Snoop | Village Girl Adventures

The 3.1 mile hike to Cape Alaza was worth the walk to witness this beautiful view.

It’s been a great summer for camping and hiking in the great northwest. We’ve managed to get out more in the last couple of months then we have in the last couple of years. This weekend we decided to head out to Lake Ozette just south of Neah Bay on Washington’s western coast. After an excruciatingly long 3 ½ hour drive in the pouring down rain, it was nearly midnight when we finally reached the Lost Resort at Lake Ozette.

Note to self. We have to leave the house earlier. Have you ever set up a huge tent with a miniature flashlight in the dark of night during a torrential down pour? Believe me. It is no fun sloshing around in the mud, hauling sleeping bags back and forth and after all is said and done realizing that several key components of your tent are missing. Result? Rain seeping inside and dripping everywhere. After setting up some makeshift rain catchers, we drifted off to sleep and woke to a nice, balmy morning.

Though still bleary eyed and a bit soggy, I set about making breakfast while the kiddies picked fresh huckleberries and blueberries for our pancakes. There’s something about being surrounded by nature during the early hours that is so peaceful and relaxing that it is a joy to sit down with my family and eat breakfasts that we wouldn’t normally eat at home – pancakes, eggs, sausage, hash browns. Not our normal weekend fare, but something we enjoy during our camping trips.

After moving our campsite to a much drier location, we set off to Ozette to take the 3 mile boardwalk hike to Cape Alava. Fortunately, the weather was absolutely perfect, the kids were in a great mood, and there were plenty of huckleberries and blueberries to keep us occupied along the walk. I was reminded of my Alaskan village as we passed skunk cabbage, Indian celery, salmonberries, and Hudson Bay tea during our walk. We stopped numerous times to pay our respects to grandmother cedar tree for her gift of shelter, canoes, bark for our baskets, and the boughs that cleanse our living spaces. She was alive in all her glory – standing tall and strong against the elements – and, yet, so regal in her omnipotence.

I am thankful for the National Park Service staff for maintaining the trails and parks as it required a lot of work to install such an extensive boardwalk. It definitely contributed to a unique hike. Upon approaching Cape Alava the trail is a bit muddy and slick as the bluff is too steep to continue the boardwalk, so proceed with caution. My daughter had painstakingly collected several cups of berries with the intent of enjoying them once we reached the beach. Unfortunately, she slipped on the mud and lost a good portion of her treasure.

Beach camping is quite popular and so we had to walk a ways to find a deserted stretch of beach to relax on, but it turned out to be the perfect spot to enjoy the quiet of the beach and soak up the warmth of the sun. Earlier this summer I purchased a half tent from Costco that we use on the beach. It’s great for blocking the breeze and kicking back to read a book. My summer reading is “Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You” by Sam Gosling. It’s an interesting look into the world of people’s things and how it projects our personalities. Not something I would normally read, but I came across it at a bookstore and was intrigued by the premise.

The kids had a great time exploring the beach while we decided just to relax and enjoy the view. We watched as several couples walked by carrying rope and found that they used it to haul their wood back to their campsites. It turns out that most of the campers were folks from other countries which gave us an even better appreciation of our surroundings. What’s a mere 3 hour drive compared to traveling across the world?

The hike itself took about an hour and a half so around 7:00 we packed up shop and headed out. By then we were getting hungry, so we spent time eating huckleberries and blueberries along the way. It was surprising to see such an abundance of berries completely untouched. My daughter was in heaven and decided that she was going to walk back to our campsite so she could pick all the salmon berries she saw on our way over.

There’s probably nothing more disappointing on a hike than finding garbage left behind by your fellow hikers. On this trip, though, we were pleased to note that the area was clean and free from litter. We were, however, treated to some unexpected bread crumbs left behind by a fellow hiker that kept us smiling and looking out for the next remnant to grace the trail. I couldn’t help but imagine a content hiker walking ahead grabbing leaves as he walked and creating little happy faces which he dropped along the trail for others to find. Perhaps this was his way of leaving a tiny bit of his personality behind to spread good cheer to those that came along after him. Regardless of the intent, it spiked the kids’ curiosity and energized them to run ahead to find the next clue and left us feeling content that we’d experienced another perfect day in nature.