Olympic National Park, WA

Surprisingly, the night at the casino was amazingly quiet, as I woke up yet again to sunshine, oh my!

I decided to go up the coast to the town of Taholah, which is in the Quinault Indian Reservation. I visited the Quinault Tribal Museum, filled with woven baskets, more than 100 years old to present day. They also had some stone carved artifacts, tools, as well as painted wooden pieces. The conversation with the museum attendant was heart warming, as I found out she actually graduated from Phoenix College (Community College), in Arizona. What a small world, as I told her I worked at PVCC. I'm always convinced that if you talk to someone long enough there's a strong common connection, on some level. She was delightful, and very passionate about the museum and supporting the artifacts of her community.

When I reached the Quinault River, past the reservation, the road ended. I turned around and headed back south. I noticed a large bird flying across the road and realized that it was a bald eagle! From the road I saw a grouping of birds, and was awestruck counting 22 bald eagles with their eaglets feeding on a carcass. I saw a small pickup truck on the shore, and before I knew it, this vehicle pulled up behind me. It was the tribal police. He said he noticed me from from the shore, and wanted to make sure that I wasn't entering the beach area to witness this feeding frenzy. There are strict signs posted all along the beach: "No Trespassing" allowed to the general public. 

This young officer acted more like a tour guide, and filled me in on the details of the area. It was facinating to witness so many eagles in one spot, as I have never seen that. It's always a joy when I can encounter a natural phenomenon or a rare moment with wildlife. They are impressive birds, quite large, and how magnificent they are the animal to represent our country.

I took the one and a half hour loop drive, much of it on dirt road, around Lake Quinault. I managed to find not one but two  beautiful waterfalls, within this moss covered rain forest. I even saw a snow covered peak in the distance, as this road followed the Quinault River. The water was crystal clear.

It is as I remember it, 19 years ago, when I was first in this area in 2000. It seems even more beautiful now. I continued on into the Olympic Park State Forest, were dispersed camping is allowed. I took route 21, and for the last few hours I am the only here, settled in for the night next door to a running creek. Other then an old fire pit, there are no other signs of humans.

I do think about sasquatch, and wonder if he lives here too.











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