The Kindness of Strangers on the Pacific Northwest Trail - North Coast Washington

 In March my niece, Grace, got married and one of her bridesmaids stood up and told a story about hiking with Grace and almost dying. Twice. Then a friend of my brother stood up and asked the room of about 80 people, "Who here has almost died on an adventure with Don Matteson?" About 50 percent of the room raised their hand, including me! Apparently this "kill your friends and family on an adventure" gene runs in our family and I have also inherited it because my cousins (and me) wondered if they were going to die at least twice on this backpacking trail.

Normally Kelley and I try to do a section hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. But the Pacific Northwest is in one of the worst droughts I have ever seen. The part we wanted to do in Oregon is closed because of the 2020 Lionsgate Fire. A huge fire is burning near Mazama and Winthrop in Washington and I didn't want to hike in such dangerously dry and smoky conditions. So we turned our attention to the Washington Coast and decided to hike 43 miles of the Pacific Northwest Trail, from Ozette/Cape Alava to the Oil City Trailhead.

This was a logistically challenging section to plan due to the need to plan around the changing tides. Several areas had pinch points that ranged between a 2 to a 5 tide. If the tide was higher than that we'd have to either take an overland route if available, or wait for the tide to change. Fortunately, the tides seemed pretty favorable except for the final day when we would need a 2 and it was a 2.8 in the afternoon or wait until 2:00am the next day for a 1.94 tide. We decided we would check it out when we got to it at the first low tide at 1:00pm and wait if needed for the lower low tide and hike it using our headlamps in the middle of the night.

Laurie decided to also join us so we arranged to meet at the Oil City Trailhead at 11:30am on Wednesday, July 28th. I got up early to catch the first ferry off Whidbey Island.

Coupeville ferry

My cousins arrived shortly after I did and we threw their packs into my car and drove up to Cape Alava, stopping in Forks for a hefty lunch. We arrived at Ozette around 3:00pm, went through our packs, crammed our two bear canisters with all our food and toiletries and started up the trail. I have a new Gregory Deva 60 backpack that my husband bought me as a Christmas present and this was my first backpacking trip using it. It is hard to get used to a new pack. I have to create a new system of organizing and storing items in this pack and the whole trip I kept forgetting where I had stashed things.

The Ozette Triangle and Cape Alava trail are popular day hikes and we encountered quite a few hikers coming out as we hiked in. My pack felt really heavy with the required bear canister and I missed my old heavier Deva pack which conformed to my body and often felt like it was hugging me. Much of the trail goes on boardwalk, some of which was the plastic trex deck type boards and must be extremely slippery when wet.

The Pacific Ocean!

We finally reached the coast and got our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. We scooted down to the beach and started hiking south. 

Our first campsite was at Wedding Rocks and I knew that there were Native American petroglyphs there that I was eager to find. We asked a few hikers along the way for any hints or tips for finding them and following their advice we found them!

Petroglyphs!

Then we needed to camp. We asked an older gentleman soaking his feet in the ocean if he knew if there were camping sites around the corner and he led us up to his friend who knew more about it. No, they were not aware of campsites around the corner and had just come from that direction. But there was a small spot right next to their camp where we could maybe squeeze us all in if we were interested in that one. We looked at it and decided, yep, it would do. There was only one other open site that we saw but it had a strong poop smell and we skipped it.

We are snug but happy campers

Hanging out in my tent at the first camp site

That group of 80 year old men were our first kind strangers we met but it set a positive pattern for the entire trip. We were astonished at the kindness of strangers the entire time. 

Day 1 - 3.89 miles hiked according to Garmin. I thought it would be 5.5 miles.

The first man told us that the hike that day had just about killed him. We thought he was joking. Then we experienced it ourselves on day 2.

Day 2, Thursday, July 29, 2021 Wedding Rocks to Norwegian Memorial

We got up and rolled out of camp around 8:30am. We had what I thought was a 7.5 mile hike ahead of us to our next campsite at Norwegian Memorial and according to all my research I knew that this would be slow hiking. We needed to get around our final pinch point on a 5 or lower tide. 

We passed a stinky dead whale as we slogged through sand and pebbles and rock hopped across boulder fields. It was a foggy day which made for some nice cool hiking.

Dead whale carcass

We needed water so we stopped at Sand Point campground where the water is notoriously dark colored with tannins even when filtered. We tasted it cautiously after we filtered it and it tasted a little like dirt but actually wasn't too bad. Some kind campers let us cut through their camp down to the beach when we asked how to get back to the beach and we popped out onto lovely hard sand. 

the joy of walking on hard sand!

We made good time for awhile until the sand ended and we were back to boulder hopping, trying to avoid slippery seaweed and skirting around rocky headlands.

Laurie carefully traverses the rocky edge

Kelley ponders where to step next

Kelley crawls under a large downed tree

There were clusters of downed trees along the way that were like large jungle gyms. We had to contort ourselves over, under and around the large obstacles. 

Lunch during a brief sunny break

We took a short break for lunch when the sun appeared briefly, draping our damp tent rain flies over logs to dry out. Then we pressed ahead, trying to get around our last 5 foot tide pinch point. 

Laurie was ahead and when we got to the final part of the pinch point she began to scream back at us, "Hurry, the tide is coming in!" I could see the water washing over where we needed to go and I paused to put on my Keen water sandals, stowing my camera on the top of the pack since I knew I was going to get wet and I didn't know how deep it would get. So I don't have any pictures of this next part. 

Laurie yelled, "We need to go back!" I told her we had to press on, that it would be more dangerous to try to go back since it would be a much longer stretch of being battered by the rapidly rising ocean. I crossed around the corner, threw my pack on a high place and told Laurie to go on to safety and I turned around and went back to help Kelley. She put on her water shoes and I put on her pack and carried her pack around the corner while she negotiated her way through the rising water with her hiking poles. We got to the other side safely although we were wet up to the top of our thighs.

We are all short. Only about 5 feet tall. This adds a wrinkle of complexity when we hike. Water fords that tall people can jump over we have to wade through. Our short little legs have to take extra strides to keep up with tall people. But we three hike well together.

Once we were around the danger point we took a break to put our regular shoes back on. We agreed that was a super sketchy thing we had just come through and we vowed to get up early the next morning so we wouldn't be caught in another pinch point. I felt really bad that we had all been in danger.

an eagle

We rounded the final corner and I could see the smooth sand in front of the Norwegian Memorial camping area. We had made it through the notoriously difficult section. Alive! I shouted, "I wish we had a bottle of wine to celebrate with!" 

We trudged through the soft sand, Kelley leading the way, and she stopped to talk to three people sitting at a campsite on the beach, asking them if they knew where we could get water and where the privy was. The man listened to our adventures and offered us all a cold beer. None of us really like beer and Kelley said, "Maybe a glass of wine, but we don't really like beer." The man smiled and said, "You all go set up your camp and I will bring you something in a little while." 

We went up towards the privy and set up our tents in an empty space. 

Nice and level and close to the outhouse

I took the gallon bag and hiked down the trail to the flowing stream to fill up water to filter, then went back and we filtered water for our dinners and breakfast coffee. 

Kelley and Laurie filter water with our Sawyer Squeeze

Shortly after, the wonderfully kind man appeared, with a bottle of wine! Best of all he said to just leave the empty bottle at their campsite and they would haul it out. They were locals who knew a super secret way to get to Norwegian Memorial without the long hike that we'd done, and they had a cooler full of wine and beer. I could not believe it. 

The miracle bottle of wine. Hot to Trot, one of my favorites!!

After we enjoyed the wine we set an alarm for 5:00am, wanting to get hiking by 6:00am to avoid getting caught by the afternoon rising tide again. Lulled by the sound of the ocean, we slept.

Day 2 stats- I thought it would be 7.5 miles but it was actually 10 miles according to Garmin, and 31,455 steps for me.

Day 3, Friday, July 30, 2021

We woke up at 5:00am and even getting up early we did not make it out of camp until after 6:30am. We knew that we had an early pinch point with an overland route option and based on my previous plan of starting to hike 6:00am knew we would need to do the overland. We arrived at the route which was marked by a round red and black circle and pulled our gloves on. The route was super steep and Laurie took the lead, scrambling up the cliff holding onto the rope. Kelley went next and then me. It was so hard with our heavy packs to haul ourselves up. The trail was eroded and then we got to a huge blow down obstructing our path. Laurie and Kelley made it over the giant log but I was doubting my upper body strength and eventually took my pack off and lowered it to the other side. Kelley went up to a safer place, took off her pack and came back to help me, pulling my pack up while I rolled myself over the log. I could see that at one time there had been notches carved into it to help create hand holds, but the part where the foot holds had once been was now rotted and the bark was slick and slippery. I was terrified. There was a rope to hold on to but it did not help much.

With Kelley's help I made it down to the other side of the log which was probably over 4 feet tall since it was almost as tall as I was. My legs were literally shaking with fear as I stood on the tiny ledge on the other side and then had to grab the rope and continue up. When we got to the top I started down facing forward holding onto the rope. Eventually I just sat down and scooted down the super steep parts on my bottom holding onto the rope so I didn't tumble to my death. It probably took us almost an hour to get over that headland. As we dusted ourselves off at the bottom, six hikers rounded the corner. The tide was now low enough to walk around. ARRGGGG!!!

Once we were safely at the bottom we took a couple pictures to try to convey the steepness of the trail.

Kelley and Laurie safe at the bottom

Kelley and I. Alive!

A more complete view of the rope trail up

We continued on our way and saw a beautiful rainbow follow us for awhile.

I didn't know a rainbow could move

Then we hit our second overland ascent. This is not an optional one. Everyone has to do this. The trail was again eroded with foot holds dug out for long legged tall people. I was so grateful that I was warned to take gloves for these rope ascents. It was a shorter ascent and not quite as scary as the first one. I again butt scooted down the other side and then we posed a picture.

Kelley

We continued on our way going around tide lands, jumping from rock to rock and clambering over boulder fields. To us this day was actually harder than yesterday because the overland trails required a full body workout. 

The terrain was tough and Kelley fell multiple times as we tried to hurry to get to Hole in the Wall before the rising tide could shut us out. Finally, we could see it ahead!

Hole in the Wall

Kelley with her banged up knees

But hurry as we did, the tide had come in and Hole in the Wall was inaccessible. We missed it by about 30 minutes. We took off our packs, sat on a log, ate a snack and discussed our options. We were exhausted. The  thought of another overland trail when we were so tired was overwhelming. Other hikers assured us it was not too hard and there were no ropes involved but we decided to stay the night on the beach and call it good. This decision meant that we would be quitting early because the last hike day we needed a 2 foot tide and after that day there would not be another tide that low for almost a week. It also meant we would need to find a way to get to our car at the Oil City Trailhead, about an hour drive away from Rialto Beach.

Laurie was able to contact her boyfriend on her Verizon phone who offered to drive 4 plus hours to pick us up and when we texted my husband, John, he also said he would come and get us, also a 4 hour drive. Laurie thought we might be able to hire an Uber, and so we decided to walk out the next day and go to either Mora Campground or Three Forks Restaurant and hire an Uber from there. If we called it at the restaurant at least we'd be able to eat while we waited for the Uber to arrive which could take 1-2 hours.

Laurie also scrapped her legs all up this day.

Laurie's war wounds

Day 3 stats - 7.25 miles at 1/4 mile an hour pace from Norwegian Memorial to Hole in the Wall

Day 4, Saturday July 31, 2021 - Hole in the Wall to Rialto Beach (3.5 miles) and then to Oil City Trailhead to collect Laurie's car

I woke up the next morning to the gentle patter of occasional rain drops on my tent. I snuggled in my warm sleeping bag and opened the tent door to view Hole in the Wall. I saw an eagle perched at the top of a sea stack.

View from my tent

eagle on the top

Oh, the freedom of not having to make miles to hit the tides! I loved this hike but I wish I would have planned less miles a day so that I could have enjoyed the beautiful scenery more. I thought I had planned short hike days but I did not realize that we would be going less than a half mile an hour due to the difficult terrain. 

I laid in bed until my need to pee and my need for coffee got me up. Kelley donned her DIY garbage bag rain coat and I pulled out my jacket and wool leggings for the first time, glad that I hadn't carried them all those miles for no reason. We sat and enjoyed our coffee, happy to hang out at camp until the tide fell enough to go through Hole in the Wall. 

Kelley in her "raincoat"

Eventually we packed up our wet tents and posed for some celebratory pictures in front of Hole in the Wall.

Making our way over the slippery seaweed

I am being careful not to slip

We made it! Oh, the joy!

As we walked the beach to Rialto we laughed and talked. We saw pelicans and wondered where the trail came out at. We wondered if we would actually be able to get an Uber lift.

Pelicans

I looked up and saw the black and red circular sign that indicated a trail was ahead. We hiked towards the sign and saw an older couple with a little dog sitting on a log and asked if this was the trail to Rialto Beach and they said it was.

We enjoyed the flush toilets and hot water in the parking lot bathrooms and then started walking the road towards Mora Campground. It was a narrow road with no shoulder and because it was early all the traffic was arriving, not leaving. We debated trying to hitch a ride and even stuck out our thumbs a couple times but had no luck. After about a mile I was starting to get too warm with my jacket on and we found a wide spot in the road and dropped our packs so I could strip it off and shove it in my pack. I ran into the woods to pee and as I emerged I saw a large white truck pulling over to give us a ride! It was the older couple that had been sitting on the log with their little dog.

Their names were Conrad and Sandy with their dog Tuxedo. They were on their way to Three Forks, right where we wanted to go to try to call the Uber! Kelley sat in the back of the truck with the packs under the canopy and Laurie and I climbed into the back seat with Tuxedo. We began to tell them about all our adventures and Sandy said, "I think you should take up knitting instead!" 

As we got closer to Three Forks Conrad said, "I want you to write down my cell phone number in case you can't get an Uber ride." And then Sandy said, "Why don't we just take them to their car in Oil City now? We have the time." We were overwhelmed by their generosity and Laurie started to cry, hiding her tears in her bandana. Later she said to me, "The kindness of strangers just restores your faith."

Conrad stopped at his RV so he could clear out some things from the back seat so Kelley could sit up front with us and shortly we were on our way.

Laurie and Kelley enjoy kisses from Tuxedo while Conrad makes room

Once we started to Oil City I asked, "Do you usually pick up hitchhikers?" 

"No," said Conrad, "but you all just looked like you needed help." 

"Thank you so much for stopping." I said. "I have never hitchhiked in my life. And you are right! We did need help."

It was an enjoyable ride back to the car. Conrad insisted that he'd always want to explore the Oil City Road and this gave him a perfect excuse. And he did find a new place to fish along that road so he was pretty happy.

Sandy entertained us with her quips about her younger 'pup on the porch' husband, since she was 77 and he was only 69. We were absolutely howling as she explain what a cougar she was. When we arrived to the car we tried to give them gas money which they refused and thanked them again for picking up us stinky hikers. Sandy said, "I'm not going to lie. You all really do smell bad." And we were all laughing hysterically again.

Sandy, Kelley, Conrad and Laurie

Sandy, me, Conrad and Laurie

I told Conrad and Sandy that people who help hikers are called Trail Angels, and that they were our Trail Angels. 

Then we piled into Laurie's car and drove back to Cape Alava to pick up my car. What an amazing and awesome experience. We are determined to go back and finish our final section, but we will make a point of working out for a few months before we do so we have better upper body strength for any overland routes we might need to take. Thank you, Laurie and Kelley for risking your lives with me!! Thank you, John, for being my virtual guardian angel and watching out for me using the Garmin Inreach and for getting me an 8:30pm reservation on a Saturday night, which is pretty miraculous. You always have my back!

Total hiked miles according to Garmin: 23.88

My spiritual thoughts and perspectives - If this isn't your jam, please stop reading now.

As I was driving back by myself to catch the ferry at Port Townsend over to Coupeville, a song came on the radio by Chris Daughtry called "Home". I always think of my dad when I hear this song because I played the song at his funeral. He died fourteen years ago. I listened to the song as the tears flowed and I thought about how proud he would have been of me for hiking this hike. And suddenly I realized that if my earthly father would have been proud of me that my heavenly Papa God was proud of me too. Which made me cry even more.

I have felt God's peace and presence this whole trip. I've thanked Him for the angels He assigned to us which kept us from serious injury even after multiple falls. I saw Him in His rainbow that followed us along the beach after we conquered that awful overhead trail where I was so scared that my legs were shaking.

And that miracle bottle of wine. I keep thinking about that. Jesus came to show mankind what Papa God is really like.  And the first miracle Jesus did was to provide wine. For a celebration. I blurted out, 'I wish we had a bottle of wine to celebrate finishing that rocky section.' I really didn't expect to get wine. But I did feel like we needed to celebrate. And we did! And that is also Papa God's heart, to celebrate with His kids when something needs to be celebrated. And we are ALL His kids.

Finally, I think about our trail angels Conrad and Sandy. To get such a lovely couple who were willing to drive over an hour out of their way to help some strangers. We are told to practice hospitality because when we do we may entertain angels unknowingly. I have entertained and hosted strangers many times. But I feel like I've met angels when I've been at a point of complete inability to help myself. And honestly, that is also where I see Papa God at work and feel His presence the most. 

I have been rescued so many times on hikes. The time Kelley and I needed to hike out when we couldn't ford the Sandy River and I got 1 bar of service and was able to call John who called Adam to come get us with warm blankets and dry socks.

The time Pounce and I were section hiking the PNT and I got so dehydrated I threw up every time I'd try to eat and two young men gave us a ride in their boat from Big Beaver to the trailhead, saving us 7 miles of hiking.

I ponder why I feel so close to God when I hike. I think it is because I am away from my cell service and my life and all my distractions. I do a pretty good job of providing for myself in my regular life. Maybe in my self-provision I don't NEED God like I do when I hike.

While hiking I live a basic life of eat, sleep, find water, hike, repeat. There is a reason why people who want to find God go on pilgrimages. And I guess for me, backpacking is my version of a pilgrimage.