Today was another beach kind of day. Olympic National Park, WA, includes three beaches simply named First, Second and Third Beach. We started with Third Beach. It had a 1.2-mile trail through the woods and a steep and somewhat slippery descent to the beach. One ranger said the limited accessibility kept the crowds away and we would find solitude there. I think he was wrong. Of course, "crowded" is a relative term - there were maybe 50 people along two miles of beach. We probably could have avoided everyone if we had wanted.
The forest trail was as spectacular as any we have seen in this park.
I'm thinking Ramaria Suecica (maybe), only about 4 inches tall.
I didn't touch it to see if it was just water or something sticky.
This creek fed into the ocean at Third Beach.
I was surprised at the number of people camping. Do you still have to worry about bears at the beach? The sound of the breaking waves would sure be nice for sleeping, but I'm probably too spoiled for any more primitive camping.
Third Beach
This frog was operating under the theory that if he was very still we wouldn't see him. He didn't know just how close Joani would get with her camera, but he never moved (except for breathing).
This Northern Red-Legged Frog was very cooperative.
Smile!!! Be happy!!!
A micro shot of the mosses covering the trees.
The Second Beach trail was a bit shorter (0.8 miles) but still included a pretty steep descent. The trail had steps (Joani was told there were one hundred) which helped, but it was a good workout just the same.
A prayer tree beside the trail to Second Beach.
Great idea, but skip it! (Be glad I'm sparing you the awful truth.)
A Banana Slug about 6 inches long.
David is amazing at spotting creatures large and small!
If you really want to see First Beach make sure to do it first - we found it a little disappointing after the others. The wind was blowing the sand fast enough to sting! I estimated the wind was 30-40 mph, but it could have been faster.
The moss on the old pilings was prettier than the beach!
When we returned to the coach we had a surprise waiting - Jon called to let us know he landed a job - a real full-time job with benefits at Velocitel! Congratulations, Jon!
Woohoo! Congratulations, Jon!
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