Aberdeen to Forks (continued) Part II.

Continued from Part I.

Later, when they are captured by fishermen or return to the hatchery, these coded wired are recovered.  The information gained from the tags allows Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to document estimated survival rates and possible migration routes.

“The roots of the Quinault Indian Nation lie deep within the land. The land and its resources represents both out heritage from the past and our legacy to the future.”

Guy McMinds, 7th National Indian Timber Symposium.

The hatchery had nice exhibits… and was all very clean.  I enjoyed reading about the cultural history of the area.

Just really want to get to Port Angeles and rest and then try my hand (errrr arm) at kayaking again.

A couple miles before South Beach Campground there is a Trading Post near the Queets River, where you can do laundry and take a shower. 

 

South Beach Campground was nice… costs $10 a night (and no fireworks allowed).  One camper had caught a fish this morning and had cooked it up.  I walked by drooling. 

The beach of littered with dozens of very large crab that had washed up.  What a pity.  They were as big as my foot… and that is BIG. Who knows how long they had been dead or why they died.  Sure made me hungry though.

At about mile point 174 I saw something white at the side of the road… no, two something whites… and it was two large matted dirty Commodore(?) dogs.  I stopped at the next place I found to ask if anyone was missing two big white dogs.  She said they belong in the area and she would call the owners and tell them where the dogs were.  They were crossing Highway 101.

Or maybe they are Great Pyrenees, yes, I think that’s what they were… they didn’t have the dreadlocks like the Commodores. 

And in the Ho Rain Forest there I also saw a Hostel along the highway.  Good to note. In the morning I’ll explore The Forks a little and then head on in to Port Angeles.

Aberdeen, WA to The Forks, WA – Part I.

Well, can’t say much for Aberdeen, WA.  It smelled bad, it was run down and depressing and depressed.  Dirty town.  Along the main street (Route 101 heading north) houses were so bad that the community began a local campaign to have local business support re-painting them.  There are signs posted in front of the house with the name of the business that sponsored that house.  Tacky.  (clever but tacky)

I tried to find the tent I want at their Wal-Mart there too.  No luck, again.  Getting out of that town was like working your way through a broken maze.  Finally I got on 101 going north.  It was really good to get out of the pollution of Aberdeen, WA.  And although I got good internet connection last night, enough to do my blog, I got nothing this morning.  I still (at 3:30pm in Forks) cannot get a Verizon Air Card connection and am using one of the Forks hotel free wifi connections.   Geez!  Well, I wanted boondocks… and guess that’s what I’m getting today.

 

But as I was leaving Aberdeen and getting out into the wilderness again… I found I had no one in front of me and no one behind me.  That’s what makes me feel like I’m going in the right direction.  I love this life.

Saw a couple deer along the road.  Listening to the radio, the announcer called it “Bigfoot Radio,” but after awhile, I lost radio signals too and resorted to CD music to keep myself awake.

Not much out there between Aberdeen and the Forks.  Some timbering activities.  When you look on a map and see nothing between the two towns… or very little, it’s cause… that’s right… not much out there.

The most exciting part was where the road comes close to the ocean… and you can see it… the ocean.  I guess there are lots of places to get off the highway and into the Olympic National Forest, but with my rig (trailer and van) I don’t feel very adventurous.  There were signs of timbering activities all along Rt. 101.

 

I did stop at the Quinault National Fish Hatchery… which was really interesting.  I didn’t know the fish were tagged so that when caught you could learn where they had come from. 

Before European arrived in the Quinault area of the central Washington coast, hundreds of native peoples were living here in villages, hunting and foraging in the pristine forests, and fishing on these shores and crystal clear rivers. The hatchery is on lands within the Quinault Indian reservation on Cook Creek.  From September through February visitors can watch the exciting spectacle of these magnificent fish ascending the hatchery’s fish ladder and see large adult fish in the hatchery’s holding ponds.  While I was there, they were inserting coded wire tag in the nose of fish.

 

To be continued in Part II.

Travel from Aberdeen WA to Port Angeles, WA

Yesterday (9/4/09) was exciting, crossing the Astoria Bridge over the Columbia River. Got fussed at by my navigator van monkey, Spankie, kept telling me to stop taking pictures and keep my eye on the road. Reminds me of his two older brothers. The above picture is how my old and new van curtains look from driver's door. The shiney one is the old one. The bluesh one is the new one. I hang a reflective vest so it looks a little like a work van.

The next series of photographs were taken at Ruby Beach, WA. Fascinating place. I don't believe you can take a bad photo in that place. Weather was terrible, and I had to do a lot of log scrambling. There won't be captions on most of these. More text below though.

Another military facility. Lots of people hunkered down against the rain.

One beach had several dead squid - you can tell the size by my size 9 tennis shoe.

September 6, 2009 I stopped in the Forks at night. Learned about the movie, Twilight which, according to it's story line was filmed here. Not. I never heard of it before, but guess I need to see it now. Twilight Book series takes place in the Forks and LaPush. The movie, however, was filmed in Portland. This van says "Twilight Tours." Below, a link to my daughter-in-laws visit there.

http://rhondabailey.smugmug.com/Family/Twilight-in-Forks-and-LaPush/5228431_757gi#317580028_wXb2p

Next day (9/7) I drove to the farthest most northwest point of the US at Neah Bay on the Indian Reservation. That was really cool.

I couldn't believe that someone thought it necessary to post a sign to tell drivers there were at a Photo Op!!!

I figured it out all by myself.

Spent time with Gary and Mike and Heidi. We went to check out this van for another friend. (Gary on left, Mike on right)

 

Mike trying some of Gary's veggies, and Gary trying some of Mike's canned cheese and chicken crackers.

Heidi hides from the camera... so here are the three not so shy folk with their respective van monkies. Gary, Charlene and Mike.

Mike's Bo monkey, is doing something unspeakable to my hat, but if you look closely, Mike has a small sea gull doing "pay back" on his hat.

We just had a nice day visiting, beachcombing, chatting, etc.

 
The Monkey Gang at the Northwest Gathering of Van-dwellers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, will be my fifth state paddle of Washington state.

Forks, WA to Port Angeles, WA

The sun came out.  Boy, how I love blue sky and sunshine.  Coming in to the Forks from the south on 101, you will see a Thriftway store on the left. 

It is a combination Grocery Store/Outfitter/and Ace Hardware.  It’s like the old fashioned country store… and has the widest selection of stuff you can imagine.  I got a big deli sandwich that I can make into two meals.

 

They also have a Transit Center and Restop by the Olympic National Park & Forest Information Center.  There is ample parking in the back and no signs posted about limits.  On the other end of town is a Railroad Park… and last year I spend a night there and was only disturbed by some rowdy teens who eventually went away.

Last night I parked at that Thriftway store and used the Wi-Fi from the Dew Drop Inn across the street.  I could still not get Verizon Air Card to work.  When I was ready to turn in for the night, I drove around town a little and decided to park across the street from the Post Office.  This is off the main drag about one block and was very quiet.  Day time parking is limited to 1 hour between 8am and 6pm… so figured no one would bother with me until 9am.    I returned to use the Dew Drop Inn Wi-Fi before heading on northward on Rt. 101.

I had never driven into Port Angeles on this road and was delightfully surprised by Lake Crescent.  Strikingly beautiful.  Wonderfully fragrant, flowers, new mowed grass??? I don’t know what it was, but it was a divine smell.  I saw people laying around on one of the boat docks, just talking. I drove by Lake Crescent Lodge where I noted there were kayaks along the shore.  This area of Washington is amazingly quiet and peaceful and I can’t get over the fresh air.  The photos say it all… so I’ll just post them.  I’ve got to come back here again.

Kayaks for rent at Lake Crescent Lodge

Lake Crescent Lodge

I drove on into Port Angeles, and found Gary’s house.  We did some errands and got tickets for the ferry ride to Victoria tomorrow.  This tree trunk with masks mounted on it was outside the Victoria Ferry Office.  Very interesting.

I believe my air card has died so I’m borrowing Gary’s to post my blog.  I’ll have to get a replacement on the way to Bremerton when I leave here.  Now it’s time to rest, clean VanHouse, straighten things up, and did I say rest?  Gary is off “playing” landlord.

Gary’s van, kayak (with bed on top) and bike/trike.  Says, “it’s furnished.” Our vans now look like kissin’ cousins.  His is the window van.

VanGearloose meets VanSwankieWheels. 

Enjoy the photos.  Won’t be posting again for a couple days.

Oh, unless you are into Vampires and Twilight Zone fads… the best thing I found in the Forks was the Thriftway Store complex.  IMHO.