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Rialto to Ozette Journal
July 1999
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Day 1: Sunday July 11, 1999
Miles: 9.8 from Rialto Beach to Norwegian Memorial
We got up at 5:40, got packed up, and were out by 6:30. Our ferry left
at 7:10 and we made it with a few minutes to spare. When we started
going, Anne and I were out front and the bullhorn scared us out of our
minds! We spent the rest of the time walking around the ferry. It
was gonna be a fun day. The weather was great, and we were gonna hike
on the beach. The car ride to Rialto Beach was beautiful. Anne and I
stopped in Port Angeles at McDonald's around 9:00. They told us they
didn't serve regular meals till 10:30 (sigh, small town folk!) so we
got breakfast (again). Later, I took an hour-long nap. When we got
there, we stopped at the Rangers Station where Anne filled out our
registration card. Also, we found out that there were more fees to
pay (ugh). Oh well, that was ok because we could mail the money later.
Anyway, we drove up to the beach, went to the bathroom, changed into
shorts, and left. The rest of the day was full of rocks, logs, mist,
rocks, people, rocks...oh ya, and lost of rocks! We couldn't go
through the Hole In The Wall because the tide was in. At the Chilean
Memorial we had lunch - at 4:00. While passing the Ranger Station
near the Starbuck Mine site, we talked to the ranger who told us we
were getting close to where we were to camp, a.k.a. Norwegian Memorial
on Kayostla Beach. We found a really nice place with a cool bathroom!
We ate dinner around 9:00 and watched a beautiful sunset. Then Anne
and I put our food up on a tree that someone had hung a bunch of buoys
on and went to bed.
Day 2: Monday July 12, 1999
Miles: 4.5 Norwegian Memorial to Yellow Banks
We woke up and got ourselves ready. Freeze-dried scrambled eggs was
our breakfast, then we packed ourselves out of there. We crossed over
rock after rock after rock (through the rock reef). After not too
long, I started to feel sick, so we rested for a few minutes and I
drank some water. We told stories to pass the time. At last we made
it to a (sort of) beach! We walked around it and suddenly saw a deer.
She was eatine leaves off a tree and when she saw us, didn't seem to
mind our presence. We took pictures and were about to leave when a
fawn came up to about 20 feet from us. We took pictures of the two
together, got some water, and found a campsite not too far from there.
The tide was in almost all the way, so we ate lunch. When we were
about to go look for better campsites at Yellow Banks, I went up to
go to the bathroom. (There is a point to this, stay with me now!) No
sooner had I squatted down when I felt taht something as looking at
me. I turned around and there as the deer we had seen earlier. She
was laying down, just looking at me. So I finished up, we took some
more pictures, and headed out with just the map bag and a water bottle.
It didn't take long to reach Yellow Banks, The beach was beautiful.
We walked around and laid down in the sun. Lots of people passes us
including a group of 20! Finally we decided to find a campsite and go
get our stuff. On the way, there were two male deer just sitting on
the rocks we had to cross. We couldn't go around them too far, so we
passed right by. After grabbing our stuff and heading back around the
deer, we set up camp. Later, we went beach combing. Anne got a swiss
army knife and a BRIGHT orange bandanna to match her BRIGHT orange
windbreaker. (hehe) I found a little shovel. :) We had brought the
camera, so we took pictures of the sunset. - (Anne) Then Alicia saw a
raccoon and made faces at it. The raccoon died from our left over
food. - Hey!! (She's just j/k-ing) Anyways, we threw rocks at a
raccoon before going to bed till we figured he was gone...
Day 3: Tuesday July 13, 1999
Miles: 8.2 Yellow Banks to Ozette Lake, then back to Sand Point
Reluctantly, we left Yellow Banks and headed for Sand Point. It was
only 2.5 miles, and the rocks quickly turned to sand. It was really
sinky sand, but that was ok. The beach was long and we came upon
several parts of a shipwreck. Finally we stopped and asked these
people (with a cute little kid) about campsites. We found some and
had lunch. While we were eating, a cute little chipmunk (who we so
lovingly called "Chip") came up and ate the Top Raumen we dropped.
There had been a deer out towards the beach eating and she walked
right by our campsite and styed just beyond it to eat for another half
hour or so. We set our tent up to dry and put our backpacks in it.
Then we hung our food up, I grabbed the map bag, Anne grabbed the
water bottle, and we started on the 3 miles to Ozette Lake. And guess
what? The whole way was board walk! The rainforest was beautiful and
when we got to the Lake, Ranger Station, and REAL BATHROOM Anne and I
decided to stop and rest. Anne tried calling my mom on the cell phone
and at the pay phone but with no luck. So we walked down the road 1/4
mile to a resort place where there was a general store. Lots of snacks,
a tiny dura log, and a Starbucks Mocha Frapaccino is what we finally
settled on. Then Anne and I walked back and stopped at the campground
to try the cell phone there. It worked! So we said, "Hi, we're not
dead yet, bye" to my mom, then headed back to Sand Point with hurting
feet. We had a REALLY gross dinner that night (NEVER buy Natural
High's Burgandy Beef!) after beach combing and went to bed before the
sunset.
Day 4: Wednesday July 14, 1999
Miles: 13.2 Sand Point to Chilean Memorial
We got up at a fairly average time and headed out. We were to make
the Norwegian Memorial by the end of the day, making it a 4 mile day.
However, we kinda missed it and when we realized our mistake, we
decided to keep going since it was so early in the day - not even
lunch time. So we walked for a while longer till we saw a lot of
people on the beach and just above it (at the ranger station). However,
we couldn't seem to see the Ranger Station or the shelter, so we found
a little gap in the logs that as sheltered from the wind. It was
almost high tide, and we barely got over the rocks before it came in.
Ok, so it wasn't THAT close, but anyways...we made lunch and took
an hour-long nap. A lady yelled, "There's people sleeping over here!"
and after that we were pretty much awake. The tide was in all the way
and we had to walk on logs and gravel. The sky was cloudy and the
water menacing. Soon we were climbing over loose dirt to get over
fallen trees. Then we couldn't go anymore. Anne started up and I
followed reluctantly after her. The dirt was so loose I was surprised
anything could live on it. After only a few minutes we were met by -
you guessed it - a rockslide with no safe way around. We couldn't go
back, so down the rockslide was the only way. I looked at it and
burst into tears. Anne helped calm me and explained that we were
gonna throw our backpacks down, then slide down on our butts. So once
was calm enough to get started, we did just that. After reaching the
bottom, everything looked a lot more inviting. Anne and I got to the
rocks just before Cape Johnson and stopped to wait for a low to medium
tide. The trail mix was out and we pretty much finished it off, along
with some other misc. snacking items. An hour later we started off
again. I thought a lot as we hopped from rock to rock. Towards the
end of Cape Johnson, we saw seals out on the rocks sunning themselves
in the clearing sky. When we could see the Chilean Memorial, tents
scattered the beach - everywhere. We asked some people where we might
find an inland site for our un-freestanding tent. After many tries,
finally someone knew of one. Anne was exhausted...and so was I, come
to think of it. About 15 miles in one day had been more than enough
for both of us, being 19 and 15. :) That night we pigged out on the
rest of our junk food. I gave Anne her surprise emergency
chocolate...hehe.
Day 5: Thursday July 15, 1999
Miles: 3.7 Chilean Memorial to Rialto Beach and home!!
When we woke up, Anne asked me what time it was. Me, being only half
awake (and half blind without my glasses) quickly glanced at the watch
and proclaimed, "8:30". Anne repeated the time I had just announced
and got up. I tried to - really I did! Anyway, when we had packed
up, the boy scout leader who had told us about our campsite, said,
"Getting an early start?" I looked back at my watch, then asked him
what time it was - just to make sure. It was only 7:30! Well, we set
out anyway, my excuse being that it was really 6:40 and I had
(obviously) looked at the watch wrong. We only had about 3 miles to
go, and it was at low tide. Anne and I were able to walk through the
Hole In The Wall and got some pictures. One time, when we stopped to
rest, Anne dropped my camera and it got sand all in it! Ucky! Oh well,
I did the same thing not too long afterward. When we got to Rialto
Beach, I gave my shovel from Yellow Banks to a little kid. When we
got to the car, I put some sand in my "dirt bottle" and we stopped by
the Ranger Station to fill out a trail report. I must say, we were
very proud of our accomplishment and talked about what the ranger
might think now that we'd made it...she didn't think we could, lol.
On the road, I slept for over an hour. We stopped by a gas station
and the McDonalds in Port Angeles again. The ferry ride seemed very
short and we saw an orca whale. We hadn't been able to find our ferry
schedule, but we made it within a minute of when it was to leave.
Pretty good, huh? Anne called from the cell phone to say we were
almost there. At home, Anne and I put our saltwater-smelling stuff
out to dry and did our dishes. Next, (and certainly persuaded by the
rest of the family) we took showers. Then Anne and I went to Video
Update and rented Stepmom, which we watched later that night. The
final day ended, one more trip complete...oh Bertha!
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