[babylero]

I had been planning for a winter backpacking trip for several months. Following extensive research with maps and tide tables, I decided to do a thru hike from Ozette to Rialto, camping at the Norwegian Memorial. The first weekend of the new year saw an intense storm, but the weekend of my reservation seemed to be a clear window. However a cyclone started to develop off coast and it was forecasted to push waves up top 15 foot along the coast, despite relatively benign conditions on land. These waves combined with swollen creeks and some mud slides, meant for some hazards south of Yellow Banks, so after a phone call with the Ranger at the Port Townsend Wilderness Information Center I decided to change my itinerary and Camp at Sand Point and do the classic Ozette Triangle. I was fortunate to have a great weather window. When I arrived at the Ozette Ranger Station, the sky was blue and clear and sunlight reflected from the lake and the flooded area around the Ranger Station. The start of the trail itself was under water but one could avoid it and cross the Bridge over the flooding Ozette River. A couple was at the trailhead and planned on doing the route in the opposite direction: out to Sandpoint and camping at Cape Alava. The first (north path) leg of the triangle starts in a nice forest of cedars, hemlocks, and spruce trees before travelling through a boggy area. Tannin rich streams slowly flow under a few bridges. Most of the route travels over slick, slippery, boardwalk complete with stairs for the sections of elevation gain and loss. About two thirds of the way to the coast you pass through few prairie areas where former homesteads once stood. My map had bootpaths listed but I could not locate them, they are brushed in. Arriving at the coast I was greeted with a marvelous view of the sea stacks and islands offshore. I met a small group who were camped that night, and we strolled north towards cape Alava and the abandoned Ranger Station. After eating breakfast, I started south as the tides continued to roll out. There are a few headlands not passable at low tides where one can go overland by very steep, muddy scrambles. Doable, but much preferable to round at low tides, as long as one was mindful of slick purple stained rocks. These purple rocks were covered with some form of biomass or algae that was akin to ice in its lack of traction. I was grateful to have trekking poles, or I would have fallen several times. The petroglyphed Wedding Rocks are a highlight of this area, but the whole section between Alava and Sand Point is gorgeous at low tide, featuring interesting tide pools and large rocks off shore. There are numerous campsites on the short bluffs as well, with ample evidence of illegal fire pits. These have mostly been marked with hanging buoys or other marine objects. I arrived at Sandpoint at around 1PM and set up camp on the south side of the peninsula/cape. There are numerous good spots, many of which are decorated with interesting marine debris. There was an enticing camp, with an open view of the north shore, but it was exposed to waves (and got flooded that night). I chose a camp that had a bench made out of a giant block of styrofoam. To the south/east of the main camping area is a good water source, and there are two privies. There is also a nice knob at Sand Point that one can scramble to get a nice 360 view. I ventured farther south. About halfway between Yellow Banks and Sand Point is the boot path one can take to Lake Ozette, it is narrow but not fully brushed in. There is a privy and campsite close to the trail and along with several water sources. Yellowbanks is where there is another tricky headland to round, one that does not appear to have a pleasant overland option due to brush and treefall and the bluff. The rocks here are quite slick but there is traction afforded by barnacles if one chooses the proper route. Some of the best tide pools I observed on the coast were found here, with numerous sea stars, red algae, and cnidarians visible at low tide. Beyond yellow banks is the infamous rocky stretch referred to as “Purgatory” by the rangers. Do not venture through here when the tides or waves are high as there is no bailout, and it is basically a class 2 scramble and rock hopping for several miles. The next morning I took the southern trail to complete the triangle. The initial section passes through large Spruce specimens and some Cedars, followed by a bog. At the southern end of the prairie, there is evidence of an old burn. The boardwalk on this section is in worse shape than the northern leg. It is passable, but there are a few areas where it has collapsed. As long as one is mindful of the tides and storm activity, this makes for an excellent winter backpacking trip or day hike, affording solitude in an otherwise popular, permit limited area. There were 3 other groups camped at Sand Point that night, and I encountered about 5 pairs of day hikers over the two days.