Dosewallips Basecamp
It’s been a while since the last time I camped in the Dosewallips State Park. It’s placed in a perfect location for accessing the Olympic Peninsula, but its proximity to Hwy 101 and its heavy truck traffic has always been a bit of a put-off. It’s also very popular with families and has open sites with no privacy from your neighbors, but visit during the shoulder season and it’s worth a visit.
For this weekend’s adventure, friend, co-worker, and talented photographer Matt White was joining me. We’ve gone out in the field together in the past, but like most things with COVID-19, it’s been quite a while, so we were both looking forward to catching up and enjoying the outdoors.
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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Steve meets up with fellow photographer Matt White and they turn their lens toward the Hamma Hamma and see signs of last summer's record-setting fire season.
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Sunrise at Ocean Shores
Theresa is looking downstream at Murhat Falls. This waterfall is easy to drive to and an easy hike in the Olympic National Forest.
Nisqually Wildlife Reserve
Skate Creek runs alongside Forest Road 52 in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This was just one of the many photographic sites that can be accessed from the road.
Sunrise at Fort Flagler State Park
Murhut Falls and its pool are nestled in the Olympic National Forest, not far from Dosewallips State Park.
Mystery Bay on Marrowstone Island.
Winter storm making landfall just south of Cape Flattery. This part of the Pacific Northwest can see some powerful storms.
An unnamed creek and a small waterfall that you can find along the Steam Donkey Loop trail, which starts within the Dosewallips State Park of Washington
Footsteps and a sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
Early morning sunshine filtered through the trees and reflected off the upper portion of Murhut waterfall
Theresa sitting under Murhut Falls, enjoying the beauty of the forest.
Found this small dam in the hills behind our camp on Hood Canal. At one time, it appears to have been used by a homestead to hold water during the summer months. #washingtonstateparks
A photographer takes a photo and becomes the subject himself.
“How We Survived a Slight Derailment on Tower Rock” was published on our website. You'll find a gallery of all photographs in the article towards the bottom of the page. I'd love to hear your thoughts or comments. You can find our URL in the bio.
Low tide on Crescent Bay and reflections in the pools left behind.
Lena Creek Falls
Like much of the west coast, just last year, the Olympic Peninsula endured a record-breaking fire season, including unbelievable unhealthy air conditions. Included in these fires was the Hamma Hamma drainage and specifically Mt. Lena which was sparked by a lightning strike. Much of this area was closed during and after the fire so we were unsure if we’d be able to access some of the waterfalls we hoped to photograph.
Finishing a quick breakfast, we jumped in the FJ and headed south to see how far we’d get. Turns out we were in luck and we were able to visit most of the waterfalls we had on our wish list. There were certainly signs of the fire present in blackened tree trunks and scorched underbrush. What struck me was that you’d have very defined areas that were burned with others seemingly untouched right next to them. Some of this was certainly due to the valiant effort of our firefighters, but some had to be due to the whimsical nature of fire.
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Washington Pass
In addition to the fires, we encountered quite a bit of blow-downs as we headed up towards Jefferson Lake. Patches of snow were also present in the spots that never receive sunshine. Despite this, I was anxious to see if we couldn’t get over Washington Pass and down into the Lake Cushman drainage.
I had noticed this web of Forest Service Roads on the topo maps some time ago but never had the chance to get up in the thick of it till now. Matt was game so we headed up. It was a long bumpy ride, but the view from the actual pass was worth the time and we paused to get out of the rig and soak it up.
The only moment of real concern was as we made our way down towards Lake Cushman and had a FedEx truck come barreling and sliding up the dirt road. I gave him a wide berth and he flew on by. Guess it was just getting in touch with his inner rally racer.
