I had fallen asleep in the van in the Safeway parking lot. That was not my intent! I was up late reading under a parking lot light. No one came by to tell me I couldn't camp there. So odd. The Naval station is just north of town, too.
Traffic was light as I started an early drive south on WA 3 to Shelton, then getting on US101 north to Woodsport. I wanted to hike Mount Ellinor in the morning, a 5725'. I stopped in at the NF Visitor's Center and talked to an elderly woman named Phyllis who had been here in the area for 13 years, but is originally from San Diego. After her husband died she moved north with a male friend whom she married, but he now is also gone. Phyllis knew all the trails and gave me some sheets to go by.
Findig the trailhead was easy, but I was quickly disappointed to see that my hopes were dashed: the trail was completely shrouded in thick fog. Why bother hiking an unknown peak in the fog and then not enjoy a vista? I decided then to hike the easier Jefferson Pass trail which followed a ridgeline for 3.5 miles. It, too, was in the fog, but at least the fog in the lower level evaporated quickly.
The dogs liked this alternate route. And I must admit that I did, too. My left foot was blistered from last week and hurting. HAd I cut myself while hiking up Mount Pilchunk? Or was I just tired from lack of sleep? The route meandered past several waterfalls, multiple landslides (which are common here, it seems) and a variety of wildflowers. On a clear day this would have been a lovely hike. Today there was no vista, but at least I had the cooling effect of the fog and the dogs didn't mind.
The Jefferson Pass trail #800 ends at an overgrown landslide that is now grown over with a thick grove of pines. I turned around here and went back the way I came, picking up discarded beer cans along the way. My hiking guide mentioned that this area was used by ATVs, and this trail was as well. When we finished the hike and went back into town, I stopped back at the Ranger station to let Phyllis know that I did not hike the peak, but that the Jefferson Pass trail was a nice alternative.
It was 2:30pm and I wanted to drive on. Highway 101 at this point now skirts the shore of the northern peninsula, revealing clam beaches and mud flats, just as I remember from years ago. Traffic was light. I was able to get the Canadian radio station again and the topic was the high rates of opiate overdoses in British Columbia. On NPR (before I lost it) the topic was the lack of medications for the remaining doctors in Syria who can no nothing more than hold the hand of a dying person and help them to the afterlife.
I had been to Port Royal 16 some years ago. I remember eating in a restaurant after driving around, but which one? Does it really matter, anyway? I drove up into the National Park on the Hurricane Ridge, noticed more landslides and fog. On a clear day the views would be spectacular, but again the fog stifled the beauty. Since dogs aren't allowed in National Parks (but horses, mules and rednecks are), I didn't stay long. I drove back down to Highway 101 and kept on driving. The sun was setting now and I had limited sunlight, but seeing Lake Crescent at dusk was quite beautiful. No doubt the national park is worth exploring more without dogs, but I hate supporting an agency that does not allow dogs in. There is a feeling of remoteness in this part of the state. Several Native American tribes live here as well.
I made it to Forks, WA at the last rays of light. It's a town of 3175 people, with several gas stations, a bank, a grocery/outfitter/hardware store all on the main strip. I parked near the Umpqua bank to use their free wifi and eventually parked for the night in the back end of a pretty motel.
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