Day 5 of our late March trip to Olympic National Park, in Washington, started off with overcast skies. Today the plan was to leave Hobuck Beach Resort, and head back toward Forks ending up at Rialto Beach for sunset.
Hobuck Beach, Washington
We got up, made coffee, and went for a short walk on the beach. Gray cloudy overcast skies do not make for great images at the beach, so we decided to go check out the trail head for Shi Shi Beach (shy-shy beach).
At the south end of Hobuck Beach we came across a turnout with a small shelter and picnic tables. The poles had carvings and the concrete floor had designs as well.
Not much to see at the Shi Shi Beach trail head, someday I want to hike in and spend the night to get some images from there. There was a neat serpent sculpture made from wood at one house along Tsso-Yess Beach Road.
As we headed back to Cape Flattery Road we came across another herd of elk, one of them was wearing a radio collar.
Driving back to Neah Bay we stopped and looked at the docks and more wildlife. One Bafflehead duck decided he did not like our company and took off.
We left Neah Bay after a stop for coffee for me, and sunflower seeds for Vicki. We made a few stops along Highway 112 and 113 on the way to Forks. Killing some time before heading to Rialto Beach we stopped at a couple of shops in Forks. We found another herd of elk at the Forks airport, which is across from the Visitors Center. Behind the Visitors Center was this phone booth, it must be the phone used to call for moss removal.
Rialto Beach, Washington
The sun had come out by the time we got to Rialto Beach. There were still scattered clouds, but it was better than the gray overcast we had this morning. We parked at the beach and ate a late lunch in the sunshine.
Walking on this beach was strenuous, the sand went from hard to soft, yet it looked the same. The flat oval rocks would support your weight for a few steps, then as you took a step they would squish out away from your foot. It was like walking up a sand dune, it felt like it was at least 50% further to Hole in the Wall than the 1.5 miles it shows on the map. I told Vicki it was only 1.1 miles, if it was too far she wouldn’t have gone, don’t tell her I was wrong. At least the rocks along the way were pretty.
We got to Hole in the Wall with time to waste. I laid down on the sand and took a nap, while Vicki read a book that she had packed. After a short nap I started exploring, the tide pools were pretty empty, it looks like the surf washes them pretty clean. I did find this object, which is possibly part of an anchor, along the beach. I tossed my hat down next to it for size. There were several shipwrecks near here, but I doubt the waves carried this very far, it had to weigh close to 100 lbs.
I explored out along the rocks, but the tide pools looked like they had been scoured clean by the waves. There were some flat sandy areas, and they had a lot of little crabs running along them. This guy was the size of a silver dollar.
This is the view north of Hole in the Wall, from the overland trail. Look closely and you will see Vicki sitting on a log, reading a book.
This is the view south, past Split (or Gun Site) Rocks, toward James Island and La Push. The trail here is narrow, with steep drop offs on each side. You have to stand beside your tripod, there is no room to stand behind it.
Getting closer to sunset, but still a little too bright.
The sun was getting closer to the horizon, so we started working our way back toward the parking area.
Sometimes just a few minutes makes a big difference in how a shot comes out. The image below was taken as the sun had slipped a little lower in the sky The sun was also partially hidden behind the clouds, which helped reduce the range of brightness in this image. Let me know which one you like better.
Further along the beach, as the waves crash up the beach and then retreat, you hear the pebbles on the beach clinking as they roll back and forth. It is a pretty steep, gravely slope down to the waterline in places.
Keeping an eye out for waves is always a good idea. I had to grab the camera and tripod and go up the beach to get away for the next wave. The camera was in the middle of a longer exposure when I moved it. The image turned out better than I thought it would.
Tomorrow we are visiting the Hoh Rain Forest and Second Beach
