Monday, August 4 – Lake Quinault

Once more, we manage to get up early and decide to rent some kayaks for an hour.  This time, the kayaks are not as sophisticated as the ones we had in Tofino; you can only steer them with your paddle and you don´t have a wet-skirt.

Anyhow, Erik and I are sharing one while Markus and Klaus sit on another one. We go along the shore trying to spot some more bald eagles and we actually find one up on a tree! We also see some blue jays and a few fish jumping out of the water. I find kayaking in the sea is a lot more interesting because sea life is simply amazing: you have the seal, the kelp, the whales… here at the lake you can only hope to see some birds; however, on our way back I really enjoy the view of the mountains in the back ground and we pass some see-weeds beautifully floating on the water… a poem themselves.

We return the kayaks and take a short swim at the lake. Then we go to the visitor center and leave the park there to start the “Rain Forest Nature Trail loop”. It is an interpretive path which actually begins at the beautiful lodge, which by the way, is very fancy in its small mountain resort style.

The explanatory sings are well written and are very informative: we learn that geese and humming birds come here and make a stop on their migrating route; ospreys and bald-eagles are also home to the lake because they both love fish; from time to time swans can also be seen here.

We also learn about the flora and start discussing the different kinds of ferns: maiden hair, deer fern, sword fern… but there is one type which we cannot identify. The forest definitely looks like a temperate rainforest, club moss is hanging from the trees, we can see hemlocks, Sitka Spruce and Douglas firs and they are just amazingly tall and big.

At one point we see a sign warning from cougars. I prepare myself for the encounter and take a stone in one hand and a big fat stick to throw at the mountain cat in case we really come across!!!  You are supposed to make a lot of noise and make yourself look big. So Markus starts going on his toes and begins to sing which somehow seems to bother Erik! ;-)

Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately we do not see one single cougar but a lot of fallen trees due to a hurricane and another area of the forest where there was a big fire.

At the cascade falls we eat our lunch and keep walking to see the world´s largest Sitka spruce. This one is again by the lake and we reach it after walking for nearly four hours!

We enjoy the view of the lake and watch some geese in the afternoon sunlight. Then, we hike back to our car for another half an hour.

The drive to the lavender farm in Hoquiam, Washington takes us approximately an hour. I am kind of nervous because I think we were not really invited to go see these people we had met at the Hot-springs in Sol Duc, I mean, we do not even know their names…! but as usual Klaus is confident that it is going to be a lot of fun.

We get there and they are kind of surprised to see them but they invite us into their beautiful house  located next to the small field of lavender which –unfortunately- has already been cut back. We chat and then go for a walk to the river and to their shop where Tom and Dale Dineen (now we know their names!) show us their respective projects. Tom is working with his younger son on a canoe and Dale is drying all her bundles of lavender, needless to say that the place smells wonderfull!