I hiked north with two friends from Rialto Beach to camp at Cedar Creek on Friday. Believe what people say when they mention that beach hiking is not as easy as it sounds. The first four or five miles past Hole-in-the-Wall were spent concentrating on almost every step as we navigated slippery rocks and logs. After rounding the second point past Cape Johnson, the going got much smoother and much more enjoyable, with sandy stretches that still featured the beautiful rock formations that make this hike so picturesque. We camped at Cedar Creek Friday and Saturday night, and were the only party in sight. Saturday we made the trek to Lake Ozette along the 2.5 mile abandoned trail that heads Northeast from the Norwegian Memorial. I have to say that it almost wasn't worth the trip. The way is extremely dense and wet, and there isn't much lake access when you finally arrive. However, it was a nice change of scenery to hike in the forest for awhile. This was my first backpack along the Olympic coast, and it was beautiful and definitely worth the effort. Another note worth mentioning is that most of the trails over the headlands can seem pretty treacherous. Everyone in my party was an early 20's male, but I can see how other demographics might have the sense to feel endangered on many of the routes. Wildlife along the way included plenty of bald eagles and herons, several deer, sealife of course (including a walrus carcass), and raccoon tracks but not the pesky critters themselves.

I thought that going on a cloudy weekday meant avoiding the crowds. let's just say that i would hate to go there on a sunny weekend! There were many many overnight campers on the beach and leave-no-trace policy was being boldly ignored. some people had carved their names into the trees! we left seattle monday morning and took the non-ferry south-west-north-west route (just to see how long it took. basically, take the ferry unless you anticipate very long waits. it is 45 min faster than just taking the roads). left at 7:15 Am and arrived at the beach parking lot at 11:45 AM. started walking on the beach. the tide was coming in as we were hiking in so it meant a bit of difficult scrambling on the rocks. past the hole-in-the-wall it was pretty stinky with all the seaweed washed in and weird hop-hop flies swarming all around. while we were taking a short break on the rocks, 5 bold racoons made a bid for our animal-resistant canister (they totally know what to go for) and even yelling barely deterred them. saw a deer near the chilean memorial. camped out there in a nice little spot. at dusk saw a group of otter come in and play omn the rocks and swim around. VERY cute. also saw seals, giant heron?, and weird creature, little bigger than a squirrel, dark brown with white markings and white tail running aorund on the beacch screaming hysterically and stopping periodically to stare at us, willing us to go to bed so it could raid our campsite for food. weather was misty-wet, never actually rained. but the ocean was pretty fantastic as usual!

I must be an environmentalist. We traveled eight hours round trip for five hours at the beach. Lousy mountain forecasts drove us to the coast. It rained most of the way. At Forks it miraculously cleared up. We started hiking at Rialto and kept on until well north of Hole in the Wall. Low tide allowed for viewing sea star, anemone, and battling crabs. Also viewed were two eagles, cormorant, and pelicans. If the wind weren’t blasting, it would have been warm. We had blue skies and sun, while watching showers off shore, and to the south. Just bring Shannon if you want a good weather guarantee. R/T 4 miles, one nap, four hours away from the car.

Another gorgeous Washington winter day. Blue skies, 55 degrees, and not a breath of wind. This is the coast? It's a long mile up the beach to Hole in the Wall. This is a great place for pictures, exploring tide pools, and today, for taking a nap. Easy access with plenty to see and do. Roundtrip is two plus miles.

After spending the night at Cottonwood DNR campsite near where highway 101 crosses the Hoh river, Susie and I drove to Oil City trailhead( as Harvey Manning says, ""no oil, no city...) Only 4-5 other cars were there. We wandered along the Hoh and after 1/2 mile onto the beach. The mouth of the Hoh is one of the most dynamic places I've been....changing everytime I've gone. There are piles of driftwood of various sizes from minute to huge trees that have washed down the river. The tides have organized them into driftbanks and there are a myriad of different forms, colors and sizes. I could spend all day on one pile looking at endlessly different shapes. Ah, mother natures artworks in a concentrated pile. We wandered down the beach to a headland near Hoh head and sat down to watch the incoming tide. Starfish everywhere and other tidepool denizens delight. Hot sunny weather slowly gave way to more foggy conditions. We delighted in the fishing of pelicans and surf scoters and when you got tired of that, you could check out the still blooming goldenrod and pearly everlasting on the crumbling hillsides. Later, we drove up to Rialto Beach which was a hodgepodge of people and kids and dogs( all on leash...) We walked up to Ellen Creek in the fog and sat on a log to listen to the music of the surf. The coast is the most....