closed to vehicles until the lapse of appropriations is resolved.
It sounded like our camp was going to come apart; the good news was at least I didn’t have to worry with snapping my mooring.
The weekend had been nothing if not chaotic; both in wind and rain. Still the last thing I expected was to see a surfer getting rescued by a USCG swimmer.
Along the way, I managed to cross the highest mountain pass I’ve ever been on, view the highest mountain I’ve ever seen, immerse myself in the cuisine and culture of ancient peoples, and gain a new and renewed appreciation for this home of ours which is, of course, my favorite planet
Anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest is familiar with the migration of the different species of Salmon. What did surprise me recently was the the size of the water these amazing fish are willing to attempt swimming up to breed. My childhood handmade sailboat wouldn’t float in the amount of water we’re talking here?
Okay, this might be a slight exaggeration when I compare the Obstruction Point drive to Bolivia’s death road, but not by much. Or at least, not in some sections where you have a drop of hundreds of feet with no room to pass an oncoming car. Just ask my passengers!
Although only separated by a short drive, eastern and western Washington couldn’t be on more opposite sides of the spectrum; cool wet temperate rain forests vs. dry, hot desert. However, a visit to this desert has been on my to-do list for some time and I was anxious to explore and camp over on this side of the mountains, plus there was the added bonus of a visit to the famous Palouse Falls.
For all we have in common Theresa and I couldn’t have more different backgrounds. She was riding a horse long before she had a drivers license where I was soloing sailboats offshore. Our first multi-day paddle together she complained that her, “utter wasn’t working”; our first horseback ride I complained I needed a ‘mainsheet and rudder’ to control this beast.
The sign stated that the private tree farm was closed to motor vehicles but opened to foot traffic. So, if we wanted to find our unnamed waterfall that meant hoofing the last 1.5 miles on foot. The thing that worried me was the high voltage wire crackling above the FJ.
A couple of weeks ago I stumbled on Rocky Brook Falls while out with friends. See Incredible Waterfall Hidden Right Under My Nose. We spent a fair amount of time photographing the Rocky Brook Falls but I wasn’t feeling satisfied. While flying my Mavic I noticed that there was a second fall behind the one we could see from below. I wanted to get to that second fall and looking at the maps I found a forest road that might make it possible. Plus this was something Theresa needed to see!