Friday, October 02, 2009

Three Months After the Road Opened

The Obstruction Point Road is about ready to close again. Soon the gate will close at the point where the dirt road leaves the Hurricane Ridge Road, up by the visitor center; already they warn you:

There was a bit of snow on the road going out in the morning, much less by afternoon returning. The clouds never quite cleared off Mt. Olympus, a twilighty sunshine came and went. Frost outlined the grasses. The marmots are gone down into their burrows.

Lillian Ridge Trail at Obstruction Point, October 2, 2009 (Click for larger image.)


WC saw a pod of orcas from the ferry on his way across yesterday morning. In the afternoon we tried for salmon leaping up the Cascade on the Sol Duc River. But though there were more salmon in the pool below the Cascade than there were a week ago, they are still not jumping. What happens if the river never fluffs up? Will they eventually move anyway? Or do this year's returning salmon never spawn?

Tomorrow we try (again) to see the turkey vulture migration at Salt Creek.

2 comments:

Sky said...

how lucky to catch the orcas on his ferry ride! those whales give me such a thrill. snow already evident at the parking area of hurricane ridge - seems early. we absolutely must get back to the peninsula next year. it has been way too long.

bookinista said...

Love the wide-open open of those just-before-timberline photos.