Memorial 2012

As Memorial weekend was approaching, the weather was cooperating yet again, so we are off to my happy place--the beach!  Tim decided that he hadn't been to the back door of Scott's Creek for a while, so we packed our packs Thursday night and right after work, Friday, we tossed them into the car and made the mad dash out to La Push.  After navigating a rough dirt road in our little car, we found a place to park and we starting hiking to a trail the locals use to get out on the beach (without hiking 6-7 miles in the sand, starting at 3rd beach).  

Yup, yup, this is us beginning our  evening stroll through the forest.

We hiked over some crazy logs and a creek or two and down and up a couple of draws, then we were on the top of the head.  The sun was sinking in the sky, but this is the NW and it doesn't get even close to dark until 10 (if the sky is clear...and it was!)

Here's my companion and favorite beach bum taking a break so I could have a picture of him.

Then it was time to descend down the head to meet up with the Pacific Beach Trail.  It was kinda crazy with lots of root belays along the way.  You could tell that the forest service had NOT built this trail!

View through the trees where we weren't going--the head that lesser folks had to navigate to get to Scott's creek---sneaky sneaky...

About half way down the slope.  I was getting excited because I could really hear and smell the surf--like honey to the bees baby!  Personally I was grinning all the way!

On the beach at last!  Lots of sea stacks in this area of the coast, so the "viewage" was really awesome.

We hiked around past Strawberry Point and set up our camp right in the drift wood above the high tide

mark.  By the time we got the tent up and gathered wood for a fire (yes, Dad made a fire--volunteered to do it even!)  it was getting dark.  We ate dinner and sat and watched the stars until about 11:30pm.

 

When I got up in the middle of the night (never fails that I have to do this when I camp...) the milky way was out; the sky was beautiful!  Next morning the sun was out and all I could say was wow, when I came out of the tent.

The tide was out and there were lots of tide pools to explore

Some sea stars

Some sea stacks to climb

Some sea anemones...

We hung out on the beach and eventually the fog bank rolled in, as predicted (for once).

So the view began to be obscured.  I have been out onto this coast line several times and with only two exceptions it has looked like this!  We were lucky to have gotten the best weather while we were there.

Rather than have to go up over a couple of heads, we started on our way back before lunch--the tide was rising.

All along the beach there were these behemoth trees that a combination of salt water and strong winds had felled.  This one near the trail (back up over the head to the car) at Scott's Creek, had been decorated with buoys and  beach flotsam.  It was a blissful overnighter;  I hope heaven has a beach--!

Wish you were all there with us!  It was grand!