It went much better than initially expected. My bro and I took off amid a nast lightning & thunderstorm in Seattle, with rain, snow, and hail. We got over to the Washington Stat penninsula via a 20 minute ferry ride, and we were heading west. It got interesting when we reached Lake Crescent, for it turned from the usual drippy wet western Washington late-winter night to a mid-winter-in-the-Washington-mountains day. There was snow and ice all over the road, and this was the windiest part too. Lake-effect snows coated the lands all around it, so there were some moments where we questioned our sanity as we carefully meandered swervy highway 101 along the lakeshore. But we made it past, and were again in fog and wet to the turn off to Ozette.
The Lake Ozette road was paved all the way to the Ranger station! The last time I was out there (1987) it was only partially paved with some serious gravel road washboarding the rest of the way. The paved road was a nice treat!
We camped at the ranger station since it was 1AM when we arrived, and Jim had his old tent for us to use there. Good thing too as it rained some during the night, and I didn't want to have to pack in a wet tent. The weather during this adventure, we had rain (expected) snow & ice (unexpected), Thunder and lightniong just to the south of us (somewhat expected) and glorious sun (unexpected but hopin').
Saturday started partly cloudy and cold! It was in the low 30's which is uncommon for the coastal area anytime in winter. The hike started well after some confusing last minute readying of the pack. I had to make an emergency repair as on of the belt retainers broke. I used shot cord from another part of the pack to repair it and make it usable. I didn't go out there to not hike due to broken equipment. I need a new pack.
The trail started out as the typical rocky northwest trail, but after the trail divide wher eyou choose to go due west 3.1 miles to Cape Alava, or due southwest 2.8 miles to Sand Point. Sand Point trail is easier but Cape Alava is a better way.
Either trail is part ground trail, part boardwalk with the ceder planking most of the way to Cape Alava. It was wet mostly (expected) which brought out its usual treacherousness, but in Alstrohm's Pararie and other open areas it was covered in snow and ice! Those stretches made you glad to see plain ol wet boards! Fortunately there were no spills for either of us though there were a couple slippages.
We made the coast about 2PM, and the tide was on its way out. We set off south down the beach to find a suitable place to camp. There used to be alot of nice little camps along a bluff that was shored up by driftwood... at least in the 80's up until last fall there were. In December a MAJOR storm hit the coast with a combination of weather factors that led to most of the camps becoming part of the beach. Around the winter solstice, a deep low pressure system came through that drove in 50 foot swells from the Gulf of Alaska. The wind, swells, low pressure, and the normally higher than usual high tide at the same time combined to take on the beach. The high water mark was in the camp we did find, barely intact thanks to a several hundred year old stalwart Douglas Fir tree that refused to give up yet. It stuck out toward the ocean at a 45° angle and there was about a4 to 5 foot drop around its roots. but it held on the leeward side and aside from a rise in the dirt where it raised its roots, the camp was intact. It was hard scrambling up the freshly cut off bluff though.
So this was home for the rest of Saturday and well into Sunday as we didn't leave until around 3PM. Much of the time was spent gathering wood that seemed even remotely possible to burn. I found this foot square ceder block, and with a few swings of the hatchet I was able to chip off some nice cedar pieces and the inner wood was somewhat drier, and after a little balking, the flame did take hold. It was a high-maintenence fire though for once it was burning you had to keep a steady supply of the damp, wet, or soggy wood on top of it so it could 'steam out' the water. In the end we burned everything we brought to it.
Saturday night was nice as the tide came in and the ocean grew louder. The moon rose and made some light through the broken cloud, and a light but stiff east wind was coming down th slope and blowing the firesmoke toward the ocean. Very unusual for the coast as the prevailing winds commonly come from the southwest, or sometimes the northwest, but always from the water to the land. This wind was cold with that touch of artic chill it had to make snow the night before along the trail. The night went on as we had chili for dinner and I broke out the weight sacrafice treat.. two pike Kilt Lifter ales! Bro had been bonging regular, and I took one now that I didn't have to think. After talking and playing withthe fire, I left and took a walk on the beach in the moonlight trying to judge where the high tide would reach. It peaked around midnight at about 8 feet. I headed back to find my bro prepareing a fresh load of wood. I dropped a few candidates I picked up off the beach and they went immediately into the steamer. I soon thereafer went to the tent and climbed into my warm sleeping bag. That light, steady wind was getting colder!
Sunday dawned bright and clear, with temperatures below freezing. I slept in as I heard my bro have to get up to pee. Sometime later I woke needing the same thing, but a couple hours had passed. I got up to a warm fire and had some raviolis for breakfast. The sun was out all day and we loitered about until 3PM before finally donning the packs and heading south down the beach.
This got tough. the hard wet sand was nice, but we had to duck through branches of a tree that lay out toward the ocean, and then the sand turned into small pea gravel which didn't give good footing.Then it went back to wet sand but it was 'sinky' when taking steps. Then we had to round the headlands around Wedding Rock, then down though the soft sand and rock toward Sand Point. Half way you rounded another headland and after that the lasy 1/2 mile was good hard wet sand again. The day was sunny all the way, and it was when we went inland to return that we were in the cold damp, some snow and ice about... such varying conditions! Here's some pix...
Me surveying the trail...
What I saw... SNOW on wet ceder boardwalk!
Arriving at the ocean...
Down to the beach we survey the winter's work...
Searching for a suitable campsite...
The source of the thunder we were hearing...
We found the remains of a campsite and set up home...
The storms stayed south and the sun set...
And the chill night closed about us as we fed our fire...