The Pacific Northwest

Tara and Noé hiking at Lost Lake

Pako and Noé in the Hoh Rainforest

Noé and I just spent the past week camping in two gorgeous areas of Washington State.  First we spent 3 days in the Hoh Rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula with Amanda, Daniel, Matt, Pako, Chris, and 2 of Matt's friends.  Then Noé and I hiked to Lost Lake in the Cascade Mountains, over highway 2 just past Steven's Pass, for 3 days. I used to do this hike with Becky and Michelle's family, but I think the last time I went was 9 years ago!

Phone outside of the Hoh Rainforest Visitor's Center.

To get to the Hoh Rainforest, we took the Kingston-Edmonds ferry and then drove through Sequim, Port Angeles, around Lake Crescent, and then through Forks and into the park.  It took around 6 hours to get there!  After being hassled by the rangers repeatedly for holding spots for people who hadn't arrived yet (why don't they do online reservations, then?!), the rest of our group finally arrived.  The second day we went hiking near the river and just relaxed, listening to Amanda and Matt's stories of Twilight Lodge in Forks.

In Seattle, they say it rains about 36 inches a year.  In the Hoh Rainforest, it rains about 140 inches a year!  We identified many trees there - mostly Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Maple, Vine Maple, and Douglas Fir.  Of course there was lots of MOSS and ferns.

View of Lost Lake and Nason Ridge

After we got back from the peninsula, Noé and I decided we wanted to squeeze in one more camping trip before I head back to Rota.  So, thinking back upon my teenage years, I thought of Lost Lake.  Somehow I don't remember the trail being so hard!  But I was younger then...The first part (switchbacks) is a killer, as is the descent down into Lost Lake after going over the ridge.  Our legs were ready to give out!  It took us about 4 hours to get to our camping site, all alone on the lake.

Noé and Tara with all their hiking gear, at the campsite at Lost Lake

The next day we saw a few people, but they didn't stay at the sites near us, rather they headed around the lake to a distant site.  We stayed 2 nights and then hiked out, back up the ridge, down and over to Merritt Lake, then back down to the car, a total of two and a half hours.  To see all of our Pacific Northwest photos, click here.

View from Nason Ridge, looking down on Merritt Lake

Noé climbing up the rocks, leaving Lost Lake

Tara at Lost Lake

Noé posing for a nice shot of the view from the trail, Lost Lake