Manifest Part 4 (Hurricane Ridge + Coast + Forks)
Chapter 10: PNW Driving Segment
By this point, we had a driving schedule formed that consisted of two teams. Jeff and I were the varsity squad. Nick and Sam were the JV kids. (This was really just a glorified seating chart). Jeff started driving in Portland, passed through Vancouver, Washington, and would swap with me at a mildly out of the way town called Shelton. Even though we never pumped out crazy mileage, today would be the heaviest driving day of the trip.
This driving segment was the most memorable for me. If there is a segment to capture what it feels like to do a roadtrip in the Pacific Northwest, there are not many better roads than US-101 in Washington. The temperature outside was perfect. Along the drive, there are bodies of both salt and freshwater out the right window. The two-lane single dotted yellow makes passing super fun, and the road sporadically alternated from hilly to curved to straight, ensuring that the driving was engaging at all times. Once you get to the northernmost point of US-101, the road cuts east to west and you get to catch a few glimpses of the ocean. The drive gets even better as you enter Olympic National Forest and make your way up the side of a mountain. I've always had trouble capturing what it's like to drive on a nice road to my passenger princess friends. To my friends who can drive, you'll have to experience it yourself sometime. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Chapter 11: Hurricane Ridge
Jeff listed this hike as his all-time favorite hike and for good reason. The beauty behind this hike is that it is super accessible and short. A lot of times, there is a direct relationship between how pretty the scenery is and how difficult the actual hike is. This hike didn't have any difficult terrain and presents wildlife and views that are second to none (the marmot photo is from Hurricane Ridge). The entirety of this hike is on paved trail until you get to the ridge.
By the time we left Hurricane Ridge, it was about 7:15 PM, which meant that we had about two more hours until the sun set. The Manifest team booked it down Hurricane Ridge (I think we got a global Strava segment record) and got back in our trusty white Camry. Nick drove us two hours due west to Rialto Beach on the Pacific Coast.
Chapter 12: Rialto Beach
Nick accidentally overshot a right turn, and we still managed to make it to Rialto Beach seven minutes before sunset. It was pretty chilly here. We speedily bundled up a few layers and ran out onto the rocky beach. The cool air chilled by the might of the Pacific smelled wonderful. In a span of 10 hours, I had seen the city, the mountains, the forests, and the ocean. We had planned to hike to the famous "hole-in-the-wall," but the night was rapidly approaching, and we decided to enjoy the sunset instead. After the sun set, Jeff, Sam, and Nick skipped rocks into the dusk while I attempted to capture their actions on photo.
Rialto Beach had a good number of people watching the sunset with us. For a few moments, I stopped taking photographs on my DSLR and just watched the people around me. There were families, friends groups like the Manifest team, couples, and some individuals just hanging out by themselves.
I'd like to think of myself as resourceful, but I guess that isn't always the case. Watching the sunset and the people around me brought me much contentment, but I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone and enjoyed the sunset this year. It's not even a matter of being too busy or too tired. I've spent too much time on my phone and social media to make that argument.
The last few rays penetrated the horizon at around 9:30PM, and we drove to the place we would be spending the night. It was a small town called Forks.
Chapter 13: Forks Part 1
The name "Forks" might sound familiar because it is where The Twilight Series is based. As we drove through the town, I thought I had heard of this town somewhere. It was when I saw a photo of Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) on one of the windows that I realized this was the "Forks." We got into town at 9:50 and the only open restaurant closed at 10. Jeff and I briskly walked into the restaurant, attempting to get a seat or some food, but the waitress out front said that they were closed and had no more food. The only place that was open was a Shell Gas Station and a Circle K Gas Station. I couldn't really see the town that well, but there were a few tweakers here and there. We first ventured into the Shell, but it had few food choices. We drove directly across the street and walked into the Circle K with much better food choices.
My dinner consisted of two frozen breakfast sandwiches, a slim jim, and a large pack of chips. We heated it up in the gas station and drove to our little motel at the edge of the town. In the motel, we wolfed down our dinner and proceeded to pack everything for the upcoming 4 day backpacking trip. We planned to be out of the motel at around 8 AM the next morning, but by the time we were finished packing, it was already 1:30 AM. It took us a while to get out of bed that next morning. We also had to purchase additional water purification and a paracord for the bear wire. By the time we were fully on the road, it was well past 9AM. Jeff drove us into the Hoh River entrance of Olympic Park. We were about six miles from the trailhead when the road came to a dead stop. There were roughly 200 cars ahead of us, and the only thing we could do for the next four hours was wait and chill: so that's what we did.