Shi-Shi Beach with the Superhikers, 7/6-9/08

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Grannyhiker
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Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Gateway to the Columbia Gorge

Shi-Shi Beach with the Superhikers, 7/6-9/08

Post by Grannyhiker » July 29th, 2008, 8:54 pm

Sometimes I wear my Granny hat and sometimes I wear my Hiker hat, but a couple of times a year I have the privilege of doing both. This trip was a repeat performance of last August's family trip which can be found in the archives at--well, forget that idea until the archives are moved to the new site--our old friend "Server error in application" foiled my attempts to page through the archives to find it!

Participants were my youngest son "SurferDad," his children "JP" (8) and "Sissy" (6), and Granny. My dog Hysson, forbidden on National Park trails and beaches, and my youngest grandson "Bear" (3), still a bit too young for backpacking, stayed with Bear's mommy in Seattle.

This year we started from my son's vacation home, aka the "surf shack," in Westport, WA, drove to Aberdeen and then north on US 101. The drive up the west side of the Olympics is very scenic and--if you're already on the coast--is an hour shorter than driving from Seattle (no ferry ride)--about 4 hours from Aberdeen. It takes about 3 hours to get to Aberdeen from Portland, so the total drive to Neah Bay via the coast for a Portlander would be 6 ½ to 7 hours (definitely less than fighting Seattle traffic and the ferry). We stopped in Forks for the required wilderness camping permit. Bear canisters (required on the Olympic NP coast) can be rented there or at the Port Angeles Wilderness Info Center for a minimal fee of $3. If you already have a canister, you have the option of getting a wilderness camping permit at the park boundary and sending your $ in afterwards.

In Neah Bay, we discovered that inflation has hit--the required Makah Nation recreation permit is now $10 per calendar year and overnight parking (at homes before you reach the trailhead; obviously the nearest home to the trailhead gets the most business) is $10 per night. Just to reinforce the need for protected parking, we found plenty of broken auto glass in the parking lot!

A problem arose: JP got sick and lost his breakfast just before we reached Neah Bay. He had also had an upset tummy episode the night before (although he felt fine when we left in the morning), so we were reluctant to hike in. We decided to car-camp at Hobuck Beach. There is a very nice campground there at $15 per night (includes showers). It is frequented by surfers and surf kayakers as well as vacationers, so there's extra entertainment for those watching from the beach. They also have very nice, clean housekeeping cabins for those wanting more luxury. SurferDad is considering returning with surfing friends in October when the off-season rates are $110/night. If we go there next year, we may again spend the first night at the campground so we can dayhike to Cape Flattery.

By Sunday evening, JP felt fine and was running all over the campground playing Frisbee with Sissy and a group of other kids. Monday morning we packed up and headed out. Here's SurferDad's surfing car at the trailhead, before unloading.

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The trail to Shi-Shi Beach is full of contrasts. The first mile, built by the Makah Nation with a grant, is a beautiful, graveled trail with lovely boardwalks and bridges. The second mile, last August, was one big mudhole. This year it was drier (as you may remember, last summer it rained every weekend) but there were still plenty of places where we had to detour through the brush around the deepest mud. JP seems to have the skill to find the deepest mud, while Sissy was good at finding the more solid spots. At the National Park boundary, we exchanged the mud for the extremely steep trail down to the beach. When we reached the beach, it was time for lunch.

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We discovered that the high tides over the July 4 weekend had made beach camping unsafe, so all the possible camp places in the woods near Petroleum Creek, a mile's beach walk from the hill, were full. We therefore had to hike another mile to Willoughby Creek to find a camp spot. We found a good one, though, halfway between the creek and the toilet--very handy. However, last December's big windstorm piled a lot more logs than usual both on the upper beach and in the lower part of the trees. We had to do a lot of log-walking, both to get to and from the beach and to get to the toilet. My balance must have improved at least 75% the two nights we camped there! Here's our camp with the intrepid explorers ready to head for the tidepools.

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The total hike in and out was 4 miles each way. JP carried 10 lbs. and Sissy carried 7.5 lbs. The kids each received a "Superhiker" Award from Granny for their excellent performance--in another year or two they'll be leaving me far behind!

Tuesday's low tide, at midday, was a minus tide--just barely--the last of the minus tides scheduled for early July. We spent several hours exploring the tidepools around Point of the Arches. The weather drizzled quite a bit but not enough to keep us off the beach.

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Meal preparation was very comfortable for Granny, seated on the bear canister (it makes a great stool) and using a "table"-- a wide board laid across two logs, almost perfectly level. I pitched an 8x10' tarp over it so we had plenty of room for dry cooking and eating.

Wednesday was hike out and drive home day.

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I hope that one of these years JP will stay well so we can do the full three-night backpack that we've planned!

While driving home, we spotted a bear alongside the road near Kalaloch, but he didn't hang around to be admired or have his picture taken. This was the only wildlife, apart from tidepool inhabitants, squirrels, gulls, ravens and a very pretty garter snake, that we saw. There were lots of tracks on the beach--deer, elk and either an illegal dog or a coyote--but we'd have had to be out there at dawn (4:30 am) to see the animals themselves. I suspect the deer and elk were in search of salt. Since JP had a science unit on "bugs" in school this spring, he and Sissy were actually far more interested in such exotic fauna as carpenter ants and millipedes.

We stopped at the new "Linda's Bakery and Wood-Fired Pizza" in Neah Bay only to discover that it was still under construction. However, Pacific Pizza in Forks had some excellent thin-crust pizza to sustain us during our drive. Hopefully Linda will be up and running next year--I haven't had wood-fired pizza since my last trip to France!

Unfortunately I was too busy to take pictures Monday when it was sunny and very clear--we could see all the way beyond Cape Flattery to Vancouver Island. We were in a hurry to get in, find a camp spot and get set up so SurferDad could take advantage of the outstanding surf that afternoon. Tuesday was drizzly and Wednesday was foggy. So except for lots of tidepool pictures, I didn't do too well in the camera department.

SurferDad got in a couple of good surfing sessions, especially Monday afternoon. He had a much lighter surfboard this year, and last winter he bought an Osprey Aether 85 pack, a great pack for Sherpa-ing for kids. It is big enough to hold the bear canister, his wetsuit and two sleeping bags as well as his share of communal gear. His hike was therefore a lot more comfortable than last year's. Next year, Sissy will be able to carry her own sleeping bag and pad and JP will be able to carry a few pieces of group gear, so Dad's load will be lighter. I suggested that we try the Cape Alava-Sand Point loop next year, although from the pictures I've seen there may be too many nasty-looking rocks for surfing at Cape Alava.

I made lots of notes for next year and reproduce most of them here in case they might be helpful to others. First, the SteriPen has been returned to REI. My ULA Amigo Pro gravity filter is far easier for me to use and is certainly far better suited for a group! I've seen complaints from other women that, like me, they have great difficulty with the extremely stiff on-off switch on the SteriPen. Second, if you're going to take both cocoa mix and instant chocolate pudding, the pudding should be plainly labeled in large, bold letters because it is rather a failure as a breakfast beverage! Third, I need to be more exact with food portions--SurferDad noticed that the Bear Vault 400 weighed 2 lbs. more this year than last and we definitely had more food than we could eat. While it is probably a good thing to have a little extra food, too-large portions of dried food that has been rehydrated have to be carried out and weigh more than the dried food carried in! Fourth, while JP had no recurrence of his tummy problems, his digestion for the next few days was definitely affected by too much dried fruit and nuts for snacks. Next year, snack bags will contain more pretzels and crackers. Fifth, I had some condensation problems in my Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo tarptent, caused by improper pitching. Due to lack of room (too many logs), the sides of the canopy went all the way down to the ground so there wasn't enough ventilation. The Tarptent Rainshadow 2 that SurferDad and the kids slept in had no condensation at all inside even during the drizzle--its tunnel shape makes for excellent ventilation. By the last night in the Lunar Solo, my sleeping bag was damp enough that I had to wear an extra layer to stay warm inside it. I discovered that by raising the pole a couple of inches higher and staking the corners just a little farther out (I should have tied a couple of them to logs instead of using stakes), I can get the sides raised farther and get far more ventilation into the Lunar Solo. If that doesn't work, I still have my Tarptent Squall 2 (2-person version of the Rainshadow) and can use that next year. Finally, some towel trivia: I tried using the smallest size Packtowl this year. I found, however, that the Packtowl takes at least twice as long to dry and is no more absorbent than a "Handi-Wipe." Handi-Wipes are lighter, a lot cheaper and available at your local supermarket. Obviously, all these findings are subjective, but I include them for those who might be interested.

This was a great trip and a perfect place to take the kids, if you can get through the long car drive with the inevitable "Are we there yet?"

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