The Kaleberg Journal - May 2025

05/14 - Hurricane Ridge 2025 - First Look

We drove up to Hurricane Ridge to see how the snow was melting. It's melting, but there's still a lot of it. It's still strange pulling into the parking lot, gawking at the spectacular view of the Olympic Mountains and realizing that lodge is gone. The park service has set up temporary facilities, but the lodge with its model of the mountains, plaque of Scoop Jackson and various exhibits is gone.

The mountains are still there. They were hazy at first, but the clouds lifted. The sky turned blue, and the distant snow topped peaks were crystalline. We didn't wander far. Did we mention the snow. There had been eight feet at the stake. Now there were some clear areas but most of the trails were snow covered. The roads to Hurricane Hill and Obstruction Point were, unsurprisingly, closed as well.

We walked across the field. There were a few golden glacier lilies, some robins, just like the ones at sea level, some deer, just like the ones at sea level and some lovely smells. We looked down and north towards Port Angeles, but all we saw was cloud. It lifted a bit, but just enough to see some distant hills and forest.

We walked back to our car and took a last look south at the main Olympic range when we smelled it. There was a faint whiff of phlox. We had seen some on the bare hills along the road up, but it was great smelling that sweet odor again. We were looking right at it a ways to the south.


The view



A glacier lily


The temporary facilities - At least we hope they are temporary.

Some clear trail

Edge of the snow



A robin

Deer

We're not sure.

A clearer view



A typical view north


We smelled phlox.

Phlox



A blue grouse, seen by the side of the road on our drive down

Keywords: hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, obstruction point, port angeles, trails

05/13 - Marymere Falls and a Bit of Barnes Creek

We were out at Lake Crescent the other day and walked the little loop trail to Marymere Falls. The forest was extremely green, and there were lots of trilliums. The falls was in full spate, and that log across the top is still in place somehow. We also took a short side trip up Barnes Creek. We didn't go very far, just to the first gravel beach. It wasn't a very long hike, but it was as beautiful as ever.

Marymere Falls

One of many pictures of a trillium



False mock Solomon's seal or possibly real mock Solomon's seal

Mahonia, Oregon grape

Another view of the falls

A fern growing through a tiarella leaf

Forest

Barnes Creek




An older, tired trillium




One of the gateways


Barnes Creek again


Forget me nots

Keywords: barnes creek, lake crescent, marymere falls, trilliums

05/08 - Seattle and the Flight Home

Our appointment in Seattle went well. Then, we flew home. It was a much cloudier day, but there's always something to see out of an airplane window.

View from our hotel window

View from an office

Closer view

The port without cargo traffic

Seattle

West Seattle

The Hood Canal Bridge

That darn bridge again

Discovery Bay

Sequim Bay

The Rayonier cleanup site

Keywords: flying, seattle

05/07 - Walking Around Seattle

We did some wandering in Seattle. First, we made our way down the new ziggarut that connects Pike Place Market with the waterfront. There's no viaduct. Instead, there's a maze of ramps and steps, a playground, viewing spots and spectacular views. It's a great addition to the city.

Then we walked north along the waterfront, past the piers, the Edgewater, the cruise terminal and on to the Myrtle Edwards rose garden in the park just before the grain elevator. We hadn't been up this way in a while, but it was a perfect sunny day.

We did some more wandering after dinner in Fremont. We walked down the Fremont hill, across the Fremont Bridge and then along the South Lake Union waterfront until our feet gave out.


Looking south to the ferris wheel from the new Pike Place ziggarut

More rampways



Down on the waterfront



The grain elevator

Looking south - Mount Rainier

The rose garden


The Space Needle

The PI building

A heron

This was the only ship we saw in the harbor, loading grain.

Mount Rainier again, but no ships

Yup, no ships

Fremont sidewalk

Fremont Bridge

View from the bridge - South Lake Union

Blooming


South Lake Union again

Keywords: seattle

05/06 - Flight to Seattle

We recently flew to Seattle via Rite Brothers out of Fairchild, our local airport. The Hood Canal Bridge had gotten stuck open, and we had an important appointment in town. As it turned out, the bridge was repaired in time, but we really had to be there on time, so we flew.

As a reward, we got some beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles, the countryside and even Mount Rainier.


Port Angeles from the air

Olympic Mountains and countryside





The Hood Canal and distant Cascades

Mount Rainier

There's all sorts of interesting stuff visible from the air. Is this an oyster facility?

Keywords: flying, mount rainier, port angeles, seattle

05/03 - Dungeness Dike - High Mustard

We've been following the changes at the new Dungeness Dike. They tore down the old one and moved the bulk of the dike to the east. It's been great watching the changes. This year, it's very vineyard with rows of young trees starting to poke out above the grass and lots of brilliant mustard flower. We took the spur north along the path of the old dike for a bit and got to see where the river diverted and flooded the old Towne Road.

Very vineyard



Mustard flowers on the side spur north

Looking south towards the mountains

Poppies!

Flooded


Bokeh



Heading south



Along the path of the old dike

The Dungeness River

High mustard



The way back along the dike

Keywords: dungeness

The Kaleberg Journal - April 2025

04/25 - Return to Little River

We went back to the Little River Trail and made it a bit farther along. We were impressed with all the trilliums last time, but there were many more on this hike. There were also mushrooms, slugs, orchids and rushing water. We even saw some spiderweb-like leaf skeletons on the trailside.

Signs of winter damage and trail repair

One of the gateways

Trilliums, lots of them

Mushrooms

The Little River

Another mushroom and some violets




Spiderweb-like leaf skeletons

Rushing waters


Another gateway

The trail

Another slug besides the two of us

One of the orchids


Along the big nurse log

Another look at that downed tree

Can you see the trillium across the river? Look for a fallen log.

How about now?

There it is. It's there every year.

Keywords: little river, slugs, trails, trilliums

04/20 - Little River Trillium Report

It's springtime, and we've been checking out the trilliums on the Little River Trail. We're in the heart of the spring flower season, so it was nice taking a long walk in the woods and especially along the river.























Keywords: little river, spring, trilliums

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