February 2018March 2018 April 2018

03/31 - West Side of the Elwha

We've been locked out of the various Elwha River hikes for a while now, and it looks like Olympic Hot Springs Road is going to be closed for a while. Missing the river, we decided to try one of the less accessible hikes on the west side of the river. It was different, but it was the same fern filled forest with moss everywhere. We followed the trail down and further down, crossed a stream and then headed up a bit. Then, we started to get some views of the Elwha River, as beautiful and wild as ever. We turned around, leaving a fair bit more of the trail to explore, but it was nice to get another taste of the Elwha.

The forest and the ferns

A foot bridge

More forest trail

First glimpses of the Elwha through the trees

The Elwha River, calm in its course

More of the Elwha River

A boardwalk made the going easier.

Another view of the river, less calm

Moss, rocks and water

More moss, rock and water

Looking up the wall of green

Keywords: elwha


03/21 - Cherry Blossom Special

We had been following the action on the webcam. The buds were starting to open. It was too much to resist. We Kalebergs just had to be in the quad where it happens, so we headed into Seattle, up to the University of Washington and onto the quad where the cherry trees were at peak blossom. These were big old trees, gnarly and dark with a cloud of pale pink flowers about them. The quad was full of people there to enjoy the blossoms and the late start of spring.

Cherry blossoms

More cherry blossoms and admirers

Admirers and cherry blossoms

An old gnarled branch

More CBs

CBs

Dark bark

Another branch

More CBs

Did we mention cherry blossoms?

I guess we did mention cherry blossoms.

Keywords: flowers, seattle, spring


03/20 - Foster Island

After admiring the cherry trees in the University of Washington quad, we headed south across the Montlake Cut. We descended to the waterfront and headed east towards Foster Island. First, we took a foot bridge to Marsh Island which true to its name was marshy and muddy. Then, we crossed another, longer foot bridge and then followed a causeway with wonderful views of the university, the Cascades and Lake Washington. We followed the trail across Foster Island, then headed south towards the Arboretum and back to civilization.

The Montlake Cut and crew

Marsh Island, true to its name

On Marsh Island

More of the marsh, hardly in Seattle at all

The causeway

Across to Foster Island

Some great bird watching

That's 520 overhead; there were ducks below.

On to the Arboretum

Keywords: seattle, trails


03/18 - The Eagles of Towne Road

What were those big birds scrounging in the field by Towne Road. The darker ones looked like ravens, but the larger birds were browner. A closer look revealed distinctive white markings.

Birds in the field

A closer look

And another closer one

Keywords:


03/17 - The Elwha Again

Given what the park service is up against, the lack of an immediate plan to get Olympic Hot Springs Road open again is not surprising. The Elwha River now has a full fledged tributary running through what was once the Elwha Campground. A temporary bridge is possible, but we haven't even seen the spring melt. The older temporary bridge is still in place, but one can imagine a running battle with the park service building temporary bridges and the Elwha River finding clever new ways to branch around them.

Meanwhile, the mule camp is being relocated. If you've ever taken Whiskey Bend Road, you might have noticed the mules in the field near the start of the road. They work for the park service, but the old mule camp is no longer reachable by road. Yes, the mules could walk in, but it's much easier to deploy mule power if you can get all your mules in a truck or two and take them where they are needed. So, their new seasonal home will be the field just past the Madison Falls parking lot. We probably won't be seeing much of that bobcat who hangs around there. Mules have an ornery reputation.


A river still runs through it.

River meets road.

Another view of the river

Fencing for the mule enclosure

Spring flowers - finally

Keywords: elwha, spring


03/14 - Dungeness Spit at Low Tide

Every two weeks or so, there are some great tides at the Dungeness Spit. We recommend planning any long walks on the spit when the low tide gets down to three feet, but lately, the daytime low tide has been getting down below one foot. That means lots of broad beach, and there is lots of sand for easy walking. The light house is only five miles out. What are you waiting for?

For our Dungeness Spit tide tables . Good, low, daylight tides are marked in green.


Wide, sandy beach

An eagle on the driftwood

The orange cap marks "my spot"

Good, easy walking

A view from above

Keywords: dungeness spit, eagle, tides


03/02 - A Bobcat and the Elwha

We often head out to check up on the Elwha River. We park at Madison Falls and walk along the closed road, across the temporary bridge to where the most recent branch of the river cuts across the road. It's a short walk, but it offers some nice views of the river. Sometimes we see a bobcat. The bobcat lives not far from Madison Falls, and we usually see him or her in the broad field just south of the road closure. The bobcat was there on our last visit, and we managed to take a picture or two.

The bobcat is there.

Here's a closer view.

A better view

Zoomed in

Zoomed in again - like a house cat, but bigger

A bridge across one of the Elwha's new branches - not suitable for cars or clumsy people

The river

Misty mountains this long winter

Another view of the river

Keywords: elwha, winter


February 2018March 2018 April 2018