Ozette Lake and Loop Trail, Olympic National Park
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Seattle |
Vancouver |
Stanley Park |
Lynn Canyon |
Victoria |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Kalaloch |
Ozette |
Hoh |
Hurricane Ridge |
Seattle |
Lake Ozette (click to enlarge)
|
After lunch and a bit of shopping in the city of Forks, we made our way north to the extreme tip of the national park, to Lake Ozette Campground. We spoke to a ranger there and were given the go-ahead to attempt the 9 mile loop trail. We were warned that tide was coming in, and that if we didn't hurry it would pin us to the shore, stranding us in that spot until tide subsided. With some urgency, we picked a campsite, packed our bags, and set out on the Ozette Loop Trail.
|
|
Lake Ozette Panoramic (click to enlarge)
 |
| Panoramic of Lake Ozette, made by stitching together three photos taken twenty feet from camp.
|
Ozette Loop Trail (click to enlarge)
 |
| The Ozette Loop Trail begins at Ozette Campground, follows the red path to the coast (marked "1"), continues along the coast south (to marker "2"), and then follows the trail back to camp.
|
 |
| Nearly the entire trail consists of this beautiful fading boardwalk path. The park system has not forgotten about Ozette, they've just decided to let nature take its course. Once the wilderness reclaims these planks, it will then remain a natural path.
|
 |
| Suddenly, a clearing opened to reveal a meadow. Angela pulled out her field guide to identify some beautiful specimens.
|
 |
 |
| |
Reddish Saxifrage |
 |
| Fern Fiddle Head
|
 |
| Bog-Laurel
|
 |
| Finally, after three miles of boardwalk, we crossed this bridge, and the Pacific appeared before us.
|
 |
| Ozette Island off in the distance
|
 |
| Tskawahyah Island
|
 |
| Bodeltah Islands
|
 |
| Ozette Island
|
 |
| Climbing rocks
|
 |
| Dane looks out over the rocky terrain left to cover.
|
 |
| Rock protrusion off the coast.
|
 |
| Bull Kelp stipe, washed up onto the rocks
|
 |
| Sea Anemone
|
 |
| Crab
|
|
If you look hard enough, you can find 300-500 year old Native American petroglyphs on some of the larger rocks along the coast.
|
 |
| Sea stacks were everywhere in all directions.
|
 |
| Dane and Nicole climbing the alternative route up the cliff. This route is necessary once high tide rolls in.
|
 |
| The sun was setting as we turned into the forest to return to camp. We literally jogged to make it back before sunset.
|
 |
| This is Larz. He was traveling coast to coast, from Boston to the west coast and back again.
|
 |
| Long exposure shot over Lake Ozette
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Seattle |
Vancouver |
Stanley Park |
Lynn Canyon |
Victoria |
|
|
|
|
|
| Kalaloch |
Ozette |
Hoh |
Hurricane Ridge |
Seattle |
|
