Kaleberg Archive for Keyword: winter, Page: 3

We were out at Dungeness Spit the other day and couldn't help notice that the beach was sandy. Usually, in the winter, the sand gets washed out, and we have to walk on piles of rocks and pebbles which can get tiring very quickly. There's lots of sand there now, and also some snow. The snow is only in some shaded areas, largely the shaded northern faces of the bluffs. We've got a more good hiking days for the spit on March 2nd, 3rd and 4th, then some more good tides around the 11th. Check the tide report on the bar to the left or our Dungeness tides page.

There is sand on the beach. That makes for easier hiking. It's about 4 1/2 miles from the base of the spit to the lighthouse.

The bluffs (and mountains) with some snow

The spit with some snow

Keywords: dungeness spit, tides, winter

	02/09/09 - Along The Morse Creek Trail We saw a first sign of spring, a salmonberry blossom, along the Morse Creek Trail, which is what we call the Discovery Trail running west from the parking lot on Morse Creek. It isn't much, but this has been a hard winter, and we'll take what we can get.
We aren't sure what this is a sign of. That's a broccoli floret. There were a number of them along the trail. Did someone run out of breadcrumbs? We have no idea.

Keywords: morse creek, spring, winter, salmon

02/05/09 - Winter Beach Second Beach is a winter beach, but there is still a lot to explore at low tide. The beach is broad and sandy, and there are even a few starfish in the tidepools. There is some rough going at the south end of the beach since so much sand has washed out for the season. Check our tide tables and look for a good mid-day low tide at Second Beach or Rialto Beach. (You can also see upcoming good tides in the left column of this web page).	The hole in the wall
Seastacks and a broad beach	Tidepools
Starfish are back.	More starfish
More seastacks	It is a rocky road to the cave entrance without sand.
Rough beach and seastacks	We don't know who has been making little leaf faces and leaving them on various trails, but hello again.

Keywords: rialto beach, second beach, tides, trails, winter

01/28/09 - Marymere Falls On Ice

We were at Marymere Falls for the first time in a while. The day was cold and there was snow on the ground. The waterfall was framed with ice as droplets of water splashed and froze as they hit the cold. Now and then a chunk of ice would break free, but otherwise all we could hear was the roar of the falls.

Keywords: lake crescent, winter, barnes creek

01/17/09 - Kim Chi Pancakes and the Port Angeles Farmers Market

The winter isn't a great time for the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. It is still held every Saturday in the Clallam County Courthouse parking lot from 10AM to 2PM, but there are only a few farmers and venders there. The regulars include Westwind Farm, Dry Creek Farm, Tuna Dan and Nash Huber.

Harley at Dry Creek Farm says his hens are laying through the winter thanks to his new henhouse and the new breed of hens he has. He sold 100 dozen eggs in perhaps an hour this last Saturday, so come early. Also, in February, he will be selling stewing hens. He says the new lot is not quite as fatty, and the birds are a bit smaller, but we know that there is nothing quite like a good old stewing hen, braised for a winter dish.

A new regular at the market is the Korean kim chi and garlic lady. We haven't gotten her name yet, but she sells great big heads of garlic which seem to be much stronger than a lot of local garlic. She also sells jars of kim chi, Korean spicy pickled cabbage, and kim chi pancakes. We haven't tried the kim chi proper, but the pancakes are delicious. No, they aren't horribly spicy, but they have a nice light burn.

We don't expect a lot of action at the market this time of year. We've been enjoying the steelhead from Tuna Dan, and we've been rounding up the usual vegetables at Westwind and Nash Huber's. Things may be a bit slow, but the market is open, and it is still worth a trip.

Keywords: dry creek farm, farmers' market, nash huber, port angeles, winter, westwind farm, birds

12/17/08 - The Dungeness Dike Trail We've been doing some shopping for our Christmas choucroute, and our errands took us down Towne Road, so we stopped to take a jog along the Dungeness Dike. There was a bit of snow, some brilliant sun, and some great scenery.	The trail was pretty clear.
One of the barns	A view of the mountains - Our apologies for the lens flare: it is unavoidable at this latitude.

Keywords: dungeness, winter

12/16/08 - Snowshoeing the Lake Angeles Trail The snows are back, so we've been snowshoeing the Lake Angeles Trail. To be honest, there were only a few inches of snow on the trail. Most of the people we met on the trail were just wearing boots, but we are never could get the hang of boots, so we snowshoe. In any case, the scenery was spectacular.	The little bridge over the stream
A glimpse of blue sky	The wooden walkway

Keywords: lake angeles, winter, snowshoeing

11/23/08 - Snowshoe Season Is Here There is not a whole lot of snow, but there is enough for us to strap on our snowshoes and tromp our way from the Hurricane Ridge parking lot to the Hurricane Hill Trail trailhead. The mountains were in a good mood today, and the scenery was spectacular.

Keywords: hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, winter

10/25/08 - Last Call For Klahane Ridge: This Time For Sure Rocky We have had a magnificent year for Klahane Ridge. The late rains meant a great wild flower season, but now autumn is upon us. The shadows have grown longer, and the first snows have appeared. Soon, the trail will be closed for the winter. Still, we hope to be able to take one more climb this year, if only for another look at the fall foliage and the incredible views.	Long shadows and early snow
The mountains are ready for winter	More snow
Fall color	The end of the season
Brilliant fields	No longer lush, but still beautiful

Keywords: autumn, klahane ridge, winter

10/15/08 - Hurricane Hill Dusted There was a dusting of snow up at Hurricane Hill on our last visit. This winter is starting slowly, so we've been able to watch it. Some years, winter waits, then delivers one big snow, and the mountains are covered with snow for the season. This time we are getting a bit of snow here and there, some autumn colors and slowly dropping temperatures.

Keywords: autumn, hurricane hill, winter

10/09/08 - First Snow at Lake Angeles The Lake Angeles trail is one of our favorites. It climbs over 2400' passing from rain forest to alpine forest; it leads to an amazing mountain lake surrounded by fantastic ramparts of stone, and it is only about 10 minutes from our house. Every climb is different. Sometimes the trail is lined with trilliums. Sometimes it leads from rain and fog to brilliant sun. This time, it took us into the land of winter. The skies were cloudy at the trailhead, and the trail was wet from recent rain, but the real treat started around 1700' above the parking lot. Here we saw the first dustings of snow. Most of the trail was clear, but here and there a patch of snow made it through a gap in the canopy. As we continued to climb, we could see the light snow. It would stick to trees and mosses but melt on rocks and the trail itself. As we climbed, it grew colder, and the light snow became constant. We entered a wonderland of winter. Our traction was good and the weather well above freezing. The lake beckoned. We had to see what the snow was like around Lake Angeles proper. Somehow, we pressed on and were well rewarded for our efforts. Clouds hid the ramparts, but the white accent of snow made everything look magical. The little island seemed something of Arthurian legend. Every climb is different.	Clouds hid the ramparts.
The mystic isle	An enchanted lake - Is that a hand with a sword?
More winter wonderland	Another view of the isle
Even a light dusting of snow makes the familiar seem different.	A simple shrubbery
The trail was clear.	Snow on the trail, but not very much
One of the rocky outcrops along the trail	Snow on the moss

Keywords: lake angeles, winter, trillium

06/23/08 - Hurricane Hill Road Snowshoe season is over, but Hurricane Hill Road is stilled closed, at least to traffic. The park service has plowed the road for about a mile, to the first picnic area. The rest rooms there are still buried under mounds of snow, but a lot of the road is completely clear. We took a walk, and we can report that the first flowers of the season are coming out. The phlox, with its small white flowers is covering the hillsides and scenting the air. We've also spotted little yellow avalanche lilies, some yarrow and a few brilliant paint brush.	Insert a picture here
If you smell something sweet this time of the year, it is probably the phlox.	There are also avalanche lilies.
There's also some indian paintbrush.	It looks like the mountains have made it through the winter.

Keywords: flowers, hurricane hill, winter

	05/01/08 - Rialto Beach We were out at Rialto Beach the other day, and it shows signs of winter. The sand is dark and gritty, and the tide pools relatively bare. You can see the rough current in the little river about a mile north of the parking lot.

Keywords: rialto beach, winter

Glowing eerily

04/18/08 - Sauerkraut

This spring has been late in coming, so there has been a dearth of the usual spring vegetables. On the plus side, the local farmers still have a fair bit of cabbage. Cabbage is an old winter staple, so we at Kaleberg Laboratories decided that when life gives one cabbages, it is time to make sauerkraut.

A bit over two weeks ago we took two heads of cabbage and ran them through the slicing blade of our trusty Cuisinart. Then, we tossed in about six garlic cloves for extra flavor. We packed the cabbage into a 3 liter storage jar and made up a pickling mixture of about a quart of water, two tablespoons of kosher salt, a teaspoon of peppercorns, a tablespoon of coriander seeds, and a half cup of apple cider vinegar. We brought this to a boil, let it cool and poured it into the jar with the cabbage. We had to add a bit of tap water to cover all the cabbage, but then, all we did was let it brew out in the garage. It has been mighty cool out in the garage lately.

Now, we have a delicious glowing green mass of preserved cabbage, and it is delicious. The cabbage has gotten that sauerkraut crunch, and the coriander seeds are wonderful in it.

OK, maybe it isn't actually glowing.

Keywords: spring, winter

03/02/08 - Back To Second Beach - Driftwood Report

We were back at Second Beach yesterday for the low tide around two o'clock. The trail through the rain forest hasn't changed, but the first thing we noticed when we got down to the beach was driftwood. There is always a fair bit of driftwood near the base of the trail, but this winter a lot more big logs have piled up there.

The beach itself was rather wet, with flat sheets of water running over much of it. Still, it was good walking, as long as we kept an eye on the waves. Second Beach is a broad, flat beach, so a little breaker can run a long way.

That bald eagle below actually did look a bit ratty. He, or she, was molting, so the classic profile wasn't quite what one would find on a postage stamp.

Lots of driftwood

Even more driftwood, and a peek at the hole in the wall

The weather cleared up a bit

A molting bald eagle

Lots of water

Keywords: second beach, winter

02/09/08 - Eggs At The Market

The winter is the slowest time of the year for hens, so it is sometimes hard to get farm fresh eggs. The good news is that Westwind Farm has been selling their eggs through the season, and they've been excellent. The other good news is that Dry Creek Farm is back with a new flock of chickens, so there are now two stands selling eggs at the market. Don't be surprised if some of them are double yolkers. Young hens often lay eggs with two yolks in them.

The final good news is that Dry Creek Farm is selling stewing hens again. For more on the glories of stewing hens and our coq au vin recipe, see our Stewing Hen Page. You can call Harley and arrange to pick up a frozen bird or two at 360 457 2943. These might be tough old birds, but they are delicious stewed.

Keywords: birds, dry creek farm, winter, farmers' market, westwind farm, recipe

A beautiful day in Olympic National Park

01/22/08 - Hurricane Ridge Ski Area

We had a mixed Martin Luther King Day weekend up on Hurricane Ridge. On Sunday, high winds led to white out conditions, so they had to close the road. However, on Monday, the winds were quiet and the sun was out. It was a beautiful day for snowshoeing from Hurricane Ridge to the Hurricane Hill trailhead.

Keywords: hurricane ridge, winter, snowshoeing

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