Lakebay, Washington Day 5 Ocean Shores-Pacific Ocean

Well today I saw the Pacific Ocean, in a small community called Ocean shores it was very cold 43 degrees and windy! The water was much colder.


Ocean Shores - is a 6 mile peninsula that encompasses over 6,000 acres. There are 5 major beach approaches along the 6 miles of sandy public beach that follows the Pacific Ocean southward. At the southwestern tip of the point is the North Jetty, a popular place to watch the wave’s crash against the rocks. From there the coastline runs east to the mouth of the Grays Harbor. The southern most tip of the peninsula is where the marina is located - from there you can see Westport which is about 2 miles across the water. The east side is the bay - and the views of the Olympic Mountain Range and Mt. Rainer are awesome. If you are more into fresh water - there are 23 miles of interlocking waterways that include Duck Lake and the Grand Canal which empties into the harbor at the spillway. This is a great place for boating and fishing. The weather in this little town seldom reaches any extreme in cold or heat. The marine climate makes it so that there are generally dry summers, with cool ocean breezes and temperatures that stay under 80 degrees. Winters are wet, but the temperature seldom dips below freezing. Occasionally it will snow, but it never lasts very long. Winter storms are common with winds that can reach up to 100 mph and waves that can swell 20 to 25 feet. It is an awe inspiring sight to watch from the safety of your room - never go onto the beach during a storm, driftwood can be tossed out of the surf without notice. Power outages are frequent during the storms, but only last for a few hours.

Lakebay, Washington Day 5 Quinault RainForest

Today we took another trip to the Quinautlt Rain Forest. This is a 5 hour road trip through the Olympic forest on the way to the ocean.

Majestic glacier-carved and glacier-fed Lake Quinault is surrounded by the mossy old-growth trees of the Quinault Rain Forest, one of only three temperate coniferous rain forests in the Western hemisphere. The Quinault Valley that creates Lake Quinault and the Quinault Rainforest is known as the "Valley of the Giants." Here you will find the largest Sitka Spruce tree in the world, along with other nationally recognized giants of Hemlock, Douglas Fir and the mighty Western Red Cedar. Lake Quinault is located on the Southwest end of the Olympic National Park. The towering trees and lush green forest of the Quinault Valley is known as the best place to see the Rainforest when visiting the Olympic National Park. Miles of trails, swimming, boating and fishing are easily accessible from the many campgrounds and resorts around Lake Quinault and within the Quinault Rainforest. A 30 mile self drive loop road takes you around the lake venturing into the South end of the Olympic National Park. Bring a camera, hiking shoes and plenty of rain gear as Lake Quinault measures 144 inches of rain a year. Roosevelt Elk, Black Tail Deer, Cougar, Bald Eagle, Bobcat, Black Bear and a gorgeous view of the Olympics are a must see as you visit Lake Quinault and travel the scenic 30 mile Quinault Rain Forest Loop Drive.

Lakebay, Washington Day 4 Mt St Helens

Today we took a day trip to Mt. St Helens. I learned that it is still an active volcano, although I didn't see it do anything. It was very very cold there but we did get to go to the Visitor center where we learned all about the eruption and the recovery.

At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted.Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. In a few moments this slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a ridge 1,300 feet high, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River.The avalanche rapidly released pressurized gases within the volcano. A tremendous lateral explosion ripped through the avalanche and developed into a turbulent, stone-filled wind that swept over ridges and toppled trees. Nearly 150 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead and standing.
At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. Wet, cement-like slurries of rock and mud scoured all sides of the volcano. Searing flows of pumice poured from the crater. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.A vast, gray landscape lay where once the forested slopes of Mount St. Helens grew. In 1982 the President and Congress created the 110,000-acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance.

Lakebay, Washington Day 3 Mt Rainier

Today we took a day trip to Mt. Rainier it is about a 4 hour road trip to the mountain from Lakebay. Mount Rainier National Park encompasses 235,625 acres on the west-side of the Cascade Range, and is located about 100 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area. Mount Rainier National Park is approximately 97 percent wilderness and 3 percent National Historic Landmark District and receives approximately 2 million visitors per year. At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Range. It dominates the landscape of a large part of western Washington State. The mountain stands nearly three miles higher than the lowlands to the west and one and one-half miles higher than the adjacent mountains. It is an active volcano that last erupted approximately 150 years ago. The park is part of a complex ecosystem. Vegetation is diverse, reflecting the varied climatic and environmental conditions encountered across the park’s 12,800-feet elevation gradient. Approximately 58 percent of the park is forested, 23 percent is subalpine parkland, and the remainder is alpine, half of which is vegetated and the other half consists of permanent snow and ice. Forest ages range from less than 100 years old on burned areas and moraines left by receding glaciers to old-growth stands 1,000 or more years. Some alpine heather communities have persisted in the park for up to 10,000 years. Species known or thought to occur in the park include more than 800 vascular plants, 159 birds, 63 mammals, 16 amphibians, 5 reptiles, and 18 native fishes. The park contains 26 named glaciers across 9 major watersheds, with 382 lakes and 470 rivers and streams and over 3,000 acres of other wetland types. Of these vertebrates, there are 4 federally listed threatened or endangered species known to occur in the park, including 3 birds and 1 fish. Four other species historically occurred in the park, but their present status is unknown including: gray wolf, grizzly bear, Canada lynx, and Chinook salmon.

Lakebay, Washington Day 2

Today I met Bubba, Mitzi, and Maggie. Nikki and Clarence's babies!

Lakebay, Washington Day 1

Today I arrived at the home of Nikki and Clarence Phillips. They live in rural Washington on the Key Peninsula in a community called Lakebay. To get on the Peninsula you have to cross one of Washington's Historic Bridges the Purdy Bridge.

The Historic Purdy Bridge spans the strait between Henderson Bay and Burley Lagoon carrying State Route 302. Built in 1936, the Purdy Bridge is a reinforced-concrete box girder style bridge. At 550 feet long, it was considered the longest of it's kind when it was built. This type of bridge was known for its low cost, simple and graceful design. The Key Peninsula, west of Gig Harbor is a beautiful peninsula made up of 75 square miles at low tide and 65 at high tide and offers wonderful forested parks and scenic views as well as agricultural and maritime history. The primarily rural peninsula includes several small communities: Key Center is the heart of the peninsula, with a store and museum. Home, founded as a Utopian community in 1896 still has some of the original freethinking settler families and many of the original properties. Lakebay and Bay Lake are named for their close proximity to each other. Beautiful views and water access make this a relaxed and enjoyable place.