Chevy Chase Country Club?...

We were on our way to Port Townsend a few days ago, and noticed a sign that said Chevy Chase Country Club. We were going to stop on our way back home and take a picture, but forgot.




Next time we head that way, we'll stop by and see what's going on. Maybe, we'll run into Rodney Dangerfield (RIP), or Bill Murray trying to kill gophers.

Here's Ben and Star profiling their new rain gear.

What goes down must come up

Started hiking early Saturday afternoon from Obstruction Point on an overnight
backpacking trip into the Grand Valley looping back through Badger Valley. You reach OP going up a 7.8 mile gravel road, which is quite an adventure in itself. The first 2+ miles are breathtaking as you hike along a ridge line at close to 7,000 ft.

Almost 2,000 feet down to the Grand Valley. The last part drops 1,400 ft. in 2.4 miles...a jarring experience.

The Grand Valley...

Now, what they didn't tell us. After leaving the Grand Valley the next morning, we dropped another few hundred feet to get into Badger Valley. In the last 3.5 miles, we climbed over 2,100 ft. with this 600 ft. scree slope standing in front of us and a return to our vehicle. If you enlarge the picture below and look closely, you can see the switchbacks. This was the second most extreme climb I have ever completed. And while this hike is one of the most beautiful we have ever done, we have decided it will NOT be a repeat. Total distance=11.6 miles Total Elev Climb and Drop=3,500ft.

<--On the ferry to Victoria

Pictures from the Hoh Rain Forest and Sol Duc Hot Springs area

I named this one "Big A$$ Tree".

The arrow points to our room in Victoria last weekend

Star is wired from that Ferry coffee!





Our first look at the Pacific Ocean at Flattery Point.

Ben did a good job reducing the last month into a few pictures. Just for extended information, the first trip is to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery. We drove out one Saturday with our friends Roy and Denise, who came to visit all the way from Clemson! We're hoping to see more of you people from the South. After a picturesque drive along Lake Crescent, we found ourselves eating lunch in a little town on the Strait of Juan de Fuca called Seiku. Beautiful view, but cold, as were Neah Bay and Cape Flattery. Neah Bay is the tribal territory for the Makkah Indians, whose native traditions have remained unusually pure because of the remote location. The hike out to Cape Flattery took us along cliffs to a high, wind-blown view.

The trip to Victoria was a great success. Our hotel was a grand one overlooking Victoria Bay, and I think they gave us the best room in the house because I told them it was my birthday. It was also the occasion for Fringe, a play festival held more or less constantly at 13 venues around town. We saw three plays on Saturday. One was a spoof (where the lead character ended up sitting in Ben's lap), one was a drama where the actress played six parts (including two sisters and their mother), and one was a musical train ride across Canda, vintage 1969. We skipped the festival on Sunday, but had a great time listening to music and wandering through the street fair. Amazing, amazing weather.

We have also taken two day trips to standard tourist destinations in the Olympic National Park. The trip to Sol Duc was mostly watching people lolling around in a collection of hot tubs fed by the Sol Duc Hot Springs. We decided to hike to the less popular Olympic Hot Springs next time we want to soak our feet. The trip to the Hoh Rain forest was. . . rainy, very rainy. But we managed a short exploratory hike, ending with a sojourn on the rocky river bed. The primeval forest, the ground vegetation (moss, ferns, and fungi), and the hike up to glaciers are worth returning for.