Category: National Parks

Kiss of Two States ~ Oregon and Washington Coasts

LuAnn
Power of the Pacific

We’ve had one big love affair with Oregon but time only for a brief kiss, a gentle embrace, if you will, with Washington.  We have enjoyed this first encounter so we will be back for more.  Our days here are drawing to an end so I thought one last time I would pay tribute to this wild, rugged land, mentioning just a few of the great activities and sights we found along the way.

On the Oregon side:

hiking
Saddle Mountain Summit

Saddle Mountain State Natural Area

Located 20 miles east and north of the little coastal town of Seaside, the hike up Saddle Mountain is a mere 2.5 miles (5 miles round), but not quite a ‘walk in the park’.  The 1650-foot elevation gain gives you a hint of what’s to come and the last 0.5 miles is fairly steep, with wire fencing stretched and staked over the trail to allow some grip (good shoes required).

Me on summit of Saddle Mountain

But if you persevere, the views at the summit are so worth it!  We could spot Mounts Ranier, St. Helens, Hood, and Adams all peeking through the haze.

Cannon Beach

This lovely coastal town 25 miles south of Astoria carries the longstanding honor of “one of the 100 best art towns in America”.  It seems that many get her appeal, with over 750,000 visiting annually.  This was one of the most pristine beaches we had set foot on during our time in Oregon, dog and horse-friendly to boot!

Cannon Beach with Haystack Rock in background

Sitting just off-shore is Haystack Rock, a chunk of basalt towering 235 feet, one of the largest and most photographed “sea stacks” on the Pacific Coast of North America.

Fort Stevens State Park

Spanning 84 years, from the Civil War through World War II, Fort Stevens served as the primary military installation at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Today it is one of the largest state parks in the country, a sprawling 4200 acres of history and recreational offerings, including 9 miles of biking and hiking trails. With the booming of cannons, a Civil War re-enactment took place over the Labor Day weekend.

Peter Iredale Wreckage

Hop on the bike trail system and head to the beach for a view of the century-old Peter Iredale shipwreck, fog swirling around her skeleton.  Ride a  few miles further and you arrive at the South Jetty, with a nice viewing platform to watch ships (on clear days) as they enter and leave the Columbia River.

Terry, looking out over the South Jetty

Fort Clatsop National Memorial

Tour a replica of the 1805-06 winter encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; take a stroll along the Netul River Trail; or drop a kayak into the river here.

Astoria Brewery Company

With three breweries in Astoria, we decided to check out the one on the riverfront with the funky name of The Wet Dog Café.  Both the Poop Deck Porter and Old Red Beard Ale were quite tasty.

Astoria Sunday Market

Four full blocks lined with booths full of colorful produce, along with some impressive-looking crafts – enough said!

Now for some Washington sightings:

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center overlooking the River Bar

Cape Disappointment State Park

Cape Disappointment was named by English Captain John Meares, who, in search of the Columbia River back in 1788, missed the mouth of the river bar and named the nearby headland for his failure.  Four years later American Captain Robert Gray crossed the bar and named the river.

Striking views of the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, not one but two lighthouses (Cape Disappointment and North Head), and The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center await your exploration – lots to see and do here.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse is one of the oldest functioning lighthouses on the West Coast, dating back to 1856, guiding mariners in from the south.  The North Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1898 when it was determined that vessels coming from the north were challenged to see Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.  Sadly both are in dire need of restoration.

If you are a history buff, The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a must-see, in our humble opinion.  Perched on a 200-foot cliff looking out over the Columbia River, Pacific Ocean and the North and South Jetties, it tells the story of Lewis and Clark’s daring expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.  Dismal Nitch was the name given by their party to the small cove they were trapped in for six days while they waited out a horrendous pounding given them by Mother Nature.  Imagine being huddled together in the elements, miserably cold and wet for six days.  I’ll take a pass, thank you very much!

Mount St. Helens on a breezy, ash-filled day

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

We were so thankful that the sun peeked out and we were able to see this amazing volcano and so grateful to the informative Park Ranger who gave us details we had never read.  Take the time to stop at the informative Visitor Centers where you can spend hours scouring literature and photos of Mount St. Helens’  tragic eruptions, particularly the historic explosion that occurred on May 18, 1980 that transformed lives and landscapes forever.

The vertical blast of ash and molten rock that occurred on that fateful day rose thousands of feet into the sky but it was the lateral explosion that was of historic proportions, blowing down forests as far away as 150 miles and killing 57 people, some of whom were volcano watchers, giving moment-by-moment descriptions back to a central command post of what was occurring on the mountain.  Spirit Lake, nestled on the north side of Mount St. Helens, was obliterated by the debris brought on by this eruption.  One of its residents, 83-year old Harry Truman, refused to leave his lodge and home of over 50 years when the evacuation order was given and was buried under the rubble.

Mount St Helens, compliments of Wikipedia

For months prior to this momentous day, swarms of earthquakes (several hundred a day) were being recorded and a bulge on the northwest side of the mountain was growing 5-10 feet daily, an ominous message of what was to come.  When she blew, she created new lakes and her once stately snow-capped peak towering ~9600 feet was reduced by almost 1300 feet.

We have seen some thrilling sights and learned some amazing stories along this coastline that joins two beautiful states.  Here’s to those hearty souls who live on the Oregon and Washington coast, to those who love their weather, the kind that gets into your bones, not just caresses your skin.  We have loved it too and we will return.  But for now, it’s time to head inland for a bit.

Autumn’s calling card on the bank of the Netul River

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101 Things To Do ~ Humboldt County, CA

LuAnn

Until we read the publication “101 Things To Do – Humboldt” we thought this was to be the more relaxed, laid-back leg of our journey.  Alas, it was not to be.  Since we only have two weeks we decided to make a list of some of the things that peeked our interest.  There were many items on the list, as you might guess (too many in fact), including the Humboldt Roller Derby.  Something about athletic, sweaty women getting physical with one another, and some in fishnet stockings to boot, is intriguing right?  Well, maybe not for all of us, but I had to admit, stepping out and doing something a bit different had a certain appeal.  Unfortunately, their once-monthly schedule had passed us by so we scratched this off our list.  Sorry, I know some of you are disappointed that you won’t be seeing a post on this subject!  It’s back to more mundane hiking, biking, kayaking, and sightseeing ways for us.

Wild lily
Interesting fungi on fallen log

Besides Redwood National Park, there are many interesting state parks in Humboldt County.

Shoreline view from Wedding Rock

Patrick’s Point State Park was our first stop as it is just down the road from where we are staying at Sounds of the Sea RV Park.  A quick 1/2 mile walk and we are there, meandering through dense forest of coast redwood, spruce, fir, and red alder, on our way to the Rim Trail.  This stunning 4-mile path winds along the bluffs, providing views of sea stacks, barking sea lions lazing on the rocks below, crashing surf, and craggy cliffs.  At the north end of this trail is Agate Beach, which unfortunately can’t be accessed from here right now due to a rock slide.  If you are a tent camper, many of the sites in this park look amazing.

Terry looking out over the Pacific from Wedding Rock
Me atop Wedding Rock

Redwood National and State Parks is a bit unusual because, as the name implies, there are three state parks (Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwood State Parks) within the national park.  This unique concept, bringing the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation together for the protection of the forests and watersheds, came about in the 1920’s due to the efforts by the Save-the-Redwoods League.

Non Nobis Solum ~ Not For Us Alone

Their work formed the creation of the three state parks and in 1968 Redwood National Park was established after ~90% of the remaining coast redwood had been logged.  These four parks, with a combined total of 133,000 acres, are now a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, setting aside these forests for everyone’s enjoyment.  Today roughly 45% of the remaining old-growth redwood are here (the tallest of the tall), some living to be 2000 years old and over 360 feet tall.  Walk among these giants and you will be humbled by just how small we truly are!

Terry walking among the giants
Fern Canyon

Arrive early to Redwood National Park if you want to see the famous Fern Canyon, location chosen by Steven Spielberg for the filming of Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World.  There wasn’t another soul around when we arrived at 9:00 am but the crowds were out in force when we returned from our hike.  This is a must-see and with just a short 0.3 mile walk you are immersed in a “hauntingly beautiful” narrow canyon, walls lushly covered by many types of ferns and mosses, dripping with moisture.

Fog swirling through the forest

After spending some time here completely in awe of its beauty, we hopped on the trail to begin our 7.5 mile adventure into the redwood.  A quick side note: do spend time in the visitor centers here.  The rangers are a wealth of knowledge, particularly about hikes available.  This particular hike quickly put us into a world that reminded us of our time spent in Costa Rica.  We felt like we were enveloped in a tropical rain forest and as we penetrated her depths, the fog swirling around us at times, the only sounds to be heard were the occasional squawking of a stellar jay and the droplets of moisture hitting the ferns covering the forest floor.  The canopy overhead was so thick that sunlight had difficulty finding its way in.

Fallen log teeming with life
Even the fungi are super-sized here!

We saw only two other hikers during our entire time in the forest, which is how we like it!  This was rated as a moderate hike, but honestly, it was easier than that.  We made a loop out of the Fern Canyon, Friendship Ridge, and West Ridge Trails and could not have asked for anything more spectacular!

View from section of Coastal Trail

The various shades of green (my favorite color) could not be believed and I’m sure I did not do justice to them with my camera.

Lichen on fire-charred tree
Just missed stepping on this little guy!

Surprise, a beautiful waterfall tucked into the forest sounded its arrival as we approached one of the final bends in the trail!

Surprise waterfall

On our drive out of the park we were treated to a herd of Roosevelt elk, largest of the elk in North America, mainly residing in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest.  It seemed unusual to see elk in this environment, overlooking the Pacific, as we are accustomed to spotting them in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park.

Roosevelt elk

If you find yourself in Humboldt County, home to the tallest trees and 100 miles of “achingly beautiful California coastline”, you will find so many things to do, 101 Things To Do, as we have read.

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Day Trippin’ on Two Wheels ~ Yosemite National Park (Part 3)

LuAnn
View of the meadow as we pedaled along Tenaya Creek

One last journey into Yosemite before we push further north so we thought we would day trip it on two wheels, as in bike around Yosemite Valley.  The weather was perfect, temperature ~75°, blue skies, and no haze, probably due to the nice breeze blowing through the valley.  As Terry pulled our bikes from the truck I felt like a kid.  It may have had something to do with Terry saying, “I  don’t think I will wear my helmet but you probably should”.  He knows me well and I’m not complaining, mind you, as I have not done much biking in the past 20 years and not sure why, because I was an avid biker before that (mental note to change that).

Although there’s lots of traffic in Yosemite Valley (almost all visitors hang out here), there are still plenty of bike paths and roads less traveled for 2-wheeling adventures.  Being on a bike in a place like Yosemite reminded me of what riding a motorcycle used to feel like in the higher country, no roof over your head to obstruct your views.  After taking the circuit to get different perspectives of Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome, we opted to head to Mirror Lake, taking the road less traveled.

Terry enjoying the picture perfect day!

Mirror Lake is a small seasonal lake on Tenaya Creek.  It is a stretch to call it a lake, more like a big pool.  What it is is the last dregs of a large glacial lake that once consumed most of Yosemite Valley and today is on the verge of becoming extinct.  You don’t come here for the lake, although many do for the swimming, as it is the biggest swimming hole in the park.  What you do get, however, are some stunning views of the mountains above reflected down into the waters, most notably Mt. Watkins sitting at 8500 feet.  We had to admit that these were some of the best views we had seen in Yosemite so far, and we had seen some beauties!

Mirror Lake with Mt. Watkins reflected in her waters

While checking out the great views, I stumbled upon a little cache of stacked rocks.  It looked mystical to me, with the sun warming them and the mountains looming overhead.  I learned that those visiting the area will add a few to the collection if the mood strikes and will continue to do this throughout the season. The snows begin to fly and the rocks come tumbling down, and the process begins anew when the warmer weather moves in.  These cairns, or what looked like a small temple of hoodoos, was a great little treasure to find along the way.

Stacked rock formations at Mirror Lake

After living in Yellowstone for a couple of years, hiking puts you on high alert for some predatory animals, like grizzly, bison, moose, elk with their young,  etc. You don’t find that here but what we did see on this hike was rather unusual – a squirrel minus a tail!

That’s right, lost my tail in a fight. You shoulda seen the other guy!
Laugh all you will! I’m outta here!

The last part of our trip on two wheels took us back to Yosemite Village and to the Ansel Adams Gallery.  It was a great way to spend a little time and there are some stunning pieces of his work, as well as those of other artists.

Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village

As we headed back out of the park, we both agreed that our trip would not feel complete unless we saw climbers on El Capitan.  We proceeded to pull over, got out the binoculars, and what did we see but four climbers inching their way up the smooth granite face.  SCORE – a perfect ending to a glorious day!

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The Hiking is Fine ~ Yosemite National Park (Part 2)

LuAnn

The temperature is soaring, mid-90’s most days, but hope is on the horizon with 80’s now showing up on the radar for this weekend.  Even with the hotter weather, the hiking is fine if you head up into the higher elevations, which is definitely not tough to do in this park, given the 800 miles of hiking trails.

Way down in the valley from Taft Point.

We have not been as aggressive about our hikes in Yosemite, which is ok with both of us as we are taking more time to wrap ourselves in the heart-stirring views along the way.  A hiker whom we crossed paths with in Kings Canyon NP told us a must was Yosemite’s Glacier Point at sunset, to watch the changing hues reflected from Half Dome.  This was to be our destination, with a couple of short side hikes along the way.

At the trailhead, which splits off left to Taft Point and right to Sentinel Dome, we veered to the left, to the “Glacier Point without the guard rails”. Unlike Glacier Point, which can be driven to, this overlook must be hiked so you have to earn the view.

That’s one big fissure!

As you approach Taft Point, you will see five fissures, giving the appearance of some mythical monster having attempted to claw his way to the top from the valley 3000 feet below.  Be careful here as one false move and you can kick your butt goodbye!

Once you gingerly hop around the gaping holes in the ground and make it to the lookout point (which does have a guard rail thankfully), you are rewarded with the more prominent views of the Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. We arrived early afternoon, not the best time to take photos of the valley, as it was a little washed out and hazy.  Even with haze this hike proved to offer some of the more spellbinding views we had seen yet.

Hey Gaga, I’m on the edge!
My big strong he-man tryin’ to impress his woman!

When you tire of all the raw beauty, you can connect up with the Sentinel Dome trail or the Pohono Trail, the latter of which we opted for to add a couple more miles and some uphill to our day (thank you honey!).  If you are really feeling great or just plain crazed, you can tackle all 13 miles of the Pohono Trail, for an elevation gain of ~3700 feet!

Enroute to Sentinel Dome (Yosemite Falls in background)
Sentinel Dome

Spectacular views of the valley awaited us as we wandered along the bluffs and into the forests.  As we continued to switchback up and the forest opened, Sentinel Dome made her appearance, as promised.  From here, we head back to the trailhead; hop in the car; and drive to Glacier Point for a picnic dinner and a cool sunset.  Our total hike for the day was roughly 6  yummy miles of views, views and more views.

Half Dome and surrounding peaks nearing sunset

Just a mere 1/4 mile hike will bless you with panoramic views of Yosemite Valley and all her surrounding peaks, including Mt. Lyell, highest peak in the park, standin’ tall at 13,120 feet, proudly sporting a small glacier.  Half Dome stands in the forefront ready to dazzle you with her changing lights.  She taunts extreme hikers with her sheer cliffs, as well she should, as she can claim the bragging rights for the toughest hike in the park.  On a scale of 1 – 10, I have read she is an extreme 11.  A 4800 foot elevation gain should speak for itself!  The last 400 feet of this sheer vertical granite wall must be done with cables, pulling yourself along as you contemplate your mortality!  Without these it would be impossible and is not permitted when there is any sign of precipitation.

Mariposa Grove Museum, sitting among the giants.

Another area for exploring is that of the Mariposa Grove, the forest of giant sequoia.  To walk among the giants here is pretty special but once you have been to Sequoia and Kings Canyon, we had to agree that these at Yosemite may have to take a back seat.  We decided to make this an exercise hike, opting to traipse through the forest to Wawona Point, a moderate 6-mile hike. Probably the most charming character we met at Wawona was a raven, who was determined to befriend Terry.  He just was not taking no for an answer, coming back time and again, each time alighting just a little closer, showing us he had no fear.  We both suspect he was desperate for a handout!

Terry’s buddy

In this magical place where the hiking is fine, it is time to call it a day.  As we head out of the park, darkness envelopes the mountains and creeps down into the valley.

Nighttime blankets Yosemite

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“The Incomparable Valley” ~ Yosemite National Park (Part 1)

LuAnn

“I have seen persons of emotional temperament stand with tearful eyes, spellbound and dumb with awe, as they got their first view of the Valley from Inspiration Point, overwhelmed in the sudden presence of the unspeakable, stupendous grandeur.”  ~  Galen Clark, guardian of the Yosemite Grant

Stunning vista from Tunnel View (Bridalveil Falls to the right).

Yosemite National Park, referred to as “the incomparable valley”, is probably best known for its grand waterfalls and distinctive granite cliffs.  It offers so much more, as John Muir so beautifully told us in his poems and letters written so long ago.

Reaching across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Yosemite encompasses 761,268 acres (1200 square miles), roughly the size of Rhode Island.  It has such amazing gifts to offer up, deep valleys, soaring granite cliffs, spectacular waterfalls, clear rushing streams and rivers, stunning meadows, giant sequoia, vast wilderness areas, and biological diversity – the stuff a nature lover’s dreams are made of.  If not for the efforts of renown conservationist and naturalist John Muir and others, 3.5 million annual visitors to this national park today would not be able to enjoy her wonders.

Bridge over Merced River (from Happy Isles Nature Center)

In 1889 John Muir, becoming evermore concerned about the damage being caused by sheep grazing in the High Sierras, launched a campaign with the help of Robert Underwood Johnson, editor of Century Magazine, to persuade Congress to preserve these lands.  Their persistence paid off and on October 1, 1890, Yosemite National Park was established.

Earlier still, in 1855, homesteader Galen Clark wandered upon the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia.  So mesmerized was he by these giants, his personal fight to preserve them from logging soon extended to include Yosemite Valley.  His efforts gained support and the Yosemite Grant was drafted and submitted to Congress.  In 1864 President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill and Yosemite became the first territory ever set aside by Congress for preservation and public use.  Today Galen Clark has a mountain range, the Clark Range, named after him, which can be seen from Glacier Point.

Some of the original inhabitants of the Yosemite Valley were the Miwok Indians. Looking out over the valley, they named it Ahwahnee, “place of the gaping mouth” and later called themselves the Ahwahneechee.  They were followed by Europeans in the mid-1800’s, who quickly set out to displace these native tribes.

Of the 3.5 million who visit here yearly, most do not travel further than the 7 square miles of Yosemite Valley.  If you do nothing but this, there is still much to see.  Some of the more prominent features (but certainly not all-inclusive) that can be seen from Yosemite Valley are:

  • El Capitan (very popular with the rock-climbing set)
El Capitan
  • Half-Dome (can be climbed by permit only from ~ May through October – better views from Glacier Point)
Half Dome
Yosemite Falls (not all is captured in this photo)
Vernal Falls
Nevada Falls (upper right)
Bridalveil Falls
Ahwahnee Hotel
  • Ansel Adams Museum
Except for the Ansel Adams Museum, which we plan to explore later this week, we were able to see all these stunning sights.  Even with our two weeks here, we would never be able to take in all of Yosemite, so we have already decided we will save the eastern part of the park, Tuolumne Meadows, for a later date.
The elegant Ahwahnee Hotel
The Ahwahnee Hotel is a definite must-see, its stunning architecture set against a backdrop of towering granite cliffs.  It was originally built for the wealthy traveling to the park who were looking for more comfort and opulence than that provided by other lodging.  Since 1927, the Ahwahnee Yosemite tradition is the reenactment of Renaissance finery at the famous Bracebridge Dinner.  At this seven-course Yuletide feast you are taken back in time to the 17th century, with jesters, musicians and a court of over 100 players to entertain you for four hours.  I have read that this night of frolicking and festivities will only set you back about $425 (certainly not in our budget).
Terry just down from Vernal Falls

A hike up to Vernal Falls was in our budget (cause it’s free) and provided some quick exercise.  Only about a 1.5 mile hike but with an elevation gain of ~1000 feet and no guard rails to the top, it made for some heart-pounding moments.  It brought back memories of our time touring ruin sites in Mexico, climbing down from the pyramids.  In the past decade more than a dozen people have lost their lives foolishly swimming above the falls.  We watched nervously as many elderly folks with canes tried to make the crowded journey to the top – yikes!

Stay tuned for more photos and stories of this incomparable valley as we hike some of her trails.

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”  ~ John Muir

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