North by Northwest

A month after finding ourselves at the southernmost point in the 50 states, we happened upon the most northwesterly point in the continental 48: Cape Flattery, WA. With time in this beautiful part of the world growing shorter, my best buddy and my salty buddy and I headed for the coast to do some 'splorin'.


We set out to do a little walking, beach strolling, and sightseeing. When we got to Hobuck Beach, our destination for the night, it was clear that we had brought a lack of gear. Well, okay there were the few things that got accidentally left behind by the car-packer (like my boots and warm clothes and the like), but there was some gear we didn't even plan on bringing that was lacking--big gear, like surfboards and kayaks and stuff. A week ago, as Rhody Run XXX took place just beyond the reaches of my driveway, I was all verklempt as I watched the runners pass by, wondering why I didn't drag my own ass out there to join the fun (and pain). Now with a lack of toys at the beach, I had the same feeling. Yes, beach walks are great, but surfing sounded a lot more exciting--especially given the wee little waves that would have been perfect for me. But, once the sun started to set, showing all kinds of glorious reds, the beach in and of itself was enough of an attraction. As another happy beach-goer shouted out, "Yea Nature!"


We definitely were not in luxury car-camping mode, but had remembered some foam pads for sitting on the ground and toasting marshmallows, and The Salty One was more happy roaming around seeing what everyone else was eating for dinner than she would have been curled up on a comfy bed. Red sky at night dawned crystal clear blue the next morning and we set off on a wake-up stroll to the far north of the beach. The highlight was a gaggle of black oystercatchers hanging out by some rocks, protected from the exuberant dog by an outgoing tide and a rivulet with a good current--they seemed to know they had it made.

Next stop was Shi Shi Beach and a muddy walk out to do some tidepooling. The tide was low and we had lots of area to explore. Gooseneck barnacles, anemones, and lots of mussels were the extent of our wildlife sitings, but that's pretty much what you expect on the rocky coast.


We rounded out the trip with a walk out to Cape Flattery with its stunning view of Tatoosh Island and awesome cliffs, complete with pelagic cormorants flying in and out. This is truly one of those magical places, despite the well-beaten path to the viewing platform.

The drive back along the north coast couldn't have been more beautiful, with patches of snow lingering on Vancouver Island, clear blue skies, and the Straits about as calm as they get. A few stops along the way to let the salty dog run around and commune with the copepods completed the quick trip.