The Ocean

After settling in at the lodge, we went down to the beach for a brief foray before dinner. I was surprised by the huge number of logs piled up at the high tide line. Of course, in our cabin there was a prominent warning: "Beach Logs Can Kill!" which did nothing to build confidence in our daughter. I could certainly see how it would happen - one of those logs tossed by the surf could ruin your whole day - but one just needs to pay attention. I didn't help by admonishing everyone to keep an eye on the ocean for rogue waves. I don't think I mentioned sharks...

There were lots of razor clam shells on the beach, as well as crab carapaces. Large flocks of sea gulls were present as well; I think 3 different species though I haven't yet poured over the photos to identify them. Gulls, especially immatures, are very difficult to identify.

We went up to the lodge for dinner; pricey but in a beautiful spot where we could watch the sun set over the Pacific. After that, it was back to the cabin and sleep. Unfortunately, I detected the beginnings of a cold (sore throat). The next morning, after some breakfast, I went off to Aberdeen to see about the car which took me most of the day. I finally got a rental van (huge!) and went back to the cabin (1.5 hours one way from Aberdeen) in time for a nice walk on the endless beach. I took some video of the gulls and a couple of flocks of sandpipers (again, very difficult to identify, but I have good photos). We also discovered colonies of blue mussels (dead, washed up on the beach) and kelp.

The next morning, after checking with car insurance and the body shop, it was off to Ruby Beach. What a fantastic place! There are sea stacks and tide pools galore. We arrived at low tide, perfect for observing tide pool creatures. On the way down to the beach, I filmed a yellowish warbler (why do I always find critters that are difficult to identify?) and saw cedar waxwings in the bushes. On the beach, I was anxious to get to the pools, and was admonished to stay with the group. We explored the pools, and found the rocks covered with sea anemones, starfish, mussels, limpets, chitons, and snails of various types. There were numerous holes burrowed into the rock by burrowing clams (Piddocks) which explained some of the fantastic rocks we found the day before on Kalaloch Beach. Some scientists from the National Park Service were examining the rocks as well, and explained a few of the things we were seeing. The tide turned, so we wandered back to the beach, enchanted by all we had seen. Then it was off to Aberdeen for me for another round of wrestling about the car. I turned in the giant van and eventually got a nice little Mazda for the trip back home.

Back to Kalaloch, in time for another stroll on the beach and a nice sunset. The next morning, we packed up and headed for Quinault. We explored the Quinault rain forest, another unbelievable experience. We checked out the historic Quinault Lodge (I could be talked into staying there for a few months) and then, Mikey not feeling too well, found a really nice cabin down the road near the world's largest Sitka Spruce. I slept while Peg and Colleen explored the surroundings. It was a wonderful spot, and I could have easily stayed there another day, but Yellowstone and the Tetons were beckoning, so the next morning we packed up for the road trip to Idaho, Montana and points beyond.

More on that in my next post.