gonealpine.com - Lake Ozette

Birds in flight on the way out to the Lighthouse on Dungess spit - total 11 mile beach hike

This is one of those long thought out trips that started 3 months prior to our actual trip. Two of us live in Beaverton Oregon the other two are from Victoria BC. We are meeting out on the Washington Peninsula, crashing with another couple from their local area of Sequim. The project started some time ago when our brother from Canada and we decided to do a Penn hike/backpack trip during the summer. This was something that our brother Mark did yearly with his father until he passed the year prior from cancer. So now... we get to help keep the family tradition going out of long respect and tradition with dad.

This year we thought we would jaunt up Mt Angeles... needless to say that took another turn, do to bringing a new girlfriend who would most likely have shot one if not all of us for taking her up there on her first time out with a backpack. So after several months of planning and figuring the spot we settled on the Lake Ozette triangle.

Seeing that Ken and I had no kids for those days and we wanted to make the trip a little longer we crashed with our friends Jeff and Tammy in Sequim. The day prior Marks arrival we decided to do the Dungeness spit. Knowing we had some time to kill we set out. The day was looking oh so lovely in what is known as the blue hole of Washington. The clouds loomed in, the wind picked up and sprinkles in what was suppose to be clear sky's. Ken and I packed light, had our water, food, gloves and plenty of warm clothing. The spit is a 5 1/2 mile stretch of land/sand that jets out into the Straight of Juan de Fuca. It is one of the largest natural land spits, also a national preserve. One side of the spit is forbidden to walk upon while the other catches all the wind break and ocean spray.

As you set out of the parking lot you have a slight bit of a walk down to the beach through beautiful forest and calm air. Once down to the beach you head out on sand. Many logs and drift wood have beached themselves upon the banks of the spit. Depending on the tides you could be stuck walking back out on top the logs due to high water, this day we planned and we would be ok. There are several people that start the walk out to the light-house, few that make it. No one really understands what it is like to walk for miles on sand in the wind and rain until they get just a bit down the beach, then the lesson is quickly learned.

Starting wasn't bad this day, but it wasn't the best, all we knew is that we were nuts to be out here, but if we were going to do it, now is our chance. 11 miles total is what we would be walking, yuck! As we hiked down the beach the wind started blowing and rain picked up, we were only about 1/3 the way. Turning back now would be sissy of us. Plus we had to be tough like we had something to prove. Each step we took seemed endless, this was tougher than I'd thought. The sea-gulls that flocked the beach seemed to get use to us. For some reason they'd fly off due to our approaching then land further ahead of us. If they were smart birds you'd think they would have landed behind us, instead of being bothered so many times.

As we approached the end of the spit by the light-house about 1/2 mile off, I suddenly got the strong feeling we were being watched. And we were. I look up and just off the beach was this huge head of a sea-lion starring right at us, then it disappeared. I looked around and noticed there were dozens of them just off the beach. It along with the wind took our breath away. Who knows how long they had been there, but the numbers just kept on increasing. We walked the rest of the way to the light-house playing hid and seek with them.

We got to the light-house, went inside by the restrooms and got warm. Munched on a few bars and dried fruits and de-frosted our hands. We knew that there were tours of the light-house available and some great scenery to look at, but we just wanted to get back to a hot shower and a soft couch to warm up on. By this time our entire left sides of our body had been soaked by the rain and chilled by the wind. Our ears were numb and hearing was becoming an issue. So we took in a loop around the building said "this would be nice on a warm summer day" and took off back down the spit.

Noting we were still the only people in sight we took up our conversation with the sea-lions who seemed to follow us most of the way back. Just when you figured the last one or two begged off, their head would pop out of the water again. Just about the same time we started running into people again they finally left off. There were not many people there that day out on the spit, and good reason why. You'd have to be crazy to do it when we did, but isn't that the norm for us?

Upon getting back to the base of the spit our bodies ached so bad from the off canter beach hiking and sand that it didn't matter what small children and women were around our speech was in fine form. Trying to keep ourselves under control and in volume, we headed back up the hill into the forest and toward the car. We were teased by the local forest service gal as she drove by in her little covered cart and conversed half the way. It was fine, because it took our minds off our now soaked and numbed right side of our bodies.

We get back to our friends house, shower and crash and relate our fine days adventures. Never ceases to amaze me how much laughter comes out of ones gut when you are in your finest form.

The night prior we picked up Mark and his girlfriend from the Victoria ferry. We managed to limp our beat bodies down there and back before crashing out for the night. We knew that we had to get up bright and early the next morning to set out to the other side of the Peninsula.

None of us had been backpacking at Lake Ozette, I'd been several years prior but not over night. I did the death wish loop in a few hours then drove home to Seattle. I said I'd never do that again... so this time we didn't. We enjoyed our slightly nauseating drive through the mountains toward the beach for which we were going. Some of us tried to sleep while others tried not to puke cause of the curves and the pain from the Spit the day prior. Once we got there we quickly got our permits for camping. I had not realized that you really needed prior reservations before heading out there. OOPS. We were ok, it wasn't a heavy weekend. Good to note though that this was the last year they were doing that, from that point on you need to send for a permit in advance.

With our bear boxes and packs we headed out. The whole triangle is 9 miles, we were only going to do about 5 to 6 camp and head back out the next day. The trail quickly splits off into two directions, we head left. This is the easier way, and since we were trying to go as far as we could day one this was the better choice.

Not to long from the start we hit the boardwalks. For the next almost 3 miles we are on these to the beach. My body hurt, the day prior caught up to me quickly. Mark and his girlie were in fresh step as they trucked out ahead of us, which was fine. Did I tell you that his girl hadn't been back packing before? This wasn't a negative thing by far, but it did provide some interesting opportunities.

The boardwalks weren't too slick this time of year, which I was surprised, it had rained the nights prior. As we neared the end of the trail nearer the beach the wooded slats that we were walking ended. Now we started to smell the salt air. Ahh the beach, only about a mile or so to go to get to camp, or so we thought. We noticed that as we were hiking up the beach we ran into full camp spots, so up the beach we kept going. Not only did we get to go up more sand, but everyone got to share the over-land routes. These are actually kind of fun. Slippery muddy hillsides that need anchored preset gnarly rope to get up. Good times!

Finally we neared our camp area that we settled on. Upon the approach Claire asked me where the washrooms were in relation to the camp. As I looked over at Mark who's pace seemed to be picking up a bit with a look like "I know I'm in trouble", I said "oh I guess Markus didn't tell you - see those trees right there... that's your wash room". Suddenly I found myself picking up some object and chucking it in Marks direction. Claire was a good trooper though and made due. You see our dear friend is from Korea, and in Korea no body camps. The reason anyone is in tents is if you are poor. So "camping" and "hiking" aren't the thing to do there, this is all a new experience for her, but a great one.

We get to our spot, set up camp, which is located up top a small embankment. To get up there you have to use more ropes, this time it wasn't so bad because you weren't loaded with a pack. After camp was set, we ate, crashed for a bit and took in the sights. The sun finally came out and we had a great relaxing afternoon. I tell ya my hiney was so glad to get out of those shoes and stop walking, oh goodness. Ken and I crashed on a warm rock, Mark crashed on the ground and Claire crashed her tent and pretty much didn't come out until the next morning. She was one tired girl.

The night proved perfect for star gazing and a big fat beach fire. Late nights solving life's problems and future history was again part of natures bonding. We somehow made it all night without bear issues and too many bugs. The nights sleep was the best, a nice warm sleeping bag, my warm husband to keep we toasty and pain killers to wipe me out.

We rose to beautiful sky's and warm air. This would prove to be a beautiful day out. Since we had pretty much only 3 miles left to go we decided to pack up and head up the beach a bit past the inbound trail head. There was suppose to be an old Indian reservation excavation near there. We never found it, and most of the people we talked to had no idea what we were talking about. So we decided to bail and head out. Ken and I still had to get back to Beaverton that night, another 6 to 7 hours of driving from where we were. So out we headed.

Claire was a little tired you could tell, but she just kept up. We all had taken a slower pace due to the day's prior, but that was just fine. The sights and views were amazing. To be in old growth rainforest just off the Washington coast was just a real treat. So dense and beautiful, there aren't that many opportunities to breathe in air like that. As the blisters and the grumbles in our stomachs grew we passed "she woman" ranger trimming trails and chatting with hikers. She probably grew up in the woods and acclimated early in life with her 40lb back pack and her 6ft+ stature. My hats off to her, she was amazing.

At one point we sat down for a spell, guys went their way to water the plants, Claire and I just sat on the bench wondering how many blisters had popped in our shoes. Claire had to admit at that point that she was tired and in a little pain. Oh it made me feel so much better to know she was human, I was beginning to wonder. Because I knew I was very human by that point, total pain from 3 days of hiking I don't know what and totally done with all of it. I was ready to sleep for about 7 days.

Well, needless to say yes we all finished and survived our trip, and would do it all again. The Olympic Peninsula and Lake Ozette are a wonderful place to go and spend a couple days, I just wish I had taken more.