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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:21 pm
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All this weighs 3.25 pounds View from campsite Sand Point From sea stack at Sand Point More sea stack Low tide Sand Point Noisy eagles in love Cool fort Ozette loop 086 Take the long way home Persevering South from Sand Point Danger! Alpenglow Ozette loop 161 Ozette loop 170 Ozette loop 179 Ozette loop 184 There are many more like this My boom box Ozette loop 197 Ozette loop 211 Ozette loop 266 Ozette loop 270 Petroglyph at Wedding Rocks Ozette loop 290a Ozette loop 291 Ozette loop 292a Ozette loop 295 Ozette loop 305 Ozette loop 311 Ozette loop 320
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:37 pm
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I left right from work Tuesday, hit the ferry, and drove to just before the earth drops off, to the home of half fast. I returned the tarp that got left in mike220's truck after the last trip, and as my reward he played the hammered dulcimer for me. A spruce-topped dulcimer, mind you, not a mahogany one. I had commented on how bright and crisp the music was, and he told me that was the spruce.
Anyway, he couldn't come on the actual hike, so Wednesday morning it was off to Ozette, just a short drive. I didn't have to pay for entrance to the park because of my America the Beautiful pass, and I didn't have to pay for my permit, because of my Olympic backcountry fee card. I hit the trail at 10 am, and was in the campground at Sand Point at 11. The boardwalks weren't bad, the level ones, anyway.
It was high tide almost, so I decided to set up camp at Sand Point, and dayhike down to Yellow Banks in the afternoon, on the outgoing tide. So I did that. There was no one else camped in the whole Sand Point area. The weather was nice, a little cool and breezy, some high clouds, basically what I was expecting. No campfires at Sand Point, so I explored around in the moonlight, which was intense. There were very few waves, so especially at low tide, it was very quiet. I hiked about seven miles with the dayhike. Yellow Banks is a nice little stroll, but there's not really anything there to write home about.
Thursday I packed up and moved north to Wedding Rocks. I saw a nice campsite about 1/2 mile before WR, but I kept going, looking for a better one perhaps. I didn't find one, so I went back to the one at the little point-let just south of WR. I did find a nice clear water trickle, out of a spring, not brown water like the streams. I set up camp, and by then it was high tide again, most inconveniently right in the middle of the day, so I hung out and made bacon and eggs with my new frying pan. Awesome. The Ova Easy powdered eggs made excellent scrambled eggs, and the precooked Hormel bacon was its usual indispensable self.
Finally the tide went out, and I went on my planned petroglyph hunt at WR. I had the cheat sheet the ranger gave me, with the crappy map that does as much harm as good, and I set to "work". I love hunting for the petroglyphs, it's like being a kid at Easter. It's better though with others to help in the search. It's kind of exhausting as well, scrambling around on those darn slippery boulders. I found most of my favorites, and some new ones (to me), but once again I couldn't find the sailing ship. Twice now I haven't been able to find it, yet I did find it once before that. Go figure. I ended up doing a bit over four miles with the back and forth to WR from my campsite.
Friday morning I awoke to: rain. Rain and more rain and then rain after that. I packed up inside the tent, made coffee in the sort-of vestibule the tent has, and learned a valuable lesson: if you spill your coffee in the tent, you will be glad your tent has no floor. I took off north at 9:30 am, with high tide not until 1:30. You don't need low tide for the stretch between WR and Cape Alava, but you don't want it too high, either. You can get through, but the difficulty is magnified. And it's hard enough, with soft sand, rocks, and lots of downed trees, some going right from the bluff into the ocean. The steady rain and high winds and biting cold weren't helping. Everything was at maximum slipperiness.
As bad as the weather was, and it was bad, I was OK, properly dressed, not too hot, not too cold, rain coat and pants doing their jobs. I took a short break at the cape, in the lee of a giant stump, then headed up the Cape Alava trail, to the shelter of the woods. First though the trail goes up an exposed hillside, so the wind and rain get one last free shot in.
The hike back from Cape Alava seemed like a lot longer than 3.4 miles or whatever it is. The boardwalks were surprisingly OK, the rain seemed to actually help, plus they are in decent shape, with lots of rocky interludes. I got back to the car at 1:15, changed out of my wet sneakers (the one part of me that got soaked), and about 1:30 started the car to drive home.
Or at least I tried to start it. It almost seemed a couple of times like it wanted to start. But it wouldn't. It turned over no problem, but wouldn't start. I waited, tried again, said prayers, checked everything I knew to check, loose wires, etc, nothing. I disconnected the battery to clear the fault codes in the computer, nothing worked. No cell service at the TH, either, though I had it at Sand Point. Luckily the ranger was in, and he let me use the phone. I called AAA, they said no problem, they'd send a tow truck, from Port Angeles, he'd be there around 6 pm. It was 3 pm at that point.
Well, I made lunch, had coffee, watched the deer near the parking lot, read a book, dozed off, found there was cell service over by the boat launch, and spent some time in the ranger station, letting the heat dry me out. I called half fast, he told me of a garage in PA, I called them, they said drop her off, they'd look at her Saturday. My girlfriend got on the ferry to come get me in PA.
Then the tow truck comes, the guy says "Oh, I know all about these subies, I have a '91 myself (mine's a '92), I'll show you a trick." He pushes the gas pedal all the way to the floor, really jamming it down, and cranks the car over, and keeps cranking it. Sure enough the mother-loving thing starts up, with a big cloud of smoke and steam. He said it must have gotten flooded, and the gas pedal trick opens everything up to clear the system. If he had said he willised the altibob until the frabulator boosted the car's equilibrium, it would have made as much sense to me.
So, I call my girlfriend, she is already on the ferry. AAA paid for the rescue, I gave the guy $10 for showing me the trick, and the ferry fare was $25, so the whole escapade cost $35, two hours of my GF's time, and five hours of my time. But it could have been worse, at least my car is home and running, instead of in PA and dead. PS: the AAA extended towing option is really good if you are a hiker. 100 miles they'll tow me, including across a ferry, no extra charge.
So, now my car is running, but it's dark, it's raining, howling winds, I'm exhausted, so then I get to drive home, on those twisty, turn-y roads, poor visibility, some fog, cars coming the other way, it was brutal. One piece of luck, I drove right on to the 9:40 ferry, and then it took off, practically before I came to a stop on the boat. I made it home at 10:30, utterly spent. But it was a great trip overall, my car seems OK, and I knew it was going to rain Friday, so I was prepared, except I left my pack cover at home. All the important stuff went into plastic bags or my food canister, so nothing bad happened.
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silence Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 4420 | TRs | Pics
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silence
Member
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Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:41 am
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a few years ago we did the loop as an overnighter ... camping just north of wedding rocks .. the next morning we went over to hunt for the petroglyphs and found many .. but we also noticed that sadly someone had outlined many of the more prominent ones by etching them with a sharp object or rock -- we reported it to the rangers when we got back to ozette .. l8r we heard in the news that a scout troupe had come thru just before us that weekend .. and while it was supervised by adults some of the kids were the culprits using their knives .. anyhow the park service said they would try to restore them .. whether the were able to or not i wouldn't know since we haven't been back ... it's probably been over 5 yrs since our visit so i would think the elements would have helped too ... but from the looks of things in your photos it appears they were either not successful or others have been repeating the defacing
btw of course it is illegal and punishable to do stuff like this .. but once it's done it's done ..
PHOTOS
FILMS
Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
PHOTOS
FILMS
Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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IanB Vegetable Belayer
Joined: 21 Jul 2010 Posts: 1061 | TRs | Pics Location: gone whuljin' |
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
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Sun Mar 11, 2012 8:39 am
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Your car seems to have as many adventures at the trailhead as you do out on the beach.
Nice pics, as always - the sunny skies above Sand Point look idyllic.
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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Barefoot Jake Professional Bum
Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Posts: 564 | TRs | Pics Location: Olympic Peninsula |
Slugman wrote: | All this weighs 3.25 pounds |
This is the best part. I really like this cozy little set up.
I really like the 'Boom Box' too. I think someone should write a handbook on all the handy extra ways to use a Bear Can.
I wish I could have join you on this. Next time.
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:22 am
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silence: It looked like they were able to take out the stick figure the scouts did, there was a sort of scrubbed area where it it was. The little scrape marks in other petroglyphs will need weathering to regain their patina.
IanB: Yes, my car lives a rich and full life, even when I'm not there.
Jake: Too bad our schedules didn't overlap better. The same thing happened with half fast and mike220.
The "cozy set-up" is indeed great. The tent is impervious to wind (if set up right to the ground), has excellent ventilation (if set up with the sides raised), and the lack of a floor allows coffee to drain right into the ground. It kept me and my gear completely dry even in the steady rain, though ground consisting of pine needles and sand sure helps with the drainage. I like that the side facing the wind can be low, and other side raised, so I get the best of protection and ventilation. Not bad for under one pound, including stakes, and the Tyvek ground sheet. 3/4 pound for the pad, 1.5 for the bag, and that's the 3.25 lbs.
I'm not a big fan of the bear canister rule, but given that lemon, lemonade is the best option. I use the canister for sitting on, as a cooking table, it makes a decent bongo drum, and this time I rigged it as a bass amplifier for my little speakers. It worked OK, but I need a thin aluminum sheet with the holes cut just right, and a little duct tape to seal it to the canister. The canister did one last great thing: it kept all my most water-sensitive stuff bone dry on the drenched hike out.
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Riptide Rush Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 99 | TRs | Pics Location: Everett |
Nice report Slug and great pictures too! It makes me want to head back to “ just before the earth drops off “ for some more adventuring! Glad 2 of the 3 days were rain free for you! I guess if it starts to rain on your day out/back, then your timing was perfect!
I see a couple of petroglyphs I’ve never ran across myself in your photos, very cool indeed. I’ve never found the sailing ship one. Guess I’d better make another trip!
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half fast member
Joined: 21 Mar 2010 Posts: 1392 | TRs | Pics Location: Living the dream in my 5th Wheel |
It's all about the fun, oh and maybe the chocolate - half fast
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:10 am
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The ranger told me that the sailing ship is higher up on the beach than most people think. So when you are in the area of the northern most group of petroglyphs, look uphill from there.
The map and cheat sheet the rangers will give does help. But keep in mind that some that are shown nearby to others are actually on the same rock.
I never got the signature sunset I usually do. There was a band of clouds near the horizon both days, so the sun went behind that before full-on sunset action occurred. But if you look at picture 170, you will something far more rare: the ocean so calm it gives great reflections shots. I see though that I didn't upload any of the better reflection shots.
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HitTheTrail Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 5452 | TRs | Pics Location: 509 |
Looks like a nice outing. You ever been wet from the underside of your floorless shelter? Either from wind or pooling?
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sun Mar 11, 2012 4:10 pm
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This tent is just one weapon in my arsenal. Normally I would take my MSR Missing Link to the beach, it's huge, and has a floor, a good tent to be in if it rains, nice overhanging awning over the door. But it weighs three pounds, and I was only expecting rain the last night, where some damp gear wouldn't be as big a deal as it would be mid-trip. I could have taken my Mtn Hardwear Stiletto, but it is 2 3/4 pounds, and no more room than the Wild Oasis. The Stiletto would be good for camping on the actual beach, but I wasn't planning on that.
So I figured to try the Wild Oasis out as a beach tent. Even though the beach hikes are flat-ish, less weight still equals more pack comfort. One thing about the beach hikes, the ground has truly excellent drainage. It's all pine needles and sand. So no water will pool, with good tent site selection. Then the end of the tent facing into the wind, the foot end, I staked right to the ground.
Basically if the weather forecast hadn't been in my favor, I wouldn't have gone at that time. And while I would for sure want a fully-floored tent if I expected water could start pooling up with a torrential downpour, I'm not sure I'd be safe in any of my tents under those conditions. The key is to not be in that position in the first place. That is going to prove harder for me this year, as my six day "weekends" are more likely to contain some bad weather than my old three day weekends used to. Or maybe it will help me, as I can do shorter trips if I want to, and be able to avoid the worst weather. We'll see. But I understand the limitations of the floorless tent, and so far have only used it under favorable circumstances. It stood up to strong winds (but no rain) in the Eagle Cap last year (Ice lake), and rain on this trip. It looks like I'll be buying a used Traptent Contrail, which has a floor, for when I want one. To me the drawback of no floor is that crawling bugs can crawl right in.
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Doppelganger
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:38 pm
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The one with the dog, if seen in a better picture, would also show a man holding a gun, pointing it apparently at the dog's head. It is thought to be one of the more recent ones, like the sailing ship. Post-contact for sure. Probably a depiction of a European out hunting with a dog.
That 5 is interesting. It looks like maybe a stick, or a crack in the rock. I'll go back to the original and see if I can zoom in on it..... it looks to me to be seaweed or something in a crack in the rock. Weird.
I just noticed something about #315: look to the right and down from the dog, in the corner of the rock, there is some other figure there, maybe a face?
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Mon Mar 12, 2012 10:39 pm
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Thanks for all the tips on this one Sluggy. I am gonna get the fam out there this year.
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woodsrambler Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Posts: 10 | TRs | Pics Location: Port Angeles Wa. |
It's nice to have the Olympic Mountains for your back yard!
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