Pacific Northwest Backroad Adventures

Last Saturday (September 29, 2007), we decided a make a predawn trip to Sunrise at Mt Rainier National Park in Washington state to take photos of the rising sun on the mountain.

We were experiencing rain showers when we left our home in the early morning. Luckily for us, the higher in elevation we gained, the clearer the weather became.

Once we entered the national park and passed the White River Ranger station, we started to see patches of snow on the road. Once we arrived in the Sunrise parking lot, it was blanketed with several inches of the seasons’ first snow fall. We could clearly see the outline of Mt Rainier through the darkness.

From the main visitors center, we climbed the ridge and followed it toward Mt. Rainier to the Frozen Lake viewpoint, taking photos along the way.

On our way back to the parking lot, the clouds started rolling in and by the time we got back to the visitors center, the mountain was completely obscured by clouds.

All summer long, I had wanted to get up in the early morning hours and make the trip to Sunrise in order to take photos of the sun rising on Mt. Rainier. The wait for this experience was worth it, with excellent lighting, the first snow of the season and clear weather.

You can view the photos taken on this trip at Mt Rainier National Park 09.29.2007.

All indicators are pointing to yes. Its rare that we get so much snow so soon in the mountains. Unfortunately, one “pineapple express” could wipe out the snow and once again bring green to the alpine areas.

Last weekend, we made a trip to Sunrise in Mt. Rainier National Park for a pre-dawn hike for a photo shoot and there was a nice dusting of snow at the Sunrise parking area and several inches of snow at the Frozen lake viewpoint. Since then, 7 inches of snow has fallen at Sunrise and the same at Paradise.

Initially, the family was only going to make a day trip to Oak harbor, Washington to visit friends for the day. However, since the forecast was for nice weather over the weekend, I suggested that we stay over night in a hotel and take the Keystone-Port Townsend ferry over to the Olympic Peninsula the next the morning and do some sight seeing. I suggested Cape Flattery as one possible destination.

Saturday morning, we made it out the door and headed North on I-5. The closer we got to Seattle, you could easily tell that there was a University of Washington Huskies football game in town by the school colors that were on nearly 1 out of 5 vehicles on the freeway.

Once we reached Burlington, Washington, we headed west on Highway 20. Along the way, there are views of Padilla Bay and Fidalgo Bay visible from the highway. It was low tide when we passed, so the mud flats were visible.

Our first stop along the way was at the Deception Pass bridge. After a few pictures and a quick peak to the water below, my wife elected to stay with the Toyota FJ80 Land Cruiser while my daughter and myself ventured out across the bridge for better photo opportunities.

In addition to the normal traffic over the bridge, there was an organized bike tour on Whidbey Island, which meant much more congestion over the bridge.

To experience the views from the Deception Pass bridge, one must stop and get out of the car and walk. You miss so much by simply driving across. The views are fantastic. We were even able to spot a seal in the water below.

Once back to the car, we headed into Oak Harbor for lunch and then to our friends house just outside of town. After a short visit, we headed to the North Beach at Deception Pass State Park.

After some photos of the kids playing on the beach, I headed out with the camera and tripod for some additional photos of the shoreline. I ended up walking the shoreline from the beach, around the point to the beach just below the Deception Pass Bridge. Great photo opportunities all around. I could have easily spent hours taking photos of the diverse shoreline.

After spending a few hours at the park, it was time for dinner and the back to the motel so the kids could swim in the pool.

The next morning, we headed out to catch the 8:45 Keystone - Port Townsend ferry. I had forgot to set the alarm, so we had to rush a little. Luckily we made it with about ten minutes to spare and the ferry wasn’t full.

We were fortunate that the weather was sunny and the water was relatively calm, though cool. This ferry ride was the first for my wife and daughter. After about a 30 minute ferry ride, we arrived in Port Townsend, Washington.

Once in Port Townsend, we parked the Land Cruiser and searched for a coffee shop in the downtown area. After a coffee and a quick bite to eat, we strolled through the downtown area before heading out. Because of the time of day on a Sunday, most of the downtown businesses were closed.

From Port Townsend, we headed south on Highway 20 to US 101. Along the way, we had great views of Discovery Bay. Once we were on US 101, we headed west through Sequim and Port Angeles. We stopped in Port Angeles for fuel and lunch.

After lunch, we continued west on US 101 until we reached Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park. US 101 follows the south shore of Lake Crescent and offers great views of the lake. Of course, we stopped along the way to take photos.

From Lake Crescent, we continued on US 101 through the Sol Duc River Valley. I pointed out the Kloshe Nanitch Lookout high above the valley floor.

When we reached Highway 113, we headed north towards the Straight of Juan de Fuca where the road intersects SR 112 where we headed west. From this junction, SR 112 also leads east to just outside of Port Angeles. Once we reached Clallam Bay and Sekiu, SR 112 follows the shoreline of the Straight of Juan de Fuca. This stretch of highway is another must do scenic drive.

At the entrance of the Makah Indian Reservation, there was a tribal police checkpoint that was inquiring about our destination. Later we found out that some members of the Makah nation illegally killed a whale the day before (that explains the TV news vans we saw later in the day). We made our way through Neah Bay, Washington and followed the sign to Cape Flattery.

The road to Cape Flattery was in the process of getting paved. All except the last three miles was fresh pavement. The gravel sections were in excellent condition and looks as though it will soon receive asphalt as well.

From the trailhead parking area, it’s about a 3/4 mile hike down to Cape Flattery. The trail is an easy hike through the forest, with many sections on wooden boardwalks over the more damp areas.

Once you reach Cape Flattery, there are great views of the Pacific Ocean, the Straight of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and the Cape Flattery Lighthouse on Tatoosh Island. Again, we had great weather.

By the time we completed the hike down to Cape Flattery, it was already mid-afternoon, which didn’t leave much time to do more sightseeing, so we had to start heading home.

The Olympic Peninsula has such a diverse ecosystem, including ocean shore lines, river valleys, lakes, rain forests to the alpine areas of the Olympic Mountains. There is so much to see on the Olympic Peninsula that it would probably take good week to visit all the places you can visit by car. I guess another trip will have to be planned to do some more explorations.

You can view all of photos of this trip at Deception Pass to Cape Flattery Photos.

Since I had to work Labor Day weekend, my wife, daughter and the family dog made a quick overnight trip to visit my 83 year old grandmother in Kelso, Washington. In the past, she had mentioned that she had wanted to drive up the Rose Valley Road and the Coweeman River out of Kelso to see the area she grew up in, but no one has offered to take her for the 20 mile drive from her house. Once I mentioned the idea, she was quick to say yes.

My Grandmother was one of two people who exposed me to road trips to me at an early age (the other was my Father). I guess I never got it out of my blood.

When I was very young, we traveled all over the western United States and Canada - with my Grandmother driving, my Great Grandmother in the back seat and with me riding shotgun and following along with a map.

We always made a large loop ending in Kamiah, Idaho to visit my great-grandmother’s brother Uncle Joe. Highlights I remember include several trips to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Lake Louise in Alberta, Virginia City in Nevada, the real Ponderosa Ranch, Wildlife Safari on Oregon and many other places.

Now back to the Coweeman River story. My Grandmother grew up on a farm along the Coweeman River off the Rose Valley Road. As far as I knew, they had the last house up the river. While I was in elementary school, I was able to spend what seemed to be the summer (it was probably much less time that that) at was known as “Grandma Kathy’s house” (my great-grandmother mentioned above). That was the experience that I’ll never forget. For most of her life, my Great Grandma lived what is now called “off-the-grid”. There was electricity. No propane. No running water (unless you count the water gravity fed through a pipe from a waterfall from the creek on the property into the back yard). Kerosene lamps provided light at night. Food was cooked on a wood cook stove/oven. Heat was provided from a separate wood stove. If you were cold, you either put more clothing on or you made a fire. No TV. Only a radio powered radio. I could go on and on but I’ll have to save that for another time.

To get to the Rose Valley Road, you travel south on I-5 from Kelso. You take the Carrols exit and follow the old highway (formally Highway 99) until you reach the Rose Valley Rd. The lower Rose Valley Rd. is a nice drive past old farms and like in most areas, some newer homes. No major sub-divisions yet. All along the way, my grandmother was amazed about all the new houses that have been built in past twelve years since she last traveled the road. She pointed out the homes of people she knew growing up and places she would go (swimming holes, community dances, etc).

Once the road crossed the Coweeman River, the road narrows down to a paved single lane road with turn outs. Here the road follows the river rather closely. Eventually the road comes to a group of homes known as Elk Meadows. There a few permanent residents as well as a few vacation homes and RV lots. A few of the full-time homes are rather nice, considering that there is no utilities (truly living off-the-grid). Even with the lack of electricity, most homes had satellite dishes. Some had solar panels, one had a small windmill for power. Most all of them had propane.

The road eventually climbs up and over a bluff (with a steep drop off into the river below). When I was really little, the road was gravel and I would cry every time I passed through this section of road (good thing I got over that). Today, it doesn’t seem that bad at all. There are a couple of old mine shafts visible into the rock face from earlier mining attempts.

We finally reached where where my Grandma Kathy lived. It had been 30 years since I last seen the property. Even though the area where the house stood was a little overgrown, I could still see the pasture that was behind here home. The creek that ran through the property looked the same as when I was younger.

We drove up the road past the old place. My grandmother pointed out where an old ranger station was located. She lived in a house next to ranger station for a while with my Grandfather while he staffed a nearby fire lookout.

She pointed out where one of two CCC camps was located along the Coweeman River.

At about 16 miles from old 99, the road enters into Weyerhaeuser lands and turns to gravel. The gate was open, but we turned around. If one was able to continue (during hunting season?), you could follow the river up to Coweeman Lake and also visit the Elk Mountain lookout site (my great grandfather used to staff the lookout and it would take all day to pack in and out with a horse from the house on the Coweeman).

Just inside the gate was the location of the old dam. My grandmother said that they would back up the water and fill it full of logs. When filled, they would release the floodgates and allow the logs to flow downstream to mills in Longview or Kelso below. Through all the years, my great grandmother only lost one cow to this.

A little further down was the site of old waterfalls on the Coweeman River. A fish ladder was constructed at the site (which is still visible today). At some point in the past, the falls were blasted out to make passage easier.

After a few stops, we made out way back to my Grandmothers place. At 83 years of age, it’s been a while since I had seen her so excited. She can still drive fine, but she doesn’t venture too far from around the Kelso-Longview area unless she has to. I was glad I was able to give back a little of one of the many gifts that she instilled in me.

Overall, its a nice drive up the Rose Valley road. The views are primarily from the valley floor of the surrounding hills and forest as well as the river. It was more of a sentimental back road trip for me and especially for my Grandmother.

You can view more photos of this trip at Coweeman River Photos.

It’s almost daily that we see on the news that another bear has visited a suburban neighborhood. The reality is that suburbia has invaded the bears habitat. I always get a kick out of the people who never before left the city and move into the urban-wildland interface area and are amazed and even startled that wildlife such as bears, cougars and coyotes roam their neighborhoods. Well if they only knew that their garbage as well as FiFi and Fluffy make easy pickings for the neighborhood predators.

Luckily, once we are away from the suburban areas, bears are a little more wary of humans than your neighborhood variety. Although rare, encounters with bears do occur. Although there have been some recent unusual tragic situations that have even occurred, the typical confrontations with bears are the result of a surprise encounter at close range. All we can do is be prepared and prevent the likelihood of a deadly encounter.

The American black bear is the most common bear in Pacific Northwest. Grizzly Bears are much rarer with populations in the North Cascades of Washington state and in areas of Idaho. Although much of the following information applies to both species, it is targeted toward the more common black bear.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has kindly provided us with an informational site Living with Wildlife: Black Bears. Some key tips discussed on the site should you have a close cencounter with a black bear include:

• Stop, remain calm, and assess the situation. If the bear seems unaware of you, move away quietly when it’s not looking in your direction. Continue to observe the animal as you retreat, watching for changes in its behavior.
• If a bear walks toward you, identify yourself as a human by standing up, waving your hands above your head, and talking to the bear in a low voice. (Don’t use the word bear because a human-food-conditioned bear might associate “bear” with food . . . people feeding bears often say “here bear.”
• Don’t throw anything at the bear and avoid direct eye contact, which the bear could interpret as a threat or a challenge.
• If you cannot safely move away from the bear or the bear continues toward you, scare it away by clapping your hands, stomping your feet, yelling, and staring the animal in the eyes. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to shoulder and raise and wave your arms to appear intimidating. The more it persists the more aggressive your response should be. If you have pepper spray, use it.
• Don’t run from the bear unless safety is very near and you are absolutely certain you can reach it (knowing that bears can run 35 mph). Climbing a tree is generally not recommended as an escape from an aggressive black bear, as black bears are adept climbers and may follow you up a tree.
• In the unlikely event a black bear attacks you (where actual contact is made), fight back aggressively using your hands, feet, legs, and any object you can reach. Aim for the eyes or spray pepper spray into the bear’s face.

In addition to the tips above, food storage and good camp sanitation is vital in preventing bears from paying you an unwanted visit while camping.

Further information on bear safety, including more information on Grizzly bears, is provided by the National Park Service at Bear Safety in the North Cascades

Anytime I’m traveling through Eatonville, Washington to get back to my home in Edgewood, one of my favorite routes to miss the infamous State Route (SR) 161 traffic through Graham and South Hill is to take the leisurely scenic drive on Orville Road East through the Ohop Valley, past Lake Kapowsin and into the Puyallup Valley to Orting. My description of this route will be from the town of Eatonville heading towards Orting.

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Summer in Western Washington usually doesn’t start officially (at least weather wise) until July 5 of each year. Today (06.24.07) was no exception. The forecast for the day was for rain and a snow level of 5000 feet.

Since I worked the night before and my wife’s nephew was coming over for dinner, I had to keep the day’s adventure somewhat local from my home. Flipping through the book Washington Byways, I found Tour 49 - High Rock Lookout Loop and it fit perfectly into the day’s time restraints. I loaded up the dog in the Land Cruiser and headed towards the Cascades in hopes of finding some sun above the low hanging clouds.

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Last Sunday (June 24, 2007), I ventured into the High Rock area near Mt. Rainier. The weather was overcast and rain most of the day meaning in no great views of Mt. Rainier. These are the photos I shot on this adventure. Most are taken from the inside of my Toyota Land Cruiser.

High Rock Loop Photos

The complete story of this adventure will be coming soon.

Winter on the West Slopes of the Cascades usually lasts well into Summer, with many places not being snow free until late June or even early July. With the recent summer-like weather in Western Washington, I had a desire to go see how high the actual snowline was at this time of year. So I set off for another day of exploring. This time, the rest of my family decided to stay home and do other things. Only the dog was anxious to go, as always.

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