SHI-SHI BEACH, OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WITH GRANDKIDS, 7/19-22/09

[Grannyhiker]

This is a very belated report of what has become an annual event for my son SurferDad, his two older children, JP (9) and Sissy (7), and me. IT was the big opportunity for Grannyhiker to wear her Granny hat and Hiker hat at the same time!

Since Hysson (my dog) is not allowed in national parks, we left him in Seattle with my daughter-in-law and "Bear" (4).

We left north Seattle very early in the morning headed, in SurferDad's brand new souped-up (turbo) Subaru, for Neah Bay, out at the NW end of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. We stopped in Port Angeles to get our wilderness permit. Punctuated by occasional queries of "Are we there yet?" and JP's threatening to become car-sick on the very curvy last part of the road (fortunately, he didn't this year!), we finally arrived at Neah Bay, got our Makah Nation permit, ate lunch at Hobuck Beach and headed for the trailhead. Then there was a short wait while SurferDad drove to a nearby house to park the car (no overnight parking allowed at the trailhead, for good reason).

For those not familiar with this trail, the first mile is beautifully manicured and the second mile is one big mudhole. This summer, the muddy stretch was almost dry, thanks to quite a few weeks with no rain. We had to avoid a few puddles but didn't have to make the usual detours through brush to avoid sinking out of sight! We met a couple of heavily armed park rangers who checked our permits and bear canister (required at the beach because of the legendary voracious raccoons). I didn't ask them, but I wondered if their armament (first time I've seen an armed park ranger) had anything to do with the murder of the forest ranger on the Olympic Peninsula. After that tragedy, if I were a ranger I'd want to be armed to the teeth, too!

The muddy stretch is followed by awesome views and then a STEEP downhill to the beach. Once upon a time there was evidently a constructed trail with switchbacks, but so many people have cut across every which way, followed by the inevitable erosion, that by now it's impossible to know where the original trail went. It's pretty much a case of scrambling down (and back up) as best you can, holding on to roots.

We then hiked about a mile on the beach to Petroleum Creek. This year we lucked out and found a spacious forested campsite--probably the nicest along the whole section of beach--to set up the Tarptent Rainshadow for SurferDad and the kids and my brand new Gossamer Gear/Tarptent Squall Classic, on its first trip, for me. Someone had decorated one of the trees with fishing floats.

The next day we got up really early and took advantage of an extra-low minus tide to explore around Point of the Arches. On the way there, we spotted what we first thought were seals and then realized were a mother river otter and her baby! Thanks to the early morning light, photography took on a whole new aspect. About 10 am, the wind shifted to the southwest and fog started drifting in. I took lots of pictures and we all had a wonderful time exploring the sea life.

Continued in Part 2 so I can post more images!

[Grannyhiker]

Part 2: More Point of the Arches at minus tide images:

SurferDad had intended to do lots of surfing, but except for the first day, conditions weren't very good. It seemed a shame that he packed his surfboard and wetsuit and only used them once, but he had a great time relaxing on the beach and playing with the kids. We of course built a driftwood fire each evening on the beach for the requisite s'mores. Some creative soul had made what looked like kachina dolls out of dried kelp heads and various other natural materials. Fortunately, the extra-high tide we had the last night just missed them.

In addition to the sea life, we spotted a number of songbirds (including a hummingbird and a perky little wren, both right in camp) and heard many more. Our camp area was also graced with a pair of bald eagles, exciting to watch. On the way out, we spotted another river otter family, a momma with two young ones, but I didn't act quickly enough to get pictures. Here are a couple of shots taken on our way north on the beach.

We got back home to north Seattle about 7 pm to discover that Mommy (with Bear's "assistance") had baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for us as a special post-trip treat!

Post-trip analysis: My idea of using a small Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack as a kid's pack did NOT work out--JP was miserable because the straps cut into his shoulders, and my attempts at rigging homemade load-lifters didn't work. Sissy had a butchered ("Backpacks Updated Through Creative High-End Remodeling") REI Comet backpack. Because of the heavier backpack and a little accident the last night, she carried almost two pounds more than JP on our way out, but she was far more comfortable. A good supporting frame and load-lifters are essential for a children's pack, IMHO. I just got JP a Deuter Fox but he didn't find that too comfortable either. The shoulder straps appear to be too wide for him. His dad will have him try both the Deuter Fox and Sissy's REI Comet with a properly balanced load to see which is better. What I wish I could do is completely remove the horrendously heavy pack bag from the frame of a regular kid's pack and sew a simple Dyneema pack bag onto the good frame. There is no reason for using such heavy fabric unless you plan to allow the kid to drag the pack over rocks and throw it off cliffs instead of taking reasonable care of it! I'm sure that such a pack would weigh no more than 1.5 lbs. yet be just as good as the bomber pack with all the gewgaws and a zillion pockets. Unfortunately I'm not that good at sewing!

Food was another problem. JP and SurferDad ate everything I offered with great gusto, but Sissy rejected all my carefully dehydrated freezer bag dinners. I'm going to have to experiment with her at home to find something she does like (dessert, of course, is not an issue!).

Next year, Lord willing, will be our fourth annual trip. Bear and, hopefully, Mommy will go with us, so we'll need more gear, including another bear canister. Poor Hysson will have to stay in a kennel.

EDIT--I have no idea why the kachina dolls posted again at the end, but it doesn't show up on the edit screen. Oh, well, you get to enjoy them twice!

[ErinL]

I love those pictures. The otters running across the beach are amazing.

[Peder]

Amazing picture of the otter! The other pictures are great too; it looks like a delightful place. I have bookmarked your report in the hope of going there next year with my children. Many thanks for writing the report.

[Martell]

Seeing sunny Shi-Shi pictures on a cold fall day is cruel! I do want to try and visit Shi-Shi during the offseason though, to check it out without all the crowds.