Daily Archives: July 26, 2018

Salt Creek Recreation Area, WA July 26, 2018

We left the Port Townsend area and headed west to Salt Creek Recreation Area.  We were last here in 2014. Somehow back then we missed the WW II bunkers at Camp Hayden (built 1942-5).  You can actually drive your car through the bunker! Camp Hayden was used during World War II as a harbor defense military base.  The two concrete bunkers housed 16-inch guns and several smaller bunkers. IMG_20180727_144311IMG_20180727_144556

The huge guns were 45 feet long and shot one-ton projectiles 28 miles. IMG_20180727_144407

The guns were only fired for practice. While in the area we found several geocaches. IMG_20180727_150226

From our campsite at Salt Creek Recreation Area we had a beautiful panoramic view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Crescent Bay and Vancouver Island, Canada (British Columbia).  Our front window gave us views of cruise ships and barges passing by until the fog rolled in each day during the evenings. IMG_3255

The international boundary between the United States and Canada runs down the center of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. IMG_20180727_142124IMG_20180727_142145IMG_20180727_145933

On Saturday we drove to nearby Port Angeles to meet a friend of Bill’s who now lives in Washington state. Her family went to the same church as Bill in the 1980’s.  We had a lovely lunch and introduced her to geocaching. IMG_20180728_141938

We saw this wall mural of a old car ferry. Port Angeles has regular ferry service to Victoria, Canada. 20180728_142242

While in the area Bill and I went to the Olympic National Park Visitors Center and drove up to Hurricane Ridge. Due to clouds and haze the view of the glaciers clad mountains was not as good as it was when we were here in 2014.  IMG_20180728_16250720180728_163423

Hurricane Ridge, at 5,242 feet is the most easily accessed mountain area in Olympic National Park. IMG_20180728_162351

Hurricane Ridge got its name from the intense wind often experienced in the area. While we were there it was a nice 70 degrees with light winds. We saw a few deer lounging around. IMG_20180728_163652IMG_20180728_163735

On Tuesday we drove once again into Olympic National Park along the picturesque Crescent Lake.  IMG_3252

Our main purpose was to hike to two waterfalls. The first waterfall was the Marymere Falls, a beautiful 90 foot waterfall we accessed along a one mile walk through the forest. IMG_20180731_121414IMG_20180731_121705IMG_20180731_123106IMG_20180731_122516

We then drove to the next waterfall and hiked another mile to the Sol Duc Falls which splits into four channels as it cascades 48 feet into a narrow, rocky canyon. IMG_20180731_145858IMG_20180731_145701-EFFECTS

It was a wonderful day and we got in almost four and a half miles of hiking. IMG_20180731_151014IMG_20180731_130330

Next stop: Clallam Bay, Washington