Washington State / Olympic National Park & Peninsula

 

October 10 – October 22, 2020

To get to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, we had to go through the Snoqualmie Mountain Pass as we left Montana. Although the pass is 3022’, it has some steep grades up and down. The weather forecast predicted high winds and heavy rains at the time we would be driving through so we opted to stay at a campground for a few days until the weather cleared.  Although the pass wasn’t nearly as intimidating as originally thought, who knows how it would have been driving a 14K pound RV pulling a 4K pound vehicle in windy and rainy conditions. Better to be safe!

 

Along the way to the Olympic Peninsula we passed through some interesting farm areas. One sign on the road mentioned that the crops were identified for the next 18 miles. We aren’t sure why and I have not been able to find any information on the practice. Some of the crops we saw were wine grapes, lima beans, grain corn, sweet corn, alfalfa, potatoes, grass hay, wheat, and seed. This was a great idea as we always look at the crops and as “non farmers” wonder what is growing.

While we were at the campground waiting for the weather to improve, we drove past some interesting buildings which at first, we couldn’t figure out that was going on with them. We later discovered that they were used for hay storage as they prepared the hay for export in 40-foot shipping containers. As we drove through Montana, we did see hay storage on the edge of the fields and the stacks and quantities were unbelievable. When we saw a local business during one of our local drives, we had to stop.

 

While we were at the campground waiting for the weather to improve, we drove past some interesting buildings which at first, we couldn’t figure out that was going on with them. We later discovered that they were used for hay storage as they prepared the hay for export in 40-foot shipping containers. As we drove through Montana, we did see hay storage on the edge of the fields and the stacks and quantities were unbelievable. When we saw a local business during one of our local drives, we had to stop.

We had an opportunity to talk with one of the owners who took the time with us to answer all our questions and really educated us. He indicated that his company exported hay / feed to Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Interestingly, they compress the large bales of hay reducing the size by 75% then load the repackaged feed into 40’ shipping containers. Some of the export companies located close to train tracks directly load the filled containers onto train cars – this local company was close enough to the west coast that they drove the containers to the shipping terminal near the Seattle area. Each bale of hay identified the grower / farm it came from, and what it was. There appeared to be at least 15 – 20 different types of hay / feed grown and prepared for export. The owner explained that the large covered storage areas we saw were holding areas to allow them to continue to ship their requirements through the winter. It appeared to be big profitable business. Let’s just say he was always smiling as he talked to us. Interesting!

Once we got into Washington state, we started on the west side of the peninsula mostly because we were anxious to be at and on the Pacific Ocean and at the Olympic National Park, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. We were pleasantly surprised with how much there was to see.  It helped to view some YouTube videos from other travelers for suggestions.  We found a wonderful campground in the Olympic National Park on a bluff right along the Pacific Ocean and although the campground only had “dry sites (no water or electric)” it worked perfect for us. While we were trying to figure out how to reserve a site (ranger station was closed due to Covid) we found sites were “first come – first served”.  One camper preparing to hook up their tow car to their motorhome mentioned to us that the she had just passed by the sites directly on the water on her way out and many were empty but that we should expect the ocean side campsites would be taken quickly. She gave us directions and we were able to find one that perfectly fit the RV and car. That was probably the fastest set-up we ever had. We grabbed our chairs and headed for the beach. Three days of listening to the waves, walks on the beach, and the salt air. Maybe we will stay longer than we planned. Did I mention with our National Park Senior Pass we only pay half price for a campsite? This campground was a bit more expensive than other national parks we have been to but no complaints at $11/night.

It was hard to tear ourselves away for our beach time and some kite flying time, but we did venture out to do some sightseeing.  Our first stop was to the Hoh Rainforest. There are actually 4 rainforests in the Olympic Peninsula and the Hoh is the largest temperate rainforest in the U.S. The Hoh Rainforest receives approx. 140” of rain annually. That’s almost 12’ of rain – that’s a lot of water! This rainforest is primarily Sitka Spruce, Red Cedar, Big Leaf Maple and Douglas Fir, and lots of moss. So much green! We started with the Hall of Mosses trail. The elevation is steady so the walk was easy. We both thought that it looked like a scene from the Wizard of Oz when the trees started moving and talking. So much personality in the vegetation. So beautiful. About midway through the trail it started raining followed by a soaking rain. By the time we finished, it was more of a flash flood type of rain so we were unable to continue with the second trail – Spruce Nature Trail which is a mix of old and new growth forest. The rainforest was unlike anything we have ever seen. We are so grateful we were able to experience it. As we look back at the pictures, they don’t look real, but I can assure you, they come straight from my iPhone.  Maybe it was the humidity in the air. Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

We passed a sign on the road that said “Big Cedar” – we had to investigate. We estimated the diameter to be about 15’. An amazing sight. Although the base looked dead – it was very much alive. Here it is:

We were anxious to move on to the northern section of the Olympic Peninsula hoping to see other sections of the national park and some shipping docks and freighters. Before we move on, here are pictures from our campground.

View from the RV.

We fit perfectly in our campsite.

The big rock in the ocean is called Destruction Rock.

A short walk down our beach. Amazing!! This tree is still alive. 
There is a cave under the roots with a stream that flows onto the sand.

This wasn't our beach but a hard climb to get to the ocean.

Lots of sea foam.

On our way to the northern  peninsula, we were surprised to see so many logging trucks full of harvested trees. Truck after truck after truck – full of logs. Further north there were many areas of reforestation. It’s not something we even thought about, however the trees are plentiful and the forests are dense. The last photo shows just how often the forests are logged. One of the laws regarding reforestation is the logging company has to replant the cut area with 190 trees per acre within 3 years of cutting.

Next stop was Port Angeles which is the biggest shipping town in Washington State. There wasn’t a good vantage point to see the freighters and shipping activities. We tried hard but we couldn’t see much except the ships in the water. The ferry operating between Vancouver Island (Canada) and the peninsula. We thought it would be closed as the borders are still not open.

So much of the trip has been altered by Covid. Whether it’s closed visitor centers, campgrounds, activities, or restaurants, it’s refreshing that there is still humor to be had. 

The northern part of the Olympic National Park had some great viewing areas in the mountains.   One of them was Hurricane Ridge. At an elevation of 5242 feet the views were breathtaking. From one area you could clearly see Vancouver Island. Other areas offered excellent views of glaciers, valleys, and mountains. The name of Hurricane Ridge should have given us an indication of what to expect weather wise, but it didn’t. The snow in the parking lot was definitely a sign that we did not dress properly for our adventure. Hurricane Ridge is known for intense winds and unpredictable weather (we found out later). Had the visitor center been open, I’m sure someone would have told us to be prepared. It was extremely windy and cold the day we were there in our light jackets and thin gloves. We did what we could with what little we had. We did see some visitors in sandals and no jackets so we were not the least prepared tourist.

Loved the mountain peaks above the clouds.

Continuing on our adventure, we passed the most amazing site. It had just started to rain – a misty sort of rain and we both saw this:

In each picture below, we moved a bit further down the road to the next pull-off. Interesting how the rainbow changed.

 

Still searching for excellent views of boats and freighters, we made reservations at Fort Worden Historic State Park in Port Townsend which is the most northeast coastal area of the Olympic Peninsula.  Fort Worden, was originally an active United States Army base from 1902 to 1953, constructed to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea. Most of the original buildings are still being used for conference centers or other activities and the officers housing can be rented for lodging. The abandoned artillery batteries can still be explored and has some great views of the surrounding area. The mess hall is available for meals (except this year it is closed due to Covid).  The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is located in the park but that too was closed. It was located on a long pier with the clear water seemingly more than 40’. Lots of hiking, and a very nice beach and campground. We didn’t see as many boats or freighters as we had hoped, but really enjoyed the park. There was so much to explore. Fun fact about the park – the movie An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed there.

The eastern side of the peninsula offered views of the neighboring islands. A few of the activities we wanted to see in the eastern side of the national park was closed so we pulled off the road often to enjoy the views.

Before we left Washington State, we stayed at our first Thousand Trails campground (which is a camping membership we purchased with Patrick this year) located on the Pacific Ocean. From here through Oregon, our plan is to stay along the Pacific coast with all of our campgrounds through our Thousand Trails membership.

We stayed at Long Beach Campground which was on the ocean on a peninsula off the coast. From the RV, it was a very short walk to the beach. Absent from this beach was tree trunks clogging the beach that were at the beaches in the west side Olympic peninsula. Nice campground with relatively small sites. This was our first exposure to people that are full time RVers. Different people and different RVs. 

Astoria is located in Oregon.

Oyster fishing is an important part of this peninsula. We visited the historic town of Oysterville (north of Long Beach) which is beautiful town dating to the late 1800’s. Just outside this town is where the oyster processing takes place. There is a small marina for the fishing boats and a few docks for offloading the catch. Nearby are several open fields full of oyster shells in many different stages – freshly shucked shells, bagged shells, crushed shells, and a staging area where the shells are exposed to the weather for 3 years before they are returned to the ocean for juvenile oysters to grow. We also visited the Sportsman’s Cannery where they process local catch and can the fish. The were selling flavored tuna cans for $8 each. Seems expensive.

Bagged oyster shells. 

Piles of oyster shells waiting to be bagged.

Crushed oyster shells used as a driveway.

Stacked oyster shells weathering for 3 years.

Historic house in Oysterville.

We had two wonderful weeks in the Olympic peninsula and Washington State. It was fantastic to relax by the ocean, experience so much natural wonder, learn about this part of the country, but mostly, we are so grateful to be able to share it together.

Washington Agriculture Fun Facts:

#1 U.S. Producer of: apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, sweet cherries

#2 U.S. Producer of: apricots, asparagus, grapes, potatoes, raspberries

#3 U.S. Producer of: dried peas, lentils, onions, peppermint oil

Temperature: mid 60’s day– lower 50’s night

Air Quality: Excellent

Elevation: -17’ – 5200’

Campground(s): Kalaloch Campground (Olympic National Park, WA), KOA (Port Angeles, WA), Fort Worden State Park (Port Townsend, WA), Long Beach TT (Seaview, WA)

Free Camping: Cabela’s, Home Depot (2)