Hamiltons Cross-Country Adventure 2010
Dispatches
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2010-08-10
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2010-08-08
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2010-08-07
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2010-08-05
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2010-08-04
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2010-08-02
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2010-08-01
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2010-07-30
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2010-07-28
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2010-07-28
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2010-07-26
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2010-07-25
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2010-07-15
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2010-07-13
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2010-07-11
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2010-07-10
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2010-07-07
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2010-07-06
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2010-06-28
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2010-06-27
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2010-06-22
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2010-06-21
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2010-06-20
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2010-06-20
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2010-06-18
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2010-06-17
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2010-06-16
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2010-06-15
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2010-06-14
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2010-06-13
Jul 10
Dispatch #15
Published at 20:44
On July 7th at 6:06pm, we caught our first glimpse of the Pacific
Ocean! We have traveled over 5,500 miles since leaving North Carolina
4 weeks ago! Later that night, we entered Olympic National Park and
found a great campsite overlooking Lake Crescent. We rushed to set up
camp and whipped up some dinner (“shrimp and veggies a la freezer
section”). Caroline was comforted to have plenty of neighboring
campers… that is, until a rowdy group arrived around midnight and
partied until dawn. The jury is still out on “safety in numbers” vs.
“totally alone with the bears.”
Chris has become a skilled coffee maker since the addition of a French
press to our camping equipment. With java in hand, we set out to
explore the Hoh Rainforest. There is a great trail that follows the
Hoh River through an enchanting forest with lofty moss covered trees
and a dense ground cover of ferns. The Olympic Mountains are visible
in the distance, and the terrain is marked by massive “nurse logs,”
where young trees have sprouted from their fallen elders. After a
quick lunch, we headed to another section of the park called Hurricane
Ridge. It was quite a drive to this part of the park, but well worth
it. From the top of the ridge there are panoramic views of the
Olympic Mountains. We made it back to camp in time to take a dip in
the crystal clear Lake Crescent.
(For those of you familiar with the Twilight series, which Caroline
may or may not have read, the town of Forks, La Push, Port Angeles and
the Quiette Indian Reservation are all in this area).
Next up… our first backpacking trip together to Cape Alava and Sand
Point on the Pacific Ocean.
Ocean! We have traveled over 5,500 miles since leaving North Carolina
4 weeks ago! Later that night, we entered Olympic National Park and
found a great campsite overlooking Lake Crescent. We rushed to set up
camp and whipped up some dinner (“shrimp and veggies a la freezer
section”). Caroline was comforted to have plenty of neighboring
campers… that is, until a rowdy group arrived around midnight and
partied until dawn. The jury is still out on “safety in numbers” vs.
“totally alone with the bears.”
Chris has become a skilled coffee maker since the addition of a French
press to our camping equipment. With java in hand, we set out to
explore the Hoh Rainforest. There is a great trail that follows the
Hoh River through an enchanting forest with lofty moss covered trees
and a dense ground cover of ferns. The Olympic Mountains are visible
in the distance, and the terrain is marked by massive “nurse logs,”
where young trees have sprouted from their fallen elders. After a
quick lunch, we headed to another section of the park called Hurricane
Ridge. It was quite a drive to this part of the park, but well worth
it. From the top of the ridge there are panoramic views of the
Olympic Mountains. We made it back to camp in time to take a dip in
the crystal clear Lake Crescent.
(For those of you familiar with the Twilight series, which Caroline
may or may not have read, the town of Forks, La Push, Port Angeles and
the Quiette Indian Reservation are all in this area).
Next up… our first backpacking trip together to Cape Alava and Sand
Point on the Pacific Ocean.
- Name: Fairholme Campground, Olympic NP
- Elevation: 200 m
- Latitude: 48° 8’ 21” North
- Longitude: 124° 31’ 48” West
Meadow and mountains
Hamiltons with Olympic Mtns
Lake Crescent Campsite
Mossy tree
Glacial runoff
Nurse Log
Care on trail
Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park
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