Sunday, August 23, 2015

Hoh River

After visiting the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park on Wednesday I looked for a place to camp. The Hoh Campground looked pretty good (even if it was pretty full) but I really wanted something a little more off the beaten path - and free. 

    Hoh Rain Forest - Spruce River Trail

My first stop was a Road marked with the Discover Pass logo of the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Unfortunately a locked gate blocked my access just a few hundred years in. 

I continued driving down Upper Hoh Road and pulled off in a spot just a couple more miles outside of the park. I thought the gravel road might lead somewhere but after a sharp right turn it opened up into a spot where I could see a few folks had camped before me. I carefully backed in between two tress and staked my claim. 

This site was perfect! It was right on the river, I had it all to myself - and it was free! Rudy and I spent the next two nights just enjoying the beauty of the surroundings. 

    Hoh River

That first evening a guy and his dog dropped by. John and his dog, Loofy(sp), have a favorite swimming hole near where we were camped. After Loofy's swim, our two dogs played while John and I talked for a bit. He lives in Forks (and apparently is not a vampire) and works for the National Park Sevice, I believe. He said this particular spot is one of his favorite on the Hoh River, 

    More Hoh River

The next morning, as I was enjoying my coffee and reading, Rudy came back from a trip down to the river. She nuzzled me to be petted and I immediately realized she had decided to roll in some kind of animal crap! Lucky me! So we grabbed some shampoo and went down to Loofy's swimming hole for a bath. I'm pretty. I'm certain I got wetter than Rudy did. 

    Rudy coated in crap

That night, as I was fixing some dinner, a van drove in. A man got out and asked if he and his son could share our spot for the night. Marcus - and his son Attila - were on a two week trip from their home in Vancouver, BC, to visit parts of Washington and Oregon. They had not been able to find a spot on the Hoh Campground so they looked for a place to boondock for the night. It was fun to get to know them a bit and to make a few suggestions of places for them to visit when they get to Astoria - Fort George Brewery and the Astoria Column.

    Twilight on the Hoh River 

While we didn't have this site completely to ourselves, it was still very quiet and serene. And Rudy was able to be "off leash" most of the time. A great boondocking near the Hoh Rain Forest!

    Sunrise on the Hoh River

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