BLACKOUT SHADES BLINDS

Looking north from south end of Shi Shi beach. The distant low level of cotton ball clouds are hanging low over Canada's Vancouver Island. The distant black headland is Cape Flattery, the northwest corner of the lower 48.

Low tide was at 1 pm when we rounded the corner at Point of the Arches. We spent a full hour having a bite to eat, poking around the tidal pools and enjoying the view, before starting to hike back north and back to the traihead. Here the tide is starting to come back in as we hike north.

Sunday night June 14th, 2009 - my wife and I camped in the back of our pickup truck canopy at the “South Beach” camp on Washington’s Pacific Ocean coast.

Monday, we drove to Neah Bay, where we took an 8 mile round trip hike from the Makah Indian Reservation trailhead, along Shi Shi beach, to the beach immediately south of the Point of the Arches - - and back. After the Shi Shi Beach hike, we drove back north and took the short, but outstanding, one mile round trip hike to the Cape Flattery & Tatoosh Island overlook. There we saw marine birds and were treated to the sight of a gray whale swimming north through the channel between Tatoosh Island and Cape Flattery.

Tuesday, we drove from our “basic” motel room in Neah Bay, back to our home in Eastern Washington, via the Hood Canal route. The back road travel and hiking over the two and half days were really enjoyable. My wife and I both had a great time and especially enjoyed the hikes and the camp at South Beach.

My flickr photo set “Shi Shi Beach - June 2009” has a detailed narrative of the trip and hikes.

The American bald eagle, tired of a visit by a raven and my photo taking efforts from the beach - - soared out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A large German container ship (owned by Hapag-Lloyd), is heading into the 100 mile long channel, that separates the United States and Canada. Vancouver Island resides under the distant clouds.

When I snapped this photo with my Canon G10 at full telephoto, I had no idea I would be able to see the cargo on deck and read the company name on the side of the ship in the photo.

Sunday night June 14th, 2009 - my wife and I camped in the back of our pickup truck canopy at the “South Beach” camp on Washington’s Pacific Ocean coast.

Monday, we drove to Neah Bay, where we took an 8 mile round trip hike from the Makah Indian Reservation trailhead, along Shi Shi beach, to the beach immediately south of the Point of the Arches - - and back. After the Shi Shi Beach hike, we drove back north and took the short, but outstanding, one mile round trip hike to the Cape Flattery & Tatoosh Island overlook. There we saw marine birds and were treated to the sight of a gray whale swimming north through the channel between Tatoosh Island and Cape Flattery.

Tuesday, we drove from our “basic” motel room in Neah Bay, back to our home in Eastern Washington, via the Hood Canal route. The back road travel and hiking over the two and half days were really enjoyable. My wife and I both had a great time and especially enjoyed the hikes and the camp at South Beach.