Olympic National Park- Part 2 August 2010

 We camped at the Mora Camp Ground near Forks.  It was beautiful and about two or three miles from the beach.  We were able to burn driftwood at our camp.  It was a good place to camp.  I got up really early in the morning and could not go back to sleep.  I decided to hop in the car, warm up, drive to La Push and get some sand for some of my Twi-Hard friends.  Amazingly, the sky was blue!  This is so rare for Forks, but even more rare for La Push.

La Push is a little Indian fishing village with towering sea stacks, so close that you might be able to walk out to them on low tide.

I saw this huge tree/driftwood with the roots sticking out with a seagull on top.  On my way back to camp I noticed a bunch of cars parked by the side of the road.  I know enough to know that where there are cars, there are people.  And where there are people there is something to see.  I parked where I saw a big swath of cars to investigate.  I walked a few hundred feet up a path and into the woods and saw signs directing hikers to a beach a mile and a half up a path.  This was the type of activity the group needed to do!  So when I got back to camp I made breakfast, woke up all of the sleepy heads, quickly broke down camp, and convinced everyone to go to Number Two Beach.  I am not sure how I could convince anyone to go to a beach thus named.  When we got to the trail head we realised it was called Beach 2, not Number Two beach.  Joe was relieved.  No, he did not relieve himself.  He was just not worried about what he would find in the sand of the beach.   

The mile and a half hike down to the beach was through a rain forest!  It was a gorgeous walk.

At the end of the path we hiked down a steep hill and stumbled upon one of the most pristine, uncrowded beaches that I have ever seen, with sea stacks, tide pools, a hole in the rock with surf splashing through.

When we got to the beach it was low tide.  As the tide came in we had to scramble because we had gone out a bit too far.  Did I mention how cold the water is up here?

After our beach adventure we made our way to the Solduc Hot springs.  It seems that this area of the park attracts the most international crowd.  There are three hot spring pools which are different temperatures and a standard swimming pool.  One good feature is the showers which feels like such a treat to campers.  I witnessed one of the funniest events in the dressing room.  Modesty is totally out the window with the European crowd.  That was okay, but one lady brought her 6 year old son in the changing room.  He knew that he was in the wrong room.  When he protested his mother ignored him.  He waited until his mother took off her underwear then he bolted out of there to find his dad.  Generally I don't cheer for disobedient children but I made an exception for this kid.  When a kid can say, "Mom, I am not a girl and I don't belong in here," he is definitely too old to be in there.

Andrew was too young to go in the hot springs. We took turns taking care of him.  He is such a good baby.  I think his first camping trip was a success.