July 2014 La Push, WA

Paddled with a group of WKC (Washington Kayak Club) friends launching at the Quileute River Marina in La Push, WA. We paddled to Mosquito Cove some 11 miles to the south, which was our intended campsite. Fog... lots of sea fog in the mornings and fairly brisk winds in the 15-25k range in the afternoons for most of this trip. Highlight was loads of warm sunshine each and every day. Numerous sea caves and arches to explore, rock gardens with a wide variety of sea life. Birds, especially numerous, were brown pelicans and my favorite, puffins. The number of brown pelicans (counted 100+ one evening) grew every evening as they came to bathe in the fresh water running out of Mosquito Creek. We did see quite a few river otter families and groups of sea lions and seals also.

We stayed at Mosquito Creek for four nights, great place to camp with a good water supply and miles of sandy beaches to hike. One day, due to the dense fog we attempted to hike to Hoh (rain forest) River but three of us turned back after a hour and half of slogging thru mud pits, climbing latter's and ropes, walking over skinny, wet log bridges etc...guess not all of us are cut out to be wilderness hikers! We moved our camp to a site north of Toleak Point for our final night. We did day paddles south to the Hoh River, around Alexander Island, up to and down Goodman Creek (nice river otter population there), Graveyard of the Giants, First, Second and Third beaches.

              

On the last day we were on the water by 7:30 am and paddled most of the way back to La Push in fog.

Since it was windy most afternoons, bugs were no problem, but tents got weighed down with all the sand flying around.