From Seattle we continued our circumnavigation of the area, through Tacoma and on to Kisap State Park, near Poulsbo, where we camped for two nights. While there, Vicki spent an afternoon with Patti, another high school pal, while I cooked more seafood. From there we drove on to see the Dungeness Spit and then on up into the Olympic National Park, for another two day encampment and another try at the Northern Lights; and a walk on Hurricane Ridge.
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| The view from Kisap State Park |
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| Our encampment |
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North America's longest spit; Google "longest spit"
and you may find something entirely different |
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| On the trail to the viewpoint |
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| Thus |
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Near the end; personally, we prefer Farewell Spit, on the South Island...
longer, wilder, more scenic; and Homer Spit, more fun |
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| Dungeness wins the prize for most driftwood, however |
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| And weird trees |
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| Always read the fine print |
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Now we are climbing into the Olympic range, the spit still in view
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| And also Mount Baker |
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| Also Victoria? |
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| In the snow-clad Olympics |
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We spent two nights at the parking lot on Hurricane Ridge,
attending the Night Sky program and hoping to see the
Northern Lights |
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We also did the Hurricane Ridge walk...3 miles, 700 feet elevation
gain/loss, all above 5,000 feet; I was pretty pleased in that the altitude
had not treated me well in 7,000-8,000 feet Wyoming several weeks
before |
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| My walking companions for a few hundred meters |
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| Vicki got to the summit first |
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| But I eventually caught up |
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| The view toward the sea |
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| Tons of beetle-kill, as elsewhere |
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Alpenglow...which means the sun us going down and it's going to
get really cold... |
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| The trail, as night falls |
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We got back to the camp just fine, with plenty of time to set up
for viewing the Northern Lights |
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| Plenty to see in the dark skies...but no Northern Lights |
*named, by Captain Vancouver, after the Kentish headland; not the crab; in fact the crab is named for the village on the spit where the crabbing began; so I infer from very extensive researches.
