Hike Coordinator: John Malone
Narration by Rheo Wheeler
We had a good turnout for our forest/beach hike with rain on the horizon. Fourteen in all with one coastal friend meeting us at the parking lot. We did this hike in reverse from the way I had always done it in the past, and saw a new and better perspective. We traveled up and through the coastal woods, being spit out on the sand with a trail somewhat following Tahkenitch creek to the ocean. Erosion has made the beach landing more of a scramble and slide, but the aid of a helpfully placed rope made the 8ish foot drop to the sands a bit easier.
Normally this then becomes a leisurely stroll down the beach to our next trail, but with an angry high tide (thankfully not quite all the way in) it was a stroll, punctuated with mad dashes for life to escape the incoming angry waves. Two of us got overtaken and got pretty wet, and one coat was lost in the mad dashing about, but all survived. Then it was back through the deflation plain and up to the Threemile lake overlook for lunch. First arrivals were treated to a bald eagle flyover, but it did not linger for photos.
After lunch it was back on a beautiful wooded trail to continue our loop back to the beginning of our adventure. It seemed like a lot of uphill hiking, but this was not a sandy trail so the going was somewhat easier. Total mileage was around 6-7 miles but we get more credit due to the uphill and soft sand. And no rain either, the weather gods were with us once again.
