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Marmot Pass

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

Damon Edwards

The Dance - Clouds forming along the Dungeness River valley rise into the tress below Marmot Pass in the Buckhorn Wilderness

What’s the pace of a 2 year old hiking up to Marmot Pass? 56 butterflies, 149 decimated ants, 62 rocks, 114 flowers and 2 chipmunks per hour. Haha! Here’s a summary of the hike up to Marmot Pass with Conley:

Zero dark thirty wake up – check
65 pound pack – check
18+ miles round trip in 90 degree heat – check
3405′ of elevation gain – check
Met aggressive dog on trail – check
Had photo with Conley taken by 2 cute girls – check
Cute puppy ate Conley’s cheese – check
We ate snow – check
Hawk flew over us about 4 feet from our heads – check
TONS of wildflowers (Conley picked some for Lila Edwards) – check

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Posted in Author, Damon Edwards, Season, Summer | 1 Comment »

Up, Up & Away; Hot Air Ballooning From Grief to Joy

Friday, September 7th, 2012

By Eileen Schmitz

A few days ago on Facebook a friend stated there were spots available for a hot air balloon ride in my hometown of Sequim, WA. I knew I had to say YES, after all saying YES is the foundation of the new healing journey upon which I have found myself. Written in bold Sharpie ink on a post-it note in my kitchen is the following:

How to live a life I love:

Say YES to fun
Experience new opportunities / adventures
Have childlike awe

Unbeknownst to me, a few hours with a hot air balloon and its crew will accomplish all of the above.

Up, up, and away?

For six months and twelve days I have been climbing out of a dark hole that opened when my husband died rather unexpectedly. He and I shared a great passionate love; we were one of those fortunate couples who figured out the whole ‘being in love’ in a delicious, devoted and happy way that endured even when raising teenagers, even when the economy fell, and even when he wound up in a deep coma and unable to recover from complications due to – of all things – an appendectomy.

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Posted in Author, Eileen Schmitz | No Comments »

Sol Duc Falls Loop Hike

Sunday, August 19th, 2012

Story by Becca Wirta

Photos and video by Bret Wirta

Distance: 6 mile round-trip – Time out: 4 hours

Degree of Difficulty: 1 – Pet Friendly: No

June 13th 2012

Sol Duc Falls Hike

Threatening clouds floated overhead as my boyfriend Patrick, my father Bret, and I embarked on our day hike in the Olympic National Park. We had chosen a manageable six mile loop starting and ending at the historic Sol Duc hot springs which lead us past beautiful Sol Duc Falls. Luckily, as we pulled up to the parking lot in front of the Sol Duc lodge the clouds broke and the sun peered through. Taking this as a positive sign, we started our trek. The three of us told stories, shared college gossip, and enjoyed our lush green surroundings. The terrain was mostly flat and the trail was well kept. We hiked through the scenic Sol Duc Camp Ground. Enormous trees shaded the campground and campsites were available by the river. My younger brother, Garrett, and I would have thoroughly enjoyed camping and playing in the river there when we were children.

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Posted in Audio/Video, Author, Becca Wirta, Bret Wirta, Hike Difficulty Rating, Season, Summer | No Comments »

Madison Falls Path and Picnic

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

By Bret Wirta-The Incidental Explorer

Distance: Few hundred yards – Time out: Pretty short

Degree of Difficulty: 0 – Pet Friendly: Yes

June 11th 2012.

Plenty of places to picnic

If you are looking for an outing that combines a wheelchair access path, picnic area and a beautiful waterfall then Madison Falls in Olympic National Park is hard to beat. My elderly Mom was visiting us and she doesn’t walk much so this path was perfect. We began our outing with a picnic at the trailhead. There were plenty of tables in the green meadow. The Elwha River tumbled just across the road from us. My Mom, my daughter, her boyfriend and I enjoyed our repast in the sunshine.

The path to the falls is paved and though steeper in places then the ADA ramps at our hotel, Olympic National Park lists the path as wheel chair accessible. It was a warm and sunny day but was cool under the leafy canopy. Hardwoods ringed the edge of the field which gave way to firs and cedars as we walked closer to the falls.

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Posted in ADA Friendly, Author, Bret Wirta, Bret Wirta, Hike Difficulty Rating, Pet Friendly, Season, Summer | No Comments »

WHALES FROM AFAR

Sunday, August 12th, 2012

By Per Berg

"Here’s a story about a employer sponsored outing. I hope you appreciate Per’s sense of humor
like I do. The Incidental Explorer."

All together now

The day started on the tail end of a brisk sunny morning. The timing was early for some, standard for others. It was 8:00 AM. Employees from different departments mingled for the first time, blinking at each other and sipping coffee. The social implications were off the charts. The hotel would have a chance to bond and grow as a team, while watching whales From afar.

We set out, caravanning and smoking cigarettes through the small highways of the Pacific Northwest to our destination, the Port Townsend docks.

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Posted in Author, Per Berg, Season, Summer | No Comments »

Upper Royal Basin an Amphitheatre of Snow

Saturday, August 11th, 2012

Daniel Collins

Olympic Light

I toted my tele-skis up the Dungie main fork than on up the Royal Creek valley about 5 more miles in late July. With the extra bulk of ski boots, poles, and skis on my shoulders I caught many attentive hikers with thoughtful and bemused comments – like “goin to ski the glacier?”, “is there snow up there?”, “can you ski up there?” etc.

That last comment cut into my pride a small notch, but I was glad to get the attention on an otherwise solitary hike. I felt that if these kinds of trips inspire others with thoughts of skiing, than great and I could see that wistful look in some.

I camped in the Upper Royal Basin below Mt Deception and just spent hours marveling at the incredible depth of the amphitheatre and all the basin ski runs at my disposal. Mt Deception dominates but the area is filled with rocky crags commanding attention. Feathery clouds shrouded many of the peaks but let glimpses of late afternoon light shine through giving definition to the high alpine architecture. While green grass campers were down below, I was able to hike the skis up consolidated snow fields toward Mt Mystery and nearby peaks.

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Posted in Author, Daniel Collins, Season, Summer | No Comments »

Return of the River

Sunday, July 15th, 2012

Photos from John Gussman

Blasting the Elwha River dam

Olympic Peninsula photographer John Gussman says "Dam removal began on the Elwha River in mid-September 2011. Originally anticipated to be a two to three year process, removal proceeded quickly and by late spring 2012, the Elwha Dam was completely gone. Work on lowering the Glines Canyon dam is expected to be complete by summer 2013."

John is creating a documentary film that includes these wonderful photos and more. This is what John has to say about the project:

"Return of the River is a film about the largest dam removal project in the history of the United States. It is the story of a river unleashed after a century of impoundment, and the extraordinary community effort to set it free. What if you could wave a magic wand and restore an ecosystem? What if you could revive a dying river? In a world of grim news about the environment, the return of the Elwha River is a story to celebrate. If only it had been as easy as waving a wand."

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Posted in Author, John Gussman, Season, Spring | No Comments »

Reclamation and Renewal on the Dosewallips

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

This entry was from the 2011 Celebrate Elwha! Writers Contest.

I think it’s a wonderful narrative and it makes me want to head

right up the Dosewallips! – The Incidental Explorer.

Story and photos by Mary Ann Kae

Road ends at the river washout

If you crave solitude on a day hike, it’s not difficult to find in the Olympics if you can work the geography, weather and calendar to your advantage. Head out on an off-season, mid-week day with the forecast threatening showers, and pick a destination in the Olympic rain shadow, where it’s likely to be driest. This strategy worked well on a recent pre-Memorial Day excursion to Quilcene.

The plan was to introduce my friend Yeshe to the Dosewallips River valley and see the transformations wrought by the 2002 flood which had washed out the road about three miles from the park boundary and the lightning fire in 2009 that obliterated the Lake Constance trail.

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Posted in Author, Mary Ann Kae, Season, Spring | No Comments »

Whale Watching with Puget Sound Express

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

By Cara Patten

Video By Emily Deering

Photos by Emily Deering and Bret Wirta

May 22nd 2012.

Bret, Capt Korie, Cara, Becca and Emily

I arrived in Port Townsend for a day of whale watching with two friends and my friend’s dad. We had booked our trip with an experienced company, Puget Sound Express. After browsing through the whale-themed paraphernalia in their gift shop, we were led by Carly, a smiling mate, down the dock and into the boat. I entered the window-lined the boat, surprised and relieved for the warm cabin and comfortable seating. Adding to my delight was the supply of coffee, tea and renowned Blueberry Buckle coffeecake. The four of us headed towards the bow where we could all fit together, not realizing that this would be the most bumpy part of the boat.

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Posted in Audio/Video, Author, Cara Patten, Emily Deering, Season, Summer | No Comments »

Protection Island Wildlife Cruise

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Story by Patrick Wu

Photos by Bret Wirta

Capt Charles's ship Living the Dream

June 12th 2012. We awoke around nine in the morning, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and then made the short drive down the road to the John Wayne Marina in Sequim. It was my pleasure to be a guest of the Wirtas on one of their many adventures into nature, for which Bret seems to have quite the eye. My girlfriend Becca and I, yawning from the aberration in our typical college student sleep schedules, benefited greatly from the fresh ocean air of the Peninsula as we, along with Bret and “Nanny,” Becca’s grandmother, were greeted by Captain Charles Martin on the docks at ten o’clock sharp. The captain is the proud owner of The Water Limousine, a beautiful 26-foot Glacier Bay catamaran by the name of “Livin’ the Dream”—a title that, by the tone of the captain’s voice as he speaks it, indeed seems to have its personal significance. “Livin’ the Dream” is used primarily for private cruises, such as this one, and the multi-hulled yacht provides a very smooth, stable ride for up to six people.

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Posted in Author, Patrick Wu, Season, Spring | 1 Comment »