Forum Index > Trip Reports > Hidden Gem REVEALED!! Tunnel Island, Elephant Rock
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Go Jo
of the lykkens



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
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Go Jo
of the lykkens
PostThu May 05, 2011 12:32 am 
A great reminder to get out to the beach, anything to break up the monotony of the still snow bound mountain trails! Spiffy looking van, we drove by one on the way back from Eastern WA and Zeusdaddy's been scouring the internet for photos and modification design options ever since. It's fun to have a dream hmmm.gif but until then I like your futon mat in the cargo area idea.

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Scrooge
Famous Grouse



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Scrooge
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PostThu May 05, 2011 6:11 am 
Slugman's descent.
Quote:
I scouted around, and worked my way down the spine of land to about 50 feet above the beach, and I found a series of footsteps carved or beaten into the bluff's dirt and rocks, and that takes me to a grassy hummock, and then down from that is another series of micro-steps, then a little rear-end scooting, and I was down to a pile of rocks that could be descended to the beach sand. Whew!
You've come a long way, Sluggo. up.gif up.gif As I recall, the guy who started here on nwhikers stuck strictly to groomed trails (I could be misremembering), preferably well-described in guide books.
Interesting place and great reporting (as usual). ........ We've only been north of the big bridge once, but got discouraged by the miles of old clearcuts pretty quickly and bagged it. I doubt if we'll go back, in spite of your advertisement. wink.gif We used to go down and stay at the Iron Springs Resort, back when it was a little less pricy frown.gif and you could still get a reservation for one night. Plus, cabin #6 had to be available rolleyes.gif because it had this view (and a stairway down to the beach right beside it. ...... Not my pics. ......

Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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Dayhike Mike
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Dayhike Mike
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PostThu May 05, 2011 10:58 am 
Looks like a beautiful trip, Sluggo! Thanks for sharing it via TR. agree.gif

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Pugsrider
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PostThu Mar 08, 2012 8:31 pm 
I'm in the planning stages for a bike ride going south from Queets, trying to stay as close to coast as possible on dirt roads or preferably the beach. Could I get across the Raft River at its mouth right there at Tunnel Island at low tide? If I can it looks like I may be able to ride down the beach the whole way to Raft River. If I can cross from north bank to south bank of Raft River at its mouth then this looks like the route for me to take. How deep would it be there at low tide? If it's no more than 3 feet deep, I can feasibly portage my panniers separately across and then pack my bike across mouth. What do you think? I can see the route you took on that coastal dirt road from Raft River to Taholah. That looks easily do-able for me. So the only question I have is can I get across Raft River at its mouth?

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Julia
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PostThu Mar 08, 2012 9:03 pm 
Great trip report--looks like it will go on my "must do" list, even though that bridge looks terrifying! smile.gif I *love* Car-V-ing ... cheap & fast to set up "camp". We sleep in the back of my Rodeo all the time. Sleeps 3 in the cargo area, but my two girls & I are trial-sized. clown.gif

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. ~Groucho Marx
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wolfs
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PostThu Mar 08, 2012 9:26 pm 
Does look like a cool place alright. But a couple news outlets recently reported that the Quinalt Indian Nation has suspended its day use permits. Hopefully they will get a new policy figured out?

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MyFootHurts
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PostThu Mar 08, 2012 9:28 pm 
The Quinaults banned all outsiders from their beaches last month: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/139014184.html http://www.quinaultindiannation.com/nugguam.pdf

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silence
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PostFri Mar 09, 2012 3:42 pm 
"hidden" might be the definitive word here .. i was glad to see you respected the quinault's rules and got the necessary permit (btw there is no camping allowed) .. unfortunately it appears others haven't been so respectful and now we all have to suffer the consequences frown.gif

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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nuclear_eggset
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PostFri Mar 09, 2012 10:42 pm 
Wow! That looks awesome! Though, I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to drive over that bridge. /shudder

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silence
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PostSun Jun 24, 2012 6:24 am 
My understanding from a very knowledgeable authority is that Elephant Rock, Tunnel Island and Hogsback are on Quinault land and access to them is thru the reservation where a permit is required and only day use is allowed .. As for access to the ONP wilderness beaches .. perhaps you are right. In any case I think a backpacker would still have to drive thru the reservation to access the ONP so I would expect they would still need a permit (like with the Makah for Shi Shi) ... Not having been there I can't personally attest to that .. but like I said my friend has done more hiking along all the wilderness beaches than anyone I know .. and I consider him the definitive authority on this ps ... I did a little research on this .. and here's a legal opinion written in 1970 regarding the right of public access to the beaches over private land within the Quinault boundaries. It pretty much concludes that while the private property owner has access the beaches, the general public is not entitled to that same privilege. Perhaps things have changed since then? Enlighten us if you have more up-to-date and specific (and legal) documentation that says otherwise. CONCLUSION In summary, we conclude that the public, vis-a-vis the [Orig. Op. Page 22] private upland owner, has the right to the free and unhindered use and enjoyment of the wet and dry sands area of the Pacific Ocean beaches, by virtue of a long established customary use of those areas. In so concluding, we, as expressed earlier in this opinion, limit ourselves specifically to the wet and dry sand areas of the beaches. We express no opinion whatsoever as to whether the public's customary rights to the use and enjoyment of the ocean beaches might extend inland from the line of vegetation, or if so, how far inland those rights go. We wish further to make it perfectly clear that by this opinion we in no way mean to say that whatever rights the public might have to the free use and enjoyment of the ocean beaches are based solely on the doctrine of custom. There are several other legal theories which could support those rights. We have not treated those theories in any way in this opinion, but that should not be taken to indicate that none of those theories would apply to the area involved. Furthermore, by this opinion we intend in no way to indicate that the public's right to use and enjoy the ocean beaches by virtue of custom in any way restricts the state's power, as sovereign, to modify, alter, or regulate the exercise of those rights by the public. Finally, we conclude that the rights which we have found to lie in the public to the use and enjoyment of the ocean beaches do not extend over the wet and dry sand areas within the external boundaries of the Quinault Indian Reservation.19/ [Orig. Op. Page 23] Because the situation which prompted our discussion of the status of the Quinault beaches is present only within that reservation, we have not examined, and express no opinion as to, the status and rights of the other Indian tribes, the Makah, Quillayute, and Hoh, whose established reservations abut the Pacific Ocean. We trust the foregoing will be of assistance to you. Very truly yours, SLADE GORTON Attorney General If you want to read the whole thing go here: http://www.atg.wa.gov/AGOOpinions/opinion.aspx?section=archive&id=5886

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!



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PostSun Jun 24, 2012 7:40 am 
Anyway, since I don't have a helicopter, I would have to drive on their road to get there. If the Quinaults say it's closed, then it's closed as far as I'm concerned. Others will of course make their own decision.

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silence
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PostMon Jun 25, 2012 7:35 am 
again ... according to the opinion i cited ... private ownership of the wet and dry sand areas within the reservation does afford free and unhindered access to them by the land owner .. but i think it's pretty clear that doesn't include the general public .. and i'm pretty sure this also means the private landowner isn't entitled to freely roam any adjacent beaches still held by the quinaults .. so access thru the privately held land (esp by the general public) to the public wilderness beaches outside the reservation is probably not legal either bottom line .. just get the permit and be happy to visit these very special beaches .. does anyone know if they have started issuing them again?

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!



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PostMon Jun 25, 2012 1:28 pm 
If you read the report, I asked the people in the cabin if it was OK to be there, and they said no problem. So I don't think it's fair to say I was trespassing. It's true I may have been trespassing. Also if silence's citation is correct, then the pass did indeed grant me right of access along the beach. CTO, you say a lot of things, and they may be true, but you give scant reason for anyone to believe you. I am generally unconvinced by people who claim things, numerous things in this case, with absolutely zero to back it up except their word, especially someone I know nothing about. None of that should be taken as me saying you are wrong. I just have zero reason to believe you are correct.

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Cohokiller
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PostThu Jul 09, 2015 10:45 pm 
Inside the Tunnel.
Minus tides around Hogsback

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happy heathen
Goonies never die



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happy heathen
Goonies never die
PostMon Jul 13, 2015 12:23 am 
That van is called a Sports Mobile. They make them on a few different platforms and are indeed very cool. http://www.sportsmobile.com If you like that you might be happy to know that VW is soonish to be selling a version of the California pop top state side. I'm saving already. The Euro version with a diesel gets 34 mpg but it won't be the same here.

"The mountains are calling and I must go" John Muir
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