Olympic Peninsula

South Coast Route, Olympic NP, Washington

In the beginning of August, we embarked upon a three-day backpacking trip on the South Coast Route in Olympic NP. It was our first backpacking trip without carrying 10+ pounds of neoprene, canyoneering gear, and ropes. I felt light as air! Thank you to our friend Iris for selecting the route and managing all the logistics and permits. Iris is working at Olympic NP this summer and is doing a lot of backpacking all over the park! We began our hike rather late in the day, due to creeping lateness and the fact that every single road in Washington is under construction this summer. By the time we set up the shuttle, it was 4:30 in the afternoon. We hiked down a lush, forested trail starting at Third Beach. Right away, I spied a clump of mushrooms growing out of the stem of a tree! I am not talking [...]

Lower Fulton Creek, Washington

One of the great things about Washington state is that there are new canyons (or creeks as they are known here) discovered each year. Just a few years ago, Fulton Creek was descended in the Olympic Peninsula and is now considered one of the best routes in the area. We decided to head over to the Peninsula just after the 4th of July weekend to learn more about the creeks in the area and reconnect with our friend Iris who is now working for Olympic NP. Sadly, she had just come back from a strenuous backpacking trip for work and needed a few days to recover before returning to the field. Fortunately, our friends Adam Otter and Dylan were with us along with Pharaoh, so we had a strong team to explore some new-to-us creeks. Returning to Washington each year is both exhilarating and a little nerve-wracking. After being [...]