Tag 32: Quinault and Kalaloch

After breakfast and refilling our gas tank, we drive along Highway 101 from Aberdeen to Quinault. The city of Aberdeen is bleak, it is decaying and shows hardly any beautiful sides. It used to flourish due to the timber industry, but now everything has been logged and not much is left. We see the consequences of deforestation, the large tree roots still remain in the ground and do not rot. After an hour of straight road, we reach Quinault. The small town is located in Olympic National Forest and offers several hikes as well as a lodge from 1926. The small town has charm. We hike along the lake to the nature trail of the rainforest. This consists of coniferous trees such as Douglas fir and red cedar. A lot of moss and fern cover the ground. We decide to extend our route and follow another trail. We are now deep in the rainforest. However, we are here during the driest season, it does not rain, it is warm and the humidity is significantly higher. At every intersection, there is a warning about Mount Leon, which scares me partially. At one point, I even think I hear a growl from the side, but it is only David snoring on my back. Just before the end, I get startled again because a squirrel sits at eye level on a tree, just half a meter away from me, eating. My dear man behind me gets even more startled. Good thing it's not another animal. After 1 and a half hours, we reach our car happily. We have walked 4 miles, which is 6.4 kilometers, with two children. We are proud of Erik for his great performance. The drive to Kalaloch goes by quickly. I almost fall asleep. But I catch myself. The town of Kalaloch is right by the sea and is part of Olympic National Park. Exactly half a year ago, I sat at my computer to secure a campsite with a sea view and I succeeded. The spot is the best. We are in the front row and can see the sea from the table. Upon arrival, we explore the beach and the children dig in the sand. Unfortunately, it starts drizzling shortly thereafter and we prefer to go inside the camper. We grill chicken legs in the evening, but it takes forever for them to be done. It's worth the wait, they are delicious. The rain gets stronger and we can't go outside anymore. We are exhausted anyway and go to sleep.