Shown above: the Kaleberg sinks the Titanic
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Shown above: the Kaleberg sinks the Titanic |
Kaleberg SymbiontsArchived Notes
June 2004 |
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| 06/27 - We always liked those old
fashioned nature documentaries with their portentious announcers. We
were up at Hurricane Hill today, and the dirty sock plant (Polygonum
bistortoides) is in bloom. This plant is noted for its hearty aroma.
The scent hasn't really ramped up yet, but as we passed this field
(shown at the right), we could almost hear the ominous bass voice, "...
a field so full of dirty sock plant, it is known as 'the hamper'". On a more pleasant olfactory note, the bog orchid (Platanthera
leucostachys) is also in bloom near the start of the Switchback Trail to
Klahane Ridge. This plant has a sweet, almost honeyish smell. We had
noticed this scent on our last hike up the Switchback Trail, but had
been unable to find its source. This time our search bore fruit, and
good smelling fruit at that. In any event, we should point out
that the alpine wild flower season is nearing its peak of diversity.
The yarrow is ready to open, the phlox and glacier lilies are passing.
The season started early this year, and the true floral glory of the
high meadows is upon us. We will provide appropriate aromatic
HTML as soon as a few more browsers start supporting SE-CSS (scent
enabled CSS). We apologize for the inconvenience, or maybe not. |
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| 06/24
- Cape Alava is at the far western edge of the North Olympic Peninsula,
so it is a bit of a drive. However, it is well worth it. There is a
hike from the corner of Lake Ozette, through rainforest and meadow to
the Cape, then south along the beaches with their mysterious sea stacks
and tide pools to Sandy Point, and then back along a different trail to
the ranger station. To the right, you can see one of the seasonal charms of the area. The deer, even the fawns, are relatively unperturbed by overly excited photographers. We saw two fawns with their mother (presumably), and we saw a river otter on the Hoko-Ozette Road back home. We also saw a little salt water turtle and a large striped frog. Today, the walk was easy. The tide was low, well below one foot while we were there, so it was easy to go rock hopping around the points. It was also dry, so the boardwalks weren't slippery. Finally, it wasn't too sunny, because the beach can get a bit oppressive with the full sun bouncing off the Pacific. We have as yet to find the petroglyphs, but we'll keep looking. For more on the trail, see our web page for Cape Alava. |
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| 06/23 - We were just opening a few
bottles of red and realized that we are running low on Camaraderie Cellars'
cabernet
franc, so we need to drop by the Corsons and pick up a case. The
work never ends. |
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| 06/18 - We found a new place in
town. Salumi in Seattle
has
the best Italian salamis and other cold cuts we have ever tasted.
Armandino Batali, Mario's father, runs a hole in the wall delicatessan
not far from Pioneer Square, and the cured meats and sandwiches he
produces are magnificent. |
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| 06/16 - A couple of the regulars at Nash Huber's farm stand
started a catering business, and since we like their attitudes
towards food, and local food in particular, we told them we'd mention
them on our web site if they gave us a card. It took a few trips to the
Farmer's Market, and a lot of Nash's great coriander,
before we got our card, but here is the poop on their catering
business. |
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| 06/14 - We were in downtown Seattle
yesterday, so we checked out Palace
Kitchen, one of the gems in Tom Douglas's growing empire. It is a
big hopping bar of a place with a true emphasis on appetizers. We all
know that the appetizers are where the flavor is, so at Palace Kitchen
we indulged. Check out our review
for more. |
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| 06/09
- The snows have melted at Deer Lake, so we were up the trail to take a
look. The weather was scattered showers, so the sky was a mix of gray
and blue patches. It rained under the gray and it was warm and bright
under the blue. Since the sky was gray when we arrived, we stopped for a coffee at the Sol Duc Hot Springs resort. The pools were empty, and we were tempted to take a dip, but with the new whirlpool bath at Lake Crescent Cottage, we decided that we had mountains to climb instead. We headed down from the Sol Duc trailhead parking lot and passed by the falls. The Sol Duc falls were spectacular. There was a lot of water blasting through the rocks by the bridge, but we still had mountains to climb. |
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The trail was usual stony self. The air was heavy and misty, so it was hard going. The trail was wet, but not impassable. We had to stop on the bridge to marvel at the waterfall. There was a lot of Pacific dogwood in flower for the first half of the trail, and a lot of glacier lilies as we got higher. As for the lake itself, it was by turns brilliant and misty as you can see in our photo. The water was clear and fresh, and the snow seems to have melted all around the lake. You can see the snow above, and we hear that the Potholes are still in deep snow only a few hundred feet above. For more on this great trail, click here. |
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06/04 - The Switchback Trail to
Klahane
Ridge is open. We were up there earlier today and are pleased to report
that it looks like a really good wildflower season. Already, there are
avalanche lilies, violets, some yarrow and lots of greenery just
waiting to blossom. We even saw the local marmot at the top of the
ridge. This is a clearly auspicious sign. Those of us in on the secret
know that sighting a marmot at Klahane Ridge at the start of the season
means that we will have a sunny summer in the high country of Olympic
National Park.  |